borders

When was the last time you got out your crayons and just played?
I decided that I wanted to do a watercolor wash over crayon...I just love the resist effect.

Love!!!

Then, inspired by the Documented Life Project prompt of "Borders," I cut strips of clip art from Teesha Moore and bordered the page. (It was at The Original Rubber Stamp Convention in Carson, CA many years ago that I heard Tracy and Teesha Moore speak about art journaling, and so began my art journaling journey.) Next I cut my memorial stones and "stacked them in the center...added some pen work and journaling ...done...(at least for now. I'm trying to decide if I want to add a bird sitting on the top stone...)

Simple! Basic supplies and a simple lay-out and you are set! (And when you open that box of crayons...it HAS to be Crayola...take a deep whiff...it will take you back to your most creative years...kindergarten...truly!  I just love how they smell!)
Have fun!!!

still in the making

Here is a peek at my process of a page still in the making...

Scrapbooking paper glued to my journal page...

A light coat of white gesso applied to center...

I used a Dina Wakley stencil and traced the girl's shape onto a dictionary page, cut it out, glued it to the page...

 



 I cut stars from a piece of newsprint that had over-spray from a previous project (yes, I DO save my "under-papers"...sigh)...

 

Next I outlined all of these with a Stabilo pencil and activated the lines with water...yum!...

 

Then I took an acrylic marker and dotted a border...

 

I'm happy with it so far, but I "know" it isn't finished yet...I will definitely add some writing, even if just a word or two...how would YOU finish this page?

contrast

 

  

This is a project that I did for Lifebook 2015...It was a bit of a stretch for me since I don't usually "work" like this...but I really enjoyed exercising different art muscles...

 

On 9"x12" Strathmore Bristol paper, I collaged tissue, book pages, washi tape...then I added a bit of stamping, acrylic paint and then gesso to tone things down and unify the page.  Next came these fun doodly imaginary plants (per Tam Laporte's instructions)...this was the big stretch for me since, while I love to doodle, it is a little intimidating to me to have MY "drawing" actually be the focal point of the page...yikes!...Next, I used NeocolorII watercolor crayons to add color.  This was super fun since I only occasional "play" with watercolor crayons...BUT, note to self:- keep them out and use them more...this was so much fun!...

 

The point of this exercise was to explore value contrast...so I created a few very dark (thickly colored) spots and then contrasting lighter spaces...this was a very interesting, very meditative, very thought provoking art time...I thought about contrast and diversity...and how without the dark and light...the differences...that art...and life...would be a bit monochromatic...definitely less interesting.

I really, really liked the light and darker color blocks I had created, so it was a "stretch" again to add penwork (I almost didn't do this)...white acrylic paint pen to the darker areas, and black to the lighter areas...

 

Here are some close-ups of different spots on the page...

 

 

Oh, and of course, I added WONDER (my WotY)...printed on vellum and stapled to the page.

 

There you have it...the value of contrast.  :)

 

 

mark making

The theme for March for Documented Life Project was mark making...this is where I started...

I "sat" with this for a while...wasn't inspired to add any more "marks" soooo...

...my default is usually dictionary page pieces...  :)

A little acrylic paint-colors of spring-swiped on with an old credit card...this is where I am...I'm liking it this way, although I know that I will add to it...what would you add to this page?