Art Journal

Secrets

Secrets

I’ve been working through Dina Wakley’s Art Journal Freedom. So far, these are the two pages I love the most. The first is using the rule of thirds–dividing your page into thirds and putting the focal point where the lines intersect. The lips are painted on a small vellum envelope, and there is a secret inside.

I used magenta and gray ink in the background. I wanted to blow it around, but didn’t have any straws, so made do with rolled up paper. I accidentally smeared a bit of the magenta, but as often happens, it was serendipitous, giving me the perfect platform for my writing.

The text is from the movie The Prophecy, when the angel Gabriel explains why we have a divot above our lips.

Way back, before you were born, I told you a secret. Then I put my finger there, and said: “Shhh!”

Nevermind

Nevermind

The second exercise is about using lots of white space. I had a bunch of new toys to play with, so I used them liberally. I stamped with the bottom of a mushroom container; used stencils from Stencil Girl; and mixed teal paint with my delicious new fiber paste.

One of the coolest discoveries was made when I used the black napkin with white dots I picked up at the grocery store. The black stayed opaque, but the white became transparent. Neat effect!

I made up the phrase on this one, and found a vintage photo to go with it. It says:

“Nevermind, nevermind,” she said. “I have enough now.”

If you’d like to see more process pics, find me on my daily art progress blog, Skelemingo.

Craft Text Stamp from QKR Stampede

Spent some time at the Heirloom Rubber Stamp and Paper Arts Festival today. I went thinking I wouldn’t spend much. More fool me. Had a great time even though it’s a fairly small show, with only 21 vendors. There were lots of indie stamps and dies. Tessler Stamps/Stencils Company had a particularly good selection of wafer-thin dies. I didn’t pick anything up today, but I want to go back when their site is working (down as of this writing).

Here’s a short haul video:

My special guest says thank you!

Ellen

Art Journal: Butterflies are Free

I love Craft Test Dummies. I’m always watching their reviews for great new things. So while I’m not a big enterer of contests, when Jenny gave away a bunch of gift boxes for her 5th blogaversary, I joined up. Getting odds and ends from a crafter you admire is pretty cool. Much to my delight, I won. I decided that this would make a nice thank you.

This is more assemblage than I usually do, but I had fun playing with the stuff in the box!

Art Journal: Butterflies are Free

Art Journal: Butterflies are Free

For drawing class last week, we took off a shoe and drew it with colored pencils. I altered the colors, as my shoe was black. Knew I should’a worn my chucks. I decided to incorporate the drawing into a journal page.

28 feb 2013: Insole

I recorded one of those cool time-lapse videos for the page, but about an hour of it didn’t get recorded. Poo. And it was the good hour! So, no video.

28 feb 2013: Insole

The page starts with soft pastels. Followed up with a little stencil spraying.  I punched some squares from scrap paper for a border, and put a bit of gesso on them, then stamped them with a hand-carved stamp. The border is the one part of the page I really liked.

After that, pasting the shoe, and doodling mostly.

28 feb 2013: Insole

Not overjoyed with the page, but when I don’t like something, I tend to leave it as-is. It’s part of the learning process for me. My pens were frustrating me on the surface, so I ended up using things I didn’t want to use. *shrugs* It happens.

Well, if the lizards got a page, you know the cat had to have one.

I’ve decided my journal is a good place to get rid of old supplies, and use things I don’t often take out. This page started with using gel to layer on scraps from my last project, packaging, etc. Anything I had around. A layer of gesso, then I got out those very old tube acrylics that I don’t use because I don’t really like them. They were a bit thick, but I managed.

Queen of All She Surveys

Link to larger version

There are lots and lots of old acrylics there, along with a little Luminaire and some other Luminarte shimmery watercolors.

Another supply I don’t bring out often is Stickles.

Queen of All She Surveys

I used them here on the letters, and I love they way they turned out. I may be using them more often.

Oh, and a point for unexpected uses: those leaves on the edges are actually one side of a poinsettia stencil. They’re not just for Christmas anymore.

I’ve also been bringing out stamps I haven’t used.

Queen of All She Surveys

I got this dotted butterfly in a bargain bin ages ago. I think it was 50 cents. It’s very flexible, so was perfect for this highly textured surface. Now that I’ve used it, I think it will come out again and again. Interesting tidbit: the dots on the stamp are actually negative, but the paint pool in the holes, making them positive.

It’s a lot easier to remember what you have in your stash if you actually use it once or twice!

I don’t know how long I’ll keep up with it, but I have finally started an art journal. I had an absolute blast making this page, so barring time constraints, this could be a regular thing for me.

I’m using a Dylusions Creative Journal, and it is a well thought out book. Despite layers and layers of ink and paint, nothing bled. The closure is easy and secure, and the pages lay flat very nicely. There’s even an envelope inside the cover for ephemera.

Many craft supplies were harmed in the making of this page. I can’t even go into all the stuff there. I will say that I’m loving Dylusions ink sprays (sounding like a shill, aren’t I?), and I also enjoyed using the Golden Glass Bead Gel.

The only real regret I have on this page is the lettering. I had a new alphabet die and I just had to use it. Sadly, the letters were too small, and by the time I realized I would rather peel them up and just write, there was too much texture there to fix. Ah well, live and learn.

01jan13-lizards r cool

Here’s the entire page. Lots of black & white doodling, which is a blast. I only wish I could find an opaque white pen with a finer tip than the Gelly Roll.

01jan13-lizards r cool-close

Here’s a close-up of the lizard. I used the glass bead gel through a stencil, then dabbed a little yellow paint on once it was dry.

For art journal inspiration, I recommend watching some youtube!

France Papillon
Jennibellie
Rach0113 (Beware, and I mean this, do not watch Rach0113 with the sound on. Listen to something else, and mute youtube immediately. She’s amazingly creative, but man, that music.)