{a very special vlog wednesday}

I was stuck out of town extra long yesterday, so wasn't able to do the vlog. However, I tried to twitter that I'd be hosting on this morning so people in other time zones might be able to come on by. No, the system wasn't perfect, but I don't have an emergency tree! If there's someone who'd like to help -- I could email you and you can post on the Journal Girl wall maybe? I think I can post here via email...Anyway, you live and learn!


[ very special wednesday vlog ]


It's just me painting, because there wasn't anyone there when I started. So yah! I had tons of fun. Next week, I'll be working in my journal for the whole time, since I haven't done a layers vid in awhile.

Okay. I'm getting to bed early tonight; I didn't get to bed until 3am yesterday and kinda want to get a good night's sleep!

{ a bit more through my head, and a tour through the studio's projects! }

Happy Monday!

Things have gotten right back on track here in Kira Land. New projects are finally going from the planning state to actually becoming something tangible, and I'm going through my own new metamorphosis.

On Saturday, I gave you the link to a grouping of material from a few different places -- I couldn't rip them from their notebooks and journals, and so, I used the internet to collate them together and create something whole. Isn't it amazing what we can do with something as little as a few html pages?

If you missed it, here's where you start:

Wander through my thoughts as shown in visual and written form. See what kind of stuff goes through my head, gets written and remembered. I've really felt like a door's opened ever since I've started self-reflecting (though I hesitate to go through a lot because I'd sound new-agey or crazy).

When you've returned from that journey through my head, how about a little trip through the studio?

I grabbed this little frame a few weeks ago, and adapted my ink drawing to be the cover for it, then colored it in with Copic markers. I really need to pull them out more...they're tons of fun! Then some stamping and white pen work finished it off. I cropped a picture from this weekend's hiking trip at Glacial Park with Jun.

And here's the first piece of a banner that'll say DREAM. This has been on my mind for awhile, and there was totally a failed attempt before, magically, everything came together. I've really been changing the way I think. I'm also in love with dimension dots. The pom-pom trim is so awesome fun, and I've got it in a nice blue too (I'll be alternating colors for each banner). And clouds! Because don't dreams live in the light, fluffy places?

Of course, I had a few orders to send out, and I just ADORE wrapping everything up like a present before sending it on its way. I just got some baker's twine in a few different colors and want to use it with EVERYTHING! Eee. So much fun. And I got it for a really great price even though it came from Australia.

I have to screenprint some more cards, though, because I've gone through my stash already. I love stationary and creating my own. As soon as I finish with some projects and get labels printed, I'm going to design my own and print it on some creamy iridescent paper from Paper Source.

Finally, there's more progress on my newest painting. I gave myself a headache fine-tuning things on the sketch today that I had to just walk away. I'm really impressing myself with how my drawing abilities have improved in the last six years; before then, I could only do stick figures!

Any more ideas for tomorrow's live vlog? Let me know!

And I KNOW....I have so many back emails I need to get through. Rest assured, they're all organized and in a folder and I'll totally get to them by the end of the week. I've just found my creative juju flows better when I'm not on the computer all the time....I limit myself to a few hours if I have work, one if not, and I'm feeling less blocked. XD Not to mention more productive!

{metamorphosis}

This is the most freeing thing I've ever done artistically.

I was wandering around the internet this weekend and became inspired by larger pieces -- and realized I'd never really DONE a larger piece. My work has been small, as I'm most comfortable working in journals. I know where things go. I know placement. I know drawings. And while I've slowly gone bigger and bigger, there's been one canvas that's remained relatively untouched in my studio.

The really big one.

My younger brother bought it for me for my birthday three years ago. For my first year in the studio, whenever I had leftover paint from journaling, I'd spread it on this giant canvas so as to not waste anything. And then it went behind a table and wasn't seen again.

But I've always wanted to work on the wall. To spread paint and let it drip onto the floor. To create large, sweeping motions.

So I did. I hung this on the wall and have been working on it every day. I know what I'm saying with it -- I've been seriously dealing with faith and spirituality, in finding the strength to continue on this path despite all the setbacks or tiny bank account. To follow my heart instead of what society says I should do. I'm pouring all this out onto this giant canvas, and the drawing in the middle, of the girl, is seriously one of the best I've ever done.

I've been afraid of "ruining" it. But then I said hell with it -- I can always get another canvas! (except not this month, as I'm not buying ANY new supplies all April. maybe i'll put a piece of poster board on the wall when i'm finished and moving on to my next big painting!)

