I can’t believe it’s almost here! Monday we leave for France! I’ve had a mixture of feelings about this trip - anxiety about being in a strange country and with limited knowledge of the language; excitement at the idea of seeing France; trepidation about the flight, since I don’t know how it will affect my balance and my health. But, above all this I am looking forward to time alone with my husband. Yes, we will see friends and colleagues, since Dave is presenting his research during our visit, but much of our time will be spent in the romance of France.
Yesterday I spent the morning with Angie since I won’t see her for a while. She came over and worked on some beading while Max sat in the den and watched the Cartoon network. Max is now obsessed with arm wrestling, and tries really hard when we arm wrestle. I promised him that when I get back we’ll have a rematch!
After Angie left, I decided it was time to start organizing all my “stuff” for the trip. I packed most of the carry-on, making sure I had my quart-sized baggie with all tiny bottles that will fit in it. I packed a few small cases filled with the essentials for the flight. FIrst is an audio case for my audio adapter for the Baha and my iPod. I’m using my Palm Centro as an ebook reader, so I have plenty to read and no bulky books or magazines. I also packed some comfort stuff: special protein bars, tissues, some mints, including all my medications in their original bottles (to prove I have prescriptions for them). I also had to make sure that I had a way of expressing my allergies to the chefs in France - they love their dairy and poultry there, and I’m severely allergic to both, among other things. So, I found a company online, Allergy Translation, that creates custom cards for you to carry in English and the language of your choice! I did this a few weeks ago, since I didn’t know how quickly the process would work. Well, it’s almost immediate! So, I printed out a bunch of cards (this way I won’t panic when I don’t get one back from the kitchen!) and laminated them and put them in my travel wallet. I also made sure that my MedicAlert account was up to date with all my medications and allergies. I’ll be wearing my MedicAlert bracelet on the trip, so if there is an emergency, there will be an easy way to get information.
All that’s really left is for me to pick up some soy protein packs and to finish packing, and to wait for Monday! My art supplies are packed in my day pack, along with my folding cane. I bought some hook and loop tape to make sure that my basket stays on my walker, and it appears to be working. I’ll test it today by adding something to the basket to see whether it holds. And, have the list of things I still need to add and later today, I’ll pack my clothes.
Once I got the carry-on all figured out, I decided to turn my attention to my small travel journal for the trip. It’s a green square handbook journal
. The cover is made of canvas board, and the size is great. But it needed something to make it “mine”. I looked at my pile of collage crap somewhat organized e
phemera and I found text about France, in French, maps of France, and some travel stickers. I had been hoarding saving these things for a special project (no, there was no particular project in mind when I came across these things!).
Well, there isn’t anything more special than our trip to France! So, I began by pasting in the map of France. Then I added some quad paper for some tables (what I did today, travel itinerary, etc.) and to add whatever I wanted to those pages. Then I added some ink to age the pages. It was the last thing I did before turning in for the evening. I was feeling excited, but I knew that there was something missing. The colors were too dull for all the energy I feel about this trip. So, this morning, I added some warm colors - yellows, oranges, reds. Now it looks a lot more like me! It’s all ready for the trip!
I’ll try to post more before I leave, but while I’m gone, my CreativeTherapy Catalyst responses will publish! Have an awesome weekend!
June 27th, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
Creative Every Day, art, health, journaling, life, living with chronic illness, travel |
2 comments
Have you stopped by CreativeTherapy yet today?
No? Well, get over there to see some of the fabulous artwork for this week’s catalyst! I hinted that I participated this week, and the image is to the right. To learn about the story behind it, you’ll have to go to the CreativeTherapy blog!
Stop by and check it out! If you participate and post a link in the comments at CreativeTherapy, you’ll be in the drawing for this week’s RAK! Jump in now! Can’t make the Wednesday deadline? And, be sure to join our Flickr group, too!
