Stuff. I need more stuff.

AC Moore just sent out a 40% off coupon. So did Michael’s, and Hobby Lobby, and Blick sent me a 20% off and Utrect sent me a free shipping on orders over $25, and Cheap Joe’s sent me a 10% off all orders over $50, and Jerry’s Art-a-rama is having a sale on…..

Sometimes the sheer amount of art and craft materials available is overwhelming.

When I used to walk into an art or craft store about 20 years ago I made a beeline for “my aisle” of art goods, you know the sketchbooks, paint, drawing tools and that stuff. Now that stuff is in the far corner of the store like eggs and milk and I’m forced to walk past the giant sale displays of stuff.

Aisles and Aisles and Aisles of shiny toys.

Rubberstamps.
Tapes.
Eyelets.
Inks.
Sprays.
Stencils.
A hundred different types of glue.
Pre-mixed glazes.
Additives for watercolors, acrylics and oils.

It’s so easy to pick up a rubber stamp that fit my needs. So much easier than carving a wine cork or an eraser. Or what about some of that premade ephemera? It’s ACID FREE and ARCHIVAL! Why cut my own stencil when I can buy one? Look at all the rolls of shiny tape! I could make my own with plain white or colored but it’s so much easier to just buy a roll.

This is how we end up with totes and drawers full of stuff we don’t really use, stuff we bought on a whim like those really cool looking sandals that ended up being fabulous to look at but were hell on the toes.

Art journalers tend to be collectors of stuff, as is we’re documenting our lives in tiny little notebooks* and collecting our thoughts, why not collect the stuff to make it easier?

But where does it end? Soon enough you aren’t documenting YOU but your stuff. How much of you is in that journal that is layered with Time Holtz masks, Tim Holtz papers, and Tim Holtz tapes that don’t stick, and inkadinkadoos rubberstamps, that you made by following someone’s instructions in Art Journaling Magazine. I know what the next thing you are going to think/say/write and it’s, “But, Less, I didn’t go to school for art. I can’t draw. I can’t paint. I can’t make my own tape. I can’t…..” My response is, “Have you tried? Have you sat down with the materials and tried?”

Because THAT, the trying things out is what an art journal is at least partially about. Sitting down with your pencil, paint, and stamps and figuring out you. It’s meditative practice. It’s getting in there, getting your hands messy and figuring YOU out. It’s getting the mess out of your head and into the journal.

You know what it’s absolutely NOT about? Making a pretty designed page. If you want to make a pretty designed page start a scrapbook.**

Yeah I said it. Scrapbooking is about design and making pretty things. Art journaling is about exploring your inner and outer world, it’s not always going to be pretty, hell, some days it’s going to be downright ugly, while on other days it will be beautiful.

My point is, I, and you, don’t need all that stuff to make our art journals. Put down the Tim Holtz tissue tape-ology*** gun (remember it doesn’t stick anyway) and pick up the flier from your favorite coffee shop and some elmer’s glue, your journal and an ink pen and tell me all about it.

If you are new here, this is your first visit, please realize this is a (so far) 4 post rant on stuff. Feel free to head here to read the rest of my tirade. Also, please don't assume that I hate pretty pages or would sneer at your art. This rant is about empowerment not judgement.

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I'm starting a series of posts for the next few Saturdays called "Art Journal Essentials." Each post will have a series of themed items I think are necessary for art journaling. I'm starting this tomorrow (saturday) and will run it until I'm done.

I'm having one of those mornings where I think I shoudl have a whole lot more to say about stuff but I don't. Yesterday was hot and humid and I spent the day at the Peabody Essex Museum with Christie looking at art and crafts from around the world. We ate good food at one of our favorite places. I bought boots with arch support so that when I go walking my feet won't feel like someone smashed them with a hammer also so that if I go into some lesser explored places and step on glass it won't slice through the sole of my shoes.

