Quick sketches

May Journal Project                          Day 23

Sketch for "My Sister's Shoes- 2001"                            MJP #23

Looking through my journal from 2001 I found a quick planning sketch I'd done for a painting.  It's the one in the middle.  Today I added a couple more sketches and a little color. I'm going to leave these pages alone now so I don't loose the essence of my orginal drawing.  Sometimes less is more.

Last summer I wrote a blog post about my sister  including an image of a painting titled "My Sister's Shoes." When I painted her portrait I was working on my master's degree. During that time I created many pieces inspired by old family photos.  I was particularly drawn to ones where  body language expressed the subject's mood or thoughts.  In this photo my sister, Janis, is about four years old.   I just loved her posture and attitude.  

I also loved those shoes.  I remember as a little girl how excited I was when I was old enought to pick out my own patent leather "mary jane's."  They were so shiny and made wonderful sounds as I walked on the wooden floors in our house. They were a little to slick for running though.  If the portrait had been of me there would have been bandages on both knees!

"My Sister's Shoes"                2001  &    planning sketch - I changed the position of the left arm to give her a little more defiant look.  The dress is brown in the painting because I remember my granny had made us itchy ones in that color.

Everything has a story

May Journal Project               Day 22

"Birds vs. Leaves"                MJP #22

This entry shows the inside cover and first page of a journal I started in the fall of 2007.  I'd just moved from Virginia to Houston, TX and wrote about the beginning of the school year, doodling the fall leaf at the bottom right.  I'd written about driving to work,  missing the fall colors and feeling quite homesick.

I've now been in Houston on and off for 7 years. While I still miss the bright colors of spring and fall back east, I've noticed small bits of beauty here.  Texas may not have a lot fall leaves and spring flowers (although the blue bonnets are gorgeous!),  but there's no shortage of birds. Many days when I'm driving to work I see hundreds of these tiny creatures.  They're everywhere, flying around,  landing on trees, wires, buildings and signs.  Each time I stop at a light I see them jumping and flitting about excited by their fellow birds and the cars all around.   Sometimes they're still and other times they swirl in a melee of chirping and fluttering.  They entertain me every morning and make me feel less homesick.

I do have one question:  Where are all these birds going?  What is their story?

Wordless Wednesday - The image says it all.

May Journal Project         Day 21

"Virginia"                                    MJP #21

Reinvent yourself

May Journal Project       Day 20
When I began this journal in 2003  I was unhappy, over weight, out of shape and worried about my future.   I used my entries as a way to get my feelings out so I could move on.  Now I'm repurposing each page to reflect where I am today.

So much has changed for me.  I got married again, moved to Texas, got a job and started a new life.  It wasn't an easy adjustment.  I'm an east coast girl and I missed my family, friends and home.  But I got lucky.  My friend Hobby introduced me to a life coaching program in 2010 where I began to focus on improving all areas of my life.

The most success I've found was in my health goals. I lost 60 pounds and feel better then I did in my twenties.  I changed the way I ate and started training for distance events.  In the beginning I could only walk the miles, but now I can run.

In reinventing myself I've had to be patient, kind and forgiving.  Change can be slow - one step at a time. My son's mother-in-law asked me to join her in the Army Ten Miler in October and I signed up this morning.  So today I'll begin training for my next big event..  My goal is to finish in less than two hours.  Thankfully during my reinvention I've also developed a lot more confidence.  I'm going to crush it!!

Inner Peace

May Journal Project                  Day 19

"Inner Peace"                     MJP Day 19

Heading back to Houston after a wonderful weekend in Virginia.  I almost titled this "Going Home" but I'm actually leaving home. Under this art is an old journal post I wrote while sitting in this same airport in Washington, DC.  I was reflecting on what a great time I had and how hard it was to leave.

On another page in this journal I'd written quotes from various sources.  This is another one from a fortune cookie.  Probably Confucious.


Traveling back and forth can be tough but I need to be patient and know I'm on a continuous journey. And I'm used to taking a lot of steps.  After all I just finished a half marathon!

Personal best

May Journal Project                  Day 18

Some days are just too full of activities to sit down and make art.  Those are the days when I gather images and ideas for future entries.

Today I ran a half marathon.  It was my ninth since 2011 and I achieved my personal best - 2 hours & 55 mintues.  My goal was 3 hours or less.  I am physically tired but I feel fabulous.

This painting is not in my journal.  It's too large.  But it's important because it represents where I trained for the event. The beautiful canal path in Fredericksburg.

Tomorrow I'll create an entry, maybe two as I fly back to Houston.  But tonight I think I'll go to bed early!

Porch Sitting

Today is a rest day prepping for the half marathon tomorrow.  Just a little dooding, relaxing and porch sitting.  It's a beautiful day full of music, friends, food and a little art.

May Journal Project                        Day 17

"Loving VA"                  MJP 17

My view.  Time to sign off and plant those herbs.