Sampler Video of Resolutions

Over the months I've shared a lot of pages out of my journal Sampler Resolutionary.  I'm so happy to have finally gotten it done that I created a video.  It's been fun for me to see it all come together. 

Of course if I were to do it again I'd do it differently, but that's bound to be the case three years into any project.  And can I just say what a RELIEF it is to hear that the latest "resolution trend" is to choose one word for the upcoming year?  ONE word.  Can I have an "amen" on that? 

For anybody new to this project, it's my story of learning the German language (especially those umlauts), as well as getting used to the culture.  Every New Years Eve I made a list of words for each letter of the alphabet. 

Nearly everything in the journal was done old-school because it was important for me to explore what would happen if I didn't use any commercial papers, stamps or embellishments.  I think I was having a major internal tantrum about all the supplies I can't seem to "get" here in Germany.  So I basically flipped out and said to myself, "OK I'll show YOU.  I don't need your CRAP.  I'll make it on my own!!"  In the end cool, but also the reason it took 3 stinkin years to get done.

All the images (except Oprah's head) are my photographs or drawings. And I don't have a lot to say about Oprah except I miss her so much and wish at least her magazine was here in Germany. Strike that.  Forget the magazine.  Just send Oprah herself!

There's tons of handwriting, stenciling, and doodling over watercolor and acrylic paint, spray paint, color pencils, crayons, markers.  Any decorative looking papers are also handmade from other stuff I was making. There's lots of printing both from hand carved linoleum as well as hand carved stamp blocks.  I glued and sewed things into the pages. I worked on again and off again for three years jumping all over the place through the project.  Sometimes intentionally focusing on words and sometimes randomly working on stuff.  Some of the words German, most of them English.  My mixed media story.

So here's wishing y'all a very happy and healthy New Year.  And I deeply hope that all your resolutions come true for you...

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Veronika]

This is awesome, so much work must have gone into it but well worth it.
I've chosen my word for next year already but I'm keeping it a secret for now :)

[Jacqueline]

Oh my! That feels great: all that work finished and ready for binding! Any idea on how to bind it? Then you will still need to make covers - yep, more work to do.

I think this collection of your work is great, TJ! Something to be very proud of. I love to see your style and how you work with lettering and typography, very modern - but with soul-, unique and very, very TJ.

[Anne]

Fantastic! And great job with the video, too. Happy New Year, tj!

[Linda]

SUPER! I love each page and idea. Congrats for pulling it all together.

[Jenny Lee Wentworth]

Wow, wow, wow! Seriously awesome TJ!
Hugs to you!
♥jenny

[Skytimes]

Wow... I'm amazed. I absolutely LOVE your pages... Truly stunning work. Are you going to bind them into one book or are you planning an exhibition? Would love to see them hanging on a wall...

[TJ]

Thanks for the lovely comments you guys. This was a really huge project for me, it means a lot that you took the time to watch it... Happy New Year!

[iHanna]

Great video TJ, and what a huge and very cool project you've accomplished! Your handwriting and lettering is SO beautiful and really makes the pages your own. :-) Thanks for sharing, and I wish you a Happy New Year and may all your dreams come true (except maybe sending Oprah to Germany, those Germans would probably dub her live and she wouldn't even understand her self!)

[1st. lady of kleinochsenfurt]

Wahnsinn, Tari! Ich liebe deine Schrift und dein Spiel mit Sprache und Typographie. Wirklich beneidenswert, was du da geschaffen hast: einen echt originalen TJ-StudioMailbox-Style!!! Du kannst so stolz auf dich sein! Und auch der Film ist richtig gut geworden. Du bist eben eine echte mixed-media-Künstlerin.

[TJ]

Happy New Year! Yes, binding is a must eventually. I have been thinking of having an artist's open house and displaying them strung along a long line so people can mingle and view them from both sides...

[Dawn]

I came over from Michelle's GPP Street Team. I loved the video and your awesome lettering! My only complaint was that it went too fast. How I would love to be at your open house and peruse the pages at my leisure. In lieu of that I'm off to see what I can find here on your blog.

[Lay Hoon]

Huh !! I's such a 'huge' project to do.
Love how you do it for tradition in setting new year resolution.
Thank you for inspiration.

[Ivy]

WOW I just linked back to this and oh my...this is oh sooo fantastic!! Love your video and all those wonderful pages! Big Hug to you my friend.