Week 4 of Inner Excavation... (and a bit of 5 and 6)

So here it is, week 4 and I thought I would share the photos I've taken as part of the photography prompts as well as part of a journal spread that I'm doing.

I wanted to put feet into the image below, but couldn't swing the iPhone camera (I didn't have a camera with me), not to mention that I didn't want to get run over.... So there are two images.

I actually got to know my camera a little better. I found out how to set the timer and take five continuous frames.

I also did a lot of jumping to get just one hovering shot.

I think last week and this week's photography prompts will be ongoing. (Hmm, if I take my camera to O.B. and jump around on the cliffs, would the neighbors think I'm being weird, or will they not even notice? Maybe one of the gardeners will come and take my temperature.) Mainly because the photography prompts are a ton of fun.

Chapter 5 and Self-Portraits

At the time of writing (Sunday) I just finished reading Chapter 5 and watching the videos and somehow I've merged this chapter and the next one together, because I did a self-portrait this past week (which is almost done, just need to finish the background -- so it matches the left hand side a bit) and work on the skirt some more).

and here's the portrait side updated since I first composed this post. It's still not quite done yet.

How I did the portrait:

I took a photo of myself using the timer, printed the photo onto paper and used a calligraphy nib and graphite paper to trace the outlines onto the Arches watercolor paper (first time I've used Arches). Then I used Prismacolor pencils to color it in (using the technique Suzi Blu teaches in her classes), and added watercolor over the top of that.

This is in my Full Tilt Boogie journal, so the poem is written on a flap. The costumed girl is from an Old Globe fundraiser invitation and that page isn't finished yet either. (So far it's the girl and a quote out of a Teavana brochure.) Not sure yet how I will finish it. The poem reads:

I see her

absorbed in her book

curled up in comfort

lost in another world

not really here.

I see her --

dreaming dreams

of adventures

envisioning a new church,

imagining the ancient,

wondering about monasticism

I see her --

feminine in skirts,

knees tucked up

cradling a book that grows heavy

at ease with herself,

forgetful of her self,

accepting her potential.

Chapter 6: Collaborations

I snuck ahead and skimmed through Chapter 6 because that's the week I'm going on retreat and I wanted to plan for what I will take with me craft-wise. That chapter is about collaborating. Writing poetry together, taking each other's portraits (or doing the same photography prompt and sharing the photos), or doing some sort of collaborative mixed-media painting or journal thingy.

Yeah, with others. This is freaking me out just a little bit.

I like to create on my own, although I have enjoyed participating in a few swaps and collaborative journals (like this Victoria one). At workshops, I'm the girl who puts her head down and gets it done and drifts around looking at other people's work. I'm happier with my nose in a book (in case you hadn't figured this out yet.)

Ultimately, I'm an introvert. So I think one of the things I'll end up doing with this chapter is journal about what communities I participate in and what they mean to me and what an intentional community would thus look like. Also, the chapter heading is "I open my heart" so I may reflect on that as well.

Although now that I've written that, the perfect person has come to mind. Wonder if she'll be up for it. Stay tuned.