June 9th, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
Creative Therapy, art, art challenge, journaling |
3 comments
I’ve been quiet the past few days, but not because of my health. I’ve been focused on sewing and painting for a gift I created for my mother-in-law as a Mother’s Day gift. I’ve had to keep it under wraps, because my MIL reads my blog regularly (*waves to mom*)! It’s to the left. It’s a purse and a matching pouch with hand-painted images of apples. My MIL collects apples and even wrote a children’s book about the importance of apples in the Jewish holidays. I’m helping her to edit and we’re hoping to self-publish before summer is out.
Today, we picked up PF Chang’s and brought it to their house for a family lunch. I spent time with my MIL editing her book and going over the images she has and needs. This week, I’ll start laying it out to be sure we have all the pictures we need and to make sure it’s going to fit within
the parameters of the self-publishing company we’re going with. It was a nice way to spend the day.
This weekend, I also continued to practice drawing. I did a lot with my mannequin. I wanted to get better at proportions and body gestures.
I photographed only a few pages, but I’ll photograph more tomorrow and post them here. It’s much harder than I thought it would be, but it’s good practice, for sure.
And some of you may have noticed that it’s Sunday! Sunday means the new CreativeTherapy catalyst is up with the responses from our design team. Please stop by and see what we’ve all come up with in response to this week’s catalyst #9, “Something you’re pessimistic about”. It was a tough one for each of us, but I believe we got some great art from all the participants!
In the past, I haven’t really posted mine here. However, this was a really difficult one for me. I spent more than a full day on it - unusual for me. To the left is the picture of what I’m pessimistic about. You’ll have to read the journaling here. 
And, don’t forget: If you participate, respond in the comments at CreativeTherapy and you’ll be entered in a random drawing for a prize from one of our sponsors!
May 11th, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
Creative Every Day, Creative Therapy, art, drawing, fabric, family, journaling, life, pouches, sewing |
4 comments
The 
past two days have been hard for me physically. Yesterday I spent most of the day in bed with fatigue and vertigo. I did draw yesterday - two things, so I’m going to count them as yesterday’s and today’s in case I can’t get drawing done today (but I’ll still try!).
Today I’m tired and achy. But at least I’m up to posting on my blog! To the right is EDM Challenge 23 - Draw your Foot. Since I went and had my manicure and pedicure while Eliana was here, I figured drawing the foot was a good thing to do. I drew the cool little flower and the lines at the top of the big toe - the only one you could really see (I have teensy toes and even more teensy toe nails!). I decided not to use any color in this and to see if I could create it with just the Pigma Micron 02 and 08 pens. I like how the pants leg came out, in particular. I rarely do this kind of shading, so it was a good challenge.
To the left, you see a drawing of my reading glasses. I have several pairs of reading glasses - mostly from Target’s dollar spot! I buy them in bulk when they have them there. I have found that since my 38th birthday (yes, two and a half years ago!) I’ve needed to wear these reading glasses with my contacts to see up close. Reading without the is greatly straining on my eyes. So, I figure some funky glasses should be owned. The pair depicted here is actually black, clear and gray - sort of a plaid.
My husband is just finishing up doing his rounds at the hospital. He’s taking me out to lunch when he gets here. It will be my first time out of the house since last Monday. I’m sure I will be exhausted when we return home, but getting out of the house is really necessary right now. Have a great Sunday, everyone!
May 4th, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
Creative Every Day, EDM, art, art challenge, drawing, journaling, living with chronic illness, sketch |
3 comments
This week’s catalyst for CreativeTherapy was “The best part of today” I created my entry using the drawings I did while I was with Angie on Saturday. It’s always the best part of the day when I’m with Angie. When I’m not, the best part is the meditative act of drawing. As a result, the best part of Saturday was clearly sketchcrawling with Angie! Take a look at what other design team members found as the best part of their days and join us for a chance to win a RAK!
March 31st, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
Creative Therapy, drawing, journaling |
one comment
Today has been a great day! I woke up feeling great and excited for the day. For weeks, Angie and I have been planning to join in the International Sketchcrawl and we did it! We finally got to spend some time together and I was able to get out of the house!
Today was the 18th International Sketchcrawl. We met other sketchcrawlers at the Desert Botanical Gardens here in Phoenix. I think two of us had been there before, so it was a first time for many of us. It was such a beautiful day - bright and sunny and nice and cool with a slight breeze in the morning. Of course, it being the desert and the end of March, it quickly got up to the low 80s and we were all pretty tired. This is probably the last outside sketchcrawl we’ll do until October or November!
