Be Kind Journal Page

Sometimes I journal as if I'm leaving important messages for my grandchildren.  I want them to be kind, brave and honest, among other positive traits.  I want them to speak up for themselves, and as I'm writing this, my mind is formulating a journal page titled Speak Up.  But for now, I'll post this page that began with a coat of gesso, then some distress ink around the edge, gessoed circles over that, then colored with watered down acrylic paint allowed to drip down the pages.  I added some strips of scrapbook paper, then some altered playing cards, and a fussy cut of a nuthatch painting I completed several years ago. I also used a piece of floral fabric under the nuthatch instead of a piece of doily.  I wrote across the whole page before adding the collage elements on top.

All Creatures Journal Page

When I paint small works of art for the Art*Bar exhibition, I'll try to do a variety of subjects, but songbirds are one of my favorites, and I like to keep track of them by uploading onto the computer.  When I'm in an art journaling mood, sometimes I will make miniature prints of my "serious" paintings and incorporate them onto my pages.  That's the story of this page.

I added strips of gelli prints onto an unprepared book page, then layered some pieces of vintage doily, an ATC and fussy cut the image of the Goldfinch and placed it on a dark purple background.  I recently started using old playing cards as ATCs, and like the look of this one on the left page.  Looking back, maybe I should have incorporated a bird figure on that page too.  Oh well!

Circle Journal Page

This altered book page began with a coat of gesso, then some Dylusions spray inks dripped from the top.  Then I added a small piece of kitchen towel (it already had paint splattered on it), and some pieces of gelli prints on top.  I gessoed some circles and then added color to the circles with oil pastels.  On one side of the spread, I placed a torn piece of book paper, added a doily

on top of that, then layered a few pieces of gelli print and topped that off with some rusty washers and a safety pin.

Ticket Please Journal Page

I have been watching France Pappillon on YouTube.  I love her art journaling videos--she has some wonderful techniques, and she narrates them, so very easy to watch.  Anyway, I've incorporated some of her techniques into my more recent altered book journal pages.

 

 

No Limit Journal Page

I was so busy painting minis for the Art*Bar show, that I seriously put my art journaling to one side for awhile.  I've since created some very satisfying altered book pages.

This page started with watercolor crayons and then stenciled over in blue acrylic paint. I cut a piece of lace and tore a piece of paper, then edged that with distress ink.  I had been playing with watercolors on watercolor paper, and had this piece left over after cutting some tags, so adhered it to the page with a fleur de lis.

So Far This Year, 2014

Blog notes

 

Tonight I’m supposed to go to Lorin’s class, but am not exactly anxious to attend.  It’s probably the cold weather which really began earlier this week, and the fact that I don’t feel well.  My left shoulder injury has been giving me a lot of pain, and my diverticulitis has returned with a vengeance.  I’m not all that enthused about hauling stuff into the class, and then setting up my easel, etc. etc., but Lorin says I can  leave my easel and artcomber at class, and then not haul so much stuff, so I think that is what I might do.  This painting "Lake Sunset" was exhibited with a WIPAPA exhibition at the Art Bar this summer (July 2014) and sold.

 

01/02/14

Joanna called me about 2 weeks ago, and told me that she has been doing some art journaling, and that she was off of work for the holidays.  We made plans to visit her on the weekend between Christmas and New Year.  

Our visit with Joanna was wonderful.  We traded some paper supplies for journaling and worked on our art journals all weekend.  We made a complete mess of her dining room table, and it was really fun.

Joanna is going to retire on June 7, 2014.  I’m very happy for her, and at the same time, I’m jealous.  I can’t wait to retire.

 

04/30/14

This has been a really long cold winter, and just about everyone I know is sick of it.  Debbie announced last Saturday, that she and Paul will be spending January and February 2015 in Florida.  When I announced that I also have a vacation planned for the first week in January 2015, M1 emailed to say that she doesn’t want to be “left doing everything by herself”, and that I need to check my emails while on vacation. So Debbie and  M1 are trying to badger me into checking my emails every day while I’m on vacation, and it really, really pisses me off.  As if the gallery will collapse if I don’t answer an email. 

 

06/09/14

Debbie, Marcia 1 and I went plein air painting today at Boerner Botanical Gardens just to practice a bit before the Cedarburg Plein air event.  It went pretty well for me, as I was able to finish my painting.  We’re going to drive out to Cedarburg and scope out some painting areas on Tuesday.  Marcia Hochstetter and I are heading out to Lorin Willey’s plein air class today, 6/12/14.  I hope he can give us a step by step tutorial or something.

 

08/14/14

M1, Jan , and I met at the studio last night.  M1 made paper; Jan and I wrapped printed napkins around a piece of wood, and then mod podged it.  I think I will try to add rusty nuts and bolts to make it look like something I can sell at the Art*Bar mini show.  We’ll see—maybe a really funky kind of doll or something, with a wooden head, and wire arms with bolts for hair and bolts for hands.

 Today, I just had this yearning to go into my studio and work.  Chuck wanted to go for a bike ride this afternoon,  but I was so tired after work, that I was able to get into my studio and  putz around in it.

 

8/19/14

I’ve been doing some little watercolors of tulips and poppies, inspired by some journal pages I saw on Pinterest.  Chuck and I went to see the Kandinsky exhibition at the MAM on Sunday.  I was inspired to create a few mini watercolors using some of Kandinsky’s lines and shapes.  They turned out really cool, but  I’m not going to post photos of them yet, as I might mat and frame them for the Art Bar mini show.  The florals will probably sell better at Art & Soul gallery.

 

Today I’d really like to just write for a while in one of my journals.  After work, I have to meet with the Wauwatosa Fire Inspector at the Martini Girls Gallery—I hope everything passes okay.

09/09/14
The Fire Inspection went well.  We need to have our fire extinguisher serviced, and the light bulb replaced in the exit sign over the back door of the gallery.