Grow Your Blog Party 2015 - Welcome!

Hello Gorgeous!

Thank you for visiting my paint-filled, splooshy corner of the blogosphere and WELCOME one and all! It's the epic and legendary 'GROW YOUR BLOG PARTY 2015' !! Hurrah!!

My name is Rachael but I'm known as 'Shroo'. I live in the middle of varied and wonderful landscapes here in the UK, equidistant from the wild beauty of seas, rivers and lakes, farmland and wild protected areas of stunning rural splendour, and the quirky urban towns and villages that nestle linked by this natural beauty.

I live with my black cat, Harvey, or to give him his full title - Count Harvelstein Fluffpants III. He likes to be addressed as 'The Colonel' and has many adventures. He puts up with me and reminds me on a daily basis how fortunate I am that he allows me to cuddle him, wrap him in warm blankies, buy him funky toys and feed him his nippits (biscuits).

I love to be surrounded by interesting and beautiful things, bright colours, books and artwork as it keeps me inspired. I've been an artist since I was a baby, holding my first pen, but life led me away from my joy of all things arty for many years, replacing it with the more mundane and practical aspects of adult life. Recently, however, I've been moved to rediscover my artistic heart and fill my life anew with all things colour - paints and pencils, inks and papers - and what a joy it has brought me ....and it's rescued me in so many ways

I started my blog a couple of years ago and discovered the wonderful people that are part of this online community. They're an inspiration to me every day. I took a break last year after my mum passed away but returned at Christmas to begin again. I invite you to join me in my arty journey through life as I test out my skills and learn new ones and share them with this amazing arty family.

A little bit about my art.... I'm a mixed media artist and illustrator. I work intuitively which means that I rarely plan a project, rather I just sit down surrounded by supplies and just throw things onto paper or canvas (or whatever!) until it looks right to me. I am a journaler, and this year I'll be sharing my own journaling progress as well as encouraging my readers to join in with their own life recording process. I'll provide exercises and examples and encouragement in bucket-loads. Here are some of my journal pages. You can see more in my other blog pages or click the pics to see other blog pages and galleries.

I love to make my own books and journals - you can see a few of them HERE. I'm currently working on some new ones so that I can re-open my little Etsy shop next month - here's a preview of some of the latest offerings:

I like to make jewellery - basically as an excuse to hoard pretty beads (a lifelong obsession!). This year I'd like to advance my skills and learn some new metalwork techniques, but for now here's a little glimpse at what's on the work desk:

I love to doodle - it calms my mind and helps me to relax. I tend to theme my doodles in each book or journal...they'll never win awards but they make me happy! Here are a couple of my recent journal pages:

I also like to illustrate the variety and beauty of the wildlife that shares this planet with us. You can see an example of my pen & ink work HERE, or click on the picture below:

I love books and poetry and love to incorporate elements of them into my work, whether it be quotes,

 character illustration,

Aslan - The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S.Lewis

 or pages of the books themselves added to my paper collages...

So that's a bit about me. Coming up here in the next month will be some book making & bookbinding tutorials, suitable for anyone to try. You can find my last bookbinding post HERE, and for now here's a sneak preview of one such upcoming post-ette:

There'll also be some thoughts about and ideas for making altered art on a budget. Here's that sneak preview thing again! -

I'll be talking about how I use art and colour to help me cope with the ups and downs of life. I want to talk about public and private art, our insecurities and how to - hopefully - overcome them. Here are a couple of bijou hint-ettes at what will be on show...

I'll talk about supplies - my must-haves, my recommendations and top tens! (who doesn't love a list?)

 - and you can witness the perpetual horror that is my workdesk!

I'll also be blogging about crafting on a budget and about making your own unique elements:

Yep - there's quite a lot lined up to take us through the rest of January and right through February. You'll have to put up with my ramblings, but you can always do what The Colonel does and bury your head in a blanky and snore 'til I shut up!! (That's HIS recommendation anyway!)

It's so awesome to see you - I'd LOVE it of you'd add your epic self to my list of blog followers, and/or to my circles so that you'll be the first to be updated on new posts. Please leave a comment - I'll do my best to reply to everyone and I'll be visiting your blog asap!

I'd like to thank Vicki at '2 BAGS FULL' for all her inspiration and hard work. Enjoy the rest of the party! Love and hugs from Shroo :) xxx

Arty Breadcrumbs

MWAH!

