Ludwig L K True Vision 2008

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Aut ncAr Joalig

L.K. Ludwig





9 Introduction

11 CHAPTER 1

Getting Started

12 The Basics of Art Journaling

15 Taking a Closer Look: Katie Kendrick

18 Selecting a Structure

21 Insight Activity: Unblanking the Blank Page

22 Content and Meaning

24 Taking a Closer Look: The Deconstruction of

Rothko, Bee Shay

26 Collectors, Thing-Finders, and Treasure Keepers

28 Insight Activity: Pillaging the Dragon’s Hoard by

Using Your Good Stuff

29 Insight Activity: Automatic Writing

30 Insight Activity: The Vision Deck

31 Insight Activity: Musical, Imaginary Alphabet

33 CHAPTER 2

Relationships

34 Family and Friends

36 Insight Activity: Dropped-Paper Collage

38 Visual Toolbox: Making a Stencil Portrait

40 Taking a Closer Look: Maggie’s Baby Book,

Nina Bagley

42 Childhood

46 Tributes and Remembrances

51 CHAPTER 3

The Written Word

52 Incorporating Text as a Design Element

54

Favorite Quotes, Poems, and Prose 57 Visual Toolbox: Text onto Metal Mesh

60 Personal Writings and Storytelling

63 Insight Activity: The Found Poem

64 Visual Toolbox: Writing with Fluid Acrylics

67 CHAPTER 4

Current Events

68 Everyday Events

72 Insight Activity: One Hundred Versions 74 Insight Activity: The Calendar Journal

75 Taking a Closer Look: Traci Bunkers

78 Personal Life-Changing Events

80 Visual Toolbox: Adding Structured Texture to an

Art Journal Page

82 Events with Global Impact

83 Taking a Closer Look: September 11, 2001,

L.K . Ludwig

84 Insight Activity: Abstraction

85 Visual Toolbox: Silhouette Figure Study

Contents



87 CHAPTER 5

Places and Spaces

88 Travel Journals

90 Visual Toolbox: Altering a Child’s Board Book

91 Insight Activity: The Local Tourist

92 House and Home

94 Insight Activity: Building Your Sense of Home

96 Favorite Spaces

99 Visual Toolbox: Faux Landscape Painting

101 CHAPTER 6

Self-Explorations

102 Self-Portraiture

103 Taking a Closer Look: Juliana Coles

106 Photographic Self-Portraiture

109 Visual Toolbox: Photographic Self-Portraits

110 Visual Toolbox: More Than the Sum of Our Parts

1 1 1 Visual Toolbox: Ink-Jet Transfer

1 1 3 Visual Toolbox: Patina on Paper

114 Taking a Closer Look: Melanie Sage

116 Self-Portraiture Using Other Media

118 Visual Toolbox: Blind Contour Drawing

120 Visual Toolbox: Carving a Self-Portrait into

a Printing Block

122 Personal Archetypes

125 CHAPTER 7

Spirituality and Dreams

126 Faith and Spirituality

129 Taking a Closer Look: Loretta Marvel

132 Dreams

133 Insight Activity: Dream Characters

135 Visual Toolbox: Altered Scrapbooking Papers

Appendix:

136 Vision Deck

140 Contributors

141 Resources

142 Acknowledgments

143 About the Author





9

Introduction

As I recovered, I began searching for a way

to work with my existing portfolio of images.

I found tantalizing tidbits of information on im-

age transfers of toner photocopies in alternative

photo process literature, Rauschenberg mono-

graphs, and references on the Internet and began

working. I discovered Peter Beard’s work and

then the work of Nancy Chunn and Tom Phillips.

About this time, a magazine article ran show-

casing the work of Janet Hofacker’s art journals,

and the original online group, “artistjournals”

formed, shepherded by Loretta Marvel and me.

Teesha and Tracy Moore were publishing the

now-defunct The Studio zine, and the idea of art

journals exploded. Since then, the work seen

from gifted artists has only grown in sophistica-

tion and skill.

I’m pleased to show you wonderful work from

artists whose names may be familiar to you and

to introduce you to the work of some new artists.

I hope you find, throughout this book, eye candy

to excite you, creativity boosters to help you

generate authentic art work, and techniques to

add to your visual repertoire.

Ten years ago, I began keeping an art journal out of necessity. I was

primarily a photographer, working in medium-format, black-and-white film, but a health

concern left me with vision problems.

