Greetings from LaLa Land!!!!

Papa and I in our chilly booth at Rivertown Art Festival

Howdy pals!!!  Good grief!  It's the middle of October??? What???  I don't know what to do with that information yet.  This year has WHIZZED by us!!!!  What's new with you?  Are you enjoying fall?  We just got done with a rainy spell here in Iowa....and now it's turning chilly.  We spent the weekend doing a little yard clean up...but there's still SO MUCH TO DO.  ARGH. 

We were in the lovely town of Stillwater, MN last weekend for the Rivertown Art Festival.  Can you see in that pic that Papa is wearing FOUR LAYERS?  Yes, indeed.  It didn't get above 50 degrees, and we rarely saw the sun.  But, BIG THANKS to the brave, strong souls who did make it out for the show.  We appreciate it! 

Today is all about computer work.  I'm trying to organize myself (a constant battle) on the laptop.  I'm sorting through images, deciding what will become something....what to save, what to pitch....and creating new virtual folders so I can find things a little more easily.  Last year I started really documenting all of the art that I make....and I'm proud to say, I've made a lot!!!  Now there is a lot to sift through.  A good task for a chilly day.

Bosco peeking from under the skirted studio table

Bosco is still my constant companion in the studio...supervising, begging for treats, making me laugh on the daily.  That boy!!!!!

I hope this finds you happy and well, and drinking warm tea, if it's needed. 
Hugs, Dori

Tuesday Art Journal Peek, July 31st, 2018

Good morning pals!!!!  Oh lor'!  (I heard someone on the British Baking Show say that instead of Oh Lord, and now I keep saying that.)  It's the end of July!!!  How did that happen?  Eeeek.  Are you having a lovely summer?  We seem to be hopping from thing to thing in a whirlwind of activity this year!  To be honest, we might've packed a bit too much in.....I blame my broken ankle of 2017.  It kept me pretty close to home for most of the early part of last summer.  Now, I guess we are making up for lost time.  DOING ALL THE THINGS!!!  And because we are doing all the things, my poor art journal has been neglected as of late.  But the other day, I popped it open and did some scribbling.  It felt good.  Here are the results.  This is an old altered book.  Approximately 8x10 in size.  Lots of acrylics, pencil, pastel, and collage ephemera.  In the journal, I rarely go in with a plan.  I just move my hands.  

Here are some closeups.....enjoy......

Tuesday Art Journal Peek - May 1st

Hello friends!!  Happy May Day!!!  What??!!!  It's May?  This is my favorite time of year.  Things are starting to green up, the trees are budding.....and we are taking extra long walks with the pup.  There is, however, yard work.  BAH.  But I'll take it.  Looking forward to planting some bulbs, and doing some more sprucing in the back yard!  What are you up to these days?  

Here's my latest journal peek....a day late.....sorry about that.  I've always loved this quote....and that one came to mind as I was finishing up this spread.  A few things of note:  those dots....actual confetti....I can't remember where it came from....a party at some point, I think.  That little bit of fabric on the right.....I had fun doing random stitching on the sewing machine, and then slapping it in the book as a collage element.  And the yellow.  I love me some yellow.

I hope you are having a lovely week so far!  Thanks for popping in!  -Dori

Thanks for stopping by "Pluck"!!!

Hey there!!!!  BIG, BIG THANK YOU to everyone who came out and supported my show, "Pluck!"  What a fun day!!!!!  Saw lots of friends, sold lots of pieces, and received lots of hugs!  And the best part, a portion of the proceeds went back to the "Arts for Africa" fund, to support a school that has been built in Tanzania.  What an amazing day!!!  Thank you, friends!!!!

Monday Art Journal Peek April 16th

Hello!  Happy Monday!!  WHERE IS SPRING????  Have you seen it????  We are still waiting for some warm weather to stick around.  Thursday, we had a little taste of it....warm and sunny....I got some yard work done.  But it's back to cold and snowy again.  UGH.  We're over it.  But, that keeps me working in the journal...which isn't all bad, I guess.  

I'm still playing around with blocking a lot out with the black paint.  That's fun...and feels a little gutsy, I think.  

And scratching through paint.  That's fun too!  Hope you all have a wonderful week, and let's THINK SPRING!!!

Join me for PLUCK!

Hi pals!  The hubby and I are taking a little time off for some fun....so I'll share a journal peek with you later this week.  Just popping in to say HELLO!!!!  And to remind you about "Pluck".  A collection of flower paintings and drawings that I'm creating, and will reveal at the Arts For Africa show on April 21st.  I hope you can join me!  Free hugs!  Have a great Monday!!!  XOXO  -Dori

Monday Art Journal Peek - April 2nd

Good morning friends!  Happy Monday, and happy April!  Did you have an enjoyable holiday weekend?  I can't believe how quickly the time is passing!  CRAZY.  We had a lovely weekend...my hubby finished up his last theater production for a while.....so we might be getting back into some sort of "normal" schedule, whatever "normal" is.  More restful, I guess, and hitting the sack at the same time.  Ha! 

