Art Journaling

I've been dabbling in my art journals. Here are a few examples of my work. I use mixed media to make collages. I usually start out by prepping the paper using varying methods. Sometimes I use torn book pages, scrapbook paper, magazine clippings, torn paper layering, or gluing pages together for strength. When you use a lot of water to mix and blend colors, your page will need some building up to keep it from tearing. I use another method as well, which is applying Gesso to the page. This gives it a gritty texture and makes the page stiffer. It also helps give the color application something to grab onto. Sometimes I only use Gesso, other times I use torn paper and Gesso together.

"Always Singing, I Wonder Why?" 

Mixed media: watercolor, layered stamping, magazine clipping collage.

Progression: I drew an outline of a bird in my journal. I then traced it to use as a pattern. I clipped magazine pictures to make each component and then glued each piece into my journal.

Next I added watercolor to the background and used stamps to create depth and texture.

Then I added more layered stamping. Layering different stamps and ink colors adds interest and helps to build the page.

Final touches were permanent pigment markers to write, and a top coat of Mod Podge to seal the piece.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 "Tall Houses"

Mixed media: Acrylic paint, magazine clipping collage, stenciling, 

and permanent marker

This piece was inspired by Suzanne Sbarge's work- 

stencilinghttp://nuartgallery.com/zoom_artists.php?id=368&artid=18&page=3

I loved the way she used picture clippings of wood and windows and misc. items to "build" her houses. I thought I'd give it a try and see if I could learn from her design elements. It was a lot of fun to piece it together. I added a background using acrylic paints with stenciling and also some stamped tiles to the bottom of the picture as a foundation. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Word Nerd, in plain English"

Mixed media: torn out page from a Shakespeare play, magazine clippings, lettering stickers, clear puff paint (on typewriter keys) stamping, markers, colored pencil, 

and Faber Castell Gelatos.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Her Peacefulness"

Mixed media: Faber Castell Gelatos, stamping, white ink, purple ink, magazine clippings, permanent marker, and Mod Podge.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Love Yourself"
Mixed media: acrylics, magazine clipping, permanent marker,
shiny black outlining paint



Progression: I started with a picture from National Geographic magazine. I loved the bright colors and the way this woman had adorned her feet.

I tried to pick up the vibrant hues from her garment for the background.

I added my thoughts on loving self.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Spread happiness and healing & hope."

Mixed media: magazine clippings, acrylics, stamping, permanent marker, gel pens

Progression: I used acrylics to paint the background. Notice how I used a dry brush to give texture in some spots. Using a magenta stamp pad, I stamped on the flower blocks.

I added wording bee stamps, flower stamps, and outlined the flower block flowers.

At this point it needed a bit of punch to make things come alive, so I outlined the title strips. I used the same colors as on the "Love yourself" design above because they were side-by-side layouts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Hands to Work, Hearts to God"

Mixed media: Faber Castell Gelatos, magazine clippings, book page stencil,

permanent marker, brush markers, Mod Podge

Progression: I cut out various hand pictures from magazines. I made a heart by stenciling onto a book page then coloring in with a red brush marker. I cut out 1/4 " around the heart to expose some of the book page.

I set the design pieces aside and started the layout and lettering.

On the opposite page, I did a quick page about service.

"When ye are in the service of your fellow beings, 

ye are only in the service of your God."

For the final design, I glued the hands inside of the heart and used Gelatos to work the background colors. I used the same colors for the side-by-side layout.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" Life is short, so make a splash!"

Mixed media: magazine clippings, gesso, acrylic, straw blowing, assorted lettering

Progression: Page buildup in background, gesso base. I tried straw blowing and discovered that a large straw worked best. I used some gesso to rub out hard edges and added a mermaid to the rocks, and dabbled with lettering and outlining.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"When life gives you lemons..."
Mixed media

Progression: I laid down some pictures and a few page-building scraps.

 

I glued down some transparent die cuts and magazine clippings and used colored pencil to outline. I wasn't happy with the lettering job I did in the middle or the vibrancy of the background color.

So, I added some Gelatos to amp up the color, layered a page book heart over the lettering I didn't like, made a new label, added a few more hearts and did some outlining to make things pop a bit more. I also used brush markers to amp up the color of the floral transparency die cuts. I like the results. The beauty of art journaling is that you can go back and layer right over the things you don't like.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Thoughts"
Mixed media: stickers, magazine clippings, gel pens, acrylic, watercolor,
permanent marker, stenciling, doodling


Progression: page building with gesso, scrapbook paper, daily planner page, and magazine clippings. Notice how the dragon fly is cut off on the left side. This gives the layout interest.

