Yesterday, as directed by my selection of techniques, I created focal images on seven art journal pages. Today I blindly picked this technique:
Okay! I stamped and/or stenciled each page from yesterday. I chose to use different stamps or stencils on each page and I restricted myself (because it was easiest) to red or black archival ink pads for both…no paint this time. Some of the stamp/stencil images will likely be covered by collage elements or paint in future iterations. Here are my seven pages in all their stamp or stenciled glory:
This technique took me a good half hour to finish for all seven pages. Quick and easy. I may have over-stamped or stenciled some of the pages because I still have four techniques to go before the pages are complete…but that’s how she blows. I can’t wait to see what tomorrow has in store for these pages.
I hope you make time in your day for something creative also!
I decided that for the next seven days I wanted to do an art journal challenge that was started by the artist Jenniebellie on her blog http://jennibelliestudio.blogspot.com/2014/11/ready-set-go.html . She has accompanying videos to show you how she completed the challenge each day for herself. It is a 7-day challenge where you work on any number of art journal pages you choose each day for 7 days (I chose 7 pages each day). You decide in advance of starting the pages which six products/techniques you want to use on your pages. I selected the following, which I often use:
You fold the six pieces of paper up, put them in a bag or a box and pull one out each day. You work on that technique/product for that day on all of your journal pages. The next day, you pull a different paper out and work on that technique only for all of your pages. You continue until all six techniques have been completed on all of your pages. The seventh day is used to do whatever you have to do to complete your journal pages.
I put all six of my folded papers into a small box on my desk top and shook it to rearrange them. This is the technique that I pulled out of the box to use today.
Aaargh! I would normally do the focal image last (or next to last) after the background has been completed and I have an idea for the overall page. The focal image usually completes a page, creates a place for the eye to rest, and conveys the message you intended for the page. This is a real challenge for me since I have no idea what I want for these seven pages! A focal image can be drawn or painted or collaged or stenciled or stamped . . . whatever works . . . so I felt free to use different techniques to create my focal image.
Here are the seven pages I did today with a focal image on each. They are all on white 7″x10″ 90 lb. mixed media paper. Since the pages are white, it will be hard to see where one page ends and another begins. But, believe me, there are photos of seven pages of the same dimensions.
On two of them I used collaged images, four were drawn free-hand with a Micron 05 pen, and one (the seated lady) was outlined using a Donna Downey stencil and embellished with the Micron pen.
Today’s technique took over an hour to complete but the others should take less than that since they will be embellishing the focal images and created a background for them. I am looking forward to the next six days and finding out where this challenge takes my journal pages.
I hope you found some time today to be creative also!
It is week 43 of 52 in the year 2014 and the last week in October. That’s apropos of nothing, I suppose, except that there are only nine more weeks in this year to create what I want to create . . . so I better get crackin’!
In my weekly art journal group journal52.com the prompt for this week is “Stencil It!” and the instructions were to either use a stencil on our page or to create/cut a stencil. Well, it just so happens I have a TON of stencils. I have been going through all of them this week to organize and hang them on a special rod I created in the closet in my craft room so that I can more readily find them when I want them. The whole pile was just sitting on my desk when I saw this week’s art journal prompt. So I selected four stencils that I thought I could use together to create a background in my art journal.
I started with a page in my large Ranger Ink Dylusions journal where I had previously cleaned off a paint brush with dark blue paint. Over that I laid a StencilGirl stencil by Traci Bautista called Circles Circles ( http://tinyurl.com/m3leaz2 ) and dabbed coral pink, light blue, yellow and white acrylic paint through it using a cosmetic sponge. This is what it looked like.
I knew I would be putting a quote on the page but I thought it needed something more, a focal point. I saw a ‘girl’ in the page and I sketched her in with a charcoal pencil, using the larger circles as an outline.
I then painted the girl but decided to leave her eyes closed to go with the quote. I also used a smaller circle by the girl to paint a cat sitting next to her. I printed out the quote by Marcus Aurelius and collaged that onto the page. I finished by outlining the girl and the quote with a Stabilo All pencil in black, smudging it a bit.
