Texture, Pattern, Shape

Since starting the Documented Life Project, I have become way more aware of texture, pattern and shapes. They are an intrinsic part of the new techniques and materials I am using on my pages.

This week I went to visit my friend, Chantal, who is living in Tairua for a while. It seems my increased awareness has me noticing texture, pattern and shapes in the 'real' world too.

On the way there I stopped lots of times because my sore leg needed to be stretched often, and so I took lots of pictures.

I went for lots of walks with Chantal too, and as well as shots of the wider glorious scenery, I again focused on texture, pattern and shapes.

What was really a bit scary was that on the drive over I became so high on the beauty I saw, and the joy of living in such an amazing world, that I found my senses of taste and touch kicking in just from visual input. I'm glad I've never taken hallucinatory drugs - I think I might be one of those people who get completely lost.

Looking On The Bright Side Of Life: Healing is Possible

Yesterday winter arrived with wind, heavy rain, and cold.

Today there's a bite in the air, but the sun is shining and the world is sparkling. When I went outside to feed the ducks, dog and chooks, I could hear birds making noise everywhere. The ducks and chooks making their hurry-up-and-feed-us noises, a variety of pleasant songs coming from the trees including from this piwakawaka -

- and a ruckus. Looking out towards the back paddock, I saw seven or eight pukeko having a major scrap just over the fence in the neighbours' place. By the time I got there the mother, father and chicks were flying off to the next paddock, and these two were strutting and crowing proudly.

 The bush was so clean and sharp in the post-rain sunshine.

 We are so lucky to have found this beautiful place to live in.

The pineapple sage is glorious, as always at this time of the year, and I find I can sit and watch the insects on it for hours - not just my honey bees and bumble bees, but all kinds of creatures enjoying one of the last plants with flowers in abundance before winter closes in.

 The bamboo roots we planted this year have taken off and we will need to ensure that the 'moat' around the island is kept clear. It is a clumping variety, but still spreads easily. So pretty and useful though.

 Even the 'weeds' bring a smile.

 And our mountain - so good to see her today.

Of course a bit of morning joy can come at a price........

 It would have been a good idea to turn the feijoa jelly off, rather than up to full, before heading outside in the sun! On the plus side, while I was out there, I did collect another bucket full of feijoas, so I can make another batch of jelly.

But the greatest joy of the day was when, half way through the clean up, I realised that I had not abused myself - not even in my thoughts. There was a time when I would have cried and screamed and yelled the most horrendous words at myself, and plunged into self-hatred and despair for at least the rest of the day, and often for a week or more.

This silly little incident, which once would have seemed a veritable international crisis, shows me that, although there is more healing to do, healing is possible.

The Documented Life Project: Week 7

Art Challenge: Cover up the good stuff
Journal Prompt: Going undercover

Again I have been less than inspired, and again I looked to Lorraine Bell's example page to get me going. It didn't turn out anything like hers because, a) she is an artist and I am a puddleducker; and b) things didn't work the way they did for her.

I started out, like her, writing all over the page with a waterproof pen, trying to write about the good stuff in my life. However, my pens were either way too fine, or too thick, and my handwriting is of the non-artistic messy kind. So, following her instructions, I dry brushed white gesso over the page - but somewhat more thickly than she did, so much less of the writing showed through.

Following her example again, I put drops of ink on the page, lightly brushed it, and let it run down the page before blotting with patterned paper towels. Except only the first and last steps worked - my ink or surface or both resulted in a very different look, and one that was considerably messier and less artistic!

I then diverted from her example, as I have neither water soluble crayons, nor the skill to draw with them! I sketched an umbrella shape and then cut out umbrellas from scraps of papers, some of which I had hand decorated in various ways. I pasted them on top of other papers that represent some aspects of my life, hidden and less hidden. I then drew in the handles and tops, and outlined the umbrellas.

It didn't come out the way I planned, and I am not satisfied with the background in particular, but over all it's okay. However, I am learning much about techniques and materials, which is the real point of the whole exercise for me.