Jewels of the East

The Traveling Journal

A couple of months ago I signed up to participate in a traveling jornal. I couldn't wait for it to arrive. The rules were for each person to keep the journal for 15days and to work in it for at least 1o of those days. So I received the journal on the 17th of this month and began putting my "touch" to the journal. I really liked being able to read all of the things that the other artist had put in, and to see their art work and know a little about their lives.

I wanted to show my best work first so I did a page about my grand children.

I wanted to inclue some of my art work in the TravelingJournal, so I selected a variety, some of my "Shrine Boxes", some of my collage work.

A new book I've made calle the "House Book", some of the pages from my "Altered Bird

Book" I hope the next person has some insite to me by looking at my art work, because

it is who I am.

These are the last pages that I did for the Traveling

Journal. This was my first time to partisepate in a traveling journal and I loved

doing it. It was so interesting to read about other people from around the world.

OBA State Band Contest

The PCN Band made finals at the OBA State Contest today, they did a really good job. It is quite an honor to make finals. The band practices a lot of hours and their hard work payed off for them today. Congratulations PCN Panther Pride Band.
This is David Humphreys 1 of the Drum Majors and Susan the Band Director sitting on the Drum Major Podium at a football game.

I did a lot of art work today. Got 10 ATCs in my series "I Wanna Be A Star" I'll try to get them posted tomorrow. Made some back ground papers today like the ones demonstrated in the new issue of Somerset Studio. It has strips of colored magazine pages glued on to card stock and alternating strips of masking tape between the magazine strips. Then you paint it with Golden Liquid Acrylics, then put glue stripes down between the stripes of color this is a technique by

Gail Russakov, mine probably won't turn out as awesome as hers but thought I would give it a try anyway. If it turns out half as good as hers I will post some pics.

Well it is 2:15 in the morning and I need to get some sleep so I guess I will go to bed now.

Friday night lights

This is the color guard that performs with the band. They are really good.

We have a football game tonight and everyone is excited. The football team has won 6 and only lost 2. That's great!

Tomorrow is OBA State Band Contest in Tulsa. Sure hope the band performs well. They really have a good show this year and have worked really hard, hence their Superior rating in Kansas last week-end at K-State. Good Luck tomorrow guys.

Well I have just about finished the Traveling Journal and am still working on my Altered Bird Book. I am also working on some pages for a Chunky Book to benefit Alshiemer Research. I have just gotten started on my "I Wanna Be A Star" series of 100 ATCs. I like working on several projects at once then I don't have any down time when the drying process of paint or glue is taking place because I can just create a ATC and then everything is dry and I can go back to the books.

Went to lunch with Jackie from Altered Pages yesterday, we had figured out that we didn't live far from each other and decided to meet face to face. It was great to talk with a fellow altered artist. I was beginning to think that there weren't any around here. (In Oklahoma City) The lunch was great and so was the conversation.

Well got to get back to work. OMG! I love being retired, I can work a little and then Blog a little or I can even take a nap if I so desire...................WOW! This is the life.

"Hump Day"

This Eric getting ready to go on the field. He is a drummer.
This is David he is one of the Drum Majors


Well it is the middle of the week hence "Hump Day". I didn't get time to post yesterday because I was with the band in Lawton, Okla. for the regional band contest. I guess the kids were really tired from their trip to Kansas this past week end, so they didn't march as well as they did in Kansas. But now they are gearing up for the state Band contest at Union High School in Tulsa on Saturday. They all seem to be pretty pumped about going and marching and playing well.

It turned out to be a beautiful day after the cold and wet days that we had Sunday and Monday.

I am really invigorated artistically today. Don't really know why, you know some days are just that way. Went to sleep on the bus on the way home from Lawton yesterday and dreamed about an altered book, so I woke up got a piece of paper and drew it, listed the colors and made some notes about it. That's kinda strange but I hear where it happens to other artist all the time, oh well, "get those ideas any where you can find them", that is my new motto.

I have been collecting pics for a new series of 100 ATCs that I am starting on when I get back home from teaching my drawing for computer games class this evening. Wow, when I write that down it looks like it might be a bigger bite than I can chew, we will see. I just thought that a series would be kinda fun since I have only done individual cards in the past.

Altered Bird Book/Traveling Journal

Been really busy with my altered bird book, I will post some pics tomorrow. The traveling Journal is coming along also. Having a lot of fun with my Glazes from Dick Blick (I'm telling you those people have every thing & great clearance prices).

Had a cook out at my daughters today, we had a good visit, and it is always great to kiss those grand kids, you know. The chicken breast were perfect. My old cat Pistol lives with them now since we have 3 Carin Terriers, He was glad to see me and let me pet him a lot.

