Keeping an Art Journal, Part 2

I set off at the beginning of last week with the intention to create a page a day in my art journal.

"ART RUCKUS Armadillo," 5/17/08.

What a gift it's been to carve out these small windows of time when I can fully follow what moves me—whether it's a certain fabric, an image, a feeling.

"Room with a View." 5/18/08.

In the simple act of pairing these scraps together, I'm drawn back into the present moment. For a short time I get to put aside my ideas of who I think I am, or who I've been in the past, and just follow what I know right now, as it manifests in form and color.

"Untitled." 5/17/08.

Thanks for following along with me this week. I hope you've enjoyed watching the pages pop up. Sharing them with you has helped me keep my commitment to connect with myself through art each day. So I'm grateful for the part you've played in the process!

"The Whipskeet," 5/16/08.

Keeping an Art Journal

I like to use my art journal as a place to experiment with new ideas and materials and process what's going on in my life.

Above: "Ticket to Ride" (left), "Leaving to Meet New Life" (right). 5/8/08.

Having a fairly small, portable book that I can carry around and pop into on a whim helps make art more accessible and less of a "big production."

Most importantly, these pages help me to reconnect with myself by tapping into whatever is most real or true for me in the moment.

Above: "It's still spring without you," 5/12/08

To me, the art journal is one of the best places for spontaneous new work to arise, because I'm not so worried about what it will look like. The focus is more about the process of discovery, not about creating something pleasing to the eye.

Above: "Abstraction II," 5/13/08

Lately, life has been particularly full, and I've found myself feeling overwhelmed just setting foot in my studio. In times like these, the art journal is a way for me to invite art into my day without too much fuss. I can crack it open on my lunch break and slap a layer of paint on some pages. I can come back to it in the evening and collage in a few odds and ends from my day—a pay stub, some duct tape, a doodle.

Above: "Baby's Gotta Haunt On," 5/14/08

Opening my art journal, even if it's just for a few minutes, can be like opening the door into another world. Just spending a short time inside is often enough to flush my spirit with life again and bring the spark back into my eyes.

So, as a way to commit myself to some creative time this week, I've given myself the challenge of just doing a page a day in my art journal. I like to think of it as an invitation each day to drop into myself and see what's moving under the surface... So let's see what happens. I'll be posting the rest of the week's pages here, as they come.

Above: "Elegy for Robert Rauschenberg," 5/14/08

In the mean time, if you have any tricks, tips or ongoing projects that help you connect in with yourself daily through art, please post a comment or shoot me an email. Perhaps I'll try your idea next!

VAGADU: Fusing Fine Art, Fashion and Fun

This past weekend I went up to San Francisco for my friend Joui's art-fashion extravaganza, "Deployment in Wonderland."

Models all dressed up and waiting backstage

Joui's clothing line, VAGADU, mixes fine art and fashion, using recycled materials. The event was a true fusion of the arts, with dancers modeling the clothing (a dynamic departure from the traditional catwalk!) culinary art offerings by ChEfrain and the vibrant paintings of miss Kara Maria, the artist who inspired Joui's latest designs.

Dress rehearsal, with one of Kara Maria's paintings in the background

I am blown away by the dedication and vision that Joui brings to her work. It takes a lot of faith to put art out into the world, and even more to co-create with such a large team of people and trust that everything will fall into place.

Some of the models being sassy backstage

It was fun to be with Joui at the "finish line" and see her light up as the magic and flow took over after so many months of hard work.

Watching Joui through this process has taught me more about what it takes to bring our visions into the world. Trust. Hard work. Then a lot of laughing and letting go…

Joui and Andrew enjoying the blissful afterglow of the show