When the Fog Lifts

The last year BC (before children) we lived in the coastal range above Refugio Beach on one side and Lake Cachuma on the other. Our property was surrounded by Los Padres National Forest and from one side we looked down into the Santa Ynez Valley and from the other we looked down on the ocean if the fog lifted and went out to sea.

That was the beginning of our bird watching life too. The danger of fire in the chaparral and the deteriorating road final sent us off to another even more remote site. Keeping an Art Journal can easily return you to the adventures of your youth even when you aren't old (LOL). My daughter is now in her thirties and my son is close behind.

Keep an Art Journal to DeClutter

De Clutter is in De Can

Journaling about things I keep really got me looking around at what I keep and why.

I have a lot of things to do my work (office machines, files, phones) maintain my presentation (nail polish etc), support my hobbies (piano and music books) books, and books, and books. Oh yes and an art studio. So I have a lot of things not necessary to my survival that are useful, but I have just as many things that have sort of drifted in and made a home for themselves. Each with its own coating of dust I might add.

The journaling got me moving and this past two weeks I have sent 4 large garbage sacks to various charities, listed hundreds of books on half.com and e-bay and dusted and dusted.

It felt easy, a relief even. The stacks of books and journals that were stealing all my desk space now have plenty of room on - GASP – the bookshelves!

Keep an Art Journal - Paper online

Today my new

papers came in the mail. I normally

make my own paper backgrounds with paint and collage, but I found a scrap of beautiful paper at the last class I took and used it in one of my journal pages. I sleuthed out the name of the company and then found the actual papers. And for the first time I bought decorative paper online!

K & Company make these papers and I finally found them online at

Two Peas in a Bucket. The name of the design line is Que Sera Sera, and there are textured papers, glittering papers and flat papers. The papers are designed for scrapbooking so come in the 12 X 12 format. I will use them for inside covers in my next altered book and art journals and any leftover scrap will definitely find its way into the interior of the book.

flat papers - click image to enlarge

Beginner's Mind - Keep an Art Journal

(click image to make it larger)

I was trying to figure out why these pictures were so compelling to me and looked up a wiki for Self Actualization.

Check it out - it may improve your self talk, self image, self esteem. I may be falling short, but I am on a mighty quest.

The blossoms are from the orchid plant on Carol’s kitchen window sill so they are doubly dear. Silly to try to put dried flowers in an Art Journal or an Altered Book, they are just too fragile. I did it anyway and then spent a week coming up with something to protect them (hopefully). I finally ended up cutting up the shopping bag from Two Hands Paperie, it was the best thing I got there! The problem then is that you cannot actually see the page being protected unless you are there to pick up the covering. I’ll see if I can get another picture with the cover lifted as I think the page itself says a lot.

And here is the real advantage and beauty in keeping an art journal, combining several elements that speak to the real me also gives the world access to the real me. Kind of like standing around with your protective covering lifted up.

Keep an Art Journal - Daily Upsets

And the cure

Nap Time

When I grow up I will take naps with my cat - like my cat

Daily Coffee

Blame Could Kill Love