I have been busy in the studio playing with an art journal I made..... using large sheets of Stradthmore 500 series hot press watercolor paper. I cut the sheets down but not in perfectly uniformed sizes...I folded them (some with flaps that fold out) and made a signature. With waxed linen thread I sewed the signature together. At first I was going to leave it at that but decided to use some heavy cardboard to make it hardcover front and back. I then used some black and white check tape and some of that silver tape from the hardware store (the back peels off to reveal the sticky side) to edge the covers. The silver tape can be embossed with a tool to make designs. From there I just started in.......it became an addiction the last couple of weeks. In the studio and sometimes while watching TV at night I've been drawing and painting constantly. Using everything from Aquamarkers, to Twinking H20s to other markers to a few liquid acrylics to stamps to papers to whatever I feel like using....... I set about creating whatever came to me. I have decided it's only Volume 1 as I plan to do more of these. It's a fantastic way to just let yourself go creatively. Free and blissfully ensconced in whatever suits your fancy. Below are 17 pages (I took the photos while the journal was on my drawing table).....I have a couple more to go before it's finally filled. oh and I may go back and add quotes or original words to some of the art only pages. (Then it's on to Volume 2) I could have just used a purchased journal or the many moleskines I have but there was just something satisfying to making the entire "book" from scratch. I learned a few things to make the construction even better for the next one.......
click images to enlarge
The front cover - didn't show it but the right side flaps open.
don't know why I keep doing these tribal faces
the border on this page reminds me of worn fabric (used a stencil)
this shows the flap that opens
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this is the other side of the above page with the flap open
this was a reminder for myself...something I lose track of sometimes....just be!!
When I started drawing this one a friend and I were talking about how we each had memories of riding our bikes as kids.
birds and trees always show up.....it's definitely a recurring theme
I used my cat Lucy as my model.
When I finished this I thought it would make a great design on a t-shirt
this one is a half size page (the mirror side doesn't open) oh and I used that silver tape to create the mirror.
this is the other side of the half page
My husband said this reminded him of Dr. Suess which I wasn't even thinking of when drawing it. Just being silly.
We need a real vacation so bad!
This is the last page in the journal. I now want to do a version of this on canvas. It speaks without words. (to me anyway)
I skipped around so there are a couple of pages yet to do to be completely finished. Plus a bit of writing I plan to do on the inside of the front and back covers AND one last thing on the back cover. BohoHandyman thinks they (meaning this and other volumes) would be fun to leave out as coffee table books. I LOVE the kind of support he gives me.
So that's what I've been up to......what about you?
