Happy Memorial Day Weekend

Gracie and Jake at the front door, after I told them that Lynn was coming to visit.

Girl is watercolor, acrylic in background with collage for top.

Collage

Wild flowers at Town Hall Park on our walk this week

Repeated an old lesson from Gulfsprite, using magazine images as a stencil

Our government is failing us. We deserve the truth.

How I feel but I actually have less hair....

Llama head stamp from another Sprite.

 I think I am becoming quite cynical in my advanced years. Is this normal? I want the truth of what the former guy did on January 6, 2021 to be made public record, and for that former guy and his little minions to be held accountable. Yet the Democratic party is allowing the former guy and his neckless cohort hold this country hostage. McTurtle needs to crawl off into the sunset. Or, better yet, the Ohio river. 

Onward. Still doing a great deal of collage. It is satisfying to me and now I am on the look out for any and all strange images I can find. Expect weirdness in the future. Well, that will happen anyway. Perhaps I should say expect more weirdness than I normally come up with....

So I had an interesting encounter with the Tollroad Authority in the state of Illinois. Fun Fact: you can go online and register your car, license plate, mailing address and a current credit card for "Pay as you go". That means if you drive on an Illinois toll road and pass a toll (used to be a booth, now a scanner) place, the camera scans your car, grabs the plate, and goes to your account to bill you. Simple, yes? I knew I was going to use 294, the tollroad from hell, on April 6th to see my stepson in a western suburb of Chicago. So I registered all of my information a week prior to the trip. I received confirmation from the Tollroad Authority. Still with me? Good.

Today, in the mail, I received a bill from the tollroad for $18.00. $6 in tolls on April 6th, $12 in fines for not paying properly. I went online, accessed my account, and yep! There I am, all information is correct, and no charges! Can I protest this? Why yes, yes I can. Unfortunately, not on the phone. And not in person. Download your form here, fill it out, and mail it. To avoid a collection agency, ( not my first rodeo here, folks), I paid the $18 bill. But boy howdy, are they going to get a letter or what! I will get my $12 fine back. I will also ask them why in hell their system failed. Explain that to me, in English. I pressed "1".  In the old days, we tossed coins into a collection booth on this tollroad. As the population in and around the city increased, the booths were slowing traffic down to a mere crawl, so someone in the tollroad authority group decided to eliminate the booths, and the people who worked in those booths. The scanners work. Illinois can now scam, (oops!) bill you for each time you pass under a scanner. I just want it to work....

I also returned to taking, not teaching, Silver Sneaker classes this past week. Sore. So, so sore. And it's not like I haven't been doing anything at all, because I have. This getting old crap sucks. Just so you know. Have a good weekend. It is raining here and turning cold. First weekend of summer......uh huh. Linda

Lost my mojo

Jake had a bath and hair cut on Friday, so Saturday I bought him this sweater

2nd week of Wanderlust. I don't like this, tired of working on it, moving on

Stamped the orange butterflies, fussy cut them out and slapped them on

Collage in the large Dylusions journal. Collage pieces from Laura K, a gulfsprite, Gulfsprite, and Klara

Then used old Donna Downey masks to do this

Gracie, whining in the kitchen for attention/food/snacks

Jake hiding in the corner. He is bald!

Look at that face!

 I have been working on art every day, but some of it is ending up in the trash again. One day I decided to reorganize my 2 metal water color boxes, which required making new swatch cards. That took all day, in between phone calls and dogs. I have also gone through older art created on water color paper and added what I wanted to keep into the current oversized Canson Mixed Media journal. So busy but not really productive. It happens.

Read an interesting article on Facebook this morning. I follow Mike Rowe, the man who endorses trade schools, on-the-job training, and was the host of Dirty Jobs. I have also read his book, which I highly recommend. Mr. Rowe is upset at the current censorship that is a direct result of the insurrection of January 6th. He doesn't think censoring the far right is a solution to our current problems, because it makes them feel the lies and propaganda are true. Huh. Where, then, do you draw the line? When there is zero truth being spread, when nothing but lies that stoke the base hatred and fears of a population are being hammered into people's heads, do balanced and decent people not stand up? I keep going back to quotes from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr and Robert Kennedy, about not turning your back on injustice. At some point, we must say "enough is enough". At some point, we must condemn what is being said and done. I have reached my point.

