Art Journaling

The idea of art journaling isn't new to me.  I've seen it and heard about it and watched one of my besties, Laurel, work in her own personal art journal many times.  Since I'm primarily a scrapbooker I've just never considered it to be part of my own creative activity.  That and it's messy.  I'm not a messy kind of girl :) 

But in December we went to an art journaling workship with Mary Freeman and something just clicked.   I'd been in a bit of a slump, personally and was really struggling with how to express it.  Scrapbooking wasn't the answer.  In fact it felt like all of my creativity was gone.

She read a prompt that really spoke to me about walls.  And letting those walls down.  And before you know it I was actually itching to get my hands dirty.  I had no idea how I would create the picture in my head, but I was determined to do it.  And so I did.

And somehow this girl was the end product.  It was me, with all of these dark walls.  And then there was this piece that had been broken down and there were little kernals of hope.  For me, it was a huge step...not just in my thinking, but in my thoughts about what I was capable of, creatively. And so began the art journal. 

**let me note that these pages may not be pretty or finished, or even your (or my) style.  They are meant to act as a journal....practice of methods, even.  In most cases, for me, there is hidden journaling beneath all of these layers of paint.  Words that I need to speak, even if, in the end they can't be read.**

 

My "one little word" page.

Hidden journaling

Not so hidden journaling

Just a word about what I was thinking about.  And watercolor practice.

And here's a page in progress.  I had words I wanted to write:

And then began layering paint.

And then even more paint.

So there it is.  My newest, messiest adventure.  And even better, it's a bit cathartic!  I've had more paint on my hands in the past two months than in my entire life!  And it is a good thing. 

 

More soon.