Weekend Class

This summer one of our classes is a weekend class.  There are 3 weekend workshops that we attend and write papers for and then we get 3 hours worth of credit for it!  We just had our first one which was about trauma.  Our speaker was Linda Gantt who taught us about Intensive Trauma Therapy (you can find out more here http://traumatherapy.us ).  I LOVED this because I have done at lot of research about trauma therapy since I hope to work with veterans and many veterans have experienced trauma, especially now that most people deploy multiple times while they serve!  Anyways, I have a few pictures to show you!!  First, a drawing of my happy place:

Its the beach - I LOVE the beach!!  This is used to help with grounding!!

We did more drawing, but they were trauma based and I used a real life experience (car accident) in mine so I am going to choose not to share them with you!

The second day of the workshop we did clay work!  So, our directive was to create 1) something that has a soothing texture and feels good in your hand, 2) a "clay scribble" or 3) self symbol.
I made the soothing one... I was working on the clay when I had a "this is finished" moment because I realized I liked how the clay was fitting into my hand, that the weight of it was relaxing... I called it my clay heart:

And I also made a "river rock" that would be good for rubbing my thumb on if I needed to self sooth:

I am not really a clay person - clay makes your fingernails break - but I can appreciate the therapeutic aspects of it for sure!

And, lastly - of course I had to doodle a bit here and there...

As you can tell, there was not a lot of doodling - that's because the class was very interesting and very hands on!  I am so glad we got to meet Linda and learn from her!!

School Supplies

Who wants boring school supplies? Not me.  Today I am going to share with you a few items I have decorated so they would no longer be "blah!"  First, I turned this file fold into a these folder:

And then I decorated this folder for class:

And I made this love page to go in the front sleeve of my thesis folder:

And I decorated this moleskin notebook for thesis notes:

Do, you see a theme?  I have started thesis - last week actually.  I am SCARED of it... so the pretty supplies are my attempt to keep it somewhat light hearted and also to make it not so scary.   Hopefully it works.

Do you want to know what I am studying?  I am going to study art journaling with veterans and how it can help improve their mental and physical health!  Fun stuff!!  : )

Wish me luck - I will need it!

Pages in My Journal

At the end of the art therapy class art journal swap I got my journal back for a few days.  So, I wanted to share with you some of the artwork that was in it.  Be forewarned that some of these drawings were done during Human Sexuality class, therefore they are about sex!  Anyways, here we go:

Not sure who did this one! 

This one was done by Chelsea who said I inspired her to try some new mixed media stuff! 

This was done by Brittney

This one and the one below were done by Rupa.  

Rupa did a penis drawing in every journal!

This last one is my favorite:

Jaimie is the artists of this piece!  

My journal had plenty of pages left in it so I am using the same journal for the current swap that we started on the 2nd day of Therapeutic Use of Art Materials class.  The swap has 12 people - included one social work major!  Should be interesting.

Pages in Mary's Journal

The last journal that I got during our art therapy class journal swap belonged to Mary.  It was a regular journal with lined pages for writing.  I made a few entries into it, so I wanted to share them with you!!

I did another doodle page that did not get any color added to it:

And painted a few pages:

But I ran out of time so that was all I did to those pages.

I also left some notes for her:

Just things that came up during human sexuality class.

This was the last journal I got to work with during our mini-journal swap, but two days later we started our other journal swap which has 12 people!!  I am really looking forward to seeing the art from the current swap!!

ICAD 11 and 12

More ICAD today!!  So... here is number 11:

Its true... be crazy...be off the wall if you want.

I added it to a page:

Love how it turned out!!

Here is my card from the next day, card number 12:

Yes, Gym Unicorn.  I was totally feeling the gym that day.  I had seen this on Pintrest

and it was stuck in my head, so it got put on a card!!

I did not use that card on a page yet, but I probably will eventually.  Hope you guys enjoyed the art!  Have a wonderful day.

ICAD 9 and 10

More ICAD!!  So, on the 9th day I had a major migraine and therefore my card was boring... but here it is:

And then on the 10th day I crated this beauty:

Which found a home in my art journal on this page:

I was in such a good mood that evening after I got home from teaching group exercise that this page resulted and I LOVE it!  Its so bright and fun and silly - its perfectly me.

Pages in Jamie's Journal

Today I am sharing with you the pages that I created in my classmate Jamie's journal during my art therapy class art journal swap.  So, here they are:

I was playing with my new heart stencil here!!  I made a mist-able red acrylic ink (I watered it down) and sprayed it through on the right side...then flipped the stencil over and pressed it to the right side to create the opposite of the first image.

A Close up:

This is important my friends!  Often we are nicer to other people than we are to ourselves!  Why do we say that other people are so beautiful and wonderful based on their personalities/spirit/heart and then judge ourselves based on weight or size??  Just remember that you should be as nice to yourself as you are to everyone else <<if not nicer>>!!

Another page I made in her journal:

This was a spread where i just played around.  I got a "liner" brush that is supposed to help you write in paint/ink (I was using acrylic ink on this page)... so I wanted to try it out, but guess what - it did not work too well.  I will have to try it more, I probably just need practice.  

Well friends that is all for now!!  Hope you enjoyed seeing the pages!!  Have a great day! 

ICAD 7 & 8

I was kinda lazy on the 7th as far as art went:

I was running around town doing errands and was too tired to put in any effort!

On the 8th, a few art therapy girls and I went tubing!!!:

It was my first time tubing.  We had a lot of fun and I was able to not get sunburned!!  That strip of white with green circles is my wrist band that the tubing company had us wear!!

I used these two cards on a page:

Again, it was pretty simple since I was tired!!!  That's all for now, friends!  "See" you soon.

ICAD 5 & 6

My ICAD from June 5th:

Its about my tendency to be a perfectionist and be too hard on myself!  I am trying to not be so type A!!

The next day:

It was rainy and nasty weather all day - but I was in a great mood that day!!

I used both of these cards on an art journal page:

I like how it turned out!!!  I am digging the blue/green combos right now!!
Thanks for stopping by - have a great day!!!

ICAD 3 & 4

Here is my 3rd ICAD:

All those stickers came from Marcia Beckett!!  

Here is my 4th ICAD:

And of course I used them on an art journal page:

Again this is another page that I started a long time and and never knew what to do with!  In the end I like how it turned out!!  

Have a great day guys!! 

Mailart Update!

Today is all about the mail art!  I've received several cards that I have not yet shared with you!! So here they are.  This one:

Was from Helen in New Zealand!  She gave me these websites:  HeleBreil.com and highlandercelticstamps.com  - go check out her pages!!

Another card came in an envelope with an extra piece of art journal paper:

It came from Jan in MO!  Jan did not give me any websites!!

Another car came from Tabitha:

She said she made that card with alternative photographic processes - "outcast" cyantotype printing. 

This card:

Came from Tracy in WA!  I really like it!!  Thanks Tracy!  

The last card I have to share with you came from Vae up in Vancouver:

Look at this cute, fake, stamp on the back:

Well friends, that is all for now!!  Hope you enjoyed seeing everyone's art!!  Have a great day.

June #FJSWAP Page

Once my current #FJSWAP journal arrived I decided to go ahead and prep the background so that when Inspiration struck it would be ready.  Then, almost instantly I knew what I wanted to do with the page so it was done within a day of the journal coming the mail!  Here it is:

I love that flower pic!!  I really like how this page turned out.  Reach for your dream!!!

Have a great day.

ICAD Number 2

I am way behind on showing you my ICADs..but don't worry, eventually you will see them all!  So, I wanted to show you my second ICAD:

And the art journal page that I used it on:

I made it to flip open:

It flips open since I did not make it where I could write on the front - I had to write on the back!  Anyways, I really like how the card turned out and the art journal page too!!  Its got tons of layers because I could not decide what to do with that page for a long time - I kept adding little bits here and there...but its finally finished!!

Have a great weekend guys!!

Live Out Loud

I encourage you all to:

Yes, live out lout in color and make art!!

This page was made by using art tissue paper to color the background pink.  Then I used Tombow watercolor markers on top to draw boxes and lines.  Then I doodled and added collage!  I really liked those crazy pants the girl has on!!

Anyways, the point is to be yourself and enjoy life!!

Thanks for stopping by!!

Pages in Oliva's Journal

Today I am going to share with you the pages that I created in Oliva's Art Journal!!  Inspired by the doodle and watercolor that I did in Chelsea's journal, I created this:

And then I found this guy:

And he inspired this page:

its all about that inner critic (little devil!!) that tells you that you are not good enough!!  I think this is something that everyone deals with.  Our human sexuality class is really making me think about how much we judge ourselves by other people's standards, and how hard we can be on ourselves.  I am really trying to be nicer to myself and to really appreciate and love myself and my body and be thankful for all that I am able to do!!  I hope that you guys can do this too!!

Have a wonderful, lovely day friends!!