The final answer is always education. Always. I saw photos of signs held by this group of insurrectionists that said "Stop the Steel", and "Overturn the Electric". I can only assume these two women holding the signs, both wearing those red hats, don't want buildings to be reinforced with steel beams, and do want to cook over an open fire, also using said fire to keep warm. Oh. Wait. Did you mean trump's Stop the Steal? Eduction, folks. Have a good one. Linda

Searching for I don't know what

 When people comment that their pets are spoiled, I usually chuckle to myself. There are spoiled dogs, and then there are my dogs. This is Jake. On the couch, on top of the thrown back quilts that I was using this past weekend because I could not keep the house warm with 50mph winds. Jake's head is lower than his tail, but that didn't seem to bother him. He stayed like that for over an hour. 

Still working in the larger 10x14 Canson Mixed Media journal, and enjoying the bigger pages. Started with using Dina Wakley paint, because the bottles are only about 7 months old and the paint is already getting thicker. Not happy with that. The collage on the right hand side has been stitched together on the sewing machine. I love doing this, and just keep forgetting about this technique. I then added magazine images, stenciling, and some Dina washi tape. Tip: if you want the washi tape to stick on her paint, use glue of your choice underneath. It will stick at first, then peel right up in a few days if you don't. The tiny stars is a new stencil from Altenew. I ordered several of their stencils, and the quality is excellent. Thick, not flimsy. 

Next up, a kitchen sink double page spread that I just keep working at, and finally said enough.

The page with the quote from Ruth Bader Ginsberg, a free download from Alisa Burke, also has collage elements given to Patreon clients from Gulfsprite, and a magazine image. To get to the Ruth downloads, scroll back a few posts. There are two. 

I added some doodles and stenciling to the Earth Day post, which was done a few months ago. 

And finally, a short rant. I have purchased many products over the years from Hobby Lobby. I am done. Entered the store yesterday to buy a scrapbook album. In and out, or so I thought. It was packed, and I saw 6 customers with no masks. None, even though it is a state mandate. I saw at least 10 people with their masks pulled down onto their necks or resting on their chins. Yeah, that's protective. All employees had on proper masks. But. And this is a huge BUT. No signs up telling customers that the state mandates masks. Huh. Walmart has signs. As does Krogers and Meijers. But not Christian owned and operated Hobby Lobby. They have lost my business. Risking your customers' lives for the bottom line profit. Not a good image. Linda

I wish it was next week...

WARNING! A slight rant is included today. Once again, this is my blog and if what I say politically offends you, you are warned not to read to the end. 

 Jake wants his belly rubs every day, whenever I sit on the couch. But he wants me to lean down and do it, not get up on the couch next to me. We call this controlling mom, and it always brings his sister over to my left side for a back rub. People ask how I spend my days now that I'm not working. Dogs. That is my final answer.

I posted the flower vase on Instagram. Did a background of acrylic paint, then drew a rough vase and some circles for the flowers. Created the flowers with pieces of washi tape, and added tape to the vase as well for texture. This was all inspired by Gulfsprite. Added paint to the vase, some Arteza brush pens for shading, and when it was all dry, finished with a coat of Matte Medium to hold the tapes down. I am working on another spread with the same technique. 

The Dylusions journal with the double girls was all acrylic paint. Not happy with it.

The single Canson Mixed Media is in the big 11x14 journal. Started drawing the girl in graphite, then coloring in shading with Prisma Colored pencils. Another Gulfsprite technique, I then added Liquitex white acrylic ink to an empty watercolor brush pen, and worked that over the pencil. DID NOT get the same results as the speed video I watched on YouTube, so switched to acrylic paint in SunKissed Peach. I am going to try this again, but use my watercolor pencils instead of the regular colored pencils. 

Last is a Kuretake water color girl who ended up with a super high forehead, so she received a giant piece of jewelry. The designs in the background are white acrylic paint through a stencil, let that dry, then water color over the resist. 

Weather permitting, we walk at the dog park every day. I art journal every single day. It is the only way I am able to function through this incredible dread of impending doom. We have been conditioned to expect the absolute worse in this country, week after week, for the past four years. And as the actual election day draws near, I am more afraid that evil will win. There is now a Supreme Court Justice who firmly believes in the federalist interpretation of our Constitution. How ironic. If we, as a Nation, were to adhere to that thinking, women would not be educated, nor voting, nor be justices. Yet here she is on the highest court in the land. The Republican party has moved into such a state of hypocrisy, representing the minority thinking of our population, that it is doubtful the party will ever truly recover should trump lose the election. 

