Art Journal Page Twelve

Page twelve in my art journal sits across from page eleven, so the two pages are seen together when the journal is open.

The pages had the same treatment, with modge podge, paint, stamping and even down to pen choice and line work.

As with page eleven, I found this page too insipid, so it too got the magazine treatment at the same time I did page eleven.

I only used one page from the magazine for both pages. I had cut the magazine  page into strips, and half of each strip was glued onto one page, and half  onto the other, with a space left between the strips. On page eleven there was some orange, while on page twelve there were mustards, greys and blacks. 

It still gave the page some life and the black from the boat in the magazine picture lifted and accentuated the outline of the number twelve

This was my page twelve before I added the magazine page, while the top photo is the completed page. It looks much better.

Art Journal Pg 11

Opening up to a blank page in my art journal is always daunting. The last one I had painted green and hated it so I pasted paper over it. The full story of that page can be read here. ( create link)

For this one I mixed colours together again and painted the pre-prepared mod podged page. I have decided my painting skills need work. Once dry, I then proceeded to stamp on another colour with a star shaped stamp I created years ago from a cork.

At least my page now had something on it, so then it was a case of picking out pens to add some line work. I had my trusty black felt tipped pen, but I also looked through all the coloured texta type pens that I had. I found some Sharpies, and also some gel pens, but settled on the gel pen for colour. It was orange, and I thought stood out best on the paint colour.

I used the painted stamp as a starting point, and drew star shapes echoing the stamp, then more lines to repeat and accent the shape. Then I got out the orange gel pen and drew little orange dots between the lines. M...... still not liking the page, I added an outline around the orange dots in my fine, black felt tipped pen. It was better, but still not to my linking. I left the page for ages before I did anything else to it. I added some black dots and circles to the inside of the number eleven, and this seemed to make it worse. Every time I got it out I was trying to work out why I didn't like it.

It was something about the colour. I had picked the orange gel pen because I thought it would contrast with the painted background, but it didn't. It was the wrong shade of orange, and I came to the conclusion that it was a discordant colour scheme, one that I have never taken to.

So....... how to fix it and make it better? I could either paint over the top of it all and start again, or add something to it like I did before with the last one.

I had been going through old magazines and saving pictures that I liked, so I went through them and picked out one that I thought would blend in. The page was from a travel brochure, and was a picture of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong and the famous red sampan.

I cut the magazine picture into varying width strips, kept the strips in order, and then glued them over the top of my page so there were gaps in between. I cut the strips to length so that they fitted around my number eleven, not over the top.

The end result is much better. My number eleven is still the focus of my page, and the orange/red sail of the sampan adds that splash of contrast that I was looking for. The page to me now feels like a party on Victoria Harbour, something that I have done in real life. So in fact I have created a memory without even realising it.

This is what my page looked like before I added the  magazine strips. I wasn't sure if it was too busy, or what the problem was.  All I knew was that I wasn't happy with it. Now comparing the two, I think I had lost focus when I added the pattern to the inside of my number eleven. I always wanted the numbers to be the focus on the page.

I am content with the finished page. Would I use it for inspiration to my stitching? Not sure. Watch this space to find out.

Art Journal pg 10

Page 10 of my art journal lives opposite page my page 9. I prepared it and painted it at the same time. From then on I worked on the two pages treating them as one. I figured when  the page was opened, you will see both at the same time, so they have ended up similar, but not exactly the same.

Both were prepared with mod podge, both were painted and stamped, and yes I hated both. Both got the cut out paper treatment . The cuts were randomly done on the paper, so the holes are different shapes. The patterns that I drew inside and around the holes are also different, but the two pages flow well together.

In the beginning I hated these pages, but by adding the paper and patterns in and around the holes,  the pages have been  brought to life.

Art Journal Pg 9

For this page I mixed up three colours of  paint, a green, blue and white, then proceeded to paint onto a previously mod podged page. Then using a cork, I stamped little splodges for my numbers using white paint.