Are we happy it's not Monday? Hell, yeah. Now that I have weekends free to art, sleep and cuddle the Colonel (my cat) I understand that coutdown to Friday that everyone's been going on about for years! I used to work 7 days a week (retail - it makes ya grumpy) so resented the weekends JUST as much as any other day, but NOW......aaaah....... Friday........

Aaaaanyway...In this post I'm going to delve a little into how journaling helps to balance my mind and counteracts the negative effects that brainy-grot has on my life. It's just ONE reason that I journal, but it seems pertinent, and might be helpful to some readers, somewhere along the line. It's about finding a positive path.

Last week was a jumpy week, with a total of three full-on, clutch at the chest panic attacks. SUCH fun! I tend to get them in the evenings now when things are quiet and my mind has a chance to churn over the events of the day/week, real or imagined, but I managed a daytime one in there as well...they always seem worse, not sure why! They usually bring about a few nights of insomnia, and last week was no different in that regard, which THRILLS the Colonel, who, in his twisted kitty mind thinks that it's another DAY which means more 'nummy nippits' (our way of referring to his biscuit cat food). In order to distract him from nippit overdose I have to play chase with his favourite cat toys but in the midst of a panic attack that's just not an option, which means I can add clawed legs to the mix. Thank you, Colonel.

I was pleasantly surprised when. once I'd stopped gasping for breath and being gnawed on by my cat, my first port of call for salvation was my art desk and my journal. For once, I wasn't focussed on writing out my spiraling thoughts but instead grabbed pencils and pens and started to draw. Usually, if I'm using my art as a catharsis or a distraction it's a conscious direction, whereas this...just happened. And that's good, I think! I'm happy with it.

When my head spins, I generally retain very little cognitive memory...more a jumble of slightly surreal snapshots. I'm left physically drained but mentally separated from the cause so I feel quite disembodied and not in the greatest place, emotionally. This time round, the process of creating art - almost mindlessly - has left me with a 'trail of breadcrumbs' through the days, which means that, rather than feeling disconnected and slightly lost, I actually feel like I'm climbing out of a journey through a dark valley. It feels....better. Like I have a direction. Like I've achieved something. Survival. I know it sounds a little melodramatic, but that's how things are when brains go a bit squiffy. Anyone who's bi polar, suffered from depression or anxiety or any related issues will understand that melodrama is integral to these disorders. This time, rather than feeling like I'm sunk into quicksand, or am floating with no control in a vacuum I feel that my feet, though wobbly, are actually on firm ground and I'm not so lost or powerless.

This feeling normally comes after a significant amount of cognitive control has been exercised so it's noteworthy that this has happened mindlessly, without encouragement, sans pressure.

So why? Well.... I suspect strongly that the main reason is that I've journaled regularly, incorporating art, for a significant period of time now so it's acted as a kind of auto response....Stress therefore art journal. What's especially interesting is looking at the art I've made. Some of it's a snapshot of whatever my subconscious was struggling with. This is what I mean by 'breadcrumbs'. These things usually just go straight into the bin, but for what it's worth, I've decided to share some of the results with you. I hope you find them interesting.

I had that song 'Don't You Make My Brown Eyes Blue' running through my head like an earworm. I think that's what might have provoked this girl. Have fun with the pop-psychology here.....

I do have a memory of painting her. I think I used Gelatos and soluble pencils. Here are some close-ups -

So later that day....well, closer to the morning hours....

I think I got through that night quite well. Ok, so there are still rocks, and a crevass and bloody big bird of prey, but usually if I'm painting water it's because my mood's changing, or I'm dealing with some emotional crap. And it's sunny. Blue skies. Like I say, gooooooooooooo psychology! ha.

Going abstract. This was also gelatos and inktense pencils with wax and white acrylic paint. It's what's in the pots directly in front of my art spot. It's on packing paper, so thin and crinkly. I quite like it. Some close-ups -

And also on packing paper with crumples -

Not sure what I'll do with it, but here are close ups-

Concentric circles are a common one when my head's spinning. I like the colours though!

And in my journal? Well. I like to draw long scratchy doodles with my special scratchy nib pen. They draw my focus and eventually my brain goes blessedly blank. The subject matter is entirely intuitive. It just happens. Apparently, this time around, my head disappeared off into a fantasy world! Everyone seems quite happy though! Go figure!

