Having unscheduled downtime over the holidays recharged my batteries and made me realize how much my creativity suffers when I'm overworked and tired...and how often I am overworked and tired! This awareness came when I got out my art journal and began to paint backgrounds for future journaling. Once I got started, I couldn't stop. I experience pure joy when I sit peacefully on a stool at my kitchen counter, listen to an audiobook and play with color and images in a simple, organic, non-perfectionist manner.
You can read my first post about art journaling here and see some of my art journal pages on flickr here.
In April I'll be teaching a class called "Starting an Art Journal" for anyone who has never tried this, or any, art journal technique. Even if you aren't a beginner, come anyway and join us in the creative energy of the day! Information on that class can be found here.
I usually try to create several background spreads in one sitting so that when the urge to write hits me, the background page is ready for words. Here are the spreads I've done in the past few days. I apologize for the pages with glare. I took these photos quickly and didn't take time to fix anything. Mostly, I need to learn to use my camera better.
When I select the "X-Large" photo option on Blogger, half the photograph disappears soI set it on "Large". If you want a closer and more detailed look at the backgrounds, just click on the photograph.
n the photograph.
Pepper gives the final approval of this page...
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9 comments:
these are so gorgeous!!! =O
I especially love #14, it's so simple but looks very chic! this is my first time seeing something like this! im going to go read your other posts on the subject. thanks for sharing! =D
Boo!! I want to go! How about posting the directions online. Or just come and give me a private class? that would be much better!
The pictures that you have on there, are they just glued on? Do you use special paint? Special paper or just a regular journal?
I love the idea. That is going to be one of my 39 goals this year!
Ellie: Thanks! Why not come up to my class in April?
rxBambi: An online tutorial is a great idea! A private class even better. The pictures are simply cout out of old magazines. I use rubber cement or glue sticks. The book is an inexpensive composition journal (go to the link I referred to in post and you'll see an example). I would love to see some of your journal pages when you get them done!
So on your wishing Wednesday's I'll be wishing to attend your class in April...how fun! Love the pink of course, the pop up flap is fun, but the pages with the front of the 50's woman and her back on the next page made me giggle. So glad you had some unstructured time..good for you.
whoa, you have been going a bit crazy on the backgrounds! but when the inspiration strikes, we have to grab it! i know what you mean about not being able to stop once you get started, tho' what i managed was five completed pages and two backgrounds in my one sitting the other day.
as for the photo issue...i'd say the issue with x-large is due to your template, it probably only works well with a 2-column template where there's more room for the pix. and the spacing, you can fix by going in on the html side and simply deleting the extra spaces.
i haven't had spacing issues lately, so i thought they were cleaned up. are you using blogger in draft?
Liz, my love!
Happy year ahead. I want you to know that I took my Liz Lung Life along with me for the two weeks I was away. It helped me very much.
I look forward to strengthening the thread that has connected us in the last year. I hope you and all you love find more in this year than you could have ever imagined.
Love,
Holly
#1 blows me away. I love this idea.
May I ask what you used to make the dot texture on #8?
I liked the subtlety of the bacgkround against the larger, lighter letters. Very cool :)
Katie: Thanks! The dot texture was dot with a small rubber stamp that had 4 rows of dots. I just repeated the pattern over and over again on the page.
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