The numbers were then outlined in my wedge tipped felt marker to make them stand out.

At this point, I didn't like my page very much, it was too green. I am more of an aqua green person, so the page sat there while I decided what to do with it. I had this idea that I could cover it up with something else.

The something else turned out to be a scrap of recycled paper, I used the other side of something already printed. I first cut it to size to be a bit smaller than the page, then folded it onto sections and cut randomly along the folds. This created lace type effect, still letting in some of the green but not all. I also cut the shape of the number nine out of the white paper to make it more visible, then glued the cut sheet over the top of my painted page.

This left some lovely holes now that were open to some decoration. The decorating came in the form of my trusty fine tipped felt tipped pen.

In the end I love how this page turned out. It is definitely a 'me' page, full of holes and lacy effects. I will certainly be one that I will use for inspiration for my stitching.

Art Journal Pg 8

This page of my supposed art playing has been done for quite some time, about six moths in fact. I have got a bit bored with it and left it for some time. Well, maybe not bored, just not happy with what I am doing. This page is OK, it's some of  the subsequent ones that I do not like. But more about that later.

This is page eight, and the page  is similar to page seven. It was first mod podged, washed with colour, then sprinkled with salt and left to dry. The lines are drawn with a fine black felt tipped pen, then the number eight was cut from a magazine and glued in place.

Art and drawing comes way behind stitching in my life. I am trying to get better. Art is definitely in the eye of the beholder, and mine is maybe to be used for inspiration for my stitching. Would I use this one? Maybe. Maybe a cut cross section that has been enlarged. Watch this space to see what happens.

Art Journal Pg 7

For my art journal page seven I did something different again.

I first prepared the page with mod podge, then gave it a sponge  with a wash of aqua and white paint. The page became quite wet again, so this time I sprinkled some rock salt onto the page and let it dry. A bit messy, but hey, it wasn't a blank page!

I had plans of cutting my numbers this time from a magazine page that I  had saved. So once the page was dry, I drew my numbers in the magazine page, cut them out and glued them to my journal page.

I then began to draw lines with a  black fine line felt tipped pen. At first I outlined the green blobs that had formed, then just added in wavy lines to connect them all together.

This page has been finished for some time, and I must admit I have been a bit slack with my art journaling. My knitting has taken over. I'll try to get back to it every day.

Art journal Pg 6

Page six of my art journal has been finished for some time, and as it lives opposite page five, the page is very similar.

This page was sealed with Mod Podge and wet sponge painted with an aqua coloured paint at the same time that I did page five.

After discovering that my ball point pen wouldn't show enough on these pages, I continued with the wedge tipped marker and drew my number six. From there, still using the wedge tipped marker, I marked out some basic lines that continued from the previous page, but also blended into my number six. This included the spiral in the center of the six.

Then I changed to my fine felt tipped pen and added in some patterns.

I have discovered that I quite like making patters on my pages, working out what I might use for making some lace designs or some future stitching. I also feel that by adding colour and using two different tipped pens is adding dimension to my pages.

It's all about experimentation for me in this new world of art journaling. I wonder what I will experiment with on my next pages?

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Art Journal Pg 5

Page five of my numbered art journal is finished. I experimented with a few different things this time.

After the last two pages (where I washed them with a tea/coffee colour wash) bucked under the wetness and crinkled my pages, I purchased something called "Mod Podge" which was supposed to be a water based sealer/glue/finish.

 So page number five has been firstly sealed with Mod Podge, then wet sponged with an aqua colour paint. After letting it dry, I worked with my trusty ball point pen and drew my number five. Mmmmm........ I could hardly see the line on the coloured background, so I went over it with a wedge tipped black marker.

From there I continued with the wedge tipped marker, and added in some basic shapes that continued on from the number five.

By this stage I felt that the page was getting very heavy and needed some lightness, so changed to a fine felt tipped pen to add in further patterning.