There was so much to draw! We all walked off into our own groups and sat and drew and painted. What amazed us all the most was that there were so many people out and about sketching, painting, and photographing. It is like an artist’s heaven there! Angie and I went on our own and 
found some shady spots. I used my walker, knowing that the terrain might be tricky for me. I was glad I had it. It gave me a seat no matter where we were and it did help me keep from falling several times as we moved along. It was nice to bring the walker with the purpose being “just in case” rather than “must use”.
The first subject Angie and I chose was a Dr. Seuss-like tree. There was no marker to tell us the name where we found it, but we knew we’d find it later. Sure enough, we did. It’s a member of the Aloe family. It’s aloe dichotoma, and it’s from South Africa. The bark is very light and at the bottom has bark peeling off of it. It has quite a bit of yellow in it. The leaves looked similar to those of an aloe vera plant, but they wer much more 
wavy and curly. I tried to capture it, but I think I captured the essence of it, not the reality. And that was fine with me!:) The drawing is to the left. Angie did a lot more of a realistic version, so she took a bit longer with her drawing.
So, while Angie finished her drawing, I found I had time in that spot to do one more drawing. I decided to draw a saguaro cactus that was also in my line of vision. I like how this turned out. I used different Pigma Graphic and Micron pens to get the detail. The shape and color really intrigued me. It’s to the right. It seems right that it should be one of the drawings from the Desert Botanical Gardens, don’t you think?
When we finished there, we found we still had time for at least one more drawing. We found a nicely shaded spot with benches and a lovely fountain. The sound of the water was so relaxing that we knew we’d found our second spot. We each chose our subjects. Angie was delighted by a yellow wildflower and chose that. I was staring at some bark that just seemed to scream to be drawn! I didn’t think I was going to add color to it with all the detail in the bark, but I decided it needed some color to show off how much diversity of color there was in the bark and to highlight the peeling bark and what was underneath. I’m really quite happy with this drawing!
We met up at the cafe there and talked about future locations. Since it’s so incredibly hot here in the summer, we all decided the next few sketchcrawl locations would have to be indoors. We’ll be looking at the Phoenix Art Museum, the Heard Museum, and even some malls. There’s always something to sketch, no matter where you go! And nothing beats indoors on those 100+-degree days!
Angie and I saw as much as we could, but there is so much more to see. We are planning to go again this week, while the cactus are blooming. We got several photos, too, but I haven’t had time to get those cleaned up. We’re both convinced we’ll have to become frequent visitors of the Desert Botanical Gardens!
March 29th, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
Creative Every Day, EDM, art, drawing, friends, fun day, journaling, painting, sketch, watercolor |
3 comments
I’m a true believer that art can be a great form of therapy. It has always been a safe haven for me. And so, when I was asked to join a design team of creative bloggers who would work on weekly journal prompts I heartily jumped in! I am now a proud member of the Creative Therapy Design Team. We launched the first Catalyst today. You can see what my fellow team members and I did with this week’s catalyst, “Something I lost”. Please join in and enjoy!
March 16th, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
Creative Every Day, Creative Therapy, art, art challenge, drawing, group projects, journaling, life |
3 comments
Dave and I had a lovely time in Santa Barbara. We flew directly to the Santa Barbara Airport from Phoenix. It’s a tiny quaint airport with very little in the way of amenities, but it has that lovely Spanish architecture that we loved. For the first time in a long time, I didn’t need to use a wheelchair to get on or off any flight. I did, however, use my folding cane, since it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Dave and I stayed in Monticeto and enjoyed the neighborhood feel of the area. It was nice to just walk to breakfast each morning and then for coffee later in the day. We really enjoyed our time it was great reconnecting time for us. We toured the Botanic Gardens and got lost in them because part of it was closed off for renovation and we couldn’t take the direct road around the whole thing! It was hilarious. We were glad we had some snacks and water with us. I took quite a few photos to use for reference photos later. To the right is one of my favorite photos from that day. I love how the tree is reflected in the water that gathered on this rock.