Next, I used acrylic paints to do some color blocking and shading.

Then, I added my thoughts about 'thoughts', put down some stickers, outlined, and did a few areas of overlay stenciling. I spent some time on the intricate areas of doodling- the checkerboard,the top red color blocks, the vines, swirly's and paisley's.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Owl you need is love."
Colored pencil and marker

~~~~~~~~~~~

"The spirit within me."
Mixed media: book pages puff paint, watercolors, permanent marker, doodles

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Longer?"
Mixed media: Gelatos, watercolor, magazine clippings, acrylics,
 doily stencil, trim, gel pens



Progression: I used a purple Gelato to create the box in the middle and then gently used a spritz of water to soften the lines. I spritzed the whole page after that. I used watercolors to add softness. Then I used a very loaded watercolor brush and tapped it to cause drops to splatter on the page. Since the page was already wet, the droplets blended nicely on their own.

After that I added the wording from cut out magazine titles and did some stenciling using a paper doily. I brushed on Mod Podge and something wonderful happened. I forgot that I was using a water soluable gel pen and not a permanent one. So when I spread on the Mod Podge, the colors bled. I really like the effect it created. That is why I love art!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Black and White"
Mixed media: stickers, book pages, magazine clippings, doodling, permanent marker, lettering, tags, vellum



Progression: I started collecting black and white bits of this and that. Pretty soon the collage just emerged. It all started with the picture of the penguin.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Embrace your curves"
Watercolor and permanent marker

Progression: I was painting to come up with a random background. As I looked at how the paint collected, I began to see an image emerge; that of an abstract curvy woman.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Be Willing to Let Go"

Mixed media: Gelatos, stamping, magazine clippings, marker, acrylics, book page w/brush markers

~~~~~~~~~~~

"My Favorite 7 comedy movies"

Mixed media: lettering stickers, gel pens, colored pencil, clipping

~~~~~~~~~~~

"We gather together with a single goal..."

Mixed media: freehand bookpage designs, stamping, 

hole reinforcer stickers, clippings, markers, stenciling

~~~~~~~~~~

"The World... it is a jungle out there!"

Mixed media: acrylics, clippings, stamping, sticker lettering

Progression: Layered acrylic green paint hues.

I did the same here on the opposite page. Created a background with greens.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Yes/No"

Mixed media: sponging acrylics, clippings, sternciling, gel pens

Progression: Started with sponging and dabbing various colored acrylic paints.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"there... That place seems good where we are not."

Mixed media: clippings, gesso, stenciling, doodling, acrylics

 Progression: Found a picture of a rocking chair I liked. I wished I was 'there' sitting on an unknown porch, rocking away my cares. I started stenciling checkered patterns then fleur de leis. Then it started progressing from there.

                                                  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Carpe Diem"

Mixed media: stenciling, gesso, acrylics, velum, clipping, stickers

Progression: gesso and acrylic then stenciling and outlining. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 "Fairy Dust"

Mixed media: clippings, book pages, brush markers, watercolors, clear glitter

Progression: watercolor wash then glue with clear glitter sprinkled on top.

Next, I added clippings and placed wings behind the female using a magazine clipping found on a dress pattern. I glittered and lettered.

 

Lastly, I outlined everything with gel pens.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"Books"

Mixed media: clippings, stickers, watercolors, stamping, permanent marker

Progression: laid down magazine clippings, page build-up materials, library cards. Then I added journaling, watercolor, and stamping.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"The Key is Love"

Mixed media: clippings, stickers, Gelatos, doodling, book pages, brush markers, Mod Podge, rose petals from the flowers my son gave me for Mother's Day 2013.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Sweeten Your Life"

Mixed media: clippings, die cuts, stenciling, stickers, watercolor, permanent marker

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Girly Girl"

Mixed media: clippings, stamping, book pages, gesso, stickers, embellishment

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"It's Time"

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Sweet lovely goodies"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"the woods"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"glow, polish, refine"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

"My happy place"

Progression: clippings and scrapbook paper. I loved these dapper gals.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"imagine creativity"

Progression: clippings, gesso, word strips, stenciling, tag

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 "Let it Go!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

 "sweet dreams"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~