Overall, I’m very happy with the page. I made use of my stencil stash, I used a page in my art journal that had previously just been sitting there with smears of blue paint, and I painted a whimsical girl (something that’s very difficult for me).
I’m glad I created today and hope you’ve been creative too!
Ha ha! I bet some of you were drawn here just by the title of my blog post. Well, that’s fine. But this post is really about ME: what I want for my own life, what I seek to bring into my life, how I keep my passion for life alive. And it’s all condensed in a 2-page art journal post.
Journal52, Week 23, Passion (Acrylics and Dylusions sprays, TCW and StencilGirl stencils, magazine cutouts/collage).
Spring is rapidly turning into Summer here in Arizona. Everything is in bloom and the birds, butterflies, and bees are frolicing in spite of the growing heat. Yesterday I received the May set of stencils created by artist Terri Stegmiller from the StencilGirl’s stencil club. They are perfect for Spring and Summer cards, mixed media pieces, art journal pages….just about anything. I was so excited, I wanted to stop everything and play with them!
I didn’t have much time before dinner, so I used only the 6″ flower and bee stencil. Looking around for something to create with, I noticed I had a piece of copy paper sitting on my desktop that I had used to clean off my paint brayer with. It was already covered with old orange and blue acrylic paint and a few blobs of other colors but, since I wasn’t trying for perfection with this piece, it was perfect. I outline-stenciled flowers on top of the old paint using a black Sakura gelly roll pen (which will write over almost anything). I did the same with the bees. I ‘painted’ the coneflowers and the bees with Pitt big brush artist pens, letting the old paint shine up through the new India ink giving it some dimension and depth. I knew I wanted a little more yellow in the flower petals so I used a yellow Sharpie paint pen to add lemony opacity to the flowers. I used a white correction pen to add dots to the brown stamens. I added the ‘Bzzzzz’ from the stencil between the bees using a black Pitt big brush pen then used a white gelly roll pen to add dots to the letters to make them pop. Finally, I outlined the paint blobs at the top of the page which looked like butterflies to me. Voila! A garden to play in!
I follow quite a number of mixed media art blogs. It’s how I learn about new techniques and products. One of my favorites is StencilGirl Talk at http://www.stencilgirltalk.com/. A few weeks ago they did a blog hop with a giveaway. The prize? Three newly released 6″ stencils by Stencil Girl artist Seth Apter. And, guess what? I was one of two readers who won the giveaway….all for following the blog hop and making a few comments along the way. SCORE!!
Here are the three Seth Apter stencils I won, all of which have great text, numbers, symbols and grunge elements:
Around the same time, I obtained a brand new Ranger Dylusions mixed media journal. The large one at almost 9″x12″. At an unheard-of price! SCORE AGAIN!!
I intend to use the Seth Apter stencils to create journal covers for my ongoing weekly art journal pages, but before doing that I wanted to just play around with the stencils and see how I might use some of the varied elements together. So I used the first two pages of my brand-spanking new Dylusions journal and I played.
Materials used: Gelli plate monoprints on deli paper (I picked two at random from prints I had made previously) Acrylic craft paint (white, black, gold, and magenta) 3 Seth Apter Stencil Girl stencils (Timeless, Inside-Out, and Past-Present-Future) Magazine cutouts (eyes and mouth) Liquitex Matte Medium (for adhering collage elements) Faber-Castell Pitt Big Brush Artist Pens (white, black, magenta)
Here are photos of the two art journal pages I created. I used most of the elements on the three Seth Apter stencils in creating the two pages. Very grungy! Score again!!!
These pages are not “pretty” but I sure had fun creating them! And, in the near future, I hope to use these same stencils on journal covers for my weekly art journal. I’ll post again at that time. In the meantime, if you wish to purchase these stencils, they can be found here: http://www.stencilgirlproducts.com/category-s/1853.htm Thank you again to StencilGirl for this opportunity!!
Ain't No Ninny 
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