Behind the Art with Jen

Hi, Artsy friends!!  This page is all about inner gifts and the lack there of.  I never had the gift of athleticism.  I didn't enjoy sports or even working out as a teen or young adult.  Until I started running, I really didn't like sweating and pushing myself into that uncomfortable zone.   That's where this page came from... that belief in one's self that you can overcome previous negative attitudes.  You can change and grow and pull things out of yourself that  you never dreamed possible.

 I didn't think I could run weekly let along daily.  I know I can now that I have done it!  I dream big... having signed up for a 1/2 marathon in this coming spring, I believe I can do it mile by mile.  All it takes is hard work, dedication, motivation, and support.  I have all of that.  I will succeed because inside me I know I can!  Am I scared to death? YES!  I want to do well..  I want it to be easy.  It won't be, but I will succeed!

 My friends, family, and coaches believe I can do it... that helps me to believe I can too.  It is a journey and running with friends is way easier and more fun!  When I signed up for this 1/2 marathon, I did it because my running friends said I could do it and they would be there running along with me!  I am nervous and scared but training for this makes it more fun and less scary!

 For this page, I used the stick titles and cut off an "S" from Smile to create Mile.  The symbolism behind the arrows just made me think of moving forward step by step, mile by mile.

 What is a hidden gift that you didn't think was there but with the help of others, you discovered later?

Behind the Art with Jen

Hi artsy friends!  I have had the craziest month and finally, I feel like I'm sort of caught up!  It's nuts!  I absolutely adored this kit's colors and designs!  I was very inspired right away with the rub ons and butterflies!   So, I knew this page had to have some of each.  I have these photobooth photos of my husband and I and wanted to use them for this layout.

 We are an odd couple.. my husband and I.  We are exact opposites but we have rubbed off (in good and bad ways) so that we seem to be more and more alike which causes some battles.  He is a neat freak, worrier and I am a creative mess, social butterfly!  It's not always easy to blend our personalities.  We fight over the typical stuff but sometimes we argue over dumb things!

 Our life is far from fairy tale and perfect but it's amazing all the same.  We argue, bicker, fight and even scream at each other, but we also hug, kiss, snuggle, and work together in a crisis.  It's about compromise and empathy.  We sometimes seem like we are at out wit's end.

 I have to say that I envy those couples that were best friends first and that have an easy laugh along with the hard times. It's a lot of work to make this relationship work. That's not to say that we don't laugh but rather that our reaction to each other and others takes work.  It doesn't come as easy but when we do click, it's magic!  We feel most connected when we are relaxing outside, watching the kiddos laugh.

 It's taken me a long time to be okay with the fact that we are different and it's what's okay!

Behind the Art with Jen

Hi Artsy friends!  Do you always use a photo on your pages?  For this one, I didn't. I used a picture from the kit.  It was more about the journey or process for this page.  I started with the white paper and knew I needed to get some color on there!  I started with some Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Gold Texture Luxe brushed on the right hand side.  I then used the marker to color on a non-stick mat and added water to create a puddle.  I pressed the paper onto the puddle and allowed it to go where it was pressed. Serendipity!

 I loved the papers and wanted to create layers of shapes. So, I cut 3 pieces using Cricut's Close to My Heart Artbooking cartridge.  I chose different sizes for each layer.  When layered,they create different levels of shapes and positive/negative space relationships. I tucked the little card in there to connect the idea of the journey (or process).

 I never knew that I would crave exercise. Actually, I avoided it.  Sweat, sore muscles, and time were my excuses.  I just didn't know how much I needed it.  Once I got passed the difficult start, I was hooked.  I need it everyday!  Now, my dream includes setting fitness goals and breaking through them. I've run up to 6 miles and my speed is faster than I thought I'd ever go!  My body is changing in a positive way and my mind is clear and focused when I run. It's not just about goals, it's about being healthy and getting what my body needs.

 Who would have thought that I'd be doing this 2 years ago.  I started this journey a year from March and I have achieved more than I thought I could.  I am setting new goals, however scary they are (can you say 1/2 Marathon?) and I will achieve them!  I am confident now that I can!

 What dreams do you have that you set but really didn't know if you could achieve them?  How do you feel when you do achieve them? It's amazing what achieve a goal does for your self-confidence and mind!

