extreme lines

Our first challenge on the Extreme Composition online workshop is to create lines.  After completing some of the tasks I turned to my journal and, finding a page I'd created from scrap paper, I started adding lines...

The page started out with some overspray, and some cleaning off of one of my favourite script stamps.

I added some lines using india ink and a kebab stick!

Then added some extra detail to some of the lines with a fine line pen.  I also did a little exploration of line across what was once a waaaaaaaaaaay to colourful page which I 'diluted' by brayering over with white paint.

The background colour was created with Dylusion spray inks and I love how the colour has come through onto the white lines created with white acrylic ink.

from doodle ... to journal page

After slapping a few shades of yellow and orange down on a page I decided I needed my main image to be in black and white...

... so I took some paper that I'd painted stripes and dots onto, and cut out some rectangular shapes in order to create a fern.  This was based on a doodle I'd done a few months back...

After sticking the rectangles onto the page I used a stick dipped in india ink (a favourite technique of late) and outlined the leaves and created the stem.

I added a few splashes of black ink in the background too, along with some textual stamping.

There are a couple of snippets of red paper in there too.  This page came about after watching some of Jane Davies' work on youtube.  I've just signed up for her 'Extreme Composition' online workshop which went live this week so I'm planning on getting some 'playing' done this weekend, between report writing that is!  Ahh, the life of a teacher lol

inky-painty splatterings in {eggplant} hues

I found some more colours to kickstart a journal page!  I do like a challenge, and the number of colours in this photo definitely felt like one!!!

 ...but really there's just a turquoise with a pale version, three browns and a grey, so just three colours.  I started by digging out the paints and inks I had in these colours/shades.  I never try mixing colours for these challenges, do you?

Then, with supplies at the ready I can get started!  I decided to go for a background in shades of brown, just because!

The flowers are from an idea I had the other day.  I made some terracotta coloured paper then cut out the rounded triangular shapes, adding the ink once the flower shape was on the page.

Squidging the ink off the page yet again gave me some yummy background paper which I used on a tag, stencilling through the paper left from cutting out flowers [see here]

Wasn't sure about this design...

...so finally gave in to the demands of the sewing machine, although looking back at this image, it didn't really need it!

So another 'twofer'! (2 for the price of one), this one for the Stampotique Designer's Challenge.  Although you don't have to use Stampotique images anymore I did use my current favourite stamp 'Journey Collage'; I just love the different sizes of font which makes great texture!

step by step art journal page

Maybe it was a little ambitious to take step by step photos of the creation of a page whilst attempting something new!  All the way through, until I forgot to take any photos, I was telling myself to just play, just enjoy the mark making, but ended up really not liking what I'd done. I really, really, really love these pages now and can't believe they looked like this at one point!

So here you go, step by step :)

in my large-ish typewriter book, layer of Buff Titanium because I couldn't find the gesso!

patches of Phalo Blue in the bottom third of the pages

black drawing ink applied with a stick!

quite liking it so far, don't know where it's going though

a stripe of blue ink in the top third, then some Sticky Fingers Bluebell ink sprayed above it

darker blue ink splodge on, not liking this, and what on earth

am I going to put in the middle?

a stripe of a yellow ochre type of colour...like how it goes over

the blue spots and you can still see them

I wanted some red highlights on this page, inspired by

David Ashby's pottery, check them out they're stunning, like art journaling on clay

Nope, really don't like it, it feels to dark so I'll brayer some white acrylic

paint over it and see what happens

Oooo,

 I liked it so much I forgot to take anymore pics until I finished the pages

Brayering pulled off some of the paint so I used some scraps of paper from the table

as collage fodder

(I'd done some free mark making before starting this page aka Jane Davies then

used the same paper to dry off my brushes/brayer/stencils)

I've always loved the scraps of paper under my work, it's where I don't think so 

often get surprising results and textures.  It's also why I don't use a teflon mat!!!

A bit more drawing ink and hey, I'm happy!!!

:) hee hee hee

journaling in a tent..or field..or the beach even!

It was with some trepidation that I only packed paint, baby wipes, stencils, a Pritt stick and the odd stamp, a couple of book pages and a pencil/pen with me to go camping.

I chose a journal to use, just the one, and as it is an old book it's pages required gessoing.

Now I'm not a fan of gesso.  I like my paint to stay put once I put it on the paper. But being forced to stick with it meant I did have fun, and ended up with some interesting effects.

My pages have been feeling a bit 'samey', and everywhere I looked things seemed very similar, so I started by using parts of hymns or bible verses as starting points and using my journaling as part meditation.

I journaled these pages whilst attending a Christian conference so they have lots of meaning for me but I still didn't feel I'd 'cracked it' as it were.  I used to be able to just enjoy my journaling without feeling it had to mean something or say something.

So I've given myself a bit of a talking to, read some stuff, watched a fantastic video by Jane Davies HERE and am back just enjoying being creative, playing with paint and mark making and seeing where it takes me, if anywhere!

Another journal page

This isn't what I was supposed to be doing today! I have a list of ATCs and birthday cards to make but need to tidy my craft area first so I can get to the things I need. To do that, I have to go down to the cellar and with a broken foot once I'm down there I don't want to be coming up anytime soon. So with the imminent arrival of visitors I stayed put for a bit, then it thundered(and I didn't fancy being down there where I couldn't see the lightning!!) and before I knew it I had a lovely journal page made :)

This is what initially prompted me to do it:

It's my work journal page from Chris' workshop at Paddy's last Thursday. I was happily cutting out those houses to go on the page when I suddenly thought what a great journal page that would make in my visual journal. I love cutting and sticking :)

Great to see my followers are back :) With extra ones :) :) :)

Can put it off no longer ... am off to tidy up!

Visual Journalism 101

I have thoroughly enjoyed taking this online class with Pam Carriker. I still have more to do on my other journal pages but I finally finished the class techniques on this page. The final task was adding shading and I loved doing this - so relaxing, and just great for a rainy day like today. [Note: the first image is pre-shading].

By the way, I don't know where all my lovely followers went...one day you were there, the next the space was empty!!! Very odd.
- phew, it's not just me, no blogspot blogs seem to have anyone!