Monday, September 01, 2008

Art Journal in Blue ...

I've wrapped up my latest contribution to the art journal round robin. The theme the originating artist chose was 'Blue' and, I quickly realized, I don't typically gravitate toward blue hues. The note from the originating artist asked, 'What does blue mean to you?' I wasn't quite sure but found as I worked that I had a sense of Americana when I thought of blue ...

The entire time I was working on this journal, I was listening to Liz McGrath & Morgan Slade's band, Miss Derringer ... that could have had something to do with it.

I alternated between Miss Derringer's first album, from 2004, 'King James, Crown Royal and a Colt 45' and ...






Miss Derringer's second album, released in 2006, 'Lullabies.' The cover features some of Liz McGrath's artwork.

(Be sure to check out Miss Derringer's site and Liz McGrath's site)



So, with Miss Derringer in heavy rotation, I spent the last 3 days working on the journal. Here's the result ...

Art Journal ...

I created a bit of a journal within a journal so this was the 'cover' ...

Art Journal Front ...
And this is from the back. Inside the pocket are tucked scented fabric rose petals and a 'sachet' of pipe tobacco. Every journal in the round robin is supposed to incorporate 4 of the 5 senses so sniff away ...

Art Journal Back
But the heart of the journal was the spread. The stars of the journal are my Grandma Rose (featured with her sisters, Gram is the 3rd from the left) ...

Art Journal ...
And, my dad, Arvis, born in 1931 in Muskogee, Oklahoma ... he was probably about 6-years-old when this photo was taken.

Art Journal ...
I didn't want to do too much so tried to focus on just a few details ... all aged with washes of paint. Grandma Rose was quite the seamstress ...

Art Journal ...

Art Journal ...
Dad hustled pool for a living in his younger days and was in the Insulators Union. He enjoyed a good game ...

Art Journal ...

With as crazy busy as this year has been, I was amazed how time slowed down as I worked on this journal. Maybe it was the reptition of colors, the focus on trying to keep things simple, the repeating soundtrack ... either way, I found blue to bring a bit of calm.