Creative Jumpstart, Jan. 5

The video today for Creative Jumpstart is by Michelle Rydell: 7 step journal recipe. I LOVE this technique - 7 steps… it gives structure yet leaves lots of room for interpretation. For this journal page I followed very closely to what Michelle did, including striping the background paints, choosing three magazine (in my case, old diary) pictures, used circles for the background, and followed mostly her examples for "doodles". (note: the black arc at the bottom of the page is not part of the page - it has curled and this is a deep shadow off page…). I'm sure the next time I follow this "recipe", I will use a bit more of my own creativity, but I'm very happy with the way this turned out, and, I learned a lot!

Creative Jumpstart - Jan. 4

Today's video was from Michelle Ward - Let's Have Take-Out. Very cool background sheets! Basically, cover your page with Gesso and let dry. Apply a thin not too wet layer of paint colours (smudge or brayer to even out and blend edges), then, using a (sturdy) stencil, remove some of the paint with baby wipes. The first picture is a sheet I did, probably not waiting long enough for the Gesso to dry. Next time I would choose different (better) colours. The second page is an inspiration combination from today's exercise and from a post on the Show and Tell from yesterday (#38). I LOVE marshavalk's use of a mask (her's is a silhouette of a woman) over a painted or gelli plate page, then painted black. Take a look at it! I used a piece of gelli printed paper I already had, and used a bird mask. I painted the background a deep blue, then used a couple of stencils to remove the background paint. Then with a thick multicoloured pencil, I started writing the poem "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe across all of the page…. I'm really happy with this, and have played with two new techniques today!

Creative Jumpstart, Jan. 3

Loved today's inspiration for Creative Jumpstart from Carolyn Dube - Art Journal Recipe for Play. Basically she had us use at least three things for this page: something you would throw away (she used envelopes - the ones that come with clear windows), your favourite paint colours, and something you have little or no control over (she used a gelli plate). I also used the gelli plate, and added delusions spray inks (no control there), pieces of water-colour projects that had been torn and thrown out (my husband's), Stabillo All graphite, paints, and stencils, markers… There are a lot of layers here - I wasn't at all happy with the way it was working out and kept layering, so it's impossible to see what was on the "trash". For other reasons today I was searching quotes and found the two I added here because they seemed appropriate. *Allow yourself to be a beginner. No one starts off being excellent. And, *… and if I asked you to name all the things you love, how long would it take for you to name yourself?

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 2

Day 2 of Creative Jumpstart is a video from Tina Walker: Art Recipe Jar. (She suggests listing all art supplies and putting them in a jar then drawing out a few to use as inspiration… I'm not going to do that.) The second video was a mixed media sculptural piece, so I took inspiration from Tina Walker's use of nature and again gathered a few items from around my studio. I used pressed, dried tulip petals (that have all turned brown!, stencils, delusions spray ink, gesso, a piece of plastic mesh, gelatos, paint, textured paper, and multi coloured hemp string.

Creative Jumpstart, Jan 1

Happy New Year, 2018! I'm starting out the year with art. Every day for the month of January I hope to create an art journal page based on inspiration from videos posted on Creative Jumpstart 2018, hosted by Nathalie Kalbach. January 1 was a video by Mystele Kirkeeny: A Recipe for Play. I don't draw faces, so here I've used a stamp, and gathered mixed media from around my studio (multicoloured pencils, gelatos, paint, gesso, reflective pen, stylus, textured paper and music scrap for collage..).

Zentangle Challenge #334 - Crazy 'NZeppel

This week's challenge from Laura at www.iamthedivaczt.blogspot.ca is to use the tangle Crazy 'NZeppel. I LOVE 'NZeppel as a grid - not so keen on the irregular version, but I did the challenge, merging Hollibaugh, and using Derwent Graphitint pencils for a touch of colour.:

Zentangle Challenge #328 - UMT - Aloha by Suzanne Fluhr

This week's challenge is from a guest blogger, Suzanne Fluhr, to use her tangle Aloha. I've used this tangle quite a bit before and love it, but don't think I've done it in colour. All the colour here is Stabillo All pencils.