Hello again. Since I have started posting to Instagram (and it is so easy) I have neglected my blog. I want to do some catching up. When the pandemic started I bought a large sheet of hot press watercolor paper and started making a very large Zentangled mandala. I still have not finished shading it, but this year I want to finish things. I have developed a daily art practice over the last 10 months and would like to share what I have made with you.
The piece on the left is called Illuminated Journey and is a large (24×36 inches) mixed media collage that I made for a call for art. The call for art was a presentation to a hotel chain that was looking for art by local artists. Our art association didn’t have anything else going on, so we put up a show with a lot of different styles of art. It turned out that they were looking for landscapes and traditional representational art, but it inspired me to make this piece so I’m happy with the outcome. I put a lot of work into it and didn’t have an end in mind so it kept evolving. The inspiration for it is a book I got from the high school library purge that occurred while I was in my residency at North High School. The book is called Victorian Inventions by Leonard de Vries. If you look at the details in the close up pictures you can see a wide variety of transportation related inventions.
The backgrounds of the six small mandalas include vintage book pages that I wrote over with a blue pen. I saw an old journal with small blue writing in it that really looked interesting. I’m always on the lookout for interesting ways to write in my journals and art without it being legible and this is a new favorite. The mandalas that have black circles as a background include an unusual textural element, a circle of chipboard covered with black gesso and the netting that vegetables come in. It was kind of tricky to do, especially in a circle, but I love the effect and plan to play with it in the future.
I hope you have some beauty in your day.
I have been very busy so far this year. I completed the Brooklyn Art Library’s 
The Zentangle® Method: This meditative art form uses quality art supplies and simple instructions to create patterns to explore non-representational art. Create your own Zentangle® reference book in a lovely Pre-Strung Journal or your own art journal. This class is an exploration of increasingly complex Zentangle® patterns and techniques. This class will help you develop a Zentangle® practice and provide the tools for creating a beautiful Zentangle® Journal.
Altered Book Art Journaling: Monthly Workshop: An art journal is a place to express yourself and experiment with new media and techniques. In this 3-hour workshop we will take an old book and give it new life. This is an art class about working with what you have. Gratitude is one of the key components in living a happy life. Learn how to re-purpose a hardcover book, assemble an assortment of papers to use, and construct your very own altered book with pockets and collaged pages. We will explore using what you find in the book for inspiration and gathering materials from your everyday life that are meaningful to you to use in the journal. Take one or more workshop. We will combine acrylic paints and media with found papers and ephemera to create beautiful art journals.
Jeanette Clawson Art 