It still feels pretty wintery here.  We are still walking the pup with winter coats, hats and gloves.  I'm ready for warmer temps, but I'm told it will be at least another week or so.  BAH.

Onward to today's journal peek!  Just between you and me, I'm kind of surprised with how this one turned out.  It's not anything close to how I imagined it would be....but that's the point of art journaling, and the fun of it.  Dive in for the adventure, and see where it takes you.  I ended up loving it somewhat in the end...especially the funny figure on the left.

He was a face I had doodled on a scratch piece of paper a while back, and tossed into my collage paper pile.  I ended up with some sort of "body shape", which ended up the perfect place for his sweet face.  I drew him with water soluble graphite.  

There are touches of acrylic paint, water soluble crayons and paint pens.  

On the right, I scribbled and doodled and had fun blocking things out with black paint.  That's becoming my "go to" maneuver when things become to precious or "sweet".  Throw in some black to rough it up.  I've done that with a few canvases lately too.  :)  Hope you are all having a wonderful week, and find time to move your hands in the art supplies.  Adios amigos!  XOXO.

Monday Art Journal Peek - March 26th

Happy Monday friends!!!  Here in Iowa, we got one more wintery blast over the weekend.....several inches of snow.  The heavy, sticky kind that is great for making snowmen!  The neighbor boys down the street took this last opportunity to build a tunnel of epic proportions.  I stopped and had a lovely conversation with them, where they clarified each of their individual contributions to the project.  My sweet chocolate lab, Bosco, was a happy boy too...he loves the snow.  It makes him frisky.  And there were lots of new piles for him to mark.  Ha! 

There's a little bit of sleet hitting the windowpanes as I type this today.  My errands are run, and there's no place to be but in the studio, with the space heater warming my toes!  I'm intrigued with working on wood panels right now, so will continue that this afternoon, I believe.

Onward, to this week's journal peek!

This spread was actually made back in mid February.  My brain was kind of all over the place, so I just went with it.  Ha!  Sometimes, my "journaling" is nothing more than scribbling down some lines, and laying down blocks of color.  Sometimes within the lines, sometimes not.  I just allow my mind to wander from one movement to the next.  This color palette is kind of fun for me.....so I may reference this for a painting later on down the road.

The girl makes me laugh.  I scribbled her in with pencil, then colored her with water soluble crayons.

I'm obsessed with these weird rose/peony/whatever flowers.....I don't really know, nor care exactly what they are.....I'm drawing them on everything lately.

Here's a closeup of a small section.....those stars and the "peachy" scribble make me happy too.  I hope you are finding joy in all the little scribbles and marks in your day!  Until we meet again!  

Cheers!  -Dori

Monday Art Journal Peek - March 19th

Good morning friends, and Happy Monday!!!  Errrr.....March is flying by....have you noticed that?  We celebrated the hubby's St. Patty's Day birthday on Saturday by going out to breakfast and relaxing at home with a movie before he had to run out and perform in TWO....count 'em....TWO plays!  He is in Diary of Anne Frank and Bent.  I had the pleasure of seeing them both this week at Theater Cedar Rapids, and they were gorgeous!  Well done!!!  

I'm popping in today, as promised, with another peek into my art journals.  This spread was created in an old altered book about Whirligigs.  Ha!  

I'm really loving gray alongside the brighter colors.  The collage paper in this piece is a leftover scrap of kraft paper that I cover my work table with.  Every few days, the paper gets messy enough that I need to change it out....so I save the most colorful bits for collage.

As you can see from this pic, I also really love scratching into wet paint.  When it dries, it leaves behind the coolest texture.  The scribbles are from a heavy graphite pencil, and water soluble crayons.

I keep a little notebook handy of quotes that I love....so this is the one that made the cut.  Easier said than done sometimes....being bold everywhere....but it's something to aspire to, nonetheless.

Have a wonderful day!  -Dori

Monday Art Journal Peek! March 12th.

Howdy pals!!!  I'm going to TRY to be consistent with a new weekly feature here on the blog, and call it something catchy, like "Monday Art Journal Peek."  HA!  Every Monday, I'm going to give you an in depth look at a fairly recent journal page.  The good, the bad and the ugly.  Hopefully it will inspire you to crack the spines on those neglected journals and altered books again, and move your hands.  

I absolutely LOVE working in a book.  There's just something about it.  I guess it's the "non-preciousness" of it all.  It's 100 times less intimidating than a (sometimes) expensive blank canvas.....and there's something about knowing that what you're making is just for you.  No need to share it with anyone else, if you don't want to.  That idea is so freeing to me.

This spread was done in an altered book....an old book as opposed to a blank journal is even MORE freeing, because the page isn't blank.  Someone has already made the first mark for you!  Ha!  

That patch in the lower left corner is fabric that I stitched on the sewing machine earlier, and I just felt called to use it up....so I gessoed it, added some marks, and the quote.  I glued it down with some heavy matte gel medium.  