Behind the Art with Jen

Hi Artsy friends!  I am back for another month of fun with this amazing kit!  Live Your Dream is perfect for me right now because every August I reflect on why I became a teacher and what I'm going to do this coming school year.  I plan, get excited again and reflect on the past year's lessons.  Being an art educator for elementary aged kids is the BEST job!  It can also be very exhausting, make me feel like I'm an extra (mostly because classroom teacher's don't get what I do), and also be a challenge with all the different grade level projects going on at the same time!   I love every minute...

 How lucky can I be?  I get to teach my favorite artists!  I'm a rock star in the halls and kids can't wait to come to my classroom for 40 minutes every week! I wish I had them longer! 

 Every new school year is a chance to re-evaluate my curriculum and add more excitement to my lessons or just clean up my presentations.  I keep a few of my favorites but add in new lessons each year for all grade levels.  I get just as excited about the 1st week of school as my students do!

 I loved this text paper but I thought the color was a bit busy for this page, so I toned parts down with some tinted Gesso from Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft.  I just added a bit of yellow in the Gesso puddle and spread it in the center and some areas.  Once dry, I scribbled circles with a PITT Artist Pen in Gold (from the kit) and a black one. 
The photo was from our end of the year, district wide art show.  I ran the photo booth and kids made masks to have their photos taken.  That show is a culmination of all of our hard work as art educators and the families love it!  They come with their children and revel in the creativity of the day!  It's amazing!

 Being an art educator AND an artist is a dream come true!  The possibilities and rewards are so great!  I am passionate about the arts and love teaching young artists to realize their potential and abilities.  Seeing them gain confidence each year is such an amazing result of all the hard work put into a year's worth of lessons!  What is your dream?  Are you living it?

 

Behind the Art with Jen

Hi friends!  The Shine kit has so many fun embellishments and colors in it to show your memories, feelings and beautiful self!  I love this page that I designed for this kit.  It's one of my favs and it's stupidly simple to recreate!  I just loved the papers in this kit so I wanted to use a bunch on one page...

 Using a paper cutter, I cut several wedges from corner to corner and arranged them on the page to radiate outward from the center.  I glued them down and trimmed the edges.

 

I journaled along the edges of the rays and added some of those sparkly embellishments. 

 Now the fun part!  I used some of my Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Luxe Texture Gem pens to create scribbly circles around my photo.  Once dry, I did the same with the pen in the kit.  Fun texture and focal point!

 This page represents all of those things that have become obstacles in my life and how I've overcome each and every one!  I'm proud of who I am at 40 and still have a lot to work on but the focus has become about balancing my health (both physical, spiritual and mental) and my family.  I used to sacrifice my health and needs for my family's (and still do sometimes) but a healthy mommy/ wife, is a happy one!  I am so much happier when I can exercise, eat right, and do something that makes me happy daily (artwork, going out with a friend once in a while, relaxing with a book...).  Taking time to shine up my radiance from the inside out is what it's about!

Behind the Art with Jen

Hi artsy friends!  This page was so fun to make!  I loved all the die cuts and epoxy stickers in the kit and added a few mediums to create texture too.  Here's a look into the way I added shine to this artwork.

 I used Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft's Texture Luxe (from my stash) to rub onto the paper with my fingers. 

Once dry, I used the Faber-Castell Design Memory Craft Stamper's Big Brush Pen on a craft mat and adding some Textural Accent Whipped Spackle to create a tinted texture paste to push through the stencil.  I only put it through the sunbeam part.

Scribbling more of the Stamper's Big Brush pen onto a craft mat and adding water created a wash of color that I painted over areas of the paper.

 A stamp from my stash was inked up with the Stamper's Big Brush Pen and added.

Using the Texture Luxe again, I put it through a stencil in the upper corner for more shine! The Stamper's Big Brush pen ink was mixed with some of the Texture Luxe and water added to create the drips.

