HERE'S TO A NEW YEAR ...

I didn't set out to make a New Year page, it just sort of happened because this is always a reflective look forward/look back period for me.  It felt good and right to conclude that in all of the many ups and downs the past year has brought, there was so much that was good, lovely and true.

The page began with a soft blue acrylic paint, which I then dabbed off with a baby wipe.  In reflective, nostalgic mood it was possibly inevitable that I went for a soft sepia vintage look in my collage materials.  I used to love making collages with this old fashioned, timeworn look, but don't do so very often these days.

I was just building up layers from my store of bits and pieces, and this time my shadow line was done with a soft sepia (I normally use grey).  Below you can see why I try to avoid shiny paper because of the reflection in the picture - and this wasn't even particularly glossy, but I was taking photographs in artificial light.

Decided I didn't like the centre of the frame so as you can see below I collaged over it until I was happy with the result.  Not sure why the moon turned up, unless I was also thinking about New Moon?  It made sense at the time.  The writing arose from the place my mind had travelled to - sitting in that no mans land between Christmas and New Year, giving thanks for all that had been and looking forward in hope.

At that pointed I decided it needed more blue and think I ruined the effect of the sepia, but what the heck.  The blue I added isn't actually quite as bright as it looks but is the effect of electric light again, so necessary in these often dark, short days.

I left it like this for a while but in the end the blue was really irritating me, so out with the marker pens and I toned it all down.  The result isn't perfect but its better I think?

                          

Once again, I share with you my own hopes for a new year - which are for more light, less pain and a great deal of love, which really is all any of us can ask for or need.

God Bless
Rosie

NEW YEAR ...

  

We've had a very quiet Christmas and New Year, which gave me time to make this page in my brand new journal ... its not often that I begin a new one (this is number 13) right as the year turns.  It feels sort of auspicious somehow?  OK just me then.

I had a very broad idea of what I wanted to do - a central figure, a statement about new year, and some general observations on how I feel about it ... given the general climate of gloom etc etc.  I painted the simple outline of a figure first, then added the red background around it.

Then the "opening statement" and some work on the figure followed.  Apologies for the fact that some of these pictures were taken in daylight and some in artificial lighting - which makes the red look pinker.

I wanted to do something like New Year fireworks on the page, with the figure outlined against them.  This began by using a curly stamp on yellow paper, which I then cut out and stuck down.  I also added some reflections on the aforesaid atmosphere of gloom ... feeling that this is being somewhat overstated by the world's media. At least I hope so.

So more curly bits and pieces and more writing - I don't do resolutions exactly, so this is more of a statement of hopeful intent. I plan to remain optimistic and hopeful about the essential goodness of the human race, even if not about those currently in charge of running many countries.

And then the final stage was to add the dots that turn the curly squiggles into fireworks - at least I see them that way!  I'd always intended to do zentangle type patterns on the body of the figure, but left that to the last minute in case I thought it would look too busy.

Our seasonal celebrations were small and very quiet, and of course I missed seeing my children, but I spent some high quality time with my Beloved and that can only be a Good Thing.  Happy 2017 to you all ...

STOP PANICKING!

 

This is actually quite an old page, but I feel I can blog it now because the person concerned won't ever know its them!  They were in a bad place but so driven by fear and panic they couldn't HEAR anything that was being said to them - including by their doctor.  And as it turns out it was a completely false alarm, and all that angst and energy given to flailing about and not hearing anyone was simply wasted.  Hey ho.  I guess panic is a legitimate emotion, but trying to reach her and help was like trying to hold a small child having a tantrum .....

This page was me getting my own feelings of frustration and helplessness down on the page - I think thats why I chose purple for its association with strong emotion!  Once again you can see the difference between the shaped finished lettering and the simple basic lines with which they are first written.

And you can see the same thing below too - sometimes I get all the writing down so that I can see how/if it will fit, and then go back and fiddle with/embellish it - which is of course the fun part.  I suppose its just an extension of doodling?  I was also trying to use different sizes of lettering and NOT to write in straight lines, a constant battle!

And of course by the time I'd had all the fun of doodling my way to a finished page, my own feelings were under control again.  Hers took longer ....

Actually it all made me think of giving birth - of course you CAN scream and panic your way through labour, or you can try to be calm, breathe, and ride through it.  This latter is my preferred method of coping with trouble, and I work hard at being a Brave Girl, not to mention a Grown Up ... admittedly with varying degrees of success!

Happy New Year dear readers - new beginnings are ALWAYS possible, not only when a year turns, but I do hope that 2014 will be a time to walk away from the stuff which weighs us down and holds us back, and to embrace new possibilities and opportunities.  Can I just say that this journey I'm making in these pages would be a much lonelier one without your company.