As you know I've been exploring Art Journaling the last year or so. There are so many things to do and types of Art Journaling, that sometimes I just feel overwhelmed by the possibilities, although this is also probably what draws me to it too. I've just realized lately that doing backgrounds is not a problem for me. I seem to accumulate backgrounds but then I get stuck for where to go with it. So I thought I'd share some backgrounds that I have waiting to be played with. If you have suggestions of where to go with them, I'd love to hear about it.
These are from two books I'm working in right now. The one with the spirals is an 8" by 10" multimedia book and the other one is one that I made from watercolour paper with pages that are 5.5" by 6". The smaller one is my favourite to work in right now. I love the watercolour paper because it will take anything I throw at it. I think I find the smaller size pages less daunting too.
Many of my pages start with paint that was left over from other projects or students work. I just slap it on and then when it's covered I start to use bubble wrap and other packaging thing to add texture. I find using left over paint specially other peoples challenges me to work outside my usual colour palette.
Here I used my book to remind myself how to do this book paper and crackle background technique before doing it in a workshop. The butterflies are bits of tissue tape that didn't work on something else I was working on so instead of throwing it out it got slapped in here.
This is another one that started with left over paint. The pink kinda flowery looking things at the bottom of the page are from one day when I was cutting up celery and remembered seeing someone use them as a stamp. So I rushed into the studio and tried it out. I think they're kind of neat and with a little more detail added with a marker they could be more interesting.
I love using sequin scraps(not sure what you call that stuff) for making circles. I have to control myself somewhat though or everything would have these little circles on it.
The background on the left came from wiping my craft mat after using glimmer mist and the doodled heart was done one night while watching TV. Not sure if it's done yet or not. The page on the right I tried something new for me. I've just finished reading Journal Junkies Workshop and one thing they suggest is doing stream of consciousness writing. This is where you just write without much thought and give yourself a time or space limitation. So I did this here on the background with a graphite pencil and then used my new Derwent Artbars to add some colour and mess up the words a bit. I've added some stamping here and there but this page is definitely not finished. I don't expect to see much of the writing when I'm done!
So what's your favourite part about Art Journaling?
Happy Creating!
Wendy
5 comments:
Lots of really nice pages you show here....and those bookcases below look great!
This was interesting to see and read your process. Love the sense of playfulness and "whatever". It's so different from what I do with photography but made me think about how I could just play more with my imagery.
I LOVE your backgrounds! Want to touch them... so textured and yummy.
Word for the day: punchinella. That's the sequin scrap sh-tuff.
This may help: One of the things I do is collect images (people, object etc...) either torn out of magazines or clip-art I'll print off (this way you can size too, REAL helpful if your in a smaller size book) and just stick one on the page that appeals to me. From there I can doodle around it, collage more on, paint it up or over... but it's that 'start' I sometimes need. A little something to 'ruin' that oh-so pretty background so I can started on the next layer.
Great backgrounds, I absolutely love the fish one though. You may have inspired a piece for me, haha!
I have the EXACT same problem when it comes to art journaling! I am a wealth of "backgrounds" but after I just kinda fizzle out.... Oh well, it's still so much fun!
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