happy friday!

i did 2 more matisse studies this week in my visual journal.  one is below left.

i am crazy about all of the interiors he painted.  stunning richy patterned and exotic.

i also carried on with my own study of pattern & shape.  i am obsessed with stripes.

and carpets.

oh no!  i can't count!

another matisse interior on the left below.

i'm having bizarro dreams every night.  long arabian night specials featuring stories inside stories.  wild plot twists.  somethings funny!  someone's chasing me!  i'm chasing someone else!  i burned my sweet potato fries and they disappeared!

it's almost 4:30.  time to retire to the back patio to read.  3 coyotes were hanging out in the lane next to moss cottage last night.  probably trying to coax catboy and catgirl to come out and play with them.  but i didn't raise no fools!  no siree.

enjoy your friday doing whatever it is that blows your skirt up.  i'll just be here doing the same...

Comments

[Dawn E. Nguyen]

awesome.

[Kelley]

love, love, love picture 5. I am enjoying your sketch war with Sister, and your artist studies. happy art-ing!!

[sharon stanley]

i gotta tell you, i love this "visual" journal. i wish you would explain a little about making it (or did you buy one?) i'm NOT a journal writer and have no real desire to be (which is odd as i write children's books...PICTURE books though with 400 words or less!)but i LOVE the idea of just painting some stuff in a pretty book...thanks for this post...i look forward to knowing what you did to make it...

[Debbie Gaetz]

I love the colors, I love the designs . . . you are soooo inspiring! I wish you would venture up to Western Washington while you're on your sabbatical! Our journal gals would L-O-V-E it! and me too!

[Mary Ann Moss]

hi sharon,

it is very fun! yes indeed :-) i teach this book structure in FULL TILT BOOGIE. if you click on CLASSES in the nav bar youll see all the class info.

[Joan]

What weight is the paper you used in the journal? Did you put the book together yourself? Just curious. It seems to be quite thick and can take water based media very well without warping.

Do you use a photo editing program...like Photoshop? If not, which one do you use?

Nothing but questions today...

We usually go to the local Pub for NE style Clam Chowder on Fri...it's filled with so many clams you can't possibly count them. SO good. But today we're eating at home...just a little nosh for evening. I bought a teeny little bottle of caraway seed today...$6.95! I almost choaked...that was for the cheap brand. Gadzooks.

[Mary Ann Moss]

joan,

get thee over to my ABOUT department and check out my FAQs i think i do a pretty good job there of answering all of your questions

[donna Parker]

It was bound to happen - leaving your day job like that. All these colours and shapes coming out after being stuffed down there for who knows how long - and the dreams - well -- That too -- definitely connected to leaving the day job. Ain't life grand!! xoDonna

[ellen kelley]

Oh, Dearest Mary Ann of the beautiful Moss Cottage, the Cowgirl of the Cat Posse, the Artiste Extraordinaire...It's the little e.w. here. I have been lost swimming in the Bosporus, the Dead Sea, or just perhaps Elk Creek here. I've been reading, but not communicating. Shame on me. Blame it on my swimming cap, the snarky sharks, or the fact that the elastic in my swimming suit has left me nearly naked.
Time to climb out of the water and get on with it. Sending love times ten, e.w.

[jacki long]

Love them all! And, I too am a fan of your Sketch-wars! Really appealing, and as Sharon said, "inspiring'!

Do you know graffiti artist Vyal? Seems like you might?
I took a class with him last Saturday and was in heaven! Seem "Grandma" might have been a tagger in another life?
I posted about that class today
and I will post what I did tomorrow. I was so excited! ;o)

[Sharon Bennett]

Just thought you might like to know that meeting you someday and extracting (a nicer word than what I was thinking) your arty brain particles is on my bucket list! And I am only 6 hours away! LOL!

[Susie LaFond]

diggin the painty, patterny,journal pages. Now that is what I call a work out, gotta keep those paintbrush wielding wrists in good working order ya know. I read that somewhere, I promise I did. Speaking of work outs, how are the walks coming? So Friday night, I've got a big ole batch of Italian meatballs simmering away in the oven and in about an hour, I must taste them to make sure they turned out just right, I'll put at least 2 or 3, after all must do a thorough sampling, into a bowl, pour on some of the sauce, toss some parmasean cheese over them and have a taste. If they pass, I'll batch em up and freeze em for future meals, like tomorrrow's dinner. Meatball hoagies. Yummy.

[Shirley]

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your Matisse paintings. You might want to check out the website at the Metropolitan Museum of Art right now. There is a huge, wonderful Matisse exhibit and many of the paintings/drawings are on the website.

[Judy H.]

The journal pages are fabulous!

[Shar Ulm]

The Matisse pages are great. Wasn't he incredible? I've been making some of his cut-outs and using them for journal accents.

[Jane Bumar]

Woah - you are way onto coolness with the Matisse - I'd never noticed his backgrounds before (shamefulness on my face) but you are right - they are well worth study. I'm going to try a few too - i had this sudden thought of "oooh, and if I painted a few studies of these onto fabric, and then i cut them up and used them for an art quilt...." brain running wild over here - the usual. XOX to you Miss MAM.

[Janet]

Hey Mary Ann, It's a cool coincidence that you are experimenting with patterns and color right now...I just got back from visiting my daughter in the Middle East and am also in love with the same. There was so much Islamic art everywhere you'd turn and it's fascinating. One interesting thing I learned was that because their religion forbids animal or human images in their mosques they have have pretty much perfected patterns and color for how they can adorn their buildings. ( I also made a Ticket to Venice inspired travel journal to take with me - thank you!)

[Erin Perry]

I love the last photo and the hint of all the pages - such colourful yummy goodness! We are all living vicariously through your leave of absence, glad to see you making such wonderful use of this special time.
Erin in Morro Bay

[Jane Santini]

Really like the colors and patterns in your visual journal. Maybe I'll attempt that sometime, but right now I'm going to attempt my first kettle stitch on my first FTB journal. Yaay. I'm so glad I found your blog & you're an awsome teacher. Those little kids are so lucky.
Jane

[Heather]

Mary Ann, I don't often leave a comment here, but I just had to tell you how much I love your colourful and exuberant visual journal. It looks so different from anything I have seen anywhere else. I really think I can feel your joy in creating those pages coming through my computer screen! You're always an inspiration. Thank you.

[Marrianna]

These Matisse pages are wonderful. I'll look for his images online and at the local library. I'm glad you are enjoying your sabatical and wish for you that this could last even longer. Blessings.

[Noemi]

Hey Mary Ann! Just thought I'd let you know that some of my big little ones used to be your 2nd grade little ones. They still have their visual journals. One of them shared his and I thought to myself, "I bet Mary Ann would be happy to know this." I hope you are.

[Domenico]

I am in love... so completely in love. Matisse would be proud.

About your telanova dreams, are you eating pizza or anything cheesy for dinner, or late night nibble?

[gina rossi armfield]

lovely work - must say your style really does remind me of Maira Kalman ;)

[Leah]

ooooh lovely lines and colors. thanks for sharing your process

[Jordan]

Hi Mary Ann, I love your art! Your journal is very inspiring. When I first came across this post I remember there being a link to another journal entry about taking time off of social media to create more space and wonder. I can't find the link anymore, can you help me find it please?