Thursday, April 22, 2010

Just one sentence

I have started an Art Journal. I think they are very cool and I bought one at the beginning of the new year, determined to use it to learn some things, to play and experiment.

But guess what? It is a bit of a daunting task.

What do I write?

How should I illustrate and decorate the pages?

I did a little sketch looking out of the window at the Stanley hotel while we were there for our anniversary. Even though I really don't know how to. Then I stuck it on the first page of that journal, made a Zentangle frame for it and wrote a few thoughts.

Then the journal sat.

I got a book called "Journal Spilling" by Diana Trout (LOVE it!) and made a couple of pages with ideas from that.

Saw a Suzi Blu art journal video and she suggested blurting out all over the page with all the pent-up bad stuff- then putting gesso all over, right over top of it to make it all go away, decorating it and making it into a new page.

I LOVED the idea of that, because I do like to vent on paper- but don't want to look back on all of that crap! It was thrilling to get "permission" to alter the event! And I did a couple of pages with new vigor.

Learned to draw some pretty girls with Suzi Blu and started putting them in too.

I haven't done a lot in this journal yet, but I keep reading about what others do, especially those like Teesha Moore who is SO generous in sharing what she knows and does.

In my reading, and I'm sorry I can't tell you where, I read that if you are having trouble starting or keeping up an art journal, start with just one sentence.

One sentence? I can do that!

I currently have a small pile of sticky notes with "one sentence" on them- and a head chock full of ideas for each one! I have woken up in the middle of the night with great additions to each of these pages!

Now I need to get them on an actual page... stay tuned! I will post a photo when I get the first "one sentence" page done.