 SO there we go.... A weird collection there... But looking at them allows me to connect a linking path through the last ten days and other useful snippits of memory cling to that, a stronger chain than I'm used to. I'm always surprised by the colours. If I relied on my memory clippings I'd remember blackness, but my art shows the underlying optimism that the grot can't quite squish.

Not everyone journals or uses art as a conscious catharsis, or therapy, and that's fine. This blog's about me and my work, and why I do what I do. I'm asked a LOT why I journal and what I get from it so I thought I'd address just one reason and subsequent benefit right now. I'm not saying that it's a cure-all for mental or emotional problems, but I hope it's useful or at least vaguely interesting as a point for consideration. I promised myself that this year I would take a step into trusting, so I'm sharing a little more that I otherwise might - I hope you don't mind or take any offense. And maybe I can encourage you to use your art to help you focus, to create your own links and strengthen the chain that you forge in your life.

Thank you as always for your time - I know you're busy so I REALLY appreciate it when you pop by. If you get a chance, you can leave me a comment to say hello and I'm interested in what you think - and if there's anything you want to ask me. You're all awesome! I'll be back soon with a fun arty exercise to help us loosen the grip on our inner perfectionist! See you soon -Shroo :) xxx

The Colonel is watching you....

Why I Journal: Part 2- Your First Steps

Hello arty people of awesomeness!!

 It's MONDAY again!

How the heck are ye? I hope you're all well and not filled with winter grot or snowed in or something equally vile. Thank you squillions for your patience with my wonky brain and its "special" moments!

It's been a week of ups and downs but I'm back on an even keel, and actually, I think the last few days have been useful with regard to my journaling posts and arty stuff in general. Weird but true..... and I'll yatter on about may arty exploits more in my next post.

I think I'm going to continue the 'Why I Journal' posts for a little while as there's a LOT that I'd like to cover and I'd like to add some exercises in there which some of you might find useful. So, with that in mind, and without further ado, here we go -

Why I Journal: The Second Bit 

* Choosing your journal

* Have A Go At This (journaling exercise)

Choosing Your Journal: The First Step

This is something that seems to stress a lot of people to the point of giving up before they even begin, either ending up journal-less because they just can't choose, or otherwise living with a stack of blank books which present a daunting prospect and never see the light of day or the hint of a pen nib. We are all - ALL - so guilty of stuff envy. You know - wanting every possible arty option, every brand, every size, every colour, and at least six of each so we never run out. Yep. Been there. Done that. Just remember this one thing:

* Choose what makes YOU happy - this is YOUR time, YOUR hobby.

I'll write more about journal choices in the next post, but for now, if you're just stepping out...

1. * Be practical. If you're going to carry a journal around with you, maybe best to choose something that fits easily into your bag and not a gargantuan tome that requires a forklift truck to lug about.
2. * It's inevitable that you'll buy more stuff - but for now, look around your house and find something that will do for today....there's nothing to stop you picking up a notebook and journaling your search for your perfect journal! (for example, list brands, collect coupons for local stationery or art shops, useful websites). Get used to writing something - anything! It's good practise. The important thing is that you BEGIN.
3. * Don't judge yourself by other people's choices. They chose their book....you'll choose yours....and?
4. * Try not to be intimidated by styles and techniques that you like but haven't tried yet. They key word is YET. There's no need to say "well, I'd LOVE to keep a journal, but I want to use art and I don't know how to paint. I can't paint therefore I can't journal. That's that." Nonsense. What CAN you do? Well, then do THAT for now while you enjoy learning new things. Journaling's about progression and allowing yourself to follow the path of your life changes and growing abilities. The only person judging you is you. Stop it, you dafty - you're FABULOUS!

* Have A Go At This *

Here are a couple of fun and easy exercises for you to have a go at - one's writey, one's arty. Pick one, or both and see where it takes you.

Writey exercise - 'A Letter To......'

It's often hard to write your feelings down if you're not used to it, and recording events can seem a little pointless so....

Imagine that you're writing a letter to a good friend or relative. It can be a long missive, or a short note. If you couldn't text or phone them, what would you write to them? Would you tell them a good joke? Write a recipe? Tell them you renewed an aquaintance or had a row or got a new job? Maybe you'd tell them about an awesome new purchase, or a film you've seen that you'd recommend and you'll tell them why.

