I like how I used the color copy of the blurry late 1970's photo of my parents with me sitting on my Dad's shoulders (I always loved piggy back rides on my Dad's shoulders. I felt so very, very safe up there and loved how much I could see.) I like the simpleness of this page. It speaks volumes as to how I've been feeling these last few months. |
Friday, August 31, 2012
2 August 2012 Journal Page
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Journaling in the Car
Small Ziploc bag of collage goodies, favorite pens, glue stick, tape, baby wipes and journal on my lap. I'm all set! |
Monday, August 27, 2012
2 August 2012 Journal Page
Trying to take everything day by day... Was hoping to share something today but it hasn't arrived yet. Hopefully tomorrow! |
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Another Dad Story
Many moons ago (I was a teen) when we were living at 152 Beale Street in Wollaston, MA, I was in Dad's car and he was pulling into our driveway. As he started to swing the car around into the driveway (turn signal was on), this asshole comes speeding from out of nowhere and decides to attempt to pass us on the right. Did I mention that we were turning into our driveway which meant turning RIGHT to get into it? He almost hits us. As he speeds around us, he lays on his horn and flips off my Dad (who again, was legally taking a right into his own driveway. This guy was totally in the wrong.) Dad says, "Hold on." He quickly goes from pulling into our driveway into full blown Man on a Mission Mode. He flips his siren on and chases after the guy. Dad pulls the guy over on the corner of Beale St and Newport Ave. Dad goes over to the guy's car with a seriously pissed off look on his face and proceeds to read the guy the riot act for a few minutes. Dad finishes, turns and proceeds to walk back to the car with the biggest, shit eating grin on his face. I can still see the look on his face to this day. It was pure awesome and pure my Dad. "I bet the guy will never do that again...and I bet he has to change his underwear." |
Saturday, August 25, 2012
These Flowers Spoke to Me...
"Creativity belongs to the artist in each of us. To create means to relate. The root meaning of the word art is "to fit together" and we all do this every day. Not all of us are painters but we are all artists. Each time we fit things together we are creating - whether it is to make a loaf of bread, a child, a day."-Corita Kent |
Friday, August 24, 2012
1 August 2012 Journal Page
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Frenzy Stamper November 9-11, 2012 Workshops

Special Two Day Workshop!
In this special 2 day workshop, you will create your own uniquely made hand bound journal. Once the journal has been made, we will dive into the pages working together to explore a variety of mixed media techniques. You will work hands on with collage (learning composition and design skills as you combine a variety of collage ephemera (including papers, transparencies, tape, focal images and more). You will then learn to combine collage and mixed media as you create luscious pages using acrylics, gouache, watercolors, watercolor crayons, rubber stamps, stencils, a variety of pens and much, much more. You will walk out of class with a fully bound journal, several pages completed and your head full of new ideas and the desire to keep working in your journal!
Supply list: Scissors, small selection of favorite collage ephemera, bone folder, cork back metal ruler, full roll of waxed paper, full roll of paper towels or a few old rags (to wipe paint, etc... I have a clean one and a paint one), permanent black inkpad, container to hold water, 1" brushes to glue and paint (I like chip or bristle brushes), a few of your favorite glue sticks, alcohol wipes (found at Target with the paper plates, etc...) IF you have a waterbrush pen (of any size or shape) please bring it, if you have paint brushes in a variety of sizes (from small tip to 1", please bring a couple of those. I will have a few extra paint brushes on hand as well.) You may also want to bring an apron.
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
New Toys!
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Fremont, CA Classes October 5-7th
Interested in signing up? Questions? Please email Kelly for more info! EGorey99@sbcglobal.net
Payments for the Fremont, CA workshop must be made in advance. Due to the fact that the teacher is traveling from Los Angeles and must prep for the workshops in advance, there are no cancellations allowed. No refunds.
You may send someone else in your place if you are unable to attend the workshop, or you will receive a kit for the class. You can either pay via paypal (see button below) or send a check or money order. Once you've signed up for the workshop, you will be sent the address and directions to the workshop location. If you have ANY questions you can email me. I will also give you my cell phone number so you contact me.
The Schedule is:
Friday, October 5th
Pocket Planner
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
followed by
followed byLettering a la Kelly Style
from 3 to 7 p.m.
