1.29.2011

Using magazine pictures in your art

Here I used the design of the page in the book and magazine pictures to create a page I love!
The heart is a sticker. I used watercolor crayons to shade and outline areas. I use an almost dry wet wipe to rub over the watercolor crayon. I cut text from a magazine and blocked out some text and left other to tell a story. I had this picture cut out from a magazine for awhile and just decided to use it on this page. I came back later to finish it. I do this quite often. Start a page with some collage work and then come back to journal on it.
Another thing I do once in a while in the evening at work (call center) waiting for the next phone call, is cut images and text from old magazines. I have always subscribed to lots of magazines and I have kept them all. So I have started to go through them and get what I want out and then recycle the rest. I have a few file folders I sort things into. Some of my categories are: text & quotes, texture, places, people, and buildings.
If you try this a technique or any of the others I have posted about and want to send me a picture I'd love to see them.
Have a great Sunday and week!

1.23.2011

Strathmore Artist Papers Workshop 1: Recycled Journal Pages

Here is my finished art journal page from the workshop. The instructor is Pam Carriker . She has done a great job taking us through the steps of recycling our art journal pages into something brand new.  Here are some pictures of the stages to this technique. If you want me to describe in more detail let me know. I think a lot of you have taken the workshop, so you know.  

1st Stage

Final Stage

2nd Stage

 

1.21.2011

Embossing layer technique

This page was accomplished using black gesso and then clear embossing of snowflakes stamped images. Then paint over all with acrylic paint. When it dries almost all the way you take a damp baby wipe and rub over the embossing and the paint comes off.
The was one of Tim Holtz's 12 days Christmas tags techniques. It may have been from a past year. I tried to find it on his blog but my internet wireless service is too slow today with all his pictures. I think I explained it pretty well though. It's easy.
I then used a white gel pen to outline the embossing.

1.20.2011

Journaling within the design of paper or picture

In this book I took out most text pages and left her wallpaper design pages. So then I used a lot of them to journal through her design, or used the design in my art. This is part of the fun of altering a book. Using what is in the book.
I found a book titled the Back Roads of America. It has lots of pictures of places I have been. It's an older book I got at the Withdrawn Book section of our city library for 25 cents.
I am going to altered it into my Hiking Journal. I'll post some pictures soon.

1.12.2011

Technique for this "trash" collage

This journal has a lot of ephemera I took from my everyday life "trash" and used the pieces to collage about my life.
This one has an old English rose name tag I found in the garden close to where the rose plant used to be. It has long since died. Fortunes from lunch at work. A favorite snack package. My favorite green tea with pomegranate and a caramel chocolate bar wrapper. I also added a quote I liked.
These kinds of collages are fun to do once a week while you collect things. I have lots of materials still saved to use in the future.
Give this one a try and see if you like it.

1.11.2011

2011 Word of Intent ~ Aspire

Hi all,

I chose ASPIRE as my word of intent this year.

ASPIRE ~ to have an earnest desire or ambition, as for something high and good. to long for; seek after. to reach or rise upward.

I am hoping to do a long distance hike this year. What that looks like I do not fully know yet. It may mean a weekend, 3 to 4 days, or a full week. I have been reading AT (Appalachian Trail) journals on trailjournals.com. They are very inspiring. The hiking is one thing I aspire to.

A few other things I aspire to are: in the process of all this hiking, to loose weight (25 lbs so far, woohoo!!) and get my cardio ability strengthen; to be a kinder, more patient person; to find ways to do good in my little corner of the world; to stretch myself in my art; to move from wanting to hold an art retreat . . . to doing it :-)!

So there is my word and all it means to me . . .


The art journal page is from a traveling journal I participated in with the theme LOVE

1.08.2011

New Partnership Journal - 2011

This is the cover of my partnership journal this year. I am partnering with Kim in PA. We worked on an art journal rr about a year ago. Her journal was kidnapped by of the participants. I had worked in it and it really pissed me off that she didn't get it back. I got mine back and loved her work so I contacted her about a month ago to see if she just wanted to go back and forth with a journal this year. Thankfully she was game.   So mine is on it's way to her next week and we'll have fun creating this year in each other's journals and in our own too.