Free Your Mind...Journaling with Julie 12

Today I'm posting the next lesson that my sister, in New Jersey, and I, in Ohio, each worked on from the Create Your Life Book art journaling book by Tamara LaPorte. While life took some twisty turns, we took a break from art journaling together/apart, but we're back, baby!

For this lesson, you were to write something in pencil that was bothering you about your art and then you bury it on the hill and move on. Julie chose the belief that her art wasn't good enough and then buried that thought under decoupage, paint and stamping. She used watercolor on her angel/girl face and a micron pen for the outlining. The collage pieces were acrylic, watercolored and alcohol ink painted papers. After that, Julie added scrapbook papers and a little waxed paper for texture.

After adding Tombow markers for the dress and tights, Julie added the Wonder stamp on the dress. Additionally, Julie added more stamping, stenciled the air swirls for movement and used dabs of acrylic paint with her fingers and a cotton swap. She added white acrylic paint to tie it all together and Micron pen doodles finished it up. I think the stamping and the swirls are the perfect touches. And I like the dark paint on the bottom, it really grounds that part and makes the air look lighter.

My girl took a bit of time too, though I did no stamping or stenciling. I wrote my belief to bury—that creating is essential to my well-being but feels more like selfishness—and collaged and painted the heck out of it.

I used pre-printed papers, music sheets and some text paper for mine and then added some gelato crayons over the papers. 

I used white thinned down acrylic paint over all the colors and papers to unify and then used a Pitt Artist Pen big brush marker in yellow for her dress.

After a ton of doodling with white and black pens, I also added the words I Matter to her dress. At first, I outlined the flowers on the hill but then decided it took too much attention from the angel girl, so I repainted them.

Now I can't decide which is better. But once I put a project away, I don't revisit it, so this is how it stays!

Hope you can bury the negative thoughts that get in the way of you making art...'cuz art is important!

Happy Friday!

Chark

It's A Bird! Journaling with Julie 5

So, my sister and I are each completing the art journal prompts from this fab book by Tamara LaPorte—it's on sale here at Dick Blick I noticed. Julie and I live a couple states apart, but we try to work on the same lesson at the same time and then share our results. This week's lesson was a Quirky Bird and it was super fun and easy.

We used watercolors and doodles to make them. It's supposed to be a representation of you, so my bird is holding a pen and book and Julie's has glasses. Here's my bird in the early stages of watercoloring.

And here's the finished version after markers and doodles and lettering. The quote on the book is something my husband's Aunt Mae said about me once. I took it as a compliment.

This is my sister's version. I really like the black background and the intricate symbol she drew. 

Are you doing any collaborative art projects during this crazy time? I'm joining in some challenges to try to keep my art going so I don't get discouraged with life right now. Art heals and I'm determined to keep a positive outlook and hope for a better world.

Happy Weekend!

Chark