Each page of this book is packed with material

to inspire you. Along with incredible artwork

from some talented artists and guidance on

various common art journal themes, you will

find a journal prompt running down the right-

hand side of each page spread. There is also a

fill-in-the-blank prompt or a question, related

to the content of each chapter, posted on the

bottom left corner of every page spread. Theprompts are there to assist you when faced with

“Artists don’t make objects. Artists make mythologies.”

—Anish Kapoor

How to Use This Book

a blank page, when you are looking for a place

to begin, or when you simply need new ideas.

Several gifted artists provide a closer look into

how they work or how a particular work devel-

oped. Even the Appendix offers inspiration:

a deck of word cards to help you dig a little

deeper; a bibliography for further research into

information and techniques; inspiring artists;

and information on where to obtain variousart supplies.

U s u r p a n o r d i n a r y

o b j e c t f o r a r t i s t i c

p u r p o s e s — a f o r k , p e r h a p s .

B e n d

t h e o u t s i d e t i n e s

i n t o a l

o o p u n t i l

t h e y t o u c h t h e f o r k

, t h e n s p r e a d t h e t w o m i d d l e

t i n e s

a p a r t . I s t h i s a

f o r k o r a fl o w e r ? A n y t h i n

g c a n b e

u s e d . T h i n k b e y o n d

t h e o r d i n a r y .





chapter Art journal page by Katie

Kendrick (Read more about

Katie and her work on page 15.)

U s e s e r e n d i p i t y . W h e

n s o m e t h i n g

y o u

r e a d

o r e

x p e r i e n c e d o v e t a i l s w i t h i m p o r t a n t

t h i n g s i n y o u r

l i f e ,

u s e i t

a s t o p i c a b o u

t

w h i c h t o

c r e a t e . M e s s a g e s f r o m t h e u n i v e r s e s h o u l

d

n o t

b e o v e r l o o k e d !

11

The best way to begin work in a way that is

authentic and worthwhile is to consider content.

Socrates said, “the unexamined life is not worth

living.” Artists are complex beings, and even the

most mundane of us can find sufficient content

to fill hundreds of art journals. Our daily lives, with its blessings and travails, our relationships

to other individuals and to the larger world, our

hopes, our nightly dreams, and even our spiritual

faith provide rich content worth exploring in an

art journal.

Each chapter in this book examines a category

of potential content for the artist to explore in

the pages of an art journal. Although an art

journal can be used to explore themes and

content for other works, such as paintings,

mixed-media assemblages, fiber arts pieces,

or sculptures, an art journal is also a work of

art in itself, serving as an artist book, regardlessof whether or not it is ever shown to another

person. The chapters look at themes common to

almost everyone, and within these thematic areas

offer Insight Activities to spark creativity and art

journal prompts. Visual Toolbox activities provide

techniques, and Taking a Closer Look interviews

give you insight into how other artists work.

Using the Insight Activities

There are times, before beginning work on a project,

when we need a warm up, a process that allows us

to flex and stretch just a bit before we “really” begin.

Many artists find they begin by working the bad art

out first. The problem with this process is that the

results can be so disappointing, they stop the flow

of creativity. Sometimes, a few creativity starters

can help smooth the way to the “real” work; consider

them stretching exercises for the workout to come.

Although each chapter in the book provides topic-

related activities, those that follow are general

warm-ups for working our creative muscles.

Getting Started

Just as a blank canvas can be daunting to a painter, a blank sketchbook

or journal can cause a creative pause for many artists. Where to begin? What medium to

use? How to proceed? Questions seem to breed more questions. Beginning an art journal

requires simply that you begin. But how?



The

Basicsof Art

Journaling

An art journal can take a variet y of forms and is most frequently

contained on the pages of a book or a sketchbook or on loose pages housed in a

portfolio—for some artists, art journals are not contained in books but are seen

as a sequence of individual works created over time. All have in common the spill-

ing of one’s self into the work in a way that chronicles or examines a par t of the

journaler’s life. The definition of an art journal, then, is very flexible. Artists havea way of challenging boundaries and preconceived notions about both their art

making and their worlds.

The basics of art journa ling are about more than supplies—they’re about a desire

to examine, to challenge, to remember, to dream. For now, though, we’ll examine

the practical aspects of beginning an art journal, for there is a wealth of possibility

in structure and media.