Working on this has been the most freeing, amazing, best artistic experience. I laugh and giggle and just GO. I just....there have been so many things happening in my life lately, more spiritually and in my soul, that I am overwhelmed and humbled and can't get things out fast enough!

on the wall - 1

on the wall - 2

on the wall - 3

on the wall - 4

on the wall - 4

on the wall - 5

{misheard lyrics}

Instead of misheard, maybe it's what we need to hear at the moment. The words to inspire or get things moving.

The base for this painting sat untouched for a week (which isn't a record; another base has been sitting untouched for a month, waiting for the right moment) until I misheard some lyrics. I jumped up from my desk, grabbed the ink, and wrote out what I heard, an idea already forming in my head.

What I love is how the girls look. While I've been using other drawings as a guide for awhile (that's how I learn, btw, by copying and internalizing and using guides), I decided to let it go and do my own thing. I have always worried about my people looking "right." What a load of crap! Look at the Simpsons, or Family Guy, or any other animated show. Do those people look "right?" Of course not! They are what the original animator decided looked right to THEM!

So I did my own thing. And wow...years of reading manga have really influenced me, huh! The middle girl even looks like a girl I work with. It was just such a cool process.

And okay, okay, I'm writing again. Things have been so up in the air with this medication change that I'm so behind! I'm aiming for 30,000 words at this point....and think I can do it! Going to explore what I discovered while doing this painting today before more journaling, then off to the junkyard for some parts....I can be girly when I want, but I also can do work on my own car!

Thank you for the push to keep at it. I really appreciate it, and probably would have quit if not for all you. Love you tons!

{an eclectic post - journal #10 video, new bag, around the studio}

Since we're pretty much finished with journal #10, here's the page-by-page video I made a few weeks ago. You may recognize the music; this is the short, original piece I played around with that was eventually folded into a longer song for the Papaya! video. Sandrine was shocked to find out that, yes, this is music of my own creation! YouTube took away a few of my videos because of music, so I decided I'd just make my own.

When I got home from work yesterday, my mom said, "Kira, there's a package for you!"

I immedietly ran and grabbed the box, then saw who it was from -- Papaya! Inside was a brand new tote and let me tell you, these bags are AMAZING! Not only are they beautiful and show the world inspiring messages, but are versitle! Inside are a bunch of pockets, and the whole thing's made from oilcloth so you can throw some towels in and go to the beach without worries (in fact, my mom wants to take it with her on her cruise next month).

what's in my bag, happy shiny papaya edition!

I LOVE the What's in your bag group on Flickr; for some reason, I can't get enough of what people carry around with them! If you click on the photo, you'll be taken to it's page on Flickr, where you can read the notes of what everything is.

Well, it's a dreary, rainy day. Plan to finish a painting, play in my journal, and then watch Star Trek, all the extras (3 hours!!), then it again with commentary. *giggles* Why, yes, I AM a nerd!

So here are some photos from around the studio -- they're posted to the Journal Girl Facebook page. I'm having fun with it, putting some cool content up there that doesn't really fit on the blog. This is my favorite shot:

Have a lovely day!

{spur of the moment}

who am i ink


Yesterday, I got really, REALLY pumped up to do art, and was bouncing around the studio with a paintbrush in my hand. I then spied a brown paper bag I'd gotten from a store when getting scrapbooking paper, and thought, "Hey, that'd be fun to paint on!"

The bag's something like 22" by 14" or something....MUCH bigger than anything I've painted on before....well, FINISHED (there is a background and inked canvas sitting next to me!). Because it absorbs ink and water so well, I had to dip my brush in the ink and just slather it on....really, it only would spread maybe three inches before it ran out! So I drew and played and warmed up my art muscles.

Making a mess is SO MUCH FUN! I even dumped the extra ink out on the side of the canvas, and spread leftover white paint on places. Make a mess! It was amazing.

I then went on to do two journal page backgounds, one of which I'll share with you tomorrow. Or I should wait, because I haven't finished the posts and pages from journal #10, and I kind of want to finish up that series because I'm going to publish a 'zine of the journal!

Yes! The entire journal! I really love it and want to make a 'zine. Even if no one buys it....I want to play and publish it because it's fun and something I can give to friends interested in making a visual journal. "Here's mine. Take a look." How cool would that be?

Try doing something in the moment today. Just grab a large piece of paper, a page in your journal, a grocery bag....go crazy on it! Do whatever comes to you...it's just a "throw away" ... weren't you going to get rid of it anyway? Why not play on it for a bit before you do? I'm seeing that warming up before journaling or painting really helps build creative energy.

Thanks for all your comments and emails. I'm feeling much better -- and different than I did before. I feel more secure in my faith in the Creative Divine, and am going for the stars.

Just think -- I was once a beginning journaler, a beginning painter. We all start somewhere. Keep with it and you can achieve anything you dream of.