River Bend Ranch - Patty Van Dorin

late night collage

nothing is more relaxing at late night, than turning TV to an old movie and pulling down a box of papers for collage
 
cardboard soda flats are kept to hold a mix of magazine images, paper, words and all that good stuff waiting to make it's way into some collage journal pages

nothing is sorted by color or theme in these shallow boxes
I like the randomness of the contents
then mixing papers and images around
nothing is planned
when I have an assemblage that I like, then I start gluing it down on the journal page
it's just that simple
 
this journal is one that is made from a discarded wallpaper sample book that is kept just for relaxing play and experimentation
a cheap inexpensive journal equals a no fear, no limits journal
No rules, no pressure to work in it, no themes for this journal, just mindless abandon mixing of papers or paints or whatever I feel like
the pages have no continuity
A journal that can sit on the shelf for weeks and pulled down when I am bored
 
in this journal, I will go back and add more to the pages
sometimes entire pages will be completely covered and restarted
some may appear to be finished
or maybe not

it's a good place to play

 

Radiant Graffiti

several journals have just been added to the Etsy shop
 
Flotsam and Jetsam Journal - Vintage Lace and Tin Type
available on etsy - click here for more details and photos
  
Flotsam and Jetsam Journal - My Story
available on etsy - click here for more details and photos
  
Flotsam and Jetsam Journal - Aqua Lace Love Letter
available on etsy - click here for more details and photos
  
Personal Graffiti Journal - Radiant Burst
available on etsy - click here for more details and photos

spray paint logistics

 
more spray painting
(excuse the watermark, having some issues with images being "llifted")
  
practicing with shadows, stencil placement and color mixing
  
this will be the cover for the next journal
 I think I will call this journal "Pieces of Eight" and will be a collection of papers made from my latest spray paint experiments. Eight, that's the number of pages I was able to squeeze onto my spray paint table.

pieces of six

with the forecast for rain, I headed out to the spray paint station early this morning. It was a bit windy for spray paint but a good layer of blue tape kept everything in place.
 
an old calendar book that has been disassembled that will be re-bound when pages are finished was used. Most of the time,I work in a bound journal when spary painting but I wanted to see what would come of these multiple pages with the overlap of pattern.
***pattern paper is from the two new Basic Grey paper collections - Porcelain and Marrakesh available on the Tuscan Rose web site***
  
the plan was to lay 6 pages out with edges touching and stencil with spray paint like it was one piece piece.
More pages could have been laid out but my table only had room for 6
when the first 6 were dry, they were flipped over and painted on the back. That's 12 pages all done at once. How cool is that!
Below are some of my favorites
  
   
 
 
 
More pictures and updates will appear on this blog as I continue to work on these pages
it was good to be back outside with the spray paint
as for the rain - never happened

**if you want to try this, Mary Ann from Dispatch from LA is offering on-line classes on stencil and spray paint. And if that wasn't good enough, she is having a give away on her blog for one of this class**

the hummers are back

 
today, I had a visitor while I was working in the studio
the large window in front of my table gives my work area so much light but it also provides too much opportunity for day dreaming
    and bird watching
  
the hummingbirds are back
  

Jade Fingers

 
I fell in love with the alien looking plant on the right 
then it needed a few buddies
  
a pot of succulents to join the other potted deck plants

Version 7

I was able to get one more Buttoned Yo-Yo Journal made this week
 
Flotsam and Jetsam Journal - Buttoned Yo-Yo ver.7
available on etsy - click here for more details and photos 

lots of pictures

  The flotsam and jetsam journal has been greatly ignored but I am hard pressed to stay inside when the weather is so nice. Last night, I took the journal and some pencils and sat on the back deck to draw a little house wren. The page is not complete as I lost my light before I could finish. 

My plans today are to spend most of it working in the front yard. I have 8 yards of cedar mulch that is not going to move itself and when I am finished with that there is a pickup truck full of rock. I am not even going to mention all the plants that are screaming to be planted.

So here are a bunch of journal pages to keep you busy while I play in the dirt.  I have tried to show them in order as I love how the pages overlap each other. Some are not finished but here they are

 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
do not gasp and email me about the library book pocket
it is from a discarded book from the library book sale
  
the view from my studio window
still a very long way to go but so much better than a cement driveway and a car staring me in the face.
I will post more pictures as I make progress  (the silver shiny stuff on the ground is landscaping fabric to control weeds and help keep some moisture in the ground) 

oh and the teeny tiny bitty little plants, well that's all my budget can afford. BUT, they will be big one day.

Ready to Go

 
flotsam and jetsam journal
A ready to decorate cover, add your own touch to this one
Included with this journal is a packet of scraps and pieces to embellish the pages
available on etsy - click here for more details 

 
Flotsam and Jetsam Journal - Buttoned Yo-Yo ver. 6
available on etsy sold- click here for more pictures and details 

buttoned Yo-Yo wall art - Thoughts of Spring

 
I want to thank everyone who has emailed such nice comments about the buttoned yo-yo journals and to those of you wanting some yo-yo wall art.

Thoughts of Spring - collaged chunky canvas 5" by 5" by 1 1/2" deep 
ready to hang on the wall or tuck up on a shelf

available on etsy - click here for more photos and details