We also toured some of the Santa Inez Valley, including Solvang. It is a cute little Danish town and, though it’s mostly a lot of pastry (which I can’t eat due to allergies and TRYING to be good about my weight!) and shopping, I did get some good photos. One is seen here, on the left, b
ut there are more in my Flickr Set.
Of course, I also did some drawing while we were there - have sketchbook and will travel! I only allowed myself watercolor pencils, a few Pigma Micron pens, and a small book I made of cold press watercolor paper and some textured black paper. I challenged myself to draw at least once a day and I enjoyed it - as I always do. I’m not always happy with how things come out, but I did find that I actually relaxed more and really noticed my surroundings more. I’m looking forward to continuing this around home, too. To the right is one of the drawings I did while we sat in the coffee shop.
On Tuesday, we had a new lesson (week 4 already!) of watercolor pencil class. I had hoped to see more flowers in Santa Barbara at the Botanic Garden, but since I didn’t, I went to resource photos. I didn’t find much in my own photos that inspired me for the botanical study lesson this week. However, I was reading DJ Pettitt’s blog and was inspired by the photos in her post. 
I emailed DJ and she was kind enough to allow me to use them for class. The pussy willows came out great. I like the detail I did in the purple flower to the right, but the color is not quite right. I’m sure I will try it again, but I needed to put it aside for now. I did get the shadows as I’d hoped, but there is something too single-toned about it. I just think I need some time away from it.
Also, after watching Project Runway’s finale (WOW!) I’m itching to do some sewing, so I might take a break this weekend from the intense watercolor pencil work and do some sewing. Of course, that’s what I want right now. I do tend to change my preferences at the drop of a hat!
March 7th, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
art, drawing, fun day, health, journaling, life, sketch, travel, watercolor |
2 comments
It’s a new year. I’m hopeful that this year will be even more creative than last. But until yesterday, I was frozen. It’s not a normal thing for me. But there was a lot going on in my life and I just wasn’t able to start working on anything. I’ve done some art journaling and text journaling, trying to get stuff out of my head. But until yesterday, I couldn’t seem to just jump in and start on all the projects I want to start. I’ve been reading blogs, and I’ve joined Creative Every Day. I know that I do something creative each day or I feel a great void.
And yesterday, after I did some journaling, I did decide that I as going to design a new bag. I started the sketches for it (which I usually never do!), worked out the steps in my head, and then I tried it in muslin. This is also something new for me. But I’m glad I did it. It made me realize that there were some design flaws. I went back to the drawing board, fixed the design and the pattern pieces, and then I promptly became exhausted! There’s nothing to show - not yet, but there will be soon. I was just glad to be on the road to creativity again!
And today, I journaled again. At first, I contemplated working with the pattern some more, but I didn’t feel it. What called my name this morning? My paints and the faces I had been painting last year. So, I took out a sketch I did a while ago, and I’ve spent the afternoon working on the painting. It still needs some work, but it’s definitely on the right track. In the past, all I’ve done is the face and then I’ve stopped. There was always a story behind the face, but I’ve never shown it. Today, I’m hopeful that I can get that across in this painting. I’m going to try several options before I commit them to the painting itself. I’m going to do some drawing in the sketchpad and to see if there is something that just has to fit there.
I hope to show you some art in process tomorrow. I would really like to complete some art before Monday’s treatment. But more than anything, I’m just glad to be creating again!
January 9th, 2008
Posted by
Fran |
Creative Every Day, acrylic, art, designing, drawing, goals, journaling, life, painting, sewing |
5 comments
Late yesterday I returned from a lovely trip with Angie. We went away for our first (of what we expect to be many!) girls’ weekend. Prescott is about 90 miles north of Phoenix. It’s a fairly easy drive and there’s some great views. Before we got on the road, I pulled a bag out of my back seat for Angie. I had finally finished her birthday present (just a few weeks late!). This is why you haven’t seen much from me artwise. I’ve been working on this and I did not want Angie to see it until I presented it to her! The image is hand painted on linen and then quilted onto a quilted bag. I did not use a pattern for this. I made it up as I went along. It was a lot of work, but it sure was fun.
