Art Journaling

This is my new love/learning method/therapy. I'm using a wire bound journal with cardstock weight pages. Sometime I scribble some thoughts first, then Gesso or paint over them to begin forming a collage, not so much to go with the words as just to go with my mood of the day... Sometime I focus on certain colors, or collage a bunch of pieces of paper that have been left on my table from other collage projects. It's fun to give myself a little challenge to use certain things.

I like to try out different styles and mediums of art, and it's fun to just play and give myself permission to make a mess and call it "art" if I want. This has been some of my best-spent time in my studio lately, freeing up my creative "muse" and I love the feel of the book as it gets filled up. This journal started out with glueing pictures and words on pages to convey feelings and thought, but now it's more collage and paint and I've entered a folk art/whimsical period that I'm really enjoying. (These two pages face each other in my journal).

I loved this little red-haired gal. This page (actually 2-page spread) started with a huge, painted mouth on a red background with the words "lips" stencilled at the bottom. I began collaging papers and paint over it, leaving some exposed areas and then worked on this little figure over top of everything else. She's a favorite.

The page on left began as a collage on "fashion" and ended up with a perplexed looking figure and I think that's my view toward being "fashionable". I'd rather buy art supplies!




Right: I collaged a scene on a painted background, added some stamping, printed tissue, sticker butterfly wings and a pic of myself when I was cute... I mean "young".

This one started out as a travel theme as I was really wanting to get away from it all. When I was finished, I was reminded of Anne of Green Gables. It has collaged papers and some painted Gesso over top and I've made swirls and loops through the Gesso while wet for added "texture" and interest.

I'll post more later and show you a page in progress and how it looks at different stages. This one at right is a page I Gessoed over and began again and got to this point. Since this photo was taken, I've painted in the figure a bit. I'll post an update later.

That's what is fun about art journaling...there are no rules. You can go back and change anything you don't like or just re-work something because you feel like it. On this one I added a dress, some color to the figure and an angel standing behind and over her with her arms wrapped around here, bringing peace... Come back later to see the updated version.

Now, go create in your own journal... use whatever book you have and cheap craft store paints. Doesn't have to be fancy, just a little paint or other medium of choice, some glue and pens... go have fun and please write and share a link to your journal if you have one...