September 1st, 2010
handbound mixed media journal
Sepulcher
6×8 inches
available for purchase at amanobooks.com
A journal is a place to be present, to bring your entire self to. A place to bring your thoughts and feelings and to fully explore what is going on in your life and in your head. It can be a place to give voice to what may be silenced in our day to day doings. A place where we unearth our desires, our fears…and then let it be. Sometimes things just need to be released, in order to let go and move on. A burial, followed by a resurrection.
sep·ul·cher /ˈsɛpəlkər/ Show Spelled[sep-uhl-ker]
–noun
1. a tomb, grave, or burial place.
–verb (used with object)
3. to place in a sepulcher; bury.
 |
August 26th, 2010
Believe it or not, but new mixed media collage journals have just been added to the collage section of amanobooks.com! There are a few more in the works that will be added as soon as they are bound up. Thank you for your patience, especially to those who have been inquiring about new journals this year. I hope they don’t disappoint.
handbound blank mixed media journal
purchase xxxvi
The cover art for this journal was created using an altered photo of a winter tree. The image is encased in a thin layer of beeswax which adds to the glow of this ethereal image. Strips of white fabric frame the journal cover at the top. One strip has a flower design sewn on with gray thread. The left side of this collage includes ledger paper and strips of other torn paper. At the bottom, I included a polaroid transfer of a group of ferns.
This journal is handbound and signed by the artist.
Stay tuned….more to come!
|
January 26th, 2010
rootless
5×7 blank journal
original mixed media art cover
Rootless is a coptic bound journal containing 72 handbound white pages (144 pages both sides). #70 paper. The cover for this unique journal combines a new interest of mine in working metal. Most of the panel is made up of a metal sheet on which I created prints using real grass reeds found outside in a park. Above the metal piece, I attached one of my photos to the top of the panel and then encased it in a thin layer of beeswax. I really like the juxtaposition of two totally different surfaces next to each other. One, smooth and buttery, and the other cool and rough. The edges of the panel are wrapped with linen bookcloth.
The words on the metal part read:
birthed from the earth yet
without roots:
rootless
no grasp
my past
The cover of this journal is signed by the artist.
To purchase this journal, please visit the Collage Section of amanobooks.com
|
November 10th, 2009
If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced. ~ Vincent Van Gogh
We all hear that voice at times. The voice that whispers in our ear things like “You’re not good enough” or “You call yourself an artist?” or “No one is going to buy your work”, or “You have no original ideas”, etc. etc. etc. This voice is the infamous Inner Critic who rears its ugly head right at the moment when we do not need to hear such negative comments.
Our first instinct is to tell the Inner Critic to just go away, or probably we use less polite phrasing. But basically we stuff it down. This is necessary as a means of self-preservation, but really what is essential is to face the Inner Critic and really figure out what that voice is saying and why. Inner Critic work is challenging because it means we have to face the ugly things we say to ourselves.
Get out your journal and try this exercise:
+ Give your inner critic a name
+ Make a drawing of him/her. A collage even.
+ Explore that critical voice- what is it saying?
where is it coming from?
how does it make you feel?
is there a theme?
+ Next time you start hearing the Inner Critic voice, write down exactly what it’s saying. Then respond to it. Have a dialogue with that voice. Ask it what are you trying to teach me?
And why do we need to do this? There are several reasons:
*the Inner Critic is negative energy. By understanding its role, you can shift the energy so it can work for you instead of against you
*understanding the Inner Critic allows you to know it and its dynamics, allowing you to sidestep the roadblocks
*once your can wrap your head around who the Inner Critic is, why it does what it does, you can release that energy. Forgive it and yourself and keep moving forward.
One thing to understand is that the Inner Critic was created to protect you at times. For example, “if I don’t try, I won’t get rejected”.