 

 I live is Central New York and it's grey and rainy (or snowy for 5 months of the year or more) a lot of the time!  I crave sunshine and the warmth it gives so when summer comes along I try to soak up as much as possible. I often wonder why I stayed in this area, but when summer comes, it's so gorgeous and green here.  We don't worry too much about terrible storms or earthquakes.  Rarely, do we get a tornado or brush fire.  I am lucky that we only really have to deal with rain and a LOT of snow.  Shine on CNY!  We enjoy the sun way more when we don't have it all the time.  Although I really wish we saw it more during the warm months!

 

Behind the Art with Jen

Hi, lovely artists!  I have a page to share with you this week.  I am graduating to my next belt in karate this Friday.  It's exciting and I'm pretty nervous about standing up in front of my peers, family and friends to perform my material.  I know I'll be fine but it still makes me have butterflies.  I'm not afraid, but more excited and hopeful that I perform well!

 A year ago, I wouldn't have believed that I was at this point.  I wouldn't have had the confidence to do this.  I was just starting my journey to a healthy lifestyle. Last February, as I watched my husband and oldest son earn their blackbelt, I realized that I could do this!  I felt that, at that moment, I was starting a journey that would lead to something that I didn't even know I wanted.  Black belt.

 The photos are from my last belt graduation. My dad took the photo of me with my family.  Love that he got that moment!

 I was the last in the family to join karate.  Even though I'd taken KickFit for years and watched my sons and husband take classes, I never thought I'd be doing it.  I tried it and loved it!  It's challenging to learn katas, perform them in front of everyone, and keep up physically.  I can do it!  I am strong!

 

  

I am kickin' it!  I love it!  What have you done that you didn't think you could but then realize that you can? I'd love to hear about it or see it in a page this month!

Behind the Art with Jen

When I turned 40, I realized that all my life I was always working at losing weight for whatever reason or another.  I would beat myself up about having a bad food day or feel guilty about it all.  Now I realize that each day is a chance to make good choices... it's all up to me and my mindset.  If I make bad choices, I feel bad BUT tomorrow is a new day.  I choose to live life in a healthy way now. I don't want all the junk that makes me feel bad or guilty.  If I want to splurge, it has to be worth it to me. I don't want to feel bad about my choices. So, if I see a dessert and it is my favorite (key lime pie or birthday cake) then I will not deprive myself, but if it's just convenient or there and I don't really love it, then it's not worth the calories!  It's not worth the regret I will feel over it.  It's about realistic choices.

My daily life is full of family, responsibilities, work, my art, and the activities that keep me healthy and feeling good.  I don't feel guilty about taking time to myself to workout, take karate, or run. Those times are my escape, renewal and "me" time!  I used to hate working out and getting sweaty. Now, I schedule it in like a meeting... I need it!  When I don't workout for a couple days, I am antsy and agitated.

 

 It's not just food or workout choices.  I have to choose to be positive or negative.  Do I respond with love and understanding to others or be impatient or unkind?  I have the power to change my mindset and control what I say and do.  No one else can do that.  But my choices do have an effect on my daily mental attitude.  I need to take care of myself so I can take care of others! 

 Is there something in your life that renews you?  What is the something that gives you strength and keeps you motivated?

Behind the Art with Jen

Hi lovely viewers!  I have my last layout to share with you for this month!  This one was a fun page to create!  I knew that I wanted to use those chipboard photo frames and the mask on that gorgeous grey cardstock.  It just came together with lots of layers and I was even inspired by a sketch that I found on Pinterest (because to be honest, I was out of mojo at the time... I needed a kickstart!).  Even though my design turned out very different, I liked the grouping of frames/ rectangles and used the chipboard and pocket as my layering pieces. 

 

 The whole premise of this page was that we all tell little white lies in order to keep things positive. Everyday that I have a bad attitude, I have to put on a smile because when I'm grouchy, my students end up grouchy.  So, I try to keep things positive even when I'm not feeling positive. 

  

 One of my other layouts speaks of how I have a hard time keep my opinions to myself, but I also can temporarily put my negative thoughts aside to make my day run more smoothly.  What would happen if I lashed out at everyone just because I felt crappy?  It would lead to a more difficult day for me (and my students).  So, sometimes I just keep my mouth smiling even when I want to scream!

   

The white pen was used for journaling and to draw the mask openings.  I  Love how the contrast of the white against the dark grey draws your attention.

 

So what white lies do you tell to keep the peace?