10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
*****
Friday, October 5th 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

followed from 3 to 7 p.m. by



Monday, August 20, 2012
Mixed Media Classes September-December 2012
Sunday, August 19, 2012
Found on a Walk on Melrose Last Night
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Meet Some of My Family...
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My Great Uncle James Albin McLean sitting in the chair, and my great grandfather Edward Alexander McLean standing beside him. |
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Joseph Bernard McLean and Edward Alexander McLean |
Friday, August 17, 2012
Journaling on the Go
Met up with a friend for a couple of hours at the Farmer's Market. It was a nice way to spend the morning. Here's a shot of my side of the table. I had my collage stuff in my lap for easy access (as well as the fact that I have the bag so stuffed that it won't close properly. Time to to clean it out!) I hope that your weekend is a good one! |
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Thoughts on Journaling Grief
Lianne asked me about my thought process as I journal my way through the last couple of months. It hasn't been any different than the way that I usually work except that there are certain things that I keep thinking about again and again and no amount of writing them down will ever make them go away or get out of my head. Things you wish you had said and things you wish you had done. Things you had no control over and things you'll never be able to change. Such is life. I tend to treat my journal as a way to process and help me think and work through things. Yes, at times I use it as a dumping ground but the main reasons I journal are to process, document and explore. I figure that trying to work through my own grief in my books may help others (including my son who I plan on passing these books down to someday) as much as it helps me (in small ways.) I post my pages to encourage others to think about opening up in a journal...if I can do it, so can you. I rarely sit down and plan anything out. I might have something in mind (based on a feeling or a thought) as I start to work on a page but rarely do I sit down and say, "I'm going to journal about this!" I start by working on a page, picking my background papers, colors, focal images and pens based on how I'm feeling as I make the page. Contrary to what some teachers say, I don't just "glue shit down". I'm picking out things that resonate and that have meaning to me. I tend to complete a page in one go, meaning I won't move onto the next page until I'm done with the one I'm working on at the moment. When I go to pick up my pen, it's all about how I'm feeling and what I'm thinking right at that moment. Some days I have a lot to say (like the page above) and others it's minimal. I don't go back to my journals (usually) right away after I've finished them. I'll revisit them later (and usually it's much, much later.) I'm more "get it out and think through it as you work" though lately I seem to be revisiting the same thoughts and themes repeatedly. I know it's part of the grieving process and I'm just trying to process my thoughts, allow them to unfold and see where my journey takes me. |
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
My Belated July Jetpens Review
Pilot Hi-Tec-C Gel Ink Pen - 0.5 mm - Yawaragi Colors - Usuzumi (Light Sumi Gray)
-I love the colors and the fine tip points of these pens. They write smooth. They don't write on any kind of slick or shiny surfaces (like tape or transparencies) but they're awesome for writing tiny on paper. They come in a rainbow of colors, too! The tip size again is ULTRA FINE so if you don't like writing with super fine pens, you won't love these but for those of you who like tiny writing (like me! I love hiding my journaling), you'll love these super fine pens.
Sakura Souffle Gel Ink Pen - Yellow - Pack of 2 (not shown in the photo above) I am constantly singing the praises of Sakura and their pens especially the Glaze and Souffle pens. YES, they are different. YES, you need them both. I go through certain colors (like the yellow souffle) like they're going out of style. I use them not only to journal but to color in, add embellishment doodles and more. I LOVE the Souffle and Glaze pens. They write on paper, dried acrylic paint and mediums, transparencies, tape, stickers, glass, rub-ons and MORE! Hands down, one of my all time favorite kinds of pens (souffle AND glaze.)
Uni-ball Jetstream Color Series Ballpoint Pen - 0.7 mm - Red Body - Red Ink-I am also a fan of the Uni-ball pens. This is a finer tip than what I usually use from Uni-ball (I usually use the Uni-ball Signo Broad UM 153, which I LOVE)
but I liked how smooth and RED this pen was. It also seems to be a good
pen to color with. I'd love to play with more of these in different
colors and tip sizes! |
Pentel Tradio Stylo Fountain Pen-Black Body-Black Ink- This pen is more like a felt tipped marker than a fountain pen but who cares what they call it when it writes like this?! It's butter in my hands and the ink just flows from the pen. I love the thickness of the line (not too thick, not too thin, Goldilocks just right, or should I say, write?!) I hope that they come out with more of these in a variety of colors (other than just what they have here.) I love that they're refillable, too!