But what if he wins? I hold onto the fact that the House and Senate will be controlled by the Democrats. It is looking good for that to happen. Which means trump will be impeached. No doubt in my mind. Pence will end up being impeached as well, because his thinking is more warped that what people who support him realize. And the trump supporters will riot. IF Biden wins, the trump supporters will riot. Either way, this country will no longer exist as it has in the past. The next year is going to be rough, my friends. I hope we are all prepared for a ride that no one has ever seen nor experienced. Linda

I am too old for this shit

Double page spread in the large Dina journal. 

I still feel it needs more work, but uncertain of what to do so left it

In a Dylusions 9x12 journal

Opposite page

Back to the Dina large journal. Was tempted to stop here

Added writing about the chaos

Added a bit of stamping and some white highlights. Done.

This is in a Canson Mixed Media journal and my favorite so far

I have finished the Fun with Abstracts class, and highly recommend it. It is relaxing, fun and informative. When I couldn't take any more news, or conversations about this country I hit the art studio and just played with paint. Evaluate, paint, and try not to think too much about it.

I am old enough to remember the year 1968 vividly. The assassination of Martin Luther King Jr in April. Rev. King had gone to Memphis to help with the sanitation strike after 2 black workers had been killed. The escalation of the Vietnam war and the realization that someone was lying about what was really happening in that entire region. The assassination of Robert Kennedy in June, after he won the California primary as the Democratic candidate. President Lyndon Johnson announcing he would not run for a second term. Nixon as the Republican candidate looking like a crook from the get go. And the country blazed and burned. Protests were global. Against the war, against oppression. The Democratic convention was in Chicago, my home town. Richard J Daley was mayor, one of the last bosses of old style politics. Young men and women flooded into Chicago to voice anger over the establishment that was fueling the war, and not changing fast enough.  Riots, arrests, deaths.

"take a sad song, and make it better." sang the Beatles. It was the summer of Hey, Jude. And with all of the anger, chaos, arguments, we all sang the chorus of na na na nanana na. Because there was hope. Because we KNEW we could make it better. Baby boomers had been educated, we were well read, rounded, and had logic. There was hope.

I have no hope today. I am scared. I am terrified of what our society has become. That we have a President who praises armed white men who invaded a state legislature in Michigan, but calls black/white/latino protesters thugs. That he calls white supremacists "good people" and sneers at one of the finest Presidents this country ever elected, Barack Obama.  And that for whatever reason we have police that think it is just dandy to target people of color.

I hug my dogs and play in my art studio. When I venture out if I encounter racism, I will speak up. One voice at a time. That is what it will take. Just one voice.
Linda

Are we having a good time?

I hate this painting. But I am refusing to let myself rip pages out.

Yes. There is a story

Exactly how I felt yesterday

Little Miss Social Butterfly

She was so tired last night.

As I have mentioned, I am reading fantasy fiction and it is influencing my art work. Not that I can draw fairy women, obviously I can't, but never the less I will try. I am leaving that page as it is to remind myself not every drawing/painting is something I like or want to remember.

"She had missed her hair appointment." I had an appointment for a hair cut tomorrow, March 25th. I canceled it last week, explaining to my hair dresser that I was practicing self distancing and wanted to be safe. She understood, and we confirmed the April appointment. I know a woman, late 50's, who kept her hair cut appointment this past Friday. Then went home to her husband who has just recuperated from a traumatic episode of surgery, and then visited her 90 year old mother. Just for the sake of conversation, let's say she now carries the coronavirus but does not develop symptoms herself. The husband's immune system is still trying to get back to normal after fighting a major infection. The 90 year old mother has underlying health conditions and is (hold the phone) 90! Very little immune system left, if we are being honest. The entire country is acting like this is nothing more than a common cold. Unfortunately, you can't fix stupid. My fear is that we are going to lose a significant percentage of our population before everyone takes this as serious as it should be taken. When you have a Senator, like Rand Paul, who continued to spread the virus after being tested, there should be consequences.

It is time to act like reasonable adults with brains. Don't care which side of the aisle you are on. End of rant. I have deleted so many sentences, but if you know me, just fill in the blanks.
Long distance hugs.
Linda

Give me dogs, coffee, and art supplies

This was done with graphite pencil and gouache paint

Because I like the shading on her face, I am not painting over it

I enjoy using gouache. I prefer using it over a base layer of acrylic paint. Kind of like painting acrylic over a base coat of gesso. It just makes a difference. But the above was on raw Dylusions journal paper, and it came out okay. I originally painted flowers on her top, absolutely hated it to the point I considered ripping the pages out, then just cut a neutral piece of scrapbook paper to cover them up. Done.

