(sunset over the Gulf, St. Pete's Beach, FLA,2003)
My heart is so heavy for our ocean, the wildlife, the nature, the people, all of us who are being
effected by the oil spill TRAGEDY.
I have to say that these kinds of things that are just so sad and senseless
make me feel
powerless.
My wise friend Kelly at Soul Humming has taken her feelings of sadness and powerlessness
and looked for ways in which we can do at least a little something to help go along with our
prayers for our world.
Check out her post here to see what you can do to empower yourself in spite of the grief.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here is a little bit about the process that went into my latest journal page.
I started off writing in a black permanent brush pen on white paper torn from a small journal.
I wrote about strength and helplessness.
Then I cut the writing into strips.
I was really keeping the "thinking" down to a minimum and just seeing where things were going to go.
No preconceptions...
In my journal I had a page that had these pink circles on it that I had painted around with bright green acrylic paint.
I added some details with Inktense pencils in lime green, blue green and fuchsia.
I glued down the strips of my writing.
The brightness didn't work with where I was. A little to garden/springy somehow..
Out came the beautiful Black Golden Gesso !
I liked this effect but didn't know where else to go with it so I left the page for about a day...
This is where I ended up this morning...
I added the purple door (using a great big paint chip from Behr paints, some more writing strips and some grommets) that could be opened.
And on the underside of the door was a message...
Then I added some "I" phrases that were actually cut out of an old Tarot Card Reading guide that I cut into now and then...
as well as some white detailed pen work.
I love how the page turned out.
I also see lots of sweet spots that could work wonderfully for making cards.
I also love that it was all about the page telling me where it wanted to go.
That intuitive kind of art making is what I love best.
David and I are hanging out together for the first weekend in quite a few.
Feels good !
Planting some garden beauties, getting my back deck up to scratch,
a trip to the beach for wave listening and rock collecting,
smooches and hand holding whenever possible...
Love is good.
I hope you have lots of time to celebrate LOVE this weekend too, Beautiful Ones.
24 comments:
Dear Kim, It's always so wonderful to get some time to spend on your blog. It's been so long and I found myself reading back further and further into your posts because - gosh - there's so much juiciness! My soul is always nourished after a nice visit to the Queen of Arts blog!
This oil spill is horrible and it's so hard to comprehend how something like this could happen. And it really scares me to think of all the stuff that's being triggered, changed, altered in ways that we don't even know yet but I'm sure will be learning about for a long time to come. I agree that we need to do whatever we can, collectively. It seems completely beyond anything we could ever do as individuals to repair it. But what else can we do? I, for one, just had my hair cut really short and all that hair that came off is being sent to be used in soaking up the oil. Thanks for sharing the Soul Humming post. I'm going to check out all her suggestions now.
Hope you're having a wonderful Memorial Day weekend! Big Love ~ Serena
wonderful post. i love your process photos!
i really love your journal page, kim... and love what's behind the door.
beautiful weekend to you, my friend...
xo
thanks, honey girl, for sharing the love. as much as we are all worried and hurting and flat-out angry about what has happened, the knowledge that we aren't in it alone helps. it lifts me up to know there are wonderful people who feel the same, who care for our earth with a passion.
okay....time for you to start teaching classes, k ?
i'll sign up first :)
Love the evolution of the page and the 3 d, truely wonderful. What a way to make things positive when
we all face such an ecological catastrophe! You go girl...
Love seeing the process of your work and hearing your thoughts as to why. Beautiful!!
Hugs
SueAnn
I'm all for the lessons too.
Kim dear, I don't remember how I found you, but I'm so glad I did. You always say such helpful, soulful things, here and when you visit me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
I love this page and how you showed your process. Your handwriting is lovely. And that paint strip door, wow!!!!!
Your weekend sounds delicious.
I will be getting my veggie garden in (crossing fingers!). Listen to the waves for me too please.
Thanks for leaving the nice comments on my blog. I love how you showed your process step by step. I thought the page looked great at the beginning, but was surprised to see it get better and better. Don't know about Inktense pencils - may have to try them.
I will be following...
Kim, I love your processes. You inspire me to take time with my work and sit with it!
