Journal Page Self Doubt

First, there was a pencil sketch,

then came the inking......

I could not begin to use color till

I figured out just exactly what was

this page about---what was behind

those eye close-ups of yours truly.

Knowing me, pretty well.......

I wrote phrase after phrase and

then turned the paper over to write

more. When I wrote what I used, I

knew instantly, that THAT was

the reason for this spread....

a reminder to stay out

of that trap of the past. I

also bothered to make 4 different quick

small color selection trials--which

I thought at the time, was adding too

much "thought" into a simple

spread...this might kill my enthusiasm......

and nothing looked good to me

until the thought of using very soft

colors crystallized and that was right...for me.

Baby Promise

I love these so softly worn baby shoes--

I don't recall where I got them.

They have been worn by several children by

the wear on the soles and long ago lost

their laces. To me, they seem to hold promise

as all babies do when we hold them and feel their

breath on our cheek and pray for their safety.

So much love passes and stays forever.

For Rent Pumpkin Protector

Feel at ease having a pumpkin on your

porch, with Buddy guarding the place.

Hire him daily, nightly or by the hour.

LILLY LIVERED LEAF LOVER

Here he is, right on my front porch, pleased

as punch with himself, for munching

all the best leaves. He looks a little

tipsy to me!

All Around You

Oh no, not another guess thing---she wants

us to guess this obviously edited photo's subject

and says they are all around us now.

Guess where I went

This looks like a wagon for each of my

children---why they could

have a race down Hydeville hill

over Route 19 and

half way home...I recall the little

dickens and their pranks----it was

quite the time raising 5 of them...!

High Tide High Sign

Below is Day 5 of the Eastport Art Journal using

the 2nd photo taken where he

is giving me the thumbs up sign.

1st photo below

Below you are looking down into

the Sylvina W Beal Schooner at low

tide by the side of the pier. I was surprised

to drive into the pier at some other time

and see the same boat at what must be high

tide---with a fellow sitting there... I hollered to

him to smile for me for a second shot and he did.

In the first shot you see with the fellow,

the boat is up even with

the pier---I imagine some stranger, not knowing

what he should know.....making fast his boat at

low tide with a taught rope might find

it upsidedown at high tide.

Maine Spread Colored

I thought somebody out there might like

to see how the Maine page turned out

after watercolor pencil colors added and few

more details. Scroll down to see the original

ink spread.

Not Speaking ?

I always stop at Orphan Annie's

in Auburn Maine and this time I

was two days early for the great

antique Halloween display they

have each year. This dolly seemed

less scary then some of them that

stare at you with vacant eyes. I think

she and Ted had a spat and he has

been sent to the porch with no tea.

I loved imagining scenarios when

playing 'dolls'--either this kind or

the paper ones--it was such a thrill to

have my Mother bring me some new ones

when she went shopping overstreet. That

would mean going over

the bridge from Auburn

to Lewiston on the bus

where there were more stores.

OUCH !!

Remember this plant holder I was so

pleased to find for the mint? Well, as you

can see, a gust of wind pushed him off

the bench----I put him in the

barrel for the dump

and then found him standing

back on the bench grinning at me

so I decided to keep him

as he makes me smile.

(I am assuming Kimberly put him there.)

Dog Talk

A street corner in my old home

town of Auburn Maine and a dog from

California merge for a comment on

Dog Talk. I know some of you have

great dog pets that will just love this page.

Oh what a tangled tongue we get..

I bought this bunch of money plant

in Eastport for $2.50

which was a great price and others

wanted some but that was the only

bunch---so I was extremely

content. Now, this morning I decided to

use it in a photo for the Blog

and the rabbit was the only

prop that appealed to me

---then what the heck will the

name be was the next step

----then the name jumped in

my head and I noticed it got

tangled on the tongue after so many

repeats and added the challenge for you

"The Great Escape"

A journal page with a 5 by 7 Eastport gulls,

window and Sumac piece done for a

Paint Eastport auction at the end of the day--I signed up and

did this page on the wrong day

---HAD to be done on Saturday

---rules to be followed etc---so I got

up really early on Sat. to do

another one featuring

an Eastport Pirate as it was the

Pirate Festival weekend. I could

imagine the talk about how

I didn't follow the rules might

require the town to run me out of

town tarred and feathered. Probably

would have been on the TV! The "Argh"

one sold and that was a good thing

to come of it all---some of the money

went to the Arts Center and I liked

the idea of "hanging around" Eastport.

Don't forget, that left

clicking on the

photo brings it up bigger

so you can read it better.

What It Means....

A Journal page spread--in it's beginnings as

I will most likely add color in some manner..

what does it mean to be where you're from? That

would be very interesting to read !

The above Pitt Pen sketch says, gulls flying and

crying, rural scenes with their fresh

pine trees, distinctive

shapes and pungent pillow fillings,

in Northern Maine the far off

mountain view, anchient stone

wall "hardscapes" and beach

walks all alone with your thoughts.

PASSAMAQUODDY BAY VIEW

I include this on the Blog because it shows so

many things in just one Eastport Bay view--

there's the Coast Guard Station

with tons of gulls in it's roof everyday

and if you look close you can see the

roof has evidence of this....then

there's Campobello Island in Canada

across the Bay, The Sylvina W Beal

red sailed boat taking tourists for

a Whale Watch cruise and in the

foreground the Quoddy Tides newspaper

building with its unusual

peaked roof entranceway.

Eastport Journal

September 11 2008

**********

I did a spread in my small journal each

day--they are about 5 by 7 when you

combine them. I sold one page at an

Artist's auction they had to raise money for

the Arts Center....for $50. at least

---I left before the final silent bids.

this is across the street house and walkway

by where my car was parked. It is done with

pencil, ink pen and watercolor pencils.