Sunday, September 28, 2008

the honey bee tree




this week i've been getting ready to go to virginia to see my family... i leave day after tomorrow.

i painted this page in my first art journal more than two years ago... i was 'back east' visiting my family, and i sat under a tree absolutely covered with honey bees painting with my sister. it was a gratitude journal -- around the edges of each page i wrote lots of small things that i was grateful for, and at the bottom in big letters i wrote the biggest thing that i was grateful for that day... i drew everything with my left hand so i couldn't get into 'perfection mode', and on this day there was no doubt what the main thing would be because i'm a honey bee lover! what a delightful morning it was -- drawing in the presence of thousands of buzzing wings... also on that trip i bought a couple of yards of silk with chenille bees on it. omg! i was ecstatic at the find! i've used bits and pieces since then, but not much. finally with my newest journal i'm using more than just a bit here and there. and these chenille bees will get to go 'back east' again. (and why is it that on the west coast we go 'back east', while on the east coast they go 'out west'?)



my new journal -- i've just bound it and am beginning to paint the silk.



inspired by roxanne i made the pages different sizes -- the largest is 5" x 7". it was harder to stitch together this way, but worth it. i also put four pocket pages in it for things like feathers and ticket stubs, and two signatures of white printer paper for gluing photos onto (that way i can use the heavy watercolor paper just for painting). both of these ideas are the result of putting together The Book.



the finished journal. boy do i love not only the bees, but also the texture of the silk under the paint. i unraveled the edges of the silk before i started to stitch the book together and it was aggravating to constantly have the silk unravel even more and get tangled up in my stitching. but man oh man, it was so worth it in the end. instead of a button or other closure on the front i decided to just wrap it with a piece of funked up muslin. ever since wrapping kate's box of treasures i can't get enough of the wrapping thing.



more wrapping -- the back of my art group journal. this ribbon wrapped a recent birthday present... it made me smile then and it makes me smile now.



are you wondering what happened to The Book?! here's what it looks like now. the pages have been sewn to the binding -- the back cover's being glued to it here. i was all set to cover this with some barkcloth that i have, but it overwhelmed the covers so i've set it aside until i come back from virginia.



i've only done two collages since my last post. i think i worked almost one whole day tearing up this one!! the main photo on the page is of a room on ellis island. i don't remember exactly what the caption said, but it had to do with immigrants who were not allowed to immigrate once they got to the u.s., so the closest that they got to the statue of liberty was the photo hanging on the wall (or is that a mirror? i can't remember). evidently the sadness of the photograph transferred itself to my psyche because i dug up everything here. the roses growing out of the sink have exploded.



'the sacred tank'



i'll leave you with billie holiday singing 'i'll be seeing you'. oh my...

i'll be gone for three weeks, but i think i'll take my computer with me and blog when i can - i'll only have access to the internet periodically. if i don't see you while i'm gone, i'll certainly be seeing you when i get back.

21 comments:

  1. Have a lovely time, Lynne! 'See' you when you get back.

    ReplyDelete
  2. jo, you're back?! i must pop over and 'see' you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Have a lovely holiday Lynne!
    I love your honey bee fabric and your journal and the pages and everything!!!Take care.x

    ReplyDelete
  4. OOoohhhh I love your chenille bees (what a find!). Your journal is looks wonderful, love the little pockets.
    Really enjoyed this post and I hope you have a wonderful time with our family.
    I am off to visit my son in the UK on Wednesday too, so gone for just over two weeks. Look forward to visiting when you return to see what you have created this trip.

    Take care,

    Jacky xox

    ReplyDelete
  5. Holy Moley Girl... that bee book is fantastic.. the un-uniform pages... great idea.. I love it...

    ReplyDelete
  6. DROOL!! The book..your art...how have I mised your blog before?? Amazing, Lynne!

    ReplyDelete
  7. each time I think, oh, this is the best post yet and then you post again - I loved this post, but what I love the most, did I say 'the most!' is the pic of your book with the muslin wrap! - that is just plain drop dead esthetically yummy pleasing! - have a fabulous trip - xo

    ReplyDelete
  8. hi annette! well i look forward to seeing what you create in the coming weeks! and what comes from the class that you're going to teach...

    thank you, jacky! i'll go 'see' you when i finish here and see what you're up to. thank you about the journal -- i do love making them (okay, maybe not the WHOLE process).

    your tree flag is boxed up and ready to fly off to you!! have a wonderful trip too!!

    gwen, thank you so much! i must get over to your place and let you know that i've been there... i've been visiting but not commenting. (she says guiltily)

    thank you lost luggage! that means a lot!

    hey jeane! man, i tried very hard to capture the wonderfulness of that muslin and the rest of journal cover, but felt like i didn't succeed. so it makes me happy that you can still *see* it!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Your artwork is beyond words - the first painting alone...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Lynne, your new book is wonderful, the bees especially, they look so real. You are such an incredible artist, so willing to try new things and your creations are so original. Have a great trip, and I know you will get inspired with tons of new ideas. Thanks again for the lovely package....xxxooo Roxanne

    ReplyDelete
  11. thank you, arnold! that is the nicest compliment!

    hey roxanne! boy i can't wait to see how the pages look against each other once they're painted. i really, really love this different size thing. you're welcome for the package! see you when i get back!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Talk about making the eyes smile. This post has my eyes doing banana boats all over my face. Sooooo inspiring. Love the Degas dancer with the pink ribbon, and the journal with the honey bees.....I was about to list everything in this post....so I will just say you are an inspiration, thank you. Enjoy your holiday!

    ReplyDelete
  13. thank you, robyn! that makes ME smile!!

    the degas dancer -- the article that i found in an old magazine had this larger version of her and the smaller one that i put on the front of the journal. talk about hitting the jackpot.

    ReplyDelete
  14. i think i actually drooled when i looked at all this - i mean really drooled! Have a great trip :o)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Lynne! I'm so happy you found me! Because now I've found you, and a new favorite blog. Beautiful book and, of course, the bone pics are sublime. I do love bones...

    ReplyDelete
  16. Lynne,
    I just love what you do!!! That bee silk fabric is gorgeous, and the cover of your journal...is pretty gorgeous too!!!
    Have a wonderful trip away.

    ReplyDelete
  17. Gorgeous journals!
    -- why is it that on the west coast we go 'back east', while on the east coast they go 'out west--
    I've got a theory.
    It's because that way of saying it was handed down from the pioneers who were going from the east to the west . . .

    ReplyDelete
  18. I'm just catching up on folks blogs, so a belated "have a great time" to you!

    I have to say, I've never been much of a journaler/book person (other than for reading) but you're getting me curious about them now.

    ReplyDelete
  19. I recently found your great blog and I tagged you and issued an award:)
    If you're not into them no worries!
    http://thebeadedlily.blogspot.com/2008/10/tag-tag-tag.html

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hey Lynne,
    This is my first time here and I love your work. the new journal is wonderful. the textures....the pages....Oh my.
    Hope you have a great trip and I look forward to seeing more of your work.

    ReplyDelete
  21. ohmigod,ohmigod *rolling on the floor, clutching her gut in longing and desire*
    what a fantastic, wondrous journal!!!!!!

    thank you for the link. I have to learn to make the journals now.
    I tried one, don't know if you saw it.
    http://pinchmetoseeifyouaredreaming.blogspot.com/2008/12/when-new-techniques-dont-work-out.html
    It is still unfinished. But I will tack it together somehow very soon.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.