Oh...and I promise I'm not skipping summer in the living, just in knitting because I love working with fibers that are too warm for summer. In my world I'm all about now and slooowing down! :)
what a gorgeous page and a great description of the process behind it! i love knowing what goes on in others' minds when they are making something!
love seeing your process Kim. being a native Floridian, I too am so sad about this oil spill tradegy. we need some good news! it's all been so sad.
I love how you showed the process of this page evolving. Sometimes I forget to have the camera in the studio with me. Love the door idea, now I know what to do with all the paint chips I have saved. I thought using the black gesso was perfect it seemed to symbolize the oil for me. Wonderful post....
Hi My Kimmy,
I too am deeply saddened by the damage we do to out ocean. But I also know the power of regeneration of the earth. It is to evident in so many places. Even though it is very tragic for not only the animals but everyone of us is one way or another, I think we if we focus on doing more of what is right for our planet, we will save it!All for one and one for all:)
Love you, precious one. Great Art!!!!
Thank you so much for cheering me on with the Use it or Lose it plan of mine! It really IS that same inner dialogue voice that kicks up anytime we're trying to make a change for ourselves.
Congrats on approaching almost 2 years of being smoke free! Yay!! I'm 6 mons behind you so 1-1/2 for me.
I had replied to your comment from within my comments form and then realized you may not see it there, so I'd come here to leave you another. After 2 years of blogging, I'm suddenly wondering if I should have been leaving responses to people's comments from within my comments in addition to the blog ones. I have noticed that many people do that. Hmmm. A stumper. Guess I may have to do a blog poll on it.
Sending you big love and hugs! xo Serena
I am in line right after Beth...I wanna take a class from you....please oh please! ???
YOU are amazing.....and I love you, and your Big Love
Kim, Love the evolution of this page! Lorri
You have 3 students-Beth, deb and me-just waiting for a class! Showing the process in this piece-what a great idea. Really, Kim, that door is brilliant and the reverse side of it would make just the best of cards. I'd buy a dozen-love the tree and the moon and the message. Just last night at dinner, a friend expressed his despair over the distressed ocean. He went home to try to think of ways to heal it. I liked that!
It makes me sad too. I try to remember to send reiki there, but sometimes forget.
I love the look of the strips of writing! I need to let that idea simmer in my head. :)
Happy Monday to you, my dear! xoxo
Dearest Kim, thank you for sharing Kelly's empowerment post, for helping to do something for the Gulf. She's included some very good ideas there.
I love how your page evolved, and the wisdom it reveals! Beautiful!! a true reflection of your spirit.
much love, Karin
my heart breaks...absolutely is crushed over this unnatural disaster. sigh.
prayers sent up for a better tomorrow.
one love Sis.
I know exactly what you mean about those feeling of helplessness over this "leak." I am still in touch with my ninth grade Earth Science teacher who is an amazing, caring human being and environmental activist. I expressed my feelings of helplessness to him and asked if there was anything I could do to make a difference. This is what he said:
"Fight like crazy to push green energy. Solar panels on our homes, mass insulation, write Congress to end oil subsidies, write letters to the editor about our oil addiction, ask your local teachers to teach about the folly of fossil fuels...spread the word."
This page is fantastic!! And thanks for sharing your process with us.
As for the oil spill, it just makes me sick. The Gulf Coast area is so devastated and it will take a long time, if ever, for them to recover from this.
SO much fun to watch the evolution of this page, Kim. I'm such a geek that I scrolled slowly to prolong my anticipation, and I was well rewarded! Each new element you added contributed to the complexity of the composition and dictated the next step. I wish I could work ourely from intuition more often. It is so incredible when I'm able to achieve this, and it always results in my best work. Hope you and David had a lovely weekend.
And on another note, as a former resident of New Orleans, I am just sick about the most recent tragedy in the Gulf. I can hardly bear to watch the news. Helpless is exactly how I feel, and it's how I felt after Katrina. I don't know if I can ever stand to return to the place I loved more than anywhere else. I hope people everywhere feel like you do and are praying. I think it's all we can do. Thank you for posting about this disaster. It helped ME.
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