How to make a mixed media collage sketchbook with Cas Holmes

Enjoy... something to play with while in lockdown or social distancing.

Keep Calm and Stay At Home

Well it's been a while again in between posts. We've had a lot of work to do in our new home that has been unexpected, the move didn't go as smoothly as we'd thought, and we're both missing Port Macquarie. We'd been thinking about putting this house on the market, and now we are all in social distancing mode, so I'm not sure what the market will even be, or when we'll be able to do that.

So given that we all have so much going on, how do we artfully express ourselves during this time? Art Journalling can be helpful, to calm and collect our thoughts express emotions and longings.

While we are staying at home, it can be a good time to 'hatch ideas'. What would you like to do once this retreat time is at an end? I'd thought we'd go to the Greek Islands again this year, but tour on a slow pace around less visited islands. I'd still like to, one idea to hatch.

When I watch a TV series or movie now it seems strange to see big groups of people so close together. I'm astounded how quickly I've become used to space and distance. I don't like it, but I've become accustomed.

And what about social distancing? How is that for you? What are you noticing about how you feel, what are you noticing about how others respect new social rules? I've noticed that some people are respecting the new boundaries and some aren't. What do boundaries represent to you? Are they a safety for you? Or do they feel constricting?

Could you explore the theme of boundaries in your art journal? Perhaps you could try some slow stitching and then paste it in your journal.

What are you missing at present? I'm missing simple things, visiting an art gallery, coffee with a friend, yoga with my group, dancing a couple of times a week, listening to live bands.

It's a time to notice the little things that bring joy, and focus more on those, not to ignore what we are feeling, but to give ourselves space to change the track of our thoughts, like a train being given another track to go down, pull the train of thought into a station, get off and get onto another train of thought. Where would you like that train to take you today?