I quite like the page, it is a bit different for me using a wedge tipped marker on such a small scale. I usually like fine work in anything. Wedge tipped markers in this house are reserved for marking food items in the freezer . This time though I think it has added some dimension with the use of two different tipped markers as well as paint, and the page has certainly given me some inspiration for stitching.

Art Journal Pg 4

My art journal continues, if somewhat slowly. I have been a bit slack with the ten minutes a day thing, but I do try when ever I have time, or manage to think about it.

This is page four, which lives opposite page three. It is coloured with the same tea/coffee wash that I used on page three. I actually colour washed the pages at the same time so they would be ready when I was.

This page continued on with the drawing of some seed heads, as well as some words and some patterning. I find that  I like making patterns the best, and as yet am still using just a ball point pen.

Now I have started with the number thing, I think I will continue with it. It gives me a starting point each time.

The other thing I have found is  the ten minutes a day thing can very easily stretch out into 30 minutes as I get lost in this mark making world. Just as I get lost in my stitching world, I end up in some other place for a short time, escaping reality, and creating inspiration for my future stitching.

Art Journal Pg 3

I have been continuing to use pen work in my journal every day, only a few minutes mind you, but still every day.This is my page three.

This page started with a wash of tea and coffee dregs. Somewhere I had read about using coffee washes on paper, why not? I had tea washed fabric before, why not paper? So when making my first cuppa for the day, I placed the sodden tea bag in a bowl. My plan was to drag it over the page, but them I spied the coffee pot from the previous night which still had to be emptied. I emptied it in with the tea bag. This gave me a dirty coloured cold liquid with which I could paint.

When the page was dry, I did notice that the page had gone crinkly (as paper does when it's been wet), but also some of the colour had seeped through to the other side of the page. This is the colour that showed on my page two. Note to self, read how to avoid this.

As I had started with putting numbers on my pages, I thought that the best idea was to continue, so number three became a reality, just a single line at first. Then came the parsley seed head. It had been calling out to me to draw it for some time, so I did. Then I added the word 'Parsley' following the curve of the number three. Form there the page took on a life of it's own.

I am finding it interesting that a page of doodling can have a life of it's own, and that 'things' cry out to be drawn. Just like my stitching really. My stitching talks to me quite often and tells me what it needs, these pages are doing the same. Must be just part of the same creative process.

My page four has been started, I wonder where that will lead.

Art Journal Page 2

My journey into this art journaling world is continuing. Most mornings I am putting aside a minimum of ten minutes, while I savour my first morning cuppa and listen to the news of the day. I find though that the ten minutes goes really fast and  I want to continue, which of course I do. It is easy to get lost in this world for twenty minutes at a time, and like my stitching, it takes me to another place.

I have found once a page is started,  I can usually add something to it. In this case, the journal has been started, so it is easy to make that next page.

I did start this journal with page one, drawing a number one on the page and leaving it blank. At the time I marked a number two on the next page, and that has been my starting point for my second page. For the most part, I have left it blank also, except for one tiny part where I stuffed up. Well, not stuffed up really, I just made a mark where I wasn't planning to. This is where I learned that there are no mistakes, I just had to work around it.

I had divided this page off into sections too, the same as I did for page one. Though this time the sections were more curved, where on page one they were more square.

In some of the reading I have been doing, it says to 'follow your heart', and to a certain extent this is happening. My stitching talks to me and tells me what it needs, and now these pages are doing the same. There are also 'things' that I spot that just call me and ask me to draw them. This is what I am finding really interesting.

On this page the leaves called to me, especially the flat leaf parsley that grows in the garden under the clothes line. It's hard to spot now because the page is so filled in, but it is there. Then came the other leaves, the ivy geranium, the gum, the begonia,and the thistle.

The other thing that calls to me is lace, and wanting to design my own, so there are scalloped edges and curved lines and picot edges in this page as well.

There is also a slight hint of colour. This has actually come from the next page which is painted. The 'paint' has actually seeped through the page, not that I mind of course, it adds to the feel of the page. I have bought a product which I plan to use on all future painted pages, to maybe stop this from happening and maybe help strengthen the pages. But more on that next time.

