listen

White acrylic paint background over magazine cuttings, black Sharpie and black crayon, water color washes, and Distress ink in sepia around the outer edges of the paper.

paper feathers

Spent yesterday afternoon putting together another recycled paper bag art journal and tried my hand at paper feathers which turned out beautiful.  I love the challenge of making something beautiful out of what I have on hand.  Both ideas I found on Pinterest which provides thousands of creative ideas to get me going, but the amazing wonderful thing about art is that even with thousands of people making similar things, everyone's is perfectly unique and different from any other.

it's ok...you're allowed to fly

This journal page is created with pencil, an extra fine tip Sharpie, and Crayon colored pencils.  I applied gesso to the brown paper first, which creates a fine texture on the paper that the colored pencils can grab.  The result is much brighter color than if I had used the very smooth original paper alone.

first art journal

This is my first art journal and I'm using the opportunity to experiment with anything and everything--watercolors, pen and ink, colored pencils, acrylic paints, gesso, Mod Podge, scotch tape, and a variety of techniques.  I have two other empty art journals ready to go, again made with brown paper grocery bags and bound with yarn.  I'll take my favorite techniques and mediums and start creating journals with themes.

I made the cover with a piece of fabric glued on with Mod Podge and then trimmed with household masking tape.  I braided the ends of the yarn used to bind the journal.  I'm very please with my first attempt and can't wait to start on the next one.

small bird, small wonder

An afternoon sketch while watching the birds at the feeder on the back patio.  Conte crayon on paper.