Rituals for beginning work are often very important to artists. What things do

you typically do to begin work?

Ruth Fiege—art journal spread

using repetition as tool for

exploration and emphasis

12 t r u e v i s i o n



S t a r t

o u

t

o n

o n e

s u

b j e

c t

a n

d

w e n

d

y o u

r

w a y

a r o u n

d

t o

a n o

t h e

r

c o m

p l e t

e l y

u n

r e

l a t e

d

t o

p i c

u s

i n g

a

s e

r i e s

o f

i m

a g e s

c o

p i e

d

t o

t h e

s a m e

s i z e .

S t a r t

s o m e

w h e

r e

a n

d

e n

d

s o m e w

h e

r e e

l s e .

13g e t t i n g s ta r t e d

“Painting is just another way of keeping a diary.”

—Pablo Picasso

Journal page spread by

Brenda Beene Shackleford




In these two journal spreads by

Katie Kendrick, her unique style

of rendering faces communicates

visual and emotional content.

WHEN we work is powerful. Time of day impacts mood, energy, and perhaps color

palette. At what time of day do you work most regularly and why?



M a p

y o u

r

p a t h

t o w

o r k ,

t h e

c o

f f e e

s h o

p , o

r

t h

e

g r o

c e

r y

s t o

r e .

C r e

a t e

a n

a c t u

a l

m a p ,

b y

d r a w

i n g

d o o

d l e s

o f

b u

i l d -

i n g s ,

l a n

d m

a r k s , s q

u i g g

l y

t r e e s

. . . .

M a k e

t h e

s c a l e

h o w

l o n g

i t

f e e

l s

t o

g e

t

t o

a

p l a c e , n o

t

t h e a

c t u

a l

d i s

t a n

c e .

Your journal, which is housed in a large, old atlas, is so rich and

layered and, at the same time, very intimate. Would you tell us a

little bit about your process of approaching a page spread? Is there

a thought-out plan? Do you respond to the work as it unfolds? The only thing in my journal that is planned and consistent is

gluing four or five pages together, so that I have a strong, solid

surface to work on. Intuition is my guide, as I play and interact

with materials I have within arm’s reach. My studio is always in a

state of orderly chaos; what I have surrounding me partly depends

on what I’ve been doing that day, or where I am. An element,

image, or color always leads me to the next step in the process.

There is no thought about an end result, because if I planned

things out in advance, it [the art] would be coming from my head,

not my heart. I don’t feel compelled to even date or order my

entries, although I usually do. I’m not journaling to have a physi-cal, calendar-type record of my days, I journal to connect with

the dynamic flow of the universe, to try and understand the life

force, the energy with my particular fingerprints, that is streaming

through me every moment I’m alive. The process of creating,

not the outcome, is what takes me to the source, although the

end result, like a mirror, does reflect that creative energy.

taking a closer look: Katie Kendrick

15g e t t i n g s t a r t e d



“… I mean, making art is about objectifying yourexperience of the world, transforming the flow ofmoments into something visual, or textual, or musical,whatever. Art creates a kind of commentary.”

—Barbara Kruger


What six or seven symbols and four colors can you use to represent an area of

your life with which you are having diffi culty working in your art journal?



Your art exudes, breathes, hums with creative energy. What are

some of the th ings you do to keep your creativity flowing?

Create on a daily basis. By this I mean moving paint around,

cutting paper, scribbling, and playing with various materials and

media. It helps keep down the pressure to create a “masterpiece”

and just feels like playtime. Although I love spending time withfamily, friends, and other artists, I am an introvert by nature,

and I need lots of alone time. Without it, I become overstimulated

and full of thoughts and emotions that I’m unable to channel

creatively. I have a rural lifestyle and take lots of walks in the

woods and by the river—nothing inspires my creativity more

than being in nature. Taking photographs and using them in my

artwork also stirs the creative juices.

How do you keep your work so real?

By listening to my own voice within the creative process and

doing that each time I experiment with the materials. Every day,

that voice is recognizable as mine but slightly different. It’s not

unlike looking into the mirror each day—it’s me, but a slightly

different version of me. I can admire another artist and wish Icould paint like him or her, but I must remain true to the longing

to understand my own experience, to validate it and express it.