Monday, August 13, 2012
I'm Moving to Asia to Drown Myself in Cuteness
Sunday, August 12, 2012
How I'm Spending My Sunday
A friend dropped off some unwanted art supplies so I decided to take the pen box she gave me and cover it with Allison Kreft's line of "Everyday Eclectic" paper, washi tape and deco tape. Now I have (another) new pen case. Fun! I may add more to it. I'll post if I do! Hope your weekend is going well. |
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Friday, August 10, 2012
Keep It Real
My blog (and facebook posts) of late aren't meant to evoke sympathy or sadness. They're meant for two things: 1. Documentation (it's my blog about my life experiences and the world as seen through my eyes.) 2. Encouragement My attitude has always been if I can do it, so can you. If I can keep a journal, you damn well can, too! If I can pour my heart and soul out onto the pages, so can you. Keep it real. I keep thinking of the peeps who say that journaling should only be about happy things. Are you fucking kidding me? Seriously? Journaling should be about your LIFE and life ain't always gumdrops and roses. Keep it real. Keep it you. If I could offer any words of advice to a journal artist just cracking open a book for the first time, there they are. Of course "'dems may be fighting words" to some but I always stand by what I say (as well as by what I write.) Try it. Crack it open. See what happens. |
Thursday, August 09, 2012
Save the Dates!!
I'm working on my Fall/Winter schedule as we speak. I'll know more next week once Tristan starts school. I'm looking forward to: October 5-7th Fremont, CA classes TBA November 9-11th Frenzy Stamper Scottsdale, AZ Classes TBA sometime in late December: Ink About It Westford, MA Local classes: TBA next week! I have two wide open weekends in October and November that I'm looking to fill with a road trip. If you know of a venue that may be interested in having me teach, please let me know asap! Thanks!!! |
Wednesday, August 08, 2012
12 July 2012 Journal Page
I promise that all of my pages won't be so sad like this one is. It's just how it is right now (and I am NOT apologizing for it.) It's just one minute, I'm sad. Later, I may be happy but then I get slapped back into reality with, "oh yeah..." Such is life and its roller coaster of emotions. |
Tuesday, August 07, 2012
15 July 2012 Journal Pages
Still unpacking and finding space in my home for the various things I brought back from my parents' home. I'm thinking of downsizing again. Books that need new homes. A new sewing machine I've used twice. Stuff like that. Having to sort through my parents' stuff has made me think again about what's important and what isn't. I have no problem getting rid of MY stuff (that said, I brought back a small bag of toys that I loved as a child and two stuffed animals. I may have seen Toy Story one too many times. I have three bags of stuffed animals in my closet. Art stuff I can get rid of. Quite easily. I've done it a zillion times. Toys from my childhood, not so much.) It's just making the time to do it. Baby steps. |
Monday, August 06, 2012
12 July 2012 Journal Page
I worked on the above page while attending San Diego Comic-Con 2012. One last shout out for my classes this weekend at Scrap 2 It in Fort Collins, CO. Registration closes at 6 pm tonight. |
Sunday, August 05, 2012
Saturday, August 04, 2012
Thanks, Art Unraveled 2012!
I had a great time teaching at Art Unraveled 2012! I always say that I have the best students and I REALLY mean it. I hope you guys enjoyed every moment of it. It's been a hard week for me as Dad was supposed to be here. Trying to be gentle and am taking baby steps as much as possible. Thanks for understanding. Last call for sign-ups for Scrap 2 It in Fort Collins, CO! Fingers crossed to see YOU there! Tristan and I are heading home in the early morning. I'll have my tunes blaring and my iced tea ready. |
Friday, August 03, 2012
Bringing Home the Goods and more....
Speaking of traveling and teaching, my classes in Colorado are in danger of being canceled. If you're interested, I need you to sign up right now. I've been teaching in Colorado every summer for years and it will be very sad if I have to cancel. The samples are in the store as well as online. I hope to see you there.