A New Art Journal

 Back in March, I started a new art journal, with the plan to continue it during my trip to Europe with my husband, Chuck.  Well, I completed a few pages in the lounge of the ship during "down time", but didn't quite finish the pages until yesterday.  It turned out to be a Very Eclectic Journal, with some watercolors florals, some leaf prints on fabric, and several abstract collages. Here are pics of a few pages. 8x8 on 140lb watercolor paper.

Art Journal "Sequences"

Lately, I've been working/painting/creating like there's no tomorrow. I have a gallery exhibition at Gallery 2622 along with the other Martini Girls, and it opens in June.  We have all painted in our favorite media, and the paintings will make for a very cohesive show.  

The plans for making more of my Art Journal creations are coming along nicely.  I finished one book recently, and titled it "Sequences".  There are 3 covers with loose pages waiting in the wings, and I hope to finish at least one more before the middle of summer.

Celtic Sunset Mixed Media

This painting was kind of an experiment.  I had been reading the book How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill, and I liked the Introduction so much, that I printed it out in script on the computer to use as a crumpled paper background on this pastel.  The words are barely visible in the painting, but the texture adds quite a bit of drama.  Pastels were applied over the paper after it dried, and then I sealed the painting with final fixative.  After that was dry, I applied spray shallac to the whole thing to really seal in the pastel.  I was awarded an honorable mention for it in the Wisconsin Pastel Artists "Summer Wrap Up-Fall Ahead" exhibition.

http://www.fineartamerica.com/marciahero