It would feel empty and pointless to deliberately copy or emulate

someone else’s work or style. I would get no personal satisfac-

tion from that, and where is the joy in art making without that

satisfaction? We all have our own stories, we are all on our own

journeys; I don’t want to compare or judge mine, I only want to

get to know it as fully as I can.

P l a c e

4 ”

( 1 0

c m ) s q u

a r e s o f

w h i t e , c r e a m , a n d

g r a y

p a p e r

i n

a

w e l l - l i t

r o o m . N o t i c e

h o w

t h e

l i g h t

a f f e c t s

t h e

c o l o r s

a s

i t

c h a n g e

s o v e r

t h e

c o u r s e o f

t h e

d a y . T r y

r e p l i c a t i n g

t h e s e

e f f e c t s

i n

y o u r

j o u r n a l

u s i n g

w a t e r c o l o r s .

Collage techniques with combinations of

fabric, found papers, and images, along

with her original drawings and paintings,

fill Katie Kendrick’s journal pages.




Selecting a Structure

Typically, an art journal is housed in a sketchbook, journal, or

hand-bound book. An artist might choose to work on separate sheets of paper and

later affix these sheets into a journal. An example of this is shown on page 85, in which

working with figures is illustrated using a collage technique involving tissue or deli paper.

Another artist might also work on loose sheets that are housed as a collection in a ring

binder, portfolio, or box.Some artists like to work in an old book, covering the pages with gesso or paper.

Often, several pages are glued together to create a sturdy ground. They might cover the

entire page and begin with a blank surface or use the book’s text and imagery to provide

a spark and a jumping-off point. This differs from an altered book, in that the artist uses

the book as a journal, instead of using the book ’s content to alter it.

Some of the artists whose work you will see in this book journal directly onto paint-

ings and other single sheet works; often these pieces are independent structures in a

series that challenge the viewer to see the content as a revelation of something personal

or a glimpse into the life of the ar tist.

You may need to “try several structures on for size,” to find the one that fits your style

of working. Don’t be surprised to learn that your preferred structure varies with the topic

you are exploring. A structure can also communicate content. The windowlike structureof an old Victorian album housing images of places and spaces that have moved the artist

further reveals the content to the viewer. A child’s board book can be altered to create a

travel journal, as well as to communicate the joy and wonder the trip brought to the artist.

It would be impossible in the course of this book to detail a ll the different art media

techniques that can be used to create a journal. Acrylic paint, watercolors, water-soluble

oil pastels, crayons, colored pencils, dyes, inks, markers, and more can be used to add

color and texture to pages. Various papers, both found and purchased, can create surface

grounds and collages. Photographs are a wonderful way to incorporate personal imagery

and can be manipulated in a variety of ways.

Whether or not you integrate written journal entries into the visual journal pages

depends on your desires and what the page content calls for. In this book, you will see

examples of both purely visual work and art journal pages that have so much written on

them that the writing itself forms a visual element. Candy Jernigan’s and Peter Beard’s

works contain unusual elements that spill across the pages chronicling their lives. If

there is a way to make use of something in an art journal, artists will find a way to do it.

If you are new to art journaling, you may find the bibliography, on page 141, to be a

helpful resource.


Look at the type of art journal you typically use. If you were to try other

book structures, what two would you try?



E m p t y

a n

a n x i o u s

h e a r t

o n t o

y o u r

p a g e s . C l i

p , p a i n t , s n i p , s c r i b b l e , s p

l a t t e r , w r i t e . D o n ’ t

c o n s i d e r

t h e

a p p e a r a n c e o f

y o u r

p a g e , j u s t

r e l e a s e y o u r b

u r d e n o n t o

t h e

p a p e r . I f

t h i s

i s n ’ t

a

p a g e y o u

w a n t

t o

c o m m i t

t o

h a v i n g

i n y o u r

j o u r n a l , d o

i t

o n s c r a p

o r

d e l i

p a p e r .

Bridgette Guerzon Mills

inscribes her journal by

writing into the surface

of this encaustic painting,

one in a series of works.




Drawing outward from a

photograph of a section of

a tree, Katie Kendrick uses

the tree as a focal image

that provides content and

as a structural element, to

hold her written journaling.


As an artist, what themes have you examined in your artwork and journals

to date?



T a k e

a n

o l d

b o o

k

f

r o m

y o u

r

h o

a r d

t o

u s e

a s

a

n e w

j o u

r n

a l .