The coronavirus has hit our town. All of the schools and the park district are closed until the first Monday in April, which is the end of our spring break. Unfortunately, this will spread because people are idiots. I am no longer on Facebook, but Cathy is, and this is the type of posts she is seeing: it's okay to take the kids to the movies, or Chuckie Cheese while school is closed, right?  or  What am I going to do with these kids? (has been one day) Now the Nature Center is closed!

Here are some thoughts: good time to sit down and read a book. Play a board game. Clean the house, really clean it. Baseboards, wash walls, that sort of thing. Because if you or the kid contracts this particular virus, you are on self quarantine with that child, or children, for a minimum of 14 days. Think you're going nuts now? Oh, wait, it can and will get worse.
The mind, it truly boggles.
Linda

I hate fireworks

Gracie in the art studio, asking why the world is ending. Someone near us was throwing firecrackers

First lesson in a new class

Repeated first lesson with different images

close up of what I wrote

I started a new class yesterday. I know, you are so shocked. It is "30 Days" with Gulfsprite - Christy Sobolewski. This is pure art journaling, and we are using the Canson Mixed Media larger journal, which is available at Michaels right now with a deal-an extra 12 pages for the same price. The paper is heavier but will slightly buckle with a lot of water. However, so far, it will smooth back out.

I used Daniel Smith water colors and Caran D'Arche gouache on the above pages. The idea was to create a background with pattern, and then add a collage element. For the hand, I traced my left hand onto some Mandarin text paper I received from another crafter a few years ago. We did an exchange by mail. Christy suggested you color the hand prior to cutting it out, so I did that, let it dry completely, then cut it out and glued it onto the art journal page.

Now for a short rant: what is the allure of setting off fireworks in a neighborhood? I don't understand several points here. First, it is money wasted. BOOM! Wasn't that fun? Second, you as an adult are disturbing your neighbors, animals, and creating tension and stress in a world that truly doesn't need any more of either. Jake, my terrier, wants to attack every single noise. Gracie is frightened beyond reason, and this is worse as she ages. Last night at 7p.m., Cathy and I are researching if I can give her Buspar, which is the only anti-anxiety/tranquilizer drug I had in the house. Cathy offered me Xanax, which she gives her rescue, but I decided to try the dosage recommended for the Buspar. It worked. Actually, it calmed her to the point she was willing to lie down next to me and be petted. Eventually she fell asleep. The fireworks ended at 11pm, which is the law.

As a child and teenager, I loved the fireworks. My friend Jean and I had a tradition of watching them from a spot not far from our homes. But as a senior, not so much. Empathy for the animals and veterans stops any enjoyment. Your viewpoint does indeed change with age.
Linda

No Words

As completed on Sunday

By Monday night, I had added collage pieces

Tuesday morning after several layers of paint and gesso, applied with a wedge tool

You can still see the collage in spots, and that is what I wanted

This project made me happy on Tuesday, and then life stepped in and kicked me down. A good friend from the dog park is dying from terminal cancer just diagnosed last week. I went to visit yesterday. He didn't know I was there, and that was to be expected. His wife needed some hugs and company, and that she got. Gracie and Jake were very generous with their kisses as well.

I posted in a local town group on Facebook about someone leaving their dog in a closed car yesterday morning, no cracks in the windows. The dog is okay, the woman came out of the restaurant and left. I will not confront people in a parking lot in Indiana. This is a gun toting state, and they are proud of it. But I did post a short note asking her to please, please, please never do that again. It is a horrible way to die.

Almost 200 fine upstanding citizens took great pleasure in attacking me verbally within that town group all afternoon. I was called chickenshit, told if I attempted to damage a car that this particular man owned, he carried a gun and would use it on me. I was called a fucking bitch, moron, busybody, a woman who needs to get a life, a woman who needs to stay home, and you get the general idea. It became so hostile and full of hate, that another friend in that group called me to make sure I was alright.

I deleted my post, which also deletes all of the comments made. I then removed myself from that Facebook group, and another Facebook group in the area. My alarm system is on. Yes, it was that bad. But I, unlike the people that made all of those comments, have learned a lesson. If I see a dog in distress, I will dial 911. From this point forward, I do not care what the humans do to each other. They have all told me to mind my own business. Yep, you got it.
Linda