Journal Journey's

Well I have decide that this year will be dedicated to learning, both in a professional and artistic sense. On a professional level I will finish my Diploma of Early Childhood this year, yahoo, but also artistically I have decided to spend time learning all I can and so have signed up for the journal challenge over on the Blue Bazaar website. There are many of us and already I am amazed at the pages that have been done. Prompts in style and techniques will be offered each month and it is just wonderful to see how each person has interpreted these ideas and the amazing page each person has created. This months prompts were to create an abstact background and to draw something. Shock, horror, my heart is pounding! Did I hear draw!!! The mere mention of the word draw in relation to some artistic thing I would be involved in turns my insides to water! Me, who draws the world's most challenged stick figures! Well I did say it would be a learning curve. Time to tighten the belt and get brave, or at least down a quick drink of one's favourite poison and pretend! And so to battle!

Here is my January page. The background is a watercolour paper, covered in gesso, texture paste and acylics. I then used tissue papers, gel medium and stamping to create the weed look. The fish is my drawing (well there's a suprise!), also on watercolour paper. Painted in acrylics then embossed and adhered to the background with gel medium. The doors are a collage item adhered with gel medium as well. The word bubbles are created separately on watercolour paper, coloured, text applied then coated in dimensional magic then adhered to the background. Lots of fun and I did enjoy the process more than I thought I would after I finally sorted my head around the whole drawing thingy. Of course the original ideas I had were quite different, but as is often the case with art, it develops a life of its own and becomes something quite different from the original idea. So there, the first one done and not too bad I think, well at least I can live happily with it and thats what counts! This however is not the only journal challenge I have set myself this year. I have also set myself to doing some collage journal work as a personal challenge and so have embarked on another separate journal to explore collage work in. That's right I am running two completely different journals at the same time. I do love a challenge! The one over on Blue Bazaar is more about techniques etc while the second collage journal is a bit more personal. Here's a peek...

and the next...

Well there you have it, the start of an interesting time, well for me anyway. The collage process was loads of fun and quite theraputic really. I really enjoyed this process from beginning to end and am keen to do more. Let me know what you think I would love to hear your comments.

On another note entirely this is not all for the year. No, the year will not only be about journal journeys, this alone would not sustain my interest and too much is already floating about in this head of mine to stop there. The secret project is coming along well and I am enjoying that journey as well, but... more of that at a later date.