Experiments in Creativity

I felt that I was losing my mojo with my jewelry, so I decided to branch out and expand my creative horizons.  I have tried sewing - which I have really been enjoying.  Right now, what I would like to share are some of my experiments in art journaling. 

I thought that I should make bright and pretty pages, you know - like the ones that I see on the YouTube videos and other websites.  At that time, I struggled with finishing a background so a finished page was just out of the question.  I realized that I was just not in a bright, pretty color frame of mind.  So my first pages were really dark.  Pulling out a lot of emotions from the past.  

Since then, I have been able to create some base backgrounds that are brighter and have more texture than before.  I realize that I needed to get out some of those past feelings in order to move forward.  In time, I am sure that I will feel more open to revealing those first pages that were so dark and depressing.  For now, though I would like to show some of my more recent background pages.  These pages are just a background - color and texture on paper so that when I do get ready to journal on them, I have pages ready to go. 

This first one is an experiment with acrylic paints.  I was feeling alive when I created this background.  I was trying to express images of fire and light.  This was done in a generic composition book.  I glued two pages together and used gesso to prepare the page to accept the paint.  I used an old gift card to create some of the texture and a clay sculpting tool for the rest.

This one brings connotations of potted flowers, which I didn't realize until after I was finished.  The potted flowers area of the page, was created on a dried out wet wipe that I adhered to the page with Modge Podge.  The colors were created with water color crayons by Reeves

For the next two I was in a circlely mood.  The blue and green one was done with all water colors. The page was created with a base of gesso, some leftover papers from an old book, and some tissue paper.  The pink/purple page includes an old envelope, tissue paper, gesso, and part of a paper towel.  I also used water colors on this page, but added some oil pastels as well. 

The next one was one of my favorites.  I love the textures and colors on this page.  The texture was created with bubble wrap that was placed on top of a layer of gesso, which was over old book pages, tissue paper, and pan water colors. 

The last two were created in my composition book.  I used masking tape to stabilize the center of the two pages. The pink page is water color crayons, part of an old book, and some journaling.  The multi-color page is made using craft acrylics and a page from an old book on art. 

Overall, I like the colors and effects that I can get while using water colors.  I have used pencils, crayons, and pan water colors in my attempts.  I am really enjoying playing and experimenting.  I have created some zentangles as well - just trying to improve my doodling (lol)  I am working on learning to draw faces as that is something that I would like to incorporate into my pages as I write about my emotions and feelings. 

What have you been doing lately? 

Much Love, 

Shell