I did this exercise several years ago and it was extremely helpful. I highly recommend it.
self portrait, Teach Me To Fly, 2005
Some helpful links on the Inner Critic:
http://talentdevelop.com/articles/innercritic.html
http://www.creatingstrategies.com/articles/creativity_and_innovation/invite_the_inner_critic
http://www.kalimunro.com/article_inner_critic.html
http://creativeeveryday.com/creativeeveryday/2009/04/dialoguing-with-your-inner-critic.html
Pointed criticism, if accurate, often gives the artist an inner sense of relief. The criticism that damages is that which disparages, dismisses, ridicules, or condemns. ~William Ernest Henley
|
November 8th, 2009
Autumn Tree handbound blank journal
4 1/2 x 7 inches
I am excited to announce that the Tyra Banks show chose one of my handbound journals that I offer over at amanobooks.com as one of the items included in their Luxe Living event! Here is a link to the event and the other products that are going to be included too. The Luxe Living event happens once a year in which 8 lucky women win a gift bag of the industries top products. This year they are incorporating fabulous luxury chocolates, teas, handmade soaps, candles, and apparantly handmade journals!
|
November 6th, 2009
Towards Wholeness
6×6 inch blank journal
I have been busy adding more blank journals to amanobooks.com. This blank journal, Towards Wholeness is now available for purchase in the collage journals section.
The cover of this journal was created on a canvas panel. The art on the cover is an original mixed media painting signed by the artist. This piece is about a journey towards wholeness. In the fragile beauty of the petals I hope to capture the beautiful impermanence in this world and the loving acceptance of our limitations.
|
November 4th, 2009
Feeling a little stuck with your journaling? Maybe you feel like you need a little inspiration or motivation to get you going. There’s nothing like joining an informal group online to get you going sometimes. You don’t even have to join, just follow along!
Head on over to Dawn’s blog D’Blogala for daily journaling prompts for the month of November. NaNoJourno stands for National Nonstop Journaling Month. Dawn is posting a word a day at her blog to inspire your visual journal entry for that day.
I know that four days have already gone by for this month already, but don’t let that stop you.
For visual inspiration of someone who creates beautiful visual journal entries that aren’t fussy or overly complex, visit the blog of 365 Days of Being 30…an art journal. Erin’s visual journal pages were featured on this blog earlier this year and she is still at it! I find her journal pages very inspiring.
|
October 22nd, 2009
I have just added three more original paintings to the offerings in the amanobooks.com art section. All of the paintings are encaustic. Take a look!
For the Time Being
encaustic and mixed media
11×14 inches
|
September 25th, 2009
The selection of Natural Elements journals is slowly, but surely being built up. These one-of-a-kind journals are inspired by the simple beauty of nature. The sticks and stones have been picked up on my walks and wanderings and I hope these natural elements inspire your own wanderings.
The journals that depict an image were created using handcarved stamps. A new journal has just been added called Dusk which can be seen below.
dusk
handbound journal
available @ amanobooks.com
|
September 23rd, 2009
My friend and talented artist Patricia Anders posted this exercise and questions on her blog. This is a great exercise for us creative types and I challenge you to open up your journals and attempt to answer her questions and really try to see your work with a stranger’s eyes. I did it myself and will share my answers in a few days over at my art blog. If you would like, post your thoughts on your own blog and share a link here. Or keep it private in your own written journal.
Look at the work you have currently hanging on your studio wall or work space or in progress on your easel or your work table and pretend that you are someone else. Someone who does not know you and imagine what they might think of the artist who created it. Write those things down and keep them for yourself, to help you determine whether what you are creating is tied in with who you are or what you want to say or express. Post your thoughts.
Do you find that the statement “You can tell a lot about a person by the art that they make” is true? Does this exercise give you some clarity or ability to see your creations differently? Do you know someone who’s art clearly reflects who they are? Is the work you did ten years ago different? have you matured artistically or just improved your skills? Is there a difference? Is the content or the media the same?
It is important to the exercise to look at your work with a stranger’s eyes first. And then move on to answering the questions.
Try it!
self portrait
Art is not so much talent as character.. it’s what you are, the qualities of the person. ::: John Olsen :::
Interesting quote….is this true? This quote may be tackling a whole other issue entirely, but thought it was an interesting one to ponder.
|
| « Previous Entries |
Shopping Cart | About | Contact | Privacy | Returns | Shipping | Site Map | Tell a Friend