Instead of writing in a book, pick up a nice piece of paper and actually write a letter. It can honestly be to anyone - they can be living or otherwise engaged in floaty amazingness in the afterlife. Write to fictional character! Harry Potter? Aslan? Gandalf? Sherlock Holmes? Write to your baby, who may not be able to read yet, or even speak, but may one day have the joy of reading the silly, funny, personal things that can be precious in later years. Write to your deity of choice. Write to the fairies, pixies or elves. Write to yourself in the future....or the past. It matters not who choose to write to - just write....anything, everything. You can even fold your letter and put it in an envelope (don't forget to include the date!) You can always add your letter into a book, or otherwise KEEP letter writing your days and your thoughts and tie them in bundles with pretty ribbons and keep them in a beautiful box surrounded by keepsakes and the ephemera of your life. What a GORGEOUS and personal keepsake for you and your loved ones!

Arty Exercise - 'My First Book'

This is a great idea for anyone who's never before used art in a journal exercise, BUT if you're used to adding art elements to your journaling process then you can upscale the concept to something more flashy that suits your level and skill set. For this blog post I'm going to assume that you, darling reader, are a lovely beginner.

*

To begin, choose between five and ten key words which represent and sum up the things you want to bring into your life in the coming year. They should be positive and happy words designed to encourage and support you. It's entirely up to you whether you relate them to artistic and creative endeavours, or whether you want to relate them to other aspects of your life. For the purposes of this exercise I've chosen the following: GROW, BECOME, FUN, CONFIDENCE, SHARE, LEARN, CREATE.

You're now going to make a little book - possibly your first, but I assure you that it's easier than making a sandwich so you'll be fine. Go grab a few sheets of paper and a pair of scissors. The number of pages you'll need depends on how many words you've chosen so to make it easier I'll just assume (again) that we've all chosen seven words. Just because.

Cut four pieces of paper (you'll need more if you've chosen more words) and then fold them in half so that they all fit inside each other to make the pages of a book, like this  -

Select a length of twine, cord or thin ribbon that's roughly three times the length of your page spine, place it inside the centre page against the spine, turn the book over and gently but firmly tie the fastening on the outside of the spine. Like this -

The ribbon in the picture's a little too wide, but I wanted it to show up - yours should be a lot narrower so that the pages all turn easily. Remember not to pull the fastening TOO tight or it'll tear the paper, ok?  So voila! your first easy peasy little book!

You can decorate your cover however you like. I've made a quick example and just glued down a pretty picture cut from a magazine -

This is an exercise to help you practise using an image to represent or highlight a word or concept. 

This doesn't have to be difficult. Look at the words you've chosen. You're going to journal them into your book with complemantary images using basic collage techniques. You can find more pictures from magazines OR you can make your own simple shapes instead. For example, if you want to represent "LOVE", you could cut out a picture of a happy couple, a mother and child....a cake! OR you can paint and cut out a lovely heart shape and flex your arty muscles even more! It's up to you whether you use just one technique, or opt to mix the two. Now write your words out clearly onto paper and cut each one out so that you have a little pile of seven words and another one of seven images.

Open up your book and glue your matching images and words onto the right hand pages of your book. Find a way to overlap the two that pleases you. See how easy collage can be?  You can add some doodles or borders - whatever makes you happy. On the blank pages opposite your image, write a sentence that sums up a relevant GOAL that you want to achieve. Here are the pages I finished so that you can see what I mean -

This little example book is really simple and basic so you can't use the excuse "Oh, that's out of my comfort zone". Honestly. Of course, if you want to make yours AWESOME, please feel free!

The aim of the exercise is that you COMPLETE a project with confidence.  SO many of us put off starting a new hobby because it seems daunting, but this won't take you long at all, uses only the things you already have around you, and should be a bit of fun! You can involve a friend, or do a similar project with your kids, as long as at the end of it you have a little completed book to remind you that you CAN take that first step.

*

So now you have a couple of ideas to get you started on your journaling journey. I hope they're helpful. I'll update you on my own art progress in the next post and give you some more journaling exercises as well.

If you're a fellow blogger please consider taking a bijou peek-ette at the fabulous "GROW YOUR BLOG PARTY" hosted by Vicky at "2 Bags Full".  It takes place on 25th January and encourages participants to visit hundreds of arty crafty blogs, follow the ones you like, and encourage more lovely, gorgeous followers of your own.

For now, here're some doodles from my diary - thank you for visiting, for your patience and your support! HUGE SPARKLY HUGS from Shroo :) xxx