Journalfest 2009

On to Journalfest. As you might imagine at this point in a long trip... you think you might just be ready to stare into space. ( why the pictures are showing up in this weird configuration... i have no idea... but i'm just going to go with it). I flew in on Tuesday night and tip toed into the hotel room while roomies slumbered. Kecia and I have shared classes before... it would be my first time to meet Jen. Great spirits these two... simply fun - energetic - and busting with talent. So we grabbed coffee in the only cafe in Seattle without espresso ran an errand and found our way to the ferry. Beautiful ride across the sound and a picturesque journey into Port Townsend. We checked into the Journalfest office and headed into town straight to the antique store - a little walk - and lunch. And here will be the only sad note to my entire trip... I knocked my camera off the chair and the sound it made when it hit the beautiful hand tinted concrete told me in an instant that the news would not be good. I tried to take some photos... but it was just a struggle... you can peek at Kecia's blog... she took tons! It's the lens, not the camera that is having issues... so I guess that is a positive. I took it into the local shop yesterday where I purchased it... they work on them right there and it was as if I was taking a sick puppy to the vet. He placed a gentle hand on my forearm and said with complete sincerity..."Keli, we will do everything we can"... I will never buy another lens cap or any camera thing from anyone else. They get it... how you get to know a tool and it works for you and you don't know how you'll get through the day without it... he knew that and was gentle with how bummed out I was... Thank you "Dark Room" in Missoula... your the best.. and I'll keep my fingers crossed.

The beautiful fountain in Port Townsend... that has drawn many a "festival virgin"...






















The door to my room. This being my first time to a "fest" I wasn't sure what to choose for housing... now that i've been there I think you have a find time regardless of where you sleep. Teesha placed me in the house and was sweet to connect me with my roomie prior to the event. We were to share a room with two twin beds. Well my cough was still awful when I arrived, so I was glad to see a couch in the living room... well luck have it.. there was a roll away on the back porch...an adorable back porch... so I just set up house there. It was perfect for me, a little cooler than upstairs - which I like - and my coughing didn't keep everyone awake. I must say if your traveling to Journalfest or Artfest alone and your worried about being matched up with unknown housemates - give it a go - I feel so lucky to have met Tanya, Jenny and Maggie. It was fun to share what we had gained in each class - to get to know them a bit and hear about their amazing lives. Good women are out there doing amazing things... and to share in each others stories - I simply love it.

























Day 1 - Anahata Katkin - Impulse Collage

above is a small snap of my first pce... life lives behind the dots... apparently for me that is true


this was a perfect class to start out with... free, fast and completely fun. the less mind the better and that worked out well for me! Kecia and I shared a table... and what I forgot to bring she had and vice verse... that is another thing about an art retreat... don't fuss over not having everything...folks just share and trade and give

layers and layers and if you start to ponder... change the technique you are working with - that lesson alone was worth the price of admission.

I'm sure for many of you this has happened in your work before... tear text to fill in an area... and then discover what it says once it's already in place

and so often it is just the message you needed to receive... words from two sentences... cropped in a way that speaks more to you than the entire paragraph.

this next picture is out of order... but it's fine...yes? so on the last night of Journalfest they hosted an open journaling event with music and wine. Tables sprinkled with treats of art and food. Just a great atmosphere... I carted a couple of the journals I had been working in over the past three days. Tracey came to the mike to introduce the band. He explained how much he appreciated the local music and coffee houses and the energy he derived in his journals doing artwork while listening the the local sound. He encouraged us to let the music into our art... and so i did... and the doodle bug caught big with me. Theo Ellsworth sat at the table next to us... I appreciate his work so much.. and he used to live in Missoula. I was happy to bring home his prints to my son Bryce (the true artist in our house). It's my hope that someday I will share a "fest' experience with Bryce... he would love it! Ok back to the work... so I allowed a little "Theoismish" inspiration and let go...it was a little wierd how much the music influenced what i was doing... and when the music paused... so did I.

now under the flaps are sweet bits of art gifted to me... one was not for public consumption...so i just had to cover them all...

well i get to this point and realize my day 2 pictures have vanished... and no... I did not have a rum and coke before I started this... might have been a good idea... well day 2 is a class with Stephanie Lee... and I will have to assume that it deserved it's own post... and that's reasonable.


Day 3 - Alex Shur - Journaling into Painting

What an amazing class... I have always wanted to take a watercolor class and this one was just perfect for me. I wasn't looking for classic technique... rules and guidelines... class. I wanted a get right to it, see what happens... explore and don't think too much.

put down color and see

see what appears

oh... there it is ... a horse, a small woman in a door way... a chick... a duck on a body... an eagle person... vano ( yeah... I'm not the only one who looked at my page and saw Anahata's sweet man) ... and then sweet alex came by and saw the wonderful girl with the big hat and coat. " Do you see it" she asked... I didn't... but I can't tell you how thrilled I was to have her mark her vision on my page. yeepie!

little caterpillar girl guided by a winged heart

eagle boy and vano - with a fur viking hat

my galloping horse

the smallest of faces taking a peek

alex helped me see this

as time went on I began to see more whimsical figures

it was an exhale kind of day... a perfect day 3

well here is a little glimpse of the "stephane lee day 2" post to come... it will be worth a trip back

I signed up for this event having never kept or created a journal... now i won't be without one.

It is a wonderful event put on by amazingly creative and kind people.

Come if you can... to Journalfest...

next years event may fall on Halloween weekend... I cannot imagine a better group to spend the holiday with. I'll hope to see you there too!