I recently found a couple of art journal groups on Facebook, much to my delight.  I'd hate to think that I'm the only artist in Milwaukee, WI that is totally addicted to art journaling, and altered book art journaling.  I've posted a few photos to the various sites; it's so nice to get positive feedback for artwork that is not my usual "serious" oil or acrylic paintings. 

One of the groups is called Journal52 and the administrator of the group posts a new prompt every week, which I think is awesome.  Sometimes I get tired of the usual art stuff mulling around in my head, and need some fresh inspiration.  Well, I just found this group about 2 weeks ago, so have been catching up with the first 5 weeks of prompts.  Here are some results.

Week 1- Pathways  Background is Dylusions spray inks, then acrylic painting over that.

Week 2 - Just Be  Gessoed page, then Dylusion spray inks, and alphabet stencil, a layer of gesso over that, then acrylic paint applied over a stencil.  A torn book page creates a spot to write the prompt with a gel pen.

Week 3 - Conversation Starters   Background is Dylusions spray inks, then some torn Tim Holtz tissue pieces, and a deli paper flower collaged with matte medium.  Circle were cut from music and book pages, then stained with watered down acrylic paint.  Words were written with a Sharpie.

That's all I have finished for now. 

Cityscape Fun!

I had been thinking about doing a "cityscape" out my gelli prints as a journal spread and came up with this one when I was at Universal Studios recently.  Inspired by Diagon Alley, and Hogsmeade, but in much brighter colors.

I actually used dark blue tissue paper for the sky, and assorted gelli prints for the houses and roofs. I layered them for a bit more depth, and I'm pretty happy with the result.

It's Okay Journal Page

This is the page I finished last night.  I love to use gelli prints in my journals and altered books.  Here, again, I used a wash of acrylic paint in burnt sienna and quinacridone nickel azo gold mixed together.   Then added circles and a star in gesso, and colored them with gel sticks.  I used an alphabet stencil over that with turquoise acrylic, and some rubber stamping all over the spread.  Stars in different sizes were cut from gelli prints and glued on, then I added some small stars and hearts stamped with gesso.  I painted over some of the small stars with red enamel, and used dylusions ink on some of the little hearts.

My stars aren't perfect, and I like them like that.

It All Hinges

For this altered book page, I started with a wash of acrylic paint in burnt sienna and quinacridone nickel azo gold mixed together.  I stenciled over that with pink acrylic paint using one of Julie Fei Fan Balzer's stencils, then added some circles with gesso.  I have a lot of fun strips of watercolor paper which I had dredged through some distress stains to color them, so used them on top of the circles.  Paper doilies make a great addition, so I cut one into 2 pieces and used each piece on the spread.  I also have accumulated a lot of cotton doilies and like to use parts of them as an additional layer.  I added the buttons and hinge on top of the pieces of cotton doilies, and then added a little journaling finish it off.  I hope you like it:-)

"Discover" Journal Page

This page was created by mixing some red acrylic paint with gesso and spreading it on the page with a brush.  Then I took vintage photo distress stain and applied it around the edges.  Thin strips of  scrapbooking cardstock were applied over the painted pages, after which I formed a heart out of floral wire and attached it to the right hand page.  I sewed a folded piece of pink polka dotted fabric and added that next to the strips of paper, then glued a doily (sprayed with dylusions inks) and added a leather disc on the left side.  Journaling was added last.

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!