This Art Journal class was inspired by the color Aqua and morphed into a creative holistic experience. What do I mean exactly? As students engaged with mixed media, and let their creative muse lead the way, their pages represented a unique story and artistic expression. Far beyond the color Aqua, each student found their own path by trusting their creative intuition. Our first prompt was By the Sea, and we used embossed tissue as a collage element.
Collage, stencils, acrylic paint, washi tape and shells were used for embellishments. Take a look at the student’s interpretation of this prompt.
Using a page from a wallpaper sample book, cutting it into a heart shape and attaching it to a painted page, Heart Matters was our next prompt. Pages were painted by using a gift card to create texture and the experience of using something other than a brush. Stenciling with acrylic paint enhanced design interest and the perfect place for journaling about things we love was beneath the heart.
Student pages were full of color and expression.
Look closely at the above page, do you see the word Mother in the roots of the tree of life surrounding the heart? This student shared a beautiful story about her mother as the inspiration for this page. It literally brought tears to my eyes when she explained how this page came together. Many aspects of making art are about story, our story, and we give it life by bringing it into our art.
Home sweet home was the next prompt, and the idea was to design your home by the ocean. By providing a prompt it helps eliminate the blank white page syndrome and helps students get started. Our process was adhering printed papers to a layer of color created by bleeding tissue, a touch of burlap for texture, and acrylic paint to complete the design. Below are examples of how the students interpreted “home sweet home”.
Bleeding tissue creates an unusual background, very serendipitous as the water activates the tissue leaving puddles of color. It is an unplanned application and helps us move beyond perfectionism. The color pools and floats in ways that we cannot control and after it dries it is the springboard for creating the pages.
Photo image transfer techniques were used in the above student pages. First, we laid out a grid using an old gift card to make lines with white gesso. Black and white photographs were transferred onto the page, a vellum overlay with a printed photograph was attached with washi tape, and the grid was completed with acrylic paint. This page tells the story of a special family trip to the ocean with personal photographs, a favorite poem in the artists handwriting, and hand painted seagulls perched upon pilings in the sea.
Above is a work in progress and you can see the ideas starting to form.
Our final prompt was Wabi Sabi, a Japanese aesthetic that embraces imperfection, incompleteness and transience. By incorporating remnants from the mixed media techniques used in class, students created their pages interpreting Wabi Sabi.
Above are my demonstration pages and you can see bits of burlap, faint stencil applications, and pieces of collage. The process of stepping out of the perfectionist mind set really helps the creative flow happen. When the Wabi Sabi technique is used, the pages come together organically.
Finally, we painted tissue with acrylic paints to create unique collage papers and they provided inspiration for the covers of the journals. We used 140lb. cold press watercolor paper bound with the pamphlet stitch for the journals. Linen thread works great for binding, and I encourage students to make additional journals. It makes it easier to create if some of your tools are in place and ready to go for the art journal journey.
Art journal covers coming together with stencils and painted tissue. Take a look at the mermaid’s colorful locks created with strips of painted tissue.
The above painted tissue was created with iridescent paints and a foam paint brush for the tree foliage. Then it was adhered to the journal cover. I love when students take initiative to explore and express a personal idea. Now, meet the artists at work in the Bemis studios, painting, collaging, laughing, sharing stories, and celebrating their unique creative intuition.
o
Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog. I hope it inspires you to work in your art journal and explore various mixed media techniques. As winter approaches it is the perfect time to hibernate and get creative. Make a cup of tea, light a candle, gather your favorite art supplies and spend some time flexing your creative muscle by creating pages in your art journal. Enjoy the process!
Hands and heart, the perfect combination for creating, self-care and happiness.
