Inspired Images Traveling Journal

Pages 47-48

2006-07-21T23:41:00.000-05:00

(kirsten) Saw these trees in a magazine and they intrigued me. What's happening underneath?

Pages 45-46

2006-07-21T23:27:00.000-05:00

(kirsten) This was my first attempt at image transfer from a b&w copy using a blender pen. The hut on the right got a little bit smudgie due to my burnishing technique, but otherwise the process was really fun and easy! I'll be trying again soon.

Pages 43-44

2006-07-15T16:42:00.000-05:00

(kirsten) I was intrigued by the contrast between the more organic lines and the lines that were clearly man-made, so I decided to accentuate that by using warm-color soft crayons for the loose lines, and cool-color pens for the straight lines.
(beth) View out the window, well, sorta, on the way home from California to Pennsylvania.

Pages 41-42

2006-05-31T22:52:00.000-05:00

(kirsten) I added some swirls to the water, and thought about calling this one done, but I think it needs a little something more...
(beth) A little decoration on the fish and some water for them to swim in.
(kirsten) I used a newly hand-carved fish stamp to print these little guys swimming across the page.

Pages 39-40

2006-05-10T05:39:00.000-05:00

(kirsten) A sleeve needs an arm, right? umm... yeah.
(beth) These sewing illustration bits were a good color match and I thought would start making an interesting combination.
(kirsten) I wanted to add a word to this spread - and "real" was just the first thing that came to mind.
(beth) It was just time to begin with acrylic paints again.

Pages 37-38

2006-05-10T05:35:00.000-05:00

(kirsten) I filled in the background grass and plants a little more, and added some textured paper at the bottom to add more depth.
(beth) Some patterning at the back with dibs and dabs.
(kirsten) I was inspired by Beth's beautiful brush drawing and the irises blooming outside our front door. This time I used watercolor pencils and crayons with just enough water to make it look "painterly".
(beth) I thought I'd try starting a page with a drawing this time, but the image that came to mind didn't involve much drawing. It's an artist's paint brush.

Pages 35-36 - done

2006-04-14T22:42:00.000-05:00

(kirsten) the lace paper is hard to see in the scan - but it is a beautiful texture and contrast. done!
(beth) I added lace paper to the background to fade it out and highlight the plant more.
(kirsten) More color added to the pot and plant with watercolor crayons. The flowers remind me of wallpaper... this page might be done... we'll see!
(beth) The pen was so beautifully delicate that i thought it might make a nice contrast against a bold background. I think it kinda got lost instead. I'm still okay with the page, but it's not quite what I intended.
(kirsten) I drew this plant with felt tip pens. I should draw with pen more often. I think it frees up my drawing style a little. When I'm using pencil, it's just to easy too erase all those pesky mistakes.

Pages 33-34 - done

2006-03-25T08:02:00.000-06:00

(kirsten) more color with watercolor crayon. I like her outfit!
(beth) Since we have armor, I thought we should have a castle to go with it.

(kirsten) Added some color with watercolor crayons. I tried to compliment the intricate shapes in her bodice and her fun purple hair!
(beth) Kirsten had lightly sketched in the outline of a person in pencil with the below shape as a part of the torso. I thought it was an interesting idea so I went with it. It's more armor-like (anime or fantasy) than clothing-like, in my opinion, but maybe not.
(beth) This pattern is from the back of an eighteenth century chair that I saw at the RISD museum. But its origin has nothing to do with where Kirsten decides to take it.

Pages 31-32 - done

2006-03-06T22:05:00.000-06:00

(beth) Just a couple last touches.
(kirsten) More funky-ness for the funky shoe page!
(beth) Well, your shoe now has a foot in it with an attached anklye and some really funky jeans.
(kirsten) A pen and colored pencil drawing of my new pink shoe!

Pages 29-30

2006-03-06T22:03:00.000-06:00

(kirsten) This page has been intimidating me for awhile, but I added a few symbols this time and it was fun. Looking forward to adding more next time around.
(beth) I started transforming the letters of the word, forging little abstract paths across the page. I love this type of theme but agree it is often difficult.
(kirsten) This word has had me stumped for the last few days on another art project, so I'm anxious to see what it inspires in Beth's work.

Pages 27-28 - done

2006-03-06T22:02:00.000-06:00

(kirsten) A little additional color in the background, and I gave our silly dude a chin and skin color. voila!