And, best of all was Angie’s squeal of delight on her street as she opened it. The coloring of the portrait. along with the shape of the face and features, is inspired by Angie herself! Inside the bag were two smaller pouches - one for her camera and the other had some of Angie’s favorite Pigma Micron Pens in various colors and sizes. I also added a small watercolor sketchbox for Angie to use on our trip, included was a waterbrush.
Angie and I decided not to take too much with us when we went out to Prescott. We banned make-up (not that we wear it when we’re together most of the time anyway!), chose casual clothes and vowed not to dress up. We stopped at an antique shop along the side of Rte. 69 that Angie had seen many times before on her trips up there. As this was a weekend for us to do whatever we wanted, we stopped and walked around the store for at least an hour. It was a cluttered shop, filled with all sorts of treasures. We found hand-embroidered napkins, crocheted pieces, and other antique fabrics to share. Angie also found the pieces for a model bank in a rusty metal and some barbed wire. I found a rhinestone bolo that I will likely use at a bar mitzvah we’re attending at the end of the month (the theme is cowboy formal!).
From there, we suddenly realized we were both hungry. So, we were on the lookout for an interesting place to eat. We noticed a small Chinese restaurant and decided to take the risk. We were pleasantly surprised. The food was good, not greasy; the restaurant was warm and dry. And the break from the foggy and rainy driving weather was a welcome change for me. One thing that struck me, however, was that they had a fan above our table and on the decorative fan were some leaves with some fake insects. I had to take a photo (left).
After the meal, we got back in the car and drove straight to where we were staying. We were lucky with that. Angie’s husband remembered that a friend of theirs had a guest loft above their garage. He called and we were blessed with a lovely two-bedroom one-bath loft with a kitchenette. We had both brought snacks with us, figuring we’d be doing a lot of art and who wants to head outside each time you want coffee or something to munch on? The fireplace was controlled by the thermostat and the floor in the bathroom was heated! Very cool!
We chose our rooms, both of which were decorated in a relaxing homey cranberry red and white. We unpacked and I took some photos of my room because it was just so cute! To the left is the chair that sat in the little nook around the window. The upholstery matched the pillows and the rest of the bedding. It was a lovely Americana decor and there was also come Christmas decor that matched. We felt very at home there immediately and could not believe our luck.
Then we sat and started to paint almost immediately! To the right is my favorite page from the weekend, but you can see more in my Flicker Photoset. Because it was so rainy out, we decided that, instead of wandering around town shivering, we’d paint. We painted things in and around the loft. Angie and I have very different styles, as she is a very detailed watercolorist and I’m more impressionistic about it. This was Angie’s first time watercolor journaling, and her training in watercolor shows. Hers are splendid, so do take a moment to check out her blog where she has shown her artwork, as well.
One of the greatest things about the weekend is that Angie and I can sit in silence together without it feeling uncomfortable. We do often sit in my studio and talk forever, it seems! But we were not rushing for time, so we were able to relax and just be one with the art. We did, of course, talk a lot! We just do. We finish each other’s sentences, change the subjects to the same new subjects out of nowhere, and we laugh a lot! Unfortunately, Angie’s kids were sick and back at my house, Dave’s dad was just released from the hospital, so we left behind quite a bit of stress. We both needed the break, but we did have the cell phone to keep in touch when we were needed.
The three days passed far too quickly. The rain kept us in until Sunday when we went antiquing and gallery hopping to see what Prescott had to offer. We found some treasures and both felt as if we’d had enough at the same time - about two hours into the excursion. So we picked up some soup from a small lunch shop and went back to the loft to pack up and head out.
The ride home went far too quickly, but we were lucky enough to beat the weekend traffic. Angie was home at 4 pm and I arrived home by 4:30. It was a lovely weekend and one we will repeat in a few months, I’m sure!
December 3rd, 2007
Posted by
Fran |
art, fabric, friends, fun day, journaling, life, painting, shopping, travel, watercolor |
4 comments