I n s

t e

a d

o f

u s

i n g

i t

t h e

w a y

i t

o p e n s ,

t u

r n

i t

9 0

d e g

r e e s

a n

d

u s e

i t

f r o m

t h a t

d i r e

c t i o n .

1

Tear the scrap paper intopieces approximately 2 to

3" (5 to 7.5 cm) by 3 to 5"

(7.5 to 12.5 cm). Larger

is fine. You may wish to

crumple a few pieces,

before tearing them, for

additional visual text ure.

2

Using the gel medium,adhere the scrap paper

pieces to your surface,

either randomly or in a

visually pleasing arrange-

ment. Allow to dr y.

Materials

• journal, sketchbook, paper

• acrylic gel medium

• gesso

• scrap paper—telephonebook pages, newspaper,

scrap tissue paper, oldkraft paper or paperbags

insight activity: Unblanking the Blank Page

Tip

If you have trouble starting withouta color, consider using a tinted gesso.

Alternatively, use magazine pageswith wide swaths of color to createa work surface. Use a variation ofan ink blot technique by allowingthe submerged shapes on the pageto suggest what follows next. Includea focal image with the scraps andencircle it with texture.

3

Using a wide paintbrush,roughly apply a coat of

gesso over the surface,

allowing the texture of the

paper to remain visible.

You can cover the scrap

paper to create a uniform

color, or you can allow

some of the scrap paper’s

original color to remain

visible.

4

Use the textured surfaceas the ground for a journal

page by adding more pa-

per, photographs, maga-

zine clippings, drawings,

mark making, or paint.




Content and

Meaning

Journaling is by definition personal, and art journaling is no exception.

Keeping a visual journal can be rewarding, reactionary, intimate, confessional, fulfilling,

cathartic, empowering, therapeutic, or pleasurable—but first and foremost, keeping a

visual journal is personal. Filling blank pages with imagery laden with personal mean-

ing is what makes art journaling, journaling. What we choose to show or hide, reveal or

conceal, tells a story about our lives, our art, and yes, who we are inside. Each page inour journals, good or bad, is about something personal—the content our own. Pretty

pictures and decorative pages devoid of deliberate content may indeed be pretty, but, as

Rothko bluntly stated, “There is no such thing as a good painting about nothing.” Perfect

techniques give you the means to create marvelous work, but the techniques are not an

end in themselves.

What we bring to bear on each page is the sum of our experiences. If it sounds

daunting, it isn’t. Each technique you learn, each skill set you acquire for working with

an artistic medium becomes part of your repertoire. Think of these as building blocks,

as vocabulary—words for your unique visual language. The various activities and guides

you use to develop original content become conversations you have had, pathways of

exploration you follow in your creative process. This vocabulary, these words, this

language, these processes give you ways of expressing authentic content. No longer arepages pretty for the sake of being pretty or mysterious to simply be clever; your pages are

now pretty because they communicate an experience of beauty or mystery, as you puzzle

your way into revealing even more of your inner self on your pages.

What are the last six things you added to your stash? Where are they?




“It is a widely accepted notion amongpainters that it does not matter what onepaints as long as it is well painted. This is

the essence of academicism. There is nosuch thing as good painting about nothing.”

—Mark Rothko


T u r n u p

t h e v o l u m e

: g o

f o r

b r i g h t e r

v e r s i o n s

o f

t h e

c o l o r s y o u

w e r e g

o i n g

t o

u s e . W h a t e v e r

y o u

w e r e g o i n g

t o

d o , d o

i t

b i g g e r . S p

i l l

i t

o f f

t h e

p a g e . M a k e

i t

s o

b i g

a s

t o

b e u n r e c o g

n i z a b l e . M a k e

i t

s o

l o u d i

n

c o l o r

t h a t

a n y t h i n g

e l s e

i s

h

a r d

t o

s e e , o r

s o

b l a c k

t h

a t

i t

c o u l d

b e

a

c a v e . B i g

g e r , b o l d e r , m o r e v o l u m e !




Bee Shay’s Rothko journal conveys her side of a conversation

she had with her husband about his visit with friends to a Rothko

exhibit. Expressed in visual terms, Her work deconstructs imag-

ery based on Rothko’s work, using Rothko’s deep commitmentto communicating human emotions in his work and, by doing so,

affirms her husband’s right to his own opinion about Rothko and

deconstructs imagery based on the artist’s work, reconstructing

the images and demonstrating Rothko’s deep commitment to

communicating human emotions in his work.

