That Allison Girl

Good intentions and all that :o)  REALLY want to keep up with this blog and am resolving to do just that in 2012.  The first 3 months of school knocked me for a loop (I have gone back to teaching middle school language arts after many years away from the classroom) as I also had to take a class at night and on Saturdays.  So this Christmas holiday has been the first chance I've had to catch my breath, and I've spent DAYS visiting art blogs and gathering links for you!  See the end of this post for links!  Also, Santa gave me some money and said, "That's so you can take some more online art workshops."  Do I have the best Santa or WHAT!!!

Here is my latest project, a collage I did for my younger son as a housewarming gift for him in his first home.  He visited Japan last year and was taken with the story of Sadako, the little girl who died of leukemia due to the fallout from the atom bomb.  When she was sick, she learned of a legend that said that if someone made a thousand paper cranes, their wish would come true.  She had made approximately 600 origami cranes before she died, and her classmates finished them for her.  In her memory, the children started an international peace initiative, and today there is a beautiful park in Japan with a statue of Sadako holding a paper crane.  Children come from all over Japan to visit the park and bring paper cranes to honor her and to show their desire for world peace.

SOOOO this collage contains a transferred image of Sadako on Japanese rice paper, a quotation from Sadako, a Japanese postage stamp and another stamp that says "Atoms for Peace" (I love irony), a piece from an antique Samurai sword (more irony), an origami paper crane and other Japanese, peace- and crane-related items and ephemera.  My goal in each of my collages is to tell a story that is important to the person for whom they are created.

 

SO here are links to some of my new favorite blogs and sites:
http://thekathrynwheel.blogspot.com/   Just ordered her art journaling DVDs - the reviews of them are AWESOME and I can't wait 'til they arrive.

http://www.janedavenport.com/  Have signed up for her "I (HEART) Drawing" workshop.  Check it out to find out why it's important to say "heart" instead of "love" here - it's really cool!

http://www.meganscreativebliss.blogspot.com/   Love her style!

Resolving to be a better blogger in 2012, so I will be back soon!!!  Hope all of you had a WONDERFUL holiday and that your new year will be blessed with good health, joy and prosperity!