Abstract Collage in my Junk Journal

Hello lovelies,

it's almost two weeks into February, and I naively thought I'd see some signs of spring to brighten my day. Alas, it's more of the same with icy winds, grey skies and rain. The birds have been busy at the feeder outside my studio and I'll need to replenish it, and our resident squirrel seems grateful for the nuts and seeds I put out. He/she is quite shy, and I can never get close enough to get a good picture. 

Personally, I have a lot going on at the moment, so I'm grateful I have my art to turn to when I feel overwhelmed. Time and again simply playing in my journal with collage, a bit of paint, a few colorful crayons and my favorite stamps has a calming effect on my mind. I thought I'd share my recent art journal pages here. 

I was short on time so I grabbed my handmade junk journal, with pages that already have some background patterns on them. I don't mind making a "mess" in this journal. I find it rather freeing to slap on paint with my fingers and there is just something relaxing about tearing pieces of collage paper...you can see some of the process below:

I have a bunch of "collage fodder" at the ready, such as leaves, flowers, mushrooms and various stamped images that I make in batches when I have time to spare. They make great focal points in my journals or on cards. If you haven't seen them already, check out these short videos:

In the below close-up you can see how I chose a mix of papers and patterns and played with lines and other marks. Variety is key and instantly makes the page come alive. I like adding uplifting quotes.

The full quote reads: practice reckless optimism and kindness.

I felt more energized after creating this art journal spread. I like the juxtaposition of lights and darks, round and angular shapes. Splatters always make for interesting marks. If you'd like to watch the full video (around 4 min.) click here.

As always, thank you for reading along. Perhaps I have inspired you to try some "messy art" for stress-relief yourself! Have a beautiful day wherever you may be.

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Colorful Collage Art with a painted Butterfly

Hi everyone!

Today I'm sharing another painting process in my art journal. Most of my journals are themed, for example "face sketching" or "abstract" etc. The square journal shown here is dedicated to collage art with a dreamy, vintage-y look with lots of layers. Once I've completed this journal I will share a flip-through. But for now, let me walk you through the layering process.

As I mentioned in one of my previous posts I love creating my own collage papers for my mixed media artwork. For this spread I have selected a few papers along with some torn bits of sheet music and grid paper. I adhered these with a glue stick and then added a thin layer of Mod Podge on the whole spread to seal and prepare it for the next layers. 

In the above photo I have stencilled on leaf motifs in random areas. The paint needs to dry before adding the next layer.

I gave the whole spread a wash of thinned down acrylic ink in burnt sienna. This gives the artwork a warm glow. Because it is thinned down with a lot of water, the layers are still visible. Once the ink has dried I went in with another stencil in a creamy yellow to add even more texture. I let this dry again. Then I stamped a tiny dot motif using a black stamp pad.

I contemplated adding another stamp, then decided against it, as I thought it would overwhelm the page. I did go in with a paint pen in raspberry pink to make tiny dashes.

Ages ago I painted this butterfly. It's been sitting in my collage fodder basket waiting for the perfect background. Well, the butterfly finally got its rightful place on this page! I added a little sentiment from my sticker book to the other side. I'm really happy with how it turned out.

Thank you for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Mixed Media Art Journal Flip Through

Hi everyone,

I recently completed my personal art journal! There is a certain sense of achievement once that final page is done. It's a testament to me showing up for my art almost daily, even on days when I don't feel so good. I titled this journal "Faces & Collage" and I chose a journal with creamy-toned paper. I mostly draw expressive faces, in a loose and sketchy style and I love adding unusual colors to them. My favorite shapes are circles and hearts - a recurring theme throughout the pages. I'm sharing a complete flip through over on YouTube. So, grab a coffee or tea and enjoy a couple of minutes of my art work:

 p.s. a like, subscribe and comment would help get my channel seen by more people who enjoy mixed media art. Thanks ♥

Have a beautiful Sunday!