Your journals exude a feeling of connection with nature and a

calmness, even as they address challenging topics such as self-

portraiture and relationships. Can you talk a lit tle about how

nature informs your work?

I’ve actually given a lot of thought lately as to why my work

tends to be so organic, and I think that the answer is relatively

simple. As a child, I was a relative loner, spending most of my

time entertaining myself in the woods behind my house (about

20 acres [8 hectares] worth) exploring, building fairy houses, and

collecting anything that wasn’t “nailed down,” as my father used

to say. The acreage was originally a bird sanctuary from the 1850s

until 1950, so it teemed with wildlife, as well. When I wasn’t in

the woods, I was walking the shores of the Atlantic Ocean with

my grandfather or the beaches of Chesapeake Bay with my family.

I was always more comfortable with beaches, woods, birds, and

animals than people, and it’s a safe place for me to work from.

The calmness I feel when I’m “in the zone,” as my kids referto it, when I’m outside collecting, gardening, or photographing,

happens for me when my hands begin to move, as well. They

are the instruments, the tools, that my heart and head use. The

act of “making things” calms my spirit and lets the flow begin.

My best work comes when I’m able to get out of my own way and

just let it happen.

Can you share with us your process? How do you begin? Do you

work in books topically, are they daily journals, or both?

I have many journals running at the same time. Some are

topical, and some are daily types. I probably have ADD, although

I’ve never been tested. My self-portrait journal is the only journal

I ever started and finished in consecutive days. It took a month of

working nights, weekends, and whenever I could find a moment,

but I was driven to see it through, rather than following my usual,

more casual, approach of not being concerned with the product

but more concerned about “the dance,” to quote my friend Shelley.

Not controlling the outcome yields my best results, so I rarely

start with a planned result. I usually begin by laying down

backgrounds on many pages, just to get my hands moving. Thethings that are always right at hand are Rives BFK paper, gesso,

inks, acrylic paints, and pastel pencils. I rarely cut, usually tear,

and I just love texture, so it almost always starts with texture and

moves on from there.

Color is important to the way you communicate, and I’ve noticed

you work with dyes and paints in ways that communicate texture.

Can you tell us more about your favorite ways to add color to

your pages?

Layers, layers, layers. That’s my rule. I painted with oils for

fifteen years and learned that it was much easier to add than to

remove. Patience is the key. You can’t be in a hurry; you have to wait for things to dry, or you’ll end up with brown everything.

That’s probably why I work on several things at once, so while one

is drying, I can still be working.

taking a closer look: The Deconstruction of Rothko, Bee Shay


List fi ve topics you could journal on right now:



“To us, art is an adventure into anunknown world, which can beexplored only by those willing to

take risks.”

—Mark Rothko

I am also a big fan of spraying and washes. They have a way

of taking a piece that feels disjointed and giving it a finished

commonality that works for me. I rarely stop with one wash or

one spray—it’s often five or six different shades of the same color.Each layer not only adds colors but texture, as well.

The more I add, the deeper the piece becomes, and I like that.

I like sanding back to reveal the colors that have been covered in

some places, and obliterating text or images in others. It’s almost

like being on the beach and gleaning through the flotsam and

jetsam left by the high tide. Once the thoughts are on the page,

it’s no longer important to me that they are legible. I have gottenthem “out,” and that’s the dance. I guess you could call this

process of working constructive “deconstructionism.”

N e w

j o u r n a l s c a n b

e d a u n t i n g . B r e a k

i n

p a g e

s b y

d i p p i n g

t h e b o o k

i n t

o

a

b o w l

o f

c o f f e e , t e a , o r

w a t e r e d -

d o w n

i n k . H o l d

t h e

b o o k

b y

t h e c o v e r

b o a r d s

t o

d i p . F a n

o p e n

t o

d r y .




Many art journal artists work in mixed media, both in their journals

and in their individual artworks. Many of us are thing-finders, collectors, and trea-

sure keepers. We never know what our next piece might call for, so we gather up

what appeals to us: old photographs, bits of tin, feathers, vintage textiles, and other

found and foraged treasures. We create a dragon’s hoard, a collection of fabulous

finds that we stash in our lairs and guard from harm.There is a certain excitement that is generated when we acquire a found-object

treasure. When we look at the found object, we think, “Oh, wow! That would be

great in….” “That would work perfectly for….” “I could use this in a piece on….”

