ARTFUL JOURNEYS - WEEK #34

"Art is the window to man's soul. Without it, he would never be able to see beyond his immediate world; nor could he see the man within."  ~~Lady Bird Johnson

 This week at Artful Journeys, our prompt is "WINDOWS."

I went with a literal interpretation this week, but on a more basic level.  My original idea was to make something very complicated, and about a third of the way through it, I hated it and into the big square file under my desk it went. <sigh>

After that, I just couldn't make up my mind.  Collage some windows?  Have eyes peeping in or out? Use a commercial window envelope?  Draw some windows in a big city?  I started the latter, hated that one too and covered it up with lots of gesso, and turned the page again.

Next, my old friend, Pinterest.  Nothing hit me.  I went to my closet hidey hole and pulled out a big stack of children's coloring books.  I found a cute image of a window with a cat playing, but THAT basic idea hit me.

I used the window itself as my inspiration and replicated it as best as my drawing skills would allow. I found it wasn't THAT difficult.  A window by itself is really just a box.  And I liked the simplicity of just using a plain, simple window with a powerful message as a reminder to make me think.

So, I sketched out the window and used Copic markers, Sakura Glaze pens, Signo Uniball pens in bold and micro tips, along with a Deep Red brick stamp.  I used a barn red acrylic craft paint that I applied with a paper towel and a baby wipe over the stamped brick.

I have a whole journal of collected quotes and sayings.  I try to jot them down when a great one presents itself and selected the one I used because I find it very introspective in nature, as I do the quote I started this post with by Lady Bird Johnson.  Yes, we can look out the windows, but what if we looked "inward" to the window of our soul a little more often?  Imagine the discoveries we shall find there!

Be sure and check out what Melody, Shana and Lynn created by visiting our group blog, ARTFUL CHICKS and leave us some love!  I'll be watching over at Artful Journeys for all your wonderful takes on this very interesting prompt challenge.

Have a great week, and remember to keep it artful!

~~Betty
ARTY AUNTIE