I planted a white currant bush my father gave me. It looks good. My yard is a field of dandelions. To make my neighbors happy I'm going to spray but I'mnot happy about it. I wisht he grubs would eat dandelions instead of the grass but they only seem to like the grass that grows in the yard. Go figure. Everyone else around here chemlawns and thus our yard is a haven for bugs. If everyone quit chemlawning it would help. Or at least cut back on how often they chemlawn…

Have I mentioned I'm not quite ready to go back to work after my four day weekend? Yeah.

Someone just posted the video below to their FB profile. I watched it as I’ve been watching all the developments of the new moleskine items. A line of pens and pencils was, to me, a natural development and compliment to their line of notebooks. It made sense to me that they would offer something for you to use to write in your notebook. At first I thought that a series of bags didn’t make sense, but let’s face it, how many of us carry our tiny little notebooks in our back pants pocket?

I went so far as to design and make my own bag out of recycled tyvek mailers. (Which is still going strong after almost 6 months of continuous use!) So perhaps making notebooks leads to making bags? I’ve had this feeling while I’ve been watching the launch of the new moleskine products that they’ve “jumped the shark.” I really like the moleskine and the ideas of the moleskine- stiff black cover, elastic closure, sturdy stitching etc… But to me I really wish they’d focus on some quality control of their paper. Sometimes I get a notebook that handles my fountain pens wonderfully and other times I get one that cannot handle the ink without feathering and bleeding all over the place. Occasionally the spine falls apart or something happens that is not satisfactory. Get product #1 right before moving onto product #2.

I should probably try out the moleskine watercolor notebook and see if I like it.

Anyway, here is the moleskine video:

Yesterday was my partner's graduation from Suffolk Law. This was one of the better graduations I've been to, as the speakers were pretty darn good, they shoudl be considering that one is an anchor for CourtTV. I sat among people I didn't know and sketched people from the crowd.

Three years is a long time. I'm glad it's almost over.

I drew these this past week, so instead of "Sunday Pictures" I should have called this "weekly Round up" but I thought that was kinda lame. I like Sunday pictures instead.

I'm sitting through a graduation. I'm very happy that my lovely partner is graduating but I'm really wishing I didn't have to sit through graduation. (yawn) Perhaps that's why I've drawn the screaming faces?

No technique tuesday this week. I, ah, er, forgot to write it.

How embarassing.

Today I had my almost-bi-weekly sketching jaunt with my friend Jane. Today we decided to head to one of our favorite places for a little brunch before we headed out to sketch. It turned out to be a little cold for a lot of outdoor sketching so we settled in at a new café with coffee and our sketchbooks for some chit chat and doodling.

I adore these days with Jane and spending time devoted to just art. We talk about process and discuss the things we’re trying in our studio. We’ve made a plan to take a class about gelatin printmaking. Jane has convinced me to join one of the area arts groups and in person classes may be a byproduct.

Awesome.

After Jane and I parted ways I made a little side trip. In solidarity with my buddy Connie of DirtyFootprintsStudio I did a little urban recon and took a few pictures. Mhmm, say what you will, but there is something to be said about going where other people don’t and where you’re told you shouldn’t.

Sometimes art pushes boundaries. To me that is what photography is all about. I have a friend who breaks into warehouses and takes pictures of the decay. His work blows my mind.

The thing is when you go places where regular 9 to 5 people don’t go, you see stuff they don’t see. Abandoned buildings house vagrants, addicts and parties held by teens checking out from reality for awhile. The signs are clear as to what is going on, party leftovers, a user’s “works,” burnt spoons, candles burnt to nothingness, near fires, cigarette burns on furniture, ash burns on floors, empty liquor bottles, vials, baggies and little balloons. None of is pretty. It’s sadness in a physical form. There is beauty in the dirt and decay but there is nothing beautiful in the downward spiral.

We can stick our heads in the sand about what we want to see or not, but some of us open our eyes and mind to the beauty in the decay while being wonderfully and horribly aware of the inherent sadness involved in what we’re seeing. Sometimes the sadness can bring tears to our eyes, but we’ve got to be aware of the truth.