Art journaling

Hello my crafty friends!!
     Today I wanted to talk about art journaling. I found art journaling about 6-9 months ago, and guess what? I LOVE it.
     I have about 5 journals that I am currently working in.  Some days I work in only one. Other days I work in several. While one is drying I work in another.  I do have a few that are (loosely) for particular purposes. One such beauty is my "release and relax" journal. I use this journal to get what ever is bothering me out and onto to the paper. It allows me to say awful or wonderful things without anyone ever knowing or finding out.
      I have always kept a journal, well not an everyday journal more like a in spurts journal. I have always felt so much better when I am able to "say" those things you should never say out loud. 
     One day about 7 years ago now, my husbands sister passed away very unexpectedly. She was a journal keeper and everyone wanted to read them. They wanted to "hear" her sweet give you the shirt off her back gentle and loving spirit forever immortalized in words on paper. That is NOT what was found. All her journals were negativity journals. Friends, family, ect. were devastated and hurt.
     For the longest time I would not dare write in journal, what if they found some of the terrible things I written in order to get things out of my head and heart?  I could not keep away from the needed release of getting things off of my chest. I would write and then trow them away or burn them.
      Then one day I found art journaling. I knew exactly what to do with the journals that I had hidden deep in the closet. I could put gesso, tissue paper, paint, collage, and any other number of things. I could then make a wonderful piece of art for my loved one to see. Never knowing that underneath lay all the raw unfiltered feelings. What a relief. 
     Not all my journals have a purpose, some pages are just to play with a new product I get. One of the best things about art journaling is, if I hate the page in end I can choose to keep it and learn to embrace imperfection or I can gesso over it and have another go at it.

I got a few of the small 6 jar sets of  Luminier Silks paints for Christmas. I love them so much. I can not believe how much shimmer they have. They are very creamy and fun to work with. The butterflies are a Keiser Craft sticker set that I got in a Flying Unicorn kit.  The black circles were made with a cap from my allergy medicine. :)

Some times when my brain is chaotic being able to make order on the journal page makes me feel so much better.

Here is a page from my release and relax journal. Under neath the art on this page is a written journal page.  I plan on posting more journal pages in the future. I hope that you find a wonderfully freeing way to get your clutter out of your heart and head.  Have a wonderful day!!

       

Mixed media fun

Hi Everyone!!

Here is another mixed media project. I tried to take pictures while I was working on it. I hope you try this project or one similar.

Here is the project when it was finished. The words in the center say " see the beauty in every day things

I used a 8x10 canvas. I actually recycled one that I had glued some music note paper to.  It was rather hideous and I was so happy when inspiration hit.  I honestly hated the original piece so much I did not take a pic of it. :)
I then painted a layer of crackle medium onto the canvas. You can use Elmers clear/gel glue if you do not have crackle medium. there is even a tutorial HERE if you would like to know how.
I then painted the canvas with Apple barrel brand paint in the color Cloudless. I added black India Ink splatters. I let it all dry while I dipped the paint brush tips into paint and set them aside to dry. I also gathered materials from all my stash piles. Metal pieces, scraps of crochet doilies, chipboard pieces, and Flowers. The words are from past Maya Road ware house boxes!!

I got some artist pallets for another project and they came with a full set of (ehhh) paint brushes. Not wanting to throw them away I decided to recycle them and use them on this project.

Before I added gesso. I hate wasting anything so, I used the bottoms of the paint brushes that I cut to fit in the bottom corner.

Still needs to be lighter

Needs a bit more gesso

hmmm, now it seems to fade into the back round too much.

I recently got some 13 arts glass beads, I totally love them. I use them every chance I get.

I love the way the piece of doily peeks out from beneath the chipboard daydream word. If you look really closely you can see the mess that hides underneath.

Here is another close up of the grouping of items covered in gesso and sprayed with white sprays. I thought about going all out and using all my Lindy's and Prima sprays, but I really liked the simplicity of this piece. In the final piece way back up there at the top of the post, I solved the problem of the  groupings fading into the backround by adding a "Halo" or "brightning" effect with some white gesso.

I really hope you enjoyed this piece . Let me know what you think or if you would like to see a more detailed tutorial or even a video.
Have a wonderfully crafty day!!
Haley