Thursday, 1 July 2021

New Challenge at Art Journal Journey

Hi Everybody!

Happy Canada Day to all friends in Canada!

Hope your week is going well. We've had some stormy days here, which have cooled the temperatures down well. Tuesday evening was rather scary, the storm was so loud and it went on for ages, with thunder, lightning, heavy rain and hail. At least I won't have to water the plants this evening!

The new challenge this month at AJJ has been chosen by our  talented host, Alison Bomber and is  'Summer countryside'. As always, you have  the whole month to join us, and journal pages of all formats are welcome. You can see the rules on our blog. Hope to see you joining us!

I made an A3 painted and collaged mixed media piece inspired by a quote from Henri Rousseau. I used the last photo I am showing today for further inspiration. The climbing plants and leaves were doodled with a Pentel pen, the butterfly was stamped and the animals are rub-ons from LaBlanche. It looks rather like a jungle. One of the things that I like about summer is the abundance of green, flowers, blue skies and insects:








I am also linking to Paint Party Friday

Peaceful evening skies:





Clouds building up before the storm:




Views from my balcony:




More photos of the thistle jungle. The smallest plants are as tall as I am, the others enormous:








My painting inspiration:


Have  a great day, take care,
and thanks a lot for coming by!

60 comments:

  1. Super post and so love the colours, photos and inspiration here...♥

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    1. Thanks Annie, have a great day, hugs to you and Bella!

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  2. What a fabulously inspiring journal page you have given us. It is beautiful and so well done. I love how you drew all the leaves and vines. what surprised me was those animals were rub ons. They make the page so very unique. This is a great first entry for Alison's theme at AJJ.

    Your sky shots are great, and your thistles are impressive but a bit scary. I am glad you showed us that last photo and let us know that was your inspiration for this first journal page this month.

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    1. Thanks Elizabeth! Glad you like it. I found some pages of old rub ons in my stash, and now I'm trying to use them up! Those thistles are really scary! Have a great day, hugs!

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  3. What a wonderful intense summer green you've captured in your page - the perfect evocation of lush summer colour. I hope I don't meet those particular animals on my walks in the countryside! It's lovely to be back in Craftyblogland and I'm so happy to be spending some time in the Summer Countryside with you at AJJ this month.
    Alison x

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    1. Thanks Alison. I don't think those animals will be roaming around here even if the climate is getting warmer! Great to see you around again! Hugs!

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  4. Love your foliage and jungle greenery. Weather wise, we're sitting under a sea fret that rolled in last evening. July 1st and the heating is on!

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    1. Hi Deb! Sorry about the bad weather. Hier it's rather chilly this morning, too, but quite welcome after the heat. Take care, hugs!

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  5. Hi Val, good morning! Love your beautiful, new piece, and how you doodled in the foliage. Wonderful quote, too, and beautiful photos, as always. Have a great da, take care, hugs from us all! Sarah

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    1. Hi Sarah! Thanks a lot. Are the kids on holiday yet? I think the schools close here this week. Have a wonderful day, hugs,to all!

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  6. Das ist ein wahrer sommerliches Journal mit den wilden Tieren, toll ausgedacht von dir. Die Fotos wunderschön und da sieht man den Dschugel den du gemalt hast auf diesem einen Foto, klasse.
    Ich wünsche dir einen schönen Tag
    Lieben Gruss Elke

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    1. Vielen Dank, liebe Elke! Dire einen schönen Tag, bleib gesund!

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  7. Beautiful summer art piece Valerie, your photos are wonderful too. The thistle flowers are stunning, but they will give so many seeds!! Kind of scary thought.

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  8. Thank you, Valerie, for your good wishes on Canada Day. It will probably be quiet for us, but no less enjoyable. Miriam had a bit of a reaction to our second vaccine and was pretty listless yesterday. She seems quite improved today, but another quiet day is probably what is needed. Henri Rousseau was absolutely correct. Nature belongs to all of us, and if only we will permit ourselves the chance we can enjoy all the wonders it has to offer - and there is never a charge. So many, however, are totally alienated from the natural world, and some even view it with dread. I can easily see the inspirational link between the final photograph and your new piece. You did a great job. Those thistles look like something from a science fiction movie! Once they produce seeds the finches should enjoy a feeding bonanza. The incredible heat that affected western Canada recently is slowly moving east. I hope it stays away from southern Ontario. Happy Canada Day, Valerie! Hugs and kisses. David

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    1. Hi David! A quiet day is always good. Sorry Miriam is not feeling so goo, my 2nd shot knocked me out for a couple of days, too. Yes, nature belongs to us all, and I always hope that people will start to realise that we need to respect and protect nature before it's too late. On my walk last week I filled up a large plastic sack with the rubbish I found along the way, a beautiful, rustic path leading to a quiet glade, where idiots had evidently had a pizza party....Those thistles are getting larger and larger and are rather creepy, but somehow fascinating. If they give the birds some good feeds that#s even better! Glad to hear that the heat is moving away, it must have been awful. Have a wonderful day, hugs to you both!

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    2. Kudos to you, Valerie, for picking up the trash. It's too bad that some of us have to clean up after others.

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    3. I just had to clear it up, it made me sad and mad!

