Monday, July 2, 2018

Happy July

Hi everyone.  Happy July. This past weekend was a busy one for me. With the heat my husband and I went boating the last 3 days. I am wiped out right now, but it was fun. 
So today I have a lot to show you.
First of all it is July 2, so it is time for Second on the Second Time to repost a blog post from the past. Today I am going back to July of 2015 when I had a storyline going on for some Art Journal Journey posts. The story was that Wally (an artist) had left to do some painting internationally  and his love Lizzie, didn't go with him. I had a whole series of  posts in which they went back and forth with letters. The theme that month was either postage or letters. But here is the last page which I painted.
You can check out this entire post here: The Finale. Or if you are interested in following their story you can jump back to July 2015 on my side bar and starting with the Journey on the 9th, you can follow them along. There's a few non-story posts in between, but if anyone is interested I can repost all the pages.
Next I also have a page for Chris's new challenge over at Art Journal Journey. The challenge is Art for Art's Sake. This time the challenge is to show some art journal pages and even better if you tried some new or hardly used technique.
I'm heading back to my Japan Travel Journal once again. Today I have this abstract page I made (which I don't use often) with some transparencies (which I don't use often either).
It started with this piece of paper that a gift was wrapped in. On our trip we did a lot of gift exchanging, which I believe is a big custom in Japan. I saved a piece of the paper because I liked the red design on it. After that I added the red rectangular card it came with on the bottom left, and I added a couple of postage stamps to right of that tag. I finally I took 2 transparencies I had in my stash, which were printed with these abstract designs and added them to my page. I am happy with all the overlapping shapes and images here.
I am also linking up to Moo Mania and their favorite colors challenge. Warm colors make great art pages and the slight touch of the cool blues here make nice contrast.
And finally, how about a few photos for this weekend's boat extravaganza? I know seagulls aren't the most exciting of birds, but here in New Hampshire they do mean a day on or by the ocean. (Do you know they don't have seagulls in Japan-or at least where I was?)

 This guy looks like he is on patrol. Maybe is you don't go slow he will dive at you.  :)








Yesterday it was also very calm and we went out to the Isles of Shoals (6 miles offshore) which is a group of small rocky islands and anchored in the harbor there. We had the dogs with us as it was cooler there and they could also swim. (Which we all did.) Maddie especially loves watching the birds.
Not just seagulls.  Ducks also.
And this cormorant which was fishing for quite awhile near the boat. Not sure what that was he caught an was eating, but he was having a lot of success.
I'll have more to show you on T Day. Hope everyone has a great start to their week.

11 comments:

Valerie-Jael said...

Glad you had a great weekend. Lovely new art and the 2nd on the 2nd piece is great, too. The photos are wonderful, love the way your dog is watching the birds, and the last one with the duck. Have a great week, hugs, Valerie

froebelsternchen said...

Happy start of July and happy start of the week dear Erika!
I loved to see this again - I can remember this pages - absolutely wonderful! And your abstract design with the wrapping paper and all the lovely elements just makes me happy - great to see it linked to AJJ and MM&M at once! Thank you very much!
And the sea photos! Your wonderful photos make me loning for the sea! I nearly can smell the sea air now!
I am looking forward to seeing more tomorrow!
Happy Second on the 2nd my friend!
Hugs, Susi

kathyinozarks said...

Good morning-awesome post!
I enjoyed the story behind the second on the 2nd so I will be checking out that series
and I really loved your Japan journal page-really nice-love the colors too.
and how fun time in the boat-looks like everyone had fun, and a cool off in the water-enjoyed all the photos-thanks for sharing with us.
Happy second on the 2nd

Eileen The Artful Crafter said...

What a great story line you came up with for some 2015 AJJ pages. Love the finale.

The Japan piece is great! it looks very Japanese - no surprise. When you say printed transparencies, I'm guessing you use them as rub-ons. Very cool.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

What a fun and art filled post. Not sure where to begin, but I am going to start with your second look. I got this eerie feeling of deja vu when I saw this. It reminded me of the Nick Bantock series "The Griffin and Sabine Trilogy." How ironic that I was barely posting on AJJ back then and hadn't "met" you, so this was a genuine joy to read about Wally and Lizzie. You were already creating awesome art back then, and still are. I simply ADORE the second look you gave us on this 2nd day of the month.

Your journal page is great for Chris's theme. I love the overlapping images combined with the transparencies. Again, I am in awe that you saved all those bits and pieces you got in Japan. You have NO idea how many times I have saved a piece of wrapping paper so I could use it in my art. Such a great entry for Art Journal Journey.

It looks like you, your husband and the pups had fun on the water. Loved seeing Maddie with her curiosity. Thanks for the photos on the lake, too.

pearshapedcrafting said...

I shall bookmark your story as I really would like to see the whole story!
I absolutely adore your layered page, I may just have something on those lines coming up - but nothing as full of lovely memories! Those colours just sing of Japan! Thank you so much for linking this to Art For Arts sake at AJJ!
The photos of your coast trip look so peaceful! I am not so keen on being on the water but whenever we do (and when I see scenes such as this) I wonder why not! (probably something to do with not being much of a swimmer) Hugs, Chrisx

Halle said...

A day on the water sounds splendid. Loved the hot of your dag watching the seagulls. :)

Jeanie said...

I love both your art pieces. I think Japan has inspired some of your newer work in a very good way! And the second -- well, first for me! So I'm glad you shared. I like it very much.

Fabulous boat photos again. Loved the birds and especially the cormorant!

CJ Kennedy said...

That was a cool idea to do a write a story through a series of letters. I love the print on the giftwrap. Red is The Young One's favorite color. Looks like a fun day on the water with the dump ducks. i thought the seagull sitting on the slow buoy was an order to go slow and not wake him up. He looks like he's sleeping. :-D Glad the puppies were able to cool off with you. Stay cool

sheila 77 said...

"The Finale" looks really interesting and so romantic with the bunch of flowers. I'll do the same as Chris and read the full story later.
I do like your Japan inspired art, it looks different from our normal art (whatever that is!).
And great to join you on your boat trip. I rather like seagulls, they are beautiful birds, so clean looking. I like the red-edged house too, it's pretty.



craftytrog said...

Wonderful AJ pages and great photos from your weekend on the water Erika! Love your bird-watching Maddie!
Hugs,
Alison xx