Big storms in Oklahoma tonight, the band is on their way home from contest in Kansas and drove in to high winds, lots of rain and good size hail. Looks like winter is coming fast. The high is supposed to be in the 40's tomorrow. Well I would say that we are finally into FOOTBALL WEATHER! You know what football weather is don't you?Well that is when it is cold enough for everybody to "HUDDLE" up. lol Just a little Okie humor.

Halloween ATCs

These are the ATCs I made for Liz in North Somerset, England......hope she and you like them......they are a lot of fun to make.

Friday Night Lights

Last night was the weekly football game and it was a disaster. North lost bad. Its really too bad because it would have given them the District Title if they had won.

The band performed GREAT. Their show is complete now, all 5 movements are on the field as they say. The color guard still has some work to do on the 4th and 5th movement. The band has gone to Kansas for contest tomorrow. I hope they perform as well there as they did last night. It is Fall Break here in Oklahoma and the band always go to a contest at this time. I stayed home to take care of the pups, Marilyn had her stitches out today, she got speyed last week. Yeah!

My brother is coming tonight and so we will get to visit. There is never enough time to visit. We are all to busy it seems. He and his wife live in Texas. She is the best sister-in-law anyone could have. She would even make a great sister. He is coming to work on my mothers house that she has for sale. The hot water heater burst and flooded the down stairs, so all of the sheet rock and floors have to be replaced. What a mess, but he is bringing his son-in-law and they are making great progress.

Have a friend in the UK and I am encouraging her to explore her creative side by making some ATCs (Altered Trading Cards) so I made a few to send to her and I am going to post them here before I send them to her. Not sure the pics are too great because my camera is being weird.

Scarlett Johansson - Speed Painting by Nico Di Mattia

High school Marching Band performs Leonard Bernstein

Nico DiMattia

This is just one sample of the work by Nico DiMattia on YouTube. Nico is a young speed painting artist from Argentina. He is coming to Oklahoma March 08, to do a 1 day demo and workshop. He has never been to the US before and he and I are very excited about this opportunity for him and my students. If you would be interested in attending, the seating is very limited, please send your contact info in an email to leastart@hotmail.com Tickets will go on sale in Jan, so it will be first come first served. If you need hotel accommodations there will be a special rate for persons attending the workshop.

Some more of my art work.

This is a small collage that I call "MUSIC"

Carosel Horses in Pen & Ink

These carosel horse drawings are done in pin and ink. They measure about 10x12" including the border. I had them printed into note cards and sold them in packages of 6. I went through 2 printings of 1000 before I got tired of carring them around and sold the last package. My brother says, "Your problem is not production, your problem is distribution." I whole heartedly agree with him.

New Altered Book Using Paper Perfect

This is a close up of a page from an altered book about Birds. The light green texture over the words is Paper Perfect

This is a 2 page spread from an altered book about Birds. The light green area on the right hand page is a product from DecoArt called Paper Perfect.

House Book Front Cover and Back Cover

The part that looks like stone (with lots of texture) is Paper Perfect from DecoArt. I love the things that you can do with this product.

State 2nd Place Champs

My grand daughters Volley ball team won 2nd in state for their class. She was chosen to the All Tournament Team. That's great because she works very hard. She is #15 and she makes straight A's in her studies.

Now starts basketball, it is all way something when you are

13 and in Jr. High.

She is a terrific kid, of course I may be a little prejudice.

Artist Quote for today:

"You come to nature with all your theories, and she knocks them all flat."

Pierre Auguste Renoir

Backgrounds for Altered Bird Book

Some really cool tree roots, I can just see some little baby birds peeking out of the holes.

Got some great pictures on Wednesday for backgrounds in the Altered Bird book that I am working on. My new camera is amazing Cannon Power Shot A630, it takes great close up pics. I'm not much of a photographer but I might learn.

Been communicating with Nico DiMattia in Argentina, I think he is going to come to US in Feb. 08 and do a work shop. He is such a talented young artist, it is amazing how he can draw and color on the computer. Wow! His web site is www.speed-painting.com every body should check it out. I will be posting up dates to the plans of the workshop.

This is Jordan

This is Sabre

This is Lane

This is Daniel
These are most of the members of my Drawing for Computer Games at RSC. They are excited about getting

to meet Nico DiMattia(see below)

I am very excited because I have been in contact with Nico DiMattia, a young and very talented artist from Argentina, about coming to Oklahoma to do a "Speedpainting" workshop. It looks like it is going to happen in March '08. It takes several weeks to get an appointment to get a Visa.

If you would like to see some of his art work you can see it on You Tube and on his web site:

http://www.speed-painting.com/ check it out, it will blow you away. There are a lot of details to work out so I am keeping my fingers crossed that we can make this happen.

Artist Quote for Hump Day:
"It grieves me greatly that I cannot recapture my past....I can only offer you my future, which is short, for I am old."
Michelangelo