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  9. I like your page on summer countryside Valerie. Summer countrysides vary depend where you are, right? And your background is a piece of art in itself. And even your photos are wonderful and are summer countryside views. I hope your weather is beautiful and you have a wonderful start to July. Hugs-Erika

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    1. thanks Erika. I'm happy to say that I've not (yet) seen lions and tigers around the countryside here! Have a great start to July, too! Hugs!

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  10. Wow your journal page is amazing! Such wonderful colours and the jungle animals fit right on in there. Those thistles are pretty awesome too in their own way! Take care and have a very happy July, Sue xx

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    1. Thanks Sue. And I'm still singing 'gotta pick a pocket or two.....' Have a lovely day!

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  11. I love your interpretation of the theme at AJJ. It certainly reminds me of a Rousseau piece of art and I love the strong colours you have used.
    We have come away again and it is "hot" - certainly summer is here isn abundance today and I have seen a few butterflies already and caught a few flying insects and put them back outside where they belong.
    The sunshine makes you want to get up and do things - and then it gets too hot and you realise that the best thing to do is sit. Maybe a walk in the countryside is needed for me today.
    Hugs, Neet xx
    ps love the thistles - we have a big one growing out art the back - must take a photo.

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    1. Thanks Neet! I used to have a blouse with a print of a Rousseau painting on the back, and I loved it till it fell apart! Here it's cooled down, and I must confess I like it, I am not a hot fan! Rest and take it easy, or have a walk in the woods if you have some near you! Looking forward to seeing your thistles! Hugs!

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  12. I'm glad the temps have cooled a bit. I am sure that's a welcome change. Your balcony views are nice. I let a thistle plant grow in my back yard once to see if birds would like it, and my neighbor fussed the whole time. She never forgave me *sigh* It's fun to see what your inspiration was :)

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    1. Thanks. Neighbours are sometimes difficult. At the place I used to live my neighbour was always fussing about my dandelions! His 'garden' was paved over!

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  13. An fabulous countryside page for the new AJJ theme. I like those big cats you added, we tend to think peaceful rural scenes of the country and maybe forget that other countries differ in so many ways regarding country views.
    Stay safe.
    Yvonne xx

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    1. Thanks Yvonne. es, different places have different animals, but I'm quite happy that we have neither lions nor tigers roaming around our fields.... Take care!

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  14. What a gorgeous jungle page! I love pretty sky shots and the thistle jungle too. Have a great day Valerie. Hugs!

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    1. Thanks Martha! The sky is always fascinating. Have a great day!

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  15. Your collage is very beautiful. And yes, it is indeed summer outside.

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  16. It’s awesome that you’ve taken inspiration from your own photo and turned it into a jungle beauty. Everywhere around here is so intensely green just like your painting. As well, our cat thinks it is a lion. I really like the quote you added to your page. Hooray for summer!

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    1. Yes indeed! I Love this intense Green of Summer, so beautiful. Have a great week!

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  17. You are so cleaver and talented. I really like this jungle scene. Wonderful photos too. Have a great day.

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  18. Fabulous page! Loving the tropical greenery and view - beautiful 😁. Those summer skies look amazing too! Happy July! Hugs, Jo x

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    1. Thanks Jo! I love watching the sky! Have a great July!

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  19. OMG. I can't believe those plants are that tall!
    Purrfect piece. Purrfect quote. Purrfect skies:)
    Hugs,

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    1. Yes, they are monster thistles! Have a wonderful July!

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  20. this art is really nice:) i like that you added animals:D

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  21. Very fine pictures ;) Have a nice day :)

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  22. Your page is lovely.
    Loved your sky photographs.
    Those thistles, my goodness so tall.

    Enjoy the remainder of Thursday and have a happy Friday :)

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thanks Jan. Those thistles are like Jack's beanstalk!

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  23. Lovely art for the new summer theme, and beautiful summery photos too.

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  24. This made me smile Valerie, if our grass became a little long for my Dad's liking he would compare it to a jungle - one thing it definitely was not!! I love how you drew in those plants and the jungle animals look great there! Great quote! Hugs, Chrisx

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    1. Thanks Chris, I remember English lawns. I sometimes saw my auntie working with scissors to snip off uneven bits! I'm definitely more the jungle type! Hugs!

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  25. How fabulous you did your art journal page from your last picture. I need to try that. Love the lions and that quote is interesting - was he saying it walking around his property or saying that views belong to us all? Interesting. Love all the cloud pictures and the lovely thistle blooms. Great pictures and post as always, Valerie. Hugz

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    1. Thanks Nancy. I think he was emphasising that nature belongs to everybody and shouldn't be fenced off! Have a wonderful day, hugs!

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  26. Thanks Laurie, good to see you around again!

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  27. You have some fabulous cloud formations! I think your whole world makes for a wonderful inspiration to your art!

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    1. Thanks Jeanie, that's true! Have a great Weekend!

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  28. Hi Valerie, gosh I can't believe it's a new month and theme @ AJJ already must pop over tomorrow and welcome Alison. I'm with you on the abundance of blues and green's during Summer, a grand take on the theme and I love the quirky addition of the wild animals..
    Hugs Tracey xx
    P.S Your pics are always to be admired x

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    1. Thanks Tracey, hope to see you soon at AJJ!

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  29. Thanks for wishing me a Happy Canada Day!
    Love your art piece! Love the words too! So much meaning!
    Gorgeous pictures! Love the thistles! Big Hugs!

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