Excitedly, we snap up our find and carr y it back to our studio, where we admire

it, perhaps turning it over in our hands, and then we place it carefully onto a shelf

or a tabletop or into a drawer. Unfortunately, the creative energy generated by

the found object, all the possibilities for its use, and the excitement surrounding

the found object go onto the shelf or into the drawer with the object. We give up

the creativity to preserve the object, even though we obtained the object with the

intent of using it.

Make a list of all the media you use. Now list all the ways you use that media.

Pull out your list when you are stuck, to help you brainstorm how to begin.

Collectors, Thing-Finders, and Treasure

Keepers

“What are we going to do now?” asked Tommy.

“I don’t know what you are going to do,” said Pippi, “but I know I can’t liearound and be lazy. I am a Thing-finder, and when you’re a Thing-finder youdon’t have a minute to spare.”

“What did you say you are?” asked Annika.

“A Thing-finder.”

“What’s that?” asked Tommy.

“Somebody who hunts for things, naturally. What else could it be?” said Pippi.

“The whole world is full of things and somebody has to look for them. And that’s just what a Thing-finder does,” she finished.

“What kind of things?” asked Annika.

“Oh, all kinds,” said Pippi. “Lumps of gold, ostrich feathers, dead rats,candy snapcrackers, and tiny little screws, and things like that.”

—From P IPPI LONGSTOCKING , As trid Lindgren,

translated by Florence Lamborn, The Viking Press, 1950. [pp. 28–29]





G l u e

a n

e n v e

l o

p e

t o

a

j o u

r n

a l

p a g e .

W r i t e

a

l o

v e

l e

t t e

r

t o

s o m e o n e ,

p e

r h a

p s

y o u

r s e

l f ,

t u

c k

i t

i n s

i d e

a n

d

s e

a l

i t

s h u

t .

This sort of self-defeating behavior has its roots in fear—fear of running out of

good stuff, fear of never finding another one, fear of ruining the object. And, while

some of these fears are legitimate, a certain amount of art making involves risk

taking. There will always be good stuff to be found, and the next treasure is always

waiting. Missing the opportunity to capture that creative energy is a true waste.

In other words, use your good stuff. There is always more good stuff to be had.

Liz Lamoreaux incorporates

vintage textiles and buttons

along with her poetry into her

mixed-media journal pieces.




What are your four most amazing stash items? Where do you store them? What

keeps you from using them?


Melanie Komisarski’s jour-

nal spread uses a layered

paint background and

silhouetted plant images to

remind us all that nurturing

our souls allows us to grow.

insight activity: Pillage the Dragon’s Hoard by Using Your Good Stuff

2

Choose four items to work

with, either for a journal

or to incorporate into a

journal page. Be brave andselect items with which

you feel an immediate

connection, things that

make you think of pos-

sibilities for use right away.

3

Take a spare bit of paper

and jot down your ideas.

Look them over. Choose

the one that motivates youthe most, and then begin.

1

Head to your studio. Peer

into cupboards and poke

into drawers.

Tip

This is an excellent activity to prac-

tice regularly. You can use variationsof this activity for any art journalor other project by perusing your

stash with that project in mind and gathering a small collection of itemsin a basket or box. Add or subtractobjects as the project progresses.

Maintaining an interaction with your collection of objects allows youto keep fresh in your mind the cre-ative energy those objects generated.



This journal page has

two layers of automatic

writing in the background.

I collaged a piece of Davey

board with printed tissue,

covered it with more

automatic writings, and

then further manipulated it,

by collaging and stamping

it with a textile stamp.

Tips

Switch colors or switchto a different mark-making material andrepeat the exercise. Usethis paper as a back-

ground for journalingor as a collage element.

W h e n

u s

i n g

t e x

t

o n

a

p a g e , g

i v e

i t

v i s u

a l

p u

n c h

b y

c r e

a t i n g

w o

r d s

t h a t

j u m

p

o f f

t h e

p a g e

t h r o u g

h

t h e

i r

a r r a n g e m e n

t ,

c o

l o

r ,

o

r

s t y

l e .

1

Take a sheet of paper,

plain or otherwise, and

place it, unobstructed,

on a table. Select a few

different mark-making

materials, based on your

personal tastes. For this

exercise, choose some-

thing that moves easily

across the page, such