Art Journal – Future
I’m really liking this new journal…it’s a joy to work in so far. This is the fourth page. This one began with a wash, collage pieces glued down. Then I started drawing little flowers and swirls in the background. I used a Sharpie pen and Caran d’Ache crayons again on this page. I am finding that I can use a Sharpie pen if the crayons have been thinned with water. As for the future, I’m trying to stay positive about it.
Art Journal – I See You
I learned that I should prep several pages ahead of time. I put a wash on the next page after I glued paper on this one, and as a result, the paper is all wrinkled. There is a wrinkle going all the way down the woman’s face. I added the black pants that she has on…in the original, she had on a swimsuit. I used black acrylic paint for that. The background is a wash of Caran d’Ache crayons. Then, after I glued the collage pieces on, I added more of the crayons and used a black watercolor pencil to outline everything.
Art Journal – Once Upon a Time
I should have stopped on this page about an hour before I did. I overworked it. The page did look better than it does now. I suppose that is how you learn what NOT to do. I started with a watercolor wash, glued down my magazine strips when that dried. I embellished with Caran d’Ache crayons. Does anyone know an ink pen that will write over the waxy crayons? I had to use my dip pen with India Ink to write with because my Sharpie pen wouldn’t write over them.
Art Journal – Alternating Currents
This is the first page in a new art journal. It is a Holbein Multimedia Book. I ordered it from Dick Blick. Mine measures approximately 5 x 7 inches but it is also available in other sizes. It has 28 sheets and is spiral wirebound. I think I’m really going to like working in it and the only drawback for me is the spiral in the middle breaking up the space if you want to do a two-page spread. If you recognize the face on this page…I printed it off and planned to use it again. I didn’t think it would be this soon. By the way, I love the new Sharpie Pens!
Mixed Media – Always
I tried something different today. I think there could be more contrast between the hair and the face but I am mostly pleased with it. I used some acrylic ink and paint on an old calendar base. Then, I glued down the collage pieces. I drew the face with a pencil and filled in the face area with flesh paint mixed with white. The hair was gray mixed with mostly white paint. I used watercolor pencils and some Caran d’ Ache crayons and kept working them around until I got the desired effect.
Collage – Mixed Message
I did this a few weeks ago. It was too large to scan so I had to wait until I got my camera working again….long story. The photo doesn’t show the detail that I get from a scan. I did this for one of my nieces. She likes red. This was done in my big sketchbook. I just started gluing down pieces and this is what I came up with. I altered some of the collage pieces with Prisma water soluble oil sticks and acrylic paint.
Collage – Energy
I started this last night and finished it this afternoon. The base is watercolor paper. I glued on various bits of paper…a piece of map and part of a “to do” list, among others. I went over the collage pieces with Caran d’Ache crayons, smooshing it around with my fingers. I drew the girl on tracing paper and tried to cut out the pieces but I couldn’t see the lines so I didn’t get her head right but managed to work with what I had. It was a good learning experience.
Garage Sales
I found some good buys at yard sales this morning. Since I have no art to share, I thought I’d talk about yard sales today. Hubby and I have a flea market booth to fill so we go to a lot of yard and garage sales. We would go to auctions but most of the auctions around here are farm auctions. We have tried auctions once or twice but left before they were over. We don’t like to stand around all day waiting until the one item we want goes up on the block. Anyway, back to the yard sales…I had to go solo today because hubby had surgery on his ankle last Thursday. I found several indoor sales and that was great because it was raining(again). I am finding that many people are charging more at their yard sales. Some are charging what I would pay at a flea market. However, one can still find good deals. This morning, I found an old tea pot, two cup and saucer sets, and several pieces of old jewelry. I also found an old notebook, dating back to 1987, kept by a lady named Ann. She apparently kept a detailed record of all knitting yarn she purchased along with store receipts and in some cases, mentions the person who will receive the knitted garment. She also listed some quilting fabrics purchased. I found it a fascinating record…the last entry was in 1991…Jeff’s Navy Guernsey sweater. I wonder if she got to complete Jeff’s sweater? I paid fifty cents for this dear woman’s notebook. I bought it thinking I would use some of the labels, etc., in some of my art work. I’ll have to think about it before I tear it apart. I scanned some pages from her notebook plus the jewelry I found. I paid a dollar for each necklace and the pair of earrings. The loose beads from an old pair of earrings were thrown in free. The colorful necklace and earrings were made in Japan and quite old, I think. The necklace is made of abalone shell pieces and glass beads. I scanned the jewelry and several pages from Ann’s notebook:
Art Journal – Love & My My My
This has been a busy time but I finally had some time yesterday and this morning to complete two pages in my cereal journal. I made a journal from cereal boxes and sewed the pages together on the sewing machine. I don’t know that I’ll do that again…or if I do, I won’t be using cereal boxes. I plan to use this mainly as a glue book. I had fun doing these two pages. I used Golden’s gel medium on the red page and it curled up. On the green page, I used Mod Podge and the page didn’t buckle or curl up. After gluing the collage pieces, I used oil pastels to accent the pages.
Collage – Floral Flotsam
Here is another floral piece. The other piece I had been working on found a place in the waste basket…some days are just like that, I suppose. This piece started with watercolor paper as a base. I covered the entire surface with collage papers. I painted over that with red and ultramarine blue acrylic paint. I rubbed most of that off. I thought it was too dark so I painted over that with a white pearl paint. I found some Stewart Gill paints that I bought when I took Suzi Blu’s class and tried some of them. I’m not sure that I like them…they are very iridescent. I also used my favorite black India Ink.