So far I am enjoying this journey. It is my new journey, and I am learning to follow my heart just like I do with my stitching.

Art Journal Page One

About a month ago, I was inspired to enter the art journaling world, the beginnings of which can be read here. Since then, I have completed a whole page, a first for me with just my own 'drawings'.

I had read about being intimidated by that first blank page, and that was so true. All the articles I read said to prepare and paint a page. Mmmmmmm............. that would mean getting out paints, brushes, water jars, table protectors etc etc. Did I want to do that? Nah............ So I didn't.

I had also been reading about materials to use, which gave great long lists of things, some of which I had, some of which I didn't. Then I read about the fact that art journaling could be done with just a few simple things such as one piece of paper and a pen. Well, I certainly had that, my little spiral backed sketch book, and a black ball point pen. Yep, that's all I used.

So where did I start? Staring at that very first blank white page sure was intimidating! What to do? So I began thinking about my day and what I had done that I had enjoyed. My phone call to my friend came to mind, which then led me to numbers, after all I needed numbers to call her. So I began at number one, this was after all my first page.

I drew a number one on the page, quite large to hopefully fill the space. What now? I just kept continuing some of the lines from the corners out to the edge of the page, still keeping that number one intact. This then gave me other areas to do things with, some got sectioned off further, some got left as they were. They were little individual spaces that I could fill with what I wanted.

It's taken me over a week to fill this page. Each time I have taken something that has happened in my day and put it into lines to fill a small space. I could be anything from pruning roses, hanging out washing, attending a wedding, or cutting bad spots out of potatoes. Who says our days can't be inspiring?

So I feel the page is now complete, and I have moved onto page two. Would I use this page for anything other than to look at? Absolutely! I have already had view finders out on it and imagined slices cut from it. They would have to be enlarged of course, but they are definitely usable for an original piece of textile creativity. Watch this space!

Art Journals

Some weeks ago, one of my stitching friends led me to a blog called Balzer Designs. After browsing around for a while,  I came across a page about art journaling. What was art journaling ? So I started reading and researching and got inspired.

From what I understand , an art journal can be anything you want it to be. A place to sketch, paint, paste, colour, draw, write, in fact anything creative on paper.

I have been working on visual diaries now for some years, and have quite a few. So how is an art journal different from a visual diary? In fact, I think my pile of visual diaries meet the description of an art journal. I have drawn, pasted, written, and in a few cases coloured. These diaries are my inspiration now for all my stitching.

Possibly the difference between an art journal and my visual diaries might be the 'artistic view'. My visual diaries are quick sketches of things that inspire me, with simple notes written with arrows to help explain what I mean. Sometimes there may be pages from magazines stuck in, which could be anything that may inspire me. It could be a photograph from a travel magazine, a cut section from an advertising leaflet, a cut section from a textile magazine. I even have visual diaries now for specific things. I have one especially for lace, one for drawn thread work, and one especially for any kind of machine sewing, like possible applique or garment construction. My visual diaries may not be pretty to look at, and my not have pages that could be hung on a wall, but they are full of inspiration.

In my reading over the last few days, one of the things I found was that starting was the biggest issue, and staring at that blank white page becomes intimidating. It sure does, but looking around at our surroundings or thinking about our day and what we have done gives us plenty of inspiration. We just have to make a mark on paper. How many times have I been told that over the years?

So why start an art journal rather than a visual diary? In my case I want to explore my creative talent in a different form. I am so comfortable with playing with fabric, needles and thread, now I am going to see how far I can go into the paper/ art world, and yes it is uncomfortable. Sure, I have played with paper and paint before, but I always come back to textiles. It is after all in my blood.

I invite you all to follow me in this journey to see how far I go. At the moment I am just playing with a black ball point pen and white paper. Hopefully I may get the courage to delve deeper with paint, other papers and colour in it's many forms. The above pic is page one of my new art journal. let's see how many more I can create and how I grow.