These pages are a mix of acrylic paints, and collage papers, glued down.  The stars were already cut out, found in a goodie bag at a thrift store.  The angel sticker.....she literally just fell on the floor while I was rooting around for things, so I slapped her in there.

Pencil marks.....I adore them.....and crayons.  Scribbling is one of my favorite things to do, to get the cobwebs outta my brain.

And my favorite part of this spread is the stitching!!!  I punched holes along the curve of the page with a circle punch, and then randomly stitched over the openings.  This was really meditative for me....and I just love the "webs" that I created.  They seriously excite me, and I feel like I want to stitch up my entire book now!!!!  Happy Monday, friends.  Make it a good one.

Prayer Flag Workshop at Prairiewoods

Come play with me at Prairiewoods!!!

PRAYER FLAGS FOR HEALING WORKSHOP

MARCH 10th 9am-4pm

Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center

120 E. Boyson Road, Hiawatha, Iowa 52233

Do you have some "good vibes" or loving intentions that you would like to send out into the universe?  Let's  turn to our inner creative spirit and do that together!  The power of positivity and hope through challenging times cannot be underestimated.  As a group, led by local mixed media artist, Dori Patrick, we will create prayer flags for healing.  Your completed flags could be a beautiful addition to your home, or a gift for a friend.  This will be a fun day of moving our hands with paint, printing, embellishing and sewing.  We will work with paints and inks in the morning.  A delicious lunch will be provided by Prairiewoods staff for our mid-day break, and in the afternoon we will move on to assembling and embellishing our flags.  This class is for adults only.

PLEASE NOTE:  A sewing machine, and general knowledge of how to use your machine will be required for this retreat. We will have plenty of power cords for you to plug into your station.  Most of the supplies will be provided for you, but there will be a small list of suggested items that you might like to bring along to personalize your flags. (not required, but fun!)  Dori will provide a printed hand out and small goody bag for you to take home, detailing the steps and supplies we used during the day, so you can make more.  Cost for this all inclusive day long retreat is $100, and you will need to pre-register by contacting Prairiewoods at 319-395-6700, or register online by clicking HERE.

Ever Have One of Those Days?

In the art journal....I just love these words.....

Fear Tricks Us - A peek into the art journal......

Available in my ETSY as a print.  XOXO.

Sacred Heartaches

Happy Hump Day, friends!!!  Just a quick check in with what's happening in the studio these days.  I finally feel like I'm getting my mojo back.  I think.  I've been having some nice, productive days in the studio....playing with some new ideas....and just making whatever I feel like.  Yay!  I'm currently obsessed with sacred hearts in my journal...and have moved that idea to some canvases.  Here are some in progress from the other day.....

Sacred hearts in the sunshiney spot in my studio

I really love the symbolism of a heart with flames leaping from it!!!  If you google "meaning of sacred heart", you can find many interesting stories of what this symbol means in different cultures and religions.  Personally, it reminds me of strength and passion.  I'm excited to make more.  Larger ones, and possibly some sculptures?  Hmmm....

Sweet Princess Elsie Fuzzybutt Cutie Pie

In other news, this is an emotional week here at the Patrick house.  Our sweet girl Elsie has been in decline for a little while now.  She fought (valiantly, I might add) cancer last year.  She had a positive response to the treatment, and was able to enjoy several extra months of life.  I mean, GOOD LIFE.  She has always been our active one...running, fetching, leaping in the air to catch her ball.  She had extra time to do all of that.  It was amazing.....and I can tell she was grateful.  The cancer is returning, and is slowing her down again.  She's very tired and achy.....and I'm thinking a lot about our goodbyes.  I know they are coming soon.  For now, we are keeping her comfortable and loving on her every chance we get.  When she's too tired to get up to greet us, she thumps her tail on the floor to let us know she cares.  It's not fair that such pure, loving souls can't stay longer than they do....but there it is.  Hoping you all are staying warm and cozy and creative through the rest of January!  We're almost there!  February is around the bend now.

Wake Up. Kick Ass. Repeat. My new year mantra!

Good morning friends, and happy Friday!!!  And happy new year!!!  2017 was kind of a challenging year for our family....we had several small health battles, for both the humans and the furry ones!  We are happy for the new year, and a fresh start.  I decided my mantra this year would be based off of a piece of my art:  "Wake Up. Kick Ass. Repeat."  To me, this means trying to tackle each day, doing the best I can, and hopefully making things better in my wake.  That's the idea anyway.  (smile)  Always trying to work on that "make it better" part.  Ha!  

Well, I've put together a little "multi pack of items with this inspirational saying on them....

This fun bundle of goodies includes.....

one 6x6 print

one 8x8 print

2 square greeting cards with envelopes

and two 2" stickers

Click HERE to go to the Etsy shop to purchase.  Free shipping on this item only, in the U.S.

Cheers!!!

-Dori