Happy New Year!

So we all made it through another year. It was a good one for me, with lots of changes. I opened the door on a whole new life of possibilities. One where I own who I am and what I do, even if the path is unclear. I made new friends and mentors through retreats and workshops. I started this little blog of mine, that has opened my own doors wider. I am able to share my work, my life , and who I am with people close to me but far away, a well as build new relationships. Suddenly this space doesn't seem so little anymore. Next year hopes to bring more learning and working and travelling and loving life. A body of work to share with you all on Etsy, more photos and fun. Thank you all for the support and encouragement that has been given in large and small ways. I leave you with a few more recent Diana pics that I love and enjoyed taking. Take a look at my Flickr site for lots more. Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays! Here is a little something I made for the Holidays, and it makes me happy just looking at it. The trout image is a Christmas gift for someone, shhh, don't tell! Oddly I like the pairing of santa and trout, they seem happy together. Some of these images have made their way into my journal on a holiday page spread, which I will share that as it evolves. I hope you

all have a wonderful holiday and are able to spend it with family and friends. See you in the new year!

Goals & Gratitude

These are journal pages that I did in Traci Bunker's workshop, Love and Fear, at Journalfest. I started these pages there, and worked on them more later on. They are completed for now, but I wouldn't be surprised if I work back into them some more. We had to make a list of goals and resolutions, then use our biggest one to make a journal page triptych as though this dream is real. As though I am living it right now. My pages are about a dream I have had my whole life, but which has becoming closer into focus as of late. I have always been an artist, so to speak, but it's only recently that I am making it my priority. Figuring out what I do, how I do it, and what that means to me. So the pages are full of words and images to support this dream of mine, down to the turn of the century building in a quaint, funky old town that I hope to live and work in one day.

The green page is a gratitude list made in class that folds over the artist spread. By this time, the work was flowing, and this page was made in a whirlwind. I love what it means to me and how it turned out. Even more surprising is how happy it is next to the other pages. They are different, but connected somehow.

365 Days of Diana

So, I have embarked on a new journey. I have challenged myself to take one photo a day for a year. Sounds simple enough, right? My camera of choice is my Diana+ or Diana mini, which means using real film. Remember real film? Do kids even know what it is, or how to load a camera anymore? Doubtful. So that means between the two cameras, lots of options. Color, B&W, 35 mm, 120 film, lenses, double exposures, single exposures, square format, half frames, etc. Which is exactly why I am on this mission. To see my life in film, learn what can be done with these toy cameras of mine, and to get back to tactility. Tangibility. Pictures to touch, not files to manage. So far it's been a good time. Two months in, only ten to go. Wish me luck and enjoy the ride.

I will be posing my favorite images here from time to time, but check out my Flickr page for the whole enchilada.

Painting Layers

I am so lucky to be taking Misty Mawn's online class, Painting Layers. I am having so much fun, and loving all the techniques. I have always been into image transfers. I have been using blender markers and acetone to transfer since college. The results are great for black and white, but I was never fully happy with the color results. Not to mention the toxicity factor. Gel medium transfers have always eluded me. I have tried and it didn't seem to work for me. The truth is, I just need to see it done to know what was right and how easy it is. Can you tell I'm in love? I made transfers until my fingers were sore yesterday. What we will do in the name of art. But even more than the transfers, I am loving the whole class. Painting backgrounds, building up surfaces with paint, ink, stamps, stencils. I had so much fun, and it's only week one. Keep checking back to see how things progress, and also check out my Flickr site for more images. Off to make more!

Seattle Trip

Here are some pictures from out trip to Seattle and Port Townsend. These photos were taken by Chad and myself with the Toy Camera App on our iPhones. These first ones are day one of our trip, taking the ferry from Seattle to Bainbridge Island. It was wonderfully moody and misty. Being in Bainbridge Island in October was like being in the most nostalgic memory of Halloween you have. Fall leaves were bursting with color, pumpkins at every stoop, and kiddos playing in the leaves. Wetness and the rustle of leaves filled the day.

The next day we headed to Port Townsend where JournalFest was held. Another picturesque seaside town will all my favorite things, good seafood, shops, and an old downtown very much like the one I always dream of living in.

After JournalFest we spent a few days in Seattle. We enjoyed the typical things like salmon and clam chowder at the market, ferry boats, just walking around town. My favorite though was Gasworks Park. How did i not know this existed? The imagination runs wild in a place like this! Here you see me with my Diana mini. I am testing her out. She is great to travel with because she is so small and versatile, but we'll see how she compares to my trusty Diana+ once the pictures come back. More on a project involving my Diana and diana jr. coming soon. Stay tuned!

Where the magic happens

Here is a little glimpse into my studio. Don't be fooled! This is most definitely an edited version of my space. The clutter is out of sight as is the towering shelving and overstuffed closet. One day I will share those corners of my room, but for now this feels like a good start. A friend of mine made a request recently for images of my home, and I realized how little of my home I actually share. It is such a comfort for me, yet is glaringly overlooked sometimes. I also noticed how much more art I make than is actually represented on this blog. I guess my art, like my home, like life, is a work in progress. I hesitate to share something until it's done, finalized, as if the process is somehow less important than the end result. This space holds all the half finished, just started bits of art that I cherish but don't always share. Sometimes this space groans under the weight of expectations and growing supplies that I place on it. But it's where I go that's just for me. It's there waiting for me at 2 am when my mind is racing. It's my safe haven where I can get the art out, and make what needs to be made. This studio of mine may be messy, and burdened, and over flowing, but it's there as I need it to be.