(beth) I added color with some of my Golden fluid acrylics.
(kirsten) Here he is! I tried to add some clothing details this time - collar, cuffs, etc. - but I got frustrated and he ended up with glasses and a goofy mustache. Oops!

(beth) Well, I missed this page when I was scanning, but at least I'm not alone. Kirsten added some little flowers at the bottom. I colored them in and then added a tree and a park bench in the background in the upper left.
(beth) The way the paisleys were arranged made me think of a figure, so I drew one. I love the exuberance he or she seems to have.
(kirsten) A little paisley pattern getting started.

Pages 25-26 - done

2006-02-09T06:35:00.000-06:00

(kirsten) Was it a cold, grey winter's day when we were dreaming of the beach? Here we are back in the warmth of summer again. Time flies!
(beth) Following along with what Kirsten did. I'm thinking of heading towards a "wish you were here" sort of theme, but couldn't quite figue out what would be next. Maybe she'll go that way, maybe she'll go another.
(kirsten) Beach scene in colored pencil.
(beth) The spread on the other side of the hole. Why is there a door in the mailbox? Well, it maybe wasn't my most inspired idea. Feel free to paint over it completely or play with it as it is. I lightly outlined the other "see-through" bit on the right.

Pages 23-24 - done

2006-01-21T21:21:00.000-06:00

(beth) I know Kirsten said this page was done, but I'd been wanting to put a picture over there and just never got around to it. So I slipped one on.
(kirsten) Just a little curtain to incorporate that negative space above the hole in the door with the decor!
(kirsten) View through the hole. Wouldn't it be nice if you could just open a door and have the warm beach be there? Well, I suppose some people can!
(beth) In this and on pages 25-26 I tried something. I cut a hole in the book. I had some thoughts in mind that ended up being backwards. So have to come up with some new ones, but still, this should be interesting. I need to cut a hole in my book when I get it back.
(kirsten) Behind door #1....

Pages 21-22 - done

2006-01-06T19:32:00.000-06:00

(kirsten) Since this spread is so text focused, I decided it would be appropriate to include definitions of the words. I used a gold paint pen to write the definitions and also traced over some of the letters in the background and added a couple doo-dads. I think this is done (?).
(beth) More layers, hmmm. I added many "VISUAL"s going horizontally in colored pencil and one really large one.
(kirsten) I added some shimmery gold polkadots. I see several more layers to come here.
(beth) I bought a nifty magnetic alphabet set and have been playing with it. I had only used it for traditional word uses but I'd been thinking about patterning the text since I got it, so I tried it here. I'll see what Kirsten does and maybe layer more text on top.

Pages 19-20 - done

2006-01-06T19:30:00.000-06:00

(beth) I painted the building and got some nice variation in shades in there. The building I picked up the imagery from was in Italy I think, but as I drew it and we've been painting it I think it's definitely morphed into the southwest.
(kirsten) I added some very subtle outlines to define the shapes a little (I hardly changed anything, so I replaced your last scan, Beth). This is one of my favorite pages so far!
(kirsten) Started to add some background with acrylic paint. You can see the embroidery from the previous page camouflaged into the sky. It seems like this building is in the Southwest?
(beth) My turn to start out some architecture. An elaboration from my sketchbook when I was working through a book on various buildings.

Pages 17-18 - done

2006-01-06T19:28:00.000-06:00

(beth) I added some more greenery and a blue border. I couldn't come up with a way to combine them, so I framed them.
(kirsten) Looks good, Beth. I deem them finished!
(kirsten) I added two prints of my flying fish hand-carved stamp to this page. I think they look pretty fun with the green man!
(beth) By request, one green man print, plus some colored pencil shading.

Pages 15-16 - done

2005-12-20T17:10:00.000-06:00

(beth) I toned down the black a bit by coating it all with a silver acrylic ink. I colored in everything else in various ways, trying to spread the techniques around.

(kirsten) So, I added some more colors, and some black paint. By the way, I'm pretty much hating the black - so feel free to rework that whole deal. :)
(beth) More hearts. :) The stamped ones on the right are from part of my Fine Art Valentine print. Your turn.

(kirsten) Yes, it is a little early for Valentine's day compositions, but I was trying to work out some ideas for Nicci's Fine Art Valentine project, which I really need to get rolling on. So, Beth can feel free to color in what I left blank or add some more lovey-dovey action.

