It's Hot in This Country

Where would you rather be today? Here?




September 2010, Kylemore Abbey, Ireland



Or Here?



April 2012, Poteet, TX

I didn’t name my blog Artistic Dreamer for nothing…I am a dreamer. So, even on the coldest, rainiest day in Ireland I’d much rather be there than in South Texas. I’ve lived here long enough to know and despise the heat. It's one of the many things that will always bother me about this area. As a distraction, I put other cities on my weather page where I can do daily comparisons. The Pacific Northwest and Ireland have quite similar climates. Yet, I do enjoy seeing the sun…just not having summer nine months a year.



Today's weather



Some people love the heat. To me, it makes me tired and slow and exhausted. I feel invigorated by cool weather and love piling on layers to warm up. What is your preference? Do you think it has anything to do with where you spent your first years?



“It’s hot in this country,” I often joke with my husband after going out for a walk. I use a lilting Irish brogue, conjuring clouds to dampen scorching blue skies. In my studio, there’s a Celtic stained glass piece hanging in window. When I first spied it in a Dingle gift store, I knew it would bring a misty reminder. So, I draw the insulated curtains against the summer sun, touch the stained glass, and play Irish CDs. With these mental tricks, I’m almost back…

Happy creating wherever you are!

New Journal

Long on the project table, this sewn-on-tapes journal is finally complete. Envisioned as a birthday present for my Mom in late December it’s only six months late; sorry, Mom!

This is in the style of the online class taught by Mary Ann Moss, using a recycled hardback book for covers, a mix of papers for signatures, and fabric for tapes. I created a few handy pockets from scrapbook paper. Here is the first one I made last summer.

This is one of my favorite journal styles. I love how easy the bookbinding sewing is, how flat the pages lay to work on, how well it takes lots of collage (including glued in envelopes), and how inspiring the different papers and sizes are.

What is your favorite journal style? Handmade or commercially available?

So Many Projects, So Little Time

Hibiscus growing in our backyard jungle

Happy June! How is your art focus? Mine is scattered. I have started a painting on canvas, worked in two art journals, made some new notebooks and an art journal.

 

Art Journal, Coptic stitch

This latest experiment is an art journal using the Coptic stitch. Fellow bookbinders on the Bookbinding Etsy Street Team (BEST) have kindly guided me toward good instructional sources in books and online. I find this binding very confusing and really want to master it since I have so many ideas for using this method. This is 8” x 10” with 140 lb. watercolor paper but next time I’ll use a smaller size and lighter covers than two Ampersand Claybord panels. The surface also takes acrylic paint very differently than the hot-press paper I know and love.

As I needed some more art ideas notebooks for myself, I made these new ones this week.

Three new art ideas notebooks

Thinking of using my photos more, I am considering a new printer. There is a cool one called the Epson Artisan I have my eye on; but it’s so large I would need to find space for it.

How are your summer projects going?