Book Week - Beautiful Books Display

Our lovely librarian has been after me to do a display at our local library for a while  and we have finally managed to get it happening. 

I included a selection of hand made books by me and also others I have swapped with. 

This one is on cultured foods- 

strange Brews. 

They all look pretty lovely sitting in the cabinet 

and hopefully I will get some feedback from our community. 

If you are in Grafton, do pop in and have a peek. 

Tree (as Spirit) is ready

I have been making my Tree journal
for the next round of the Australian Art Journal Swap
that I run through our facebook group
the Australian Art Swap Group

I am a passionate tree lover
and see trees as sacred
 and have so many ideas of pages to do on this theme

My journal is made using Stonehenge print making paper for the signatures - this is my favorite mixed media paper ever and I usually use it for any hand made book binding I create, and I used some repurposed Arches heavy weight water colour paper for the covers. I wanted a really heavy strong cover as I knew I wanted to include a "tree" 

 The tree I wanted to include I found in a local street it is an actual branch but resembles a whole tree and has been flattened by being run over by cars but was still so beautiful I saw it as a metaphor for life, so often we can be run over but we do still have a real beauty.

Asha's art workshop

I have a special little friend,

 I have known her since she was a baby,

 in fact I could of quite happily brought her home and kept her,

 I still could. 

Her name is Asha 

and she wanted to do some art with me,
she wanted to do printmaking and book making,

and she wanted to share it with her friends, 

so she gathered a group 

and we enjoyed a weekend of printmaking and book making 

and they all worked really hard 

and went home with something beautiful  and unique,

something they made with their own hands.

I have youth art classes running at the moment doing printmaking, stamp making and bookmaking. We make art and have fun at the Grafton Art Club on Wednesday afternoons. I still have a couple of places available, contact me at rivergirlart@bigpond.com if you would like more information.

Bright New Art Journals

I have been really enjoying book making lately

and have made some lovely art journals to sell.

I learned a new skill~

copic binding

and love they way look bound this way.

I used a variety of different papers,

repurposed ones - vintage book pages, vintage atlas pages,

 sheet music and an old children's illustrated dictionary,

and lots of new paper as well

printmaking paper , water colour paper, 

black and white sketch paper and

 different coloured printer paper.

Some have found there way to new homes already

where I hope they will encourage their new owners to 

make art and play in the pages.

~~Recycled breakfast cereal box~~ Art Journal

I have 2 beautiful sons 

and one of them is a teenager 

and a cereal-a-holic

With their help I have a constant supply 

of cardboard boxes awaiting a new life.

I made this quirky art journal 

and I kept all the flaps in tact to attach extra bits 

and just to add an interactive aspect,

I gessoed and painted both sides

 of the boxes

 before I cut them to size and assembled them.

And then I started to play

I have had a bit of a bird theme in my work lately

and an on going tree theme.

I took this journal travelling

and kept  adding bits and pieces while away.

Goddess Journals

I have been making little journals

repurposing old book pages,

pamphlets, maps and

and all sorts of beautiful things to inspire others.

 They are all slightly different with a variety of techniques used

in beautiful colours.

I have  used inks, dyes, stamps,

stencils, gesso , inktense watercolor pencils and acrylic paints.

and my imagination

 leaving plenty of open space for journaling

including some of my original art

(these are from a day playing with a printing press)

 

because these little Goddess journals 

were made with love and intention

for some of my friends.

Nature, Dreams and Visions

I have had the pleasure this week of working in this beautiful travelling art journal. It was hand made and the above art work was done by Deedee Forrester from California.

Her theme is Nature , Dreams and Visions.

She and I are fellow journey women in the 15 Artists, 15 Journals, 15 Months swap.

Inside her journal there are some very beautiful entries and these lovely words from Deedee~

"Our journals are on a daring flight around the world. Letting go of something we love, something we have started, giving back to each other is as life should be ."

It has been such a pleasure to give my work to Deedee and share my nature, dreams and visions in her lovely journal. I have long admired Deedee's work so was thrilled when she joined up into this swap with me.

Deedee has generously added extra pages into her journal and invited everyone to do more than one if they would like to, so I took her up on her offer and did 2 pages.

The one above I did using stencils and sprays, markers and stamps.

I took this journal down to the local skate park with my boys the other day, and it certainly made those few hours a whole lot more pleasant. 

This page was inspired by one of my favorite lessons I did in a wonderful art journaling course 30 Days with Gulfsprite   taught by the  very talented artist and gifted teacher Christy Sobolewski .

International Art Journal Swap

I have recently shared with you my Totem Animals Journal

that I have traveling with the 15 swap.

I also have another journal out there traveling the world,

This is my Sacred Feminine Journal.

I made and decorated its cover

 and introduction pages and sent it on its way.

It has been journeying since 2010

In the

  International  Art Journal Circle Swap

I included a gift of an ATC 

for each contributor in my journal.

This is a spread I did in

 Pearls beautiful

"Poems, Quotes and Verses" Journal

A section of my contribution in 

Milliande's "Connections"

I did a tree of life

inspired by Climt

in Claresters 

"Life on Earth" Journal

Euphaeidae chose a theme close to my heart

Feminine Fertility

So I loved playing in her journal

 and made some interactive pages

And here I have a basket full of journals

 to play in over the next while.

I thoroughly enjoy playing in these traveling journals

and I am eagerly awaiting the day they arrive back home

carrying all the art and dreams my fellow artists have shared.