Pages 13-14 - done

2005-12-19T21:07:00.000-06:00

(beth) More tree. More ornaments.

(kirsten) Christmas is on my mind this week, with all the last-minute shopping and other preparations to take care of. So it seems fitting to put in drawings of a couple ornaments from my tree. Maybe Beth will share some of her decorations here as well.

Back home!

2005-12-09T18:31:00.000-06:00

(kirsten) My journal arrived back home today. As I imagined, everything looks even better in person. Beth, how did you attach that lace paper? Very cool!

Pages 11-12 - done

2005-12-05T06:34:00.000-06:00

(beth) Some make-up and skin.

(kirsten) I added some color and hair with oil pastels. I wasn't ready to tackle the skin color quite yet.

(beth) I began a face. I wish I'd done the eyes in pencil so I could have made them more even before I inked, but its still a good beginning for development.

Pages 9-10 - done

2005-12-05T06:31:00.000-06:00

(kirsten) Good call - I added a few more stamps and some shimmery gel pen details.
(beth) Let's go Christmassy with the photo. :) It needed postage.

(kirsten) I couldn't resist adding my moment of newspaper fame to this frame - it just fit so perfectly! My gluing methods were pretty questionable, so we'll see how it holds up to the journey. I think the pages still need a little embellishing.
(beth) This is part of the frame I carved to use on my Christmas cards this weekend. After all that printing was done I washed it off and used it to stamp an image in the journal.

Journal Arrived

2005-11-27T07:50:00.000-06:00

It made it's first crossing safely. :) The paint feel much more textured than it looks. Beth

first mailing!

2005-11-21T22:37:00.000-06:00

Dropped the envelope holding my "Inspired Images" journal in the mail to Beth this morning before work. I hope it gets to her fast (and that hers gets to me even faster! ;)

Pages 7-8 - done

2005-11-21T22:30:00.000-06:00

(beth) I love how this page turned out. I had fun with colored pencils, layering and shading the building and sending it into abstraction on the left. Though, of course, on opening the journal it reads the other way, the abstract becoming real.
(kirsten) I was flipping through a photo album of a trip to Italy I took with my mom in 2003 and remembered how much I love this picture. It's from Burano, Italy - an island with multicolored buildings - I wonder what color Beth will make this one?

Pages 5-6 - done

2005-11-21T22:27:00.000-06:00

(kirsten) Sky color was added with colored pencil and sponged-on paint for clouds.
(beth) My first thought was to find an airplane stamp or a building stamp and stick it over on the left with kirsten's and draw on the right. That didn't work as I didn't have anything appropriate. So I decided to add the beginnings of a brilliant sky.

(kirsten) Inspiration for the drawing with water-soluable crayons came from the attached stamp. Also, it looks much like the Iowa landscape that is near and dear to my heart.

Pages 3-4 - done

2005-11-21T22:26:00.000-06:00

(kirsten) I added a couple more tickets and called this one done. Great theme for the page, Beth!
(beth) I got new collage sheets in a grab bag and came up with an idea of what to do here. Yay!
(kirsten) Hmm... still not sure what I'm going to do with this one...
(beth) The stripes were indeed cool, but I completely blanked on the adding a drawing or collage somehow, so I added a sheet of really nifty lace paper instead, which just modifies the background for more additions.(kirsten) I was going to add something on top of these painted stripes, but I kinda liked the way they looked as is, and I thought it may work as a good background for a drawing or collage by beth.

Pages 1-2 - done

2005-11-21T22:23:00.000-06:00

(kirsten) I added a little text to this page and have deemed it done.
(beth) I added a balloon of my own and a village to fly over but the page still seems to need something.

(kirsten) The first page of a journal is always tricky for me. It is hard to dirty up those pristine white pages. So, I slapped on some paint, and when it dried, I added a hot air balloon - maybe as a symbol of this project "taking off".

Visual Correspondence Project

2005-11-21T22:12:00.000-06:00

The purpose of this blog is to record the results of a mail art project in visual correspondence. Beth and myself each start with a book; we both chose moleskines. I draw, paint, collage, play in mine a little bit and she does the same in hers. Then we trade and respond to what the other created, either on the next page or by altering the previous art. Then the cycle continues. Four of these projects are going on among members of the Embellished Circus. Keren/nuKKe suggested the idea and set up the partners.