Thursday, June 24, 2010

frida round robin journal



I am involved in a round robin journal project with ten other artists. The theme is Frida Kahlo. This is my journal that I decorated and did a spread and sent to Lee in Australia to do the next spread. Eventually I should get it back with mine and ten other artists take on the theme Frida that I will be able to keep. We each have started a journal so that we all have one to keep at the end.



I used a vintage children's book as my journal. I removed pages to make it the right size and gessoed the pages (MAN that took a ton of gesso and a lot of time!!!!)


The cover was painted with gold acrylic paint then red acrylic paint. I aged it with black and white ink pad. The pages are painted with acrylic paints, collaged with images and scrapbooking paper and decorated with stickers and stamps. LOTS of fun!




This was my spread to kick things off. It is inspired by Frida's description of where the notion of "Two Fridas" came from. She said that when she was young and feeling unhappy, she would go up to the window in their house (La Casa Azul - The Blue House) and look out. She would breathe on the glass of the window and draw a picture of a door onto it with her finger. She said she would then go out through the little door and run through the streets where she would go through the "O" in a store sign "Pinzon". This gate took her to an underworld where her imaginary friend was waiting for her, and the two would play. When she finished playing she would return home and go back through the little door. She would wipe off the door from the window and go about the rest of her day with a smile on her face!

I did the page with drawing, collage, acrylic paint and coloured pencil.

10 comments:

carole brungar said...

I'm looking forward to seeing this when it returns home!
Hope you're keeping well, and work is going ok.
C :)

Unknown said...

Wow! This looks lovely. It will be great to leaf through when it comes home again.

There's a poetry blog I follow written by Pascale Petit who recently had a collection published that was inspired by Frida's life and work. You might like to take a look - http://pascalepetit.blogspot.com/

Joanie Hoffman said...

great job on this journal!
i've read about the "two fridas" before, and i really like your interpretation.
happy days,
joanie

Kelly said...

I saw the movie a few months ago... she lived a very interestingly bizarre life.

Megan Hoover said...

HI!! Thanks for finding my little corner of blogland -- you should totally "borrow" some drywall tape. Your hubby can get more. Experimentation is calling and you should answer right away! LOL! :) Have fun!!

Lindart said...

LOVE your Frida book! You did an awesome job! What a great theme for a book. I have a Frida cookbook that has all her favorite Mexican foods in it. If I got your book i would put in her favorite recipe!

Cynthia said...

Love what you are doing. The red cover luscious and the two fridas page is great. I had goosebumps reading her story about drawing the door on the window and the imaginary world. We used to drawing on the steamed windows in the winter. Thanks for sharing and the memories. Look forward to following your rr journey.

Debra LeeBerry said...

Hi! This is my first visit to your blog; I found you via the "Blog Hop." I left a comment on your beautiful journal page "mama/letting go" post. I've enjoyed seeing your creative art and will be back to look at your new art. :-)

Shariyah said...

What a great idea! Wish I could have done something like this too...it's right down my alley! Love all the journal entries so far...awesome!!!

Outdoor playground equipment said...

great job on this journal!
i've read about the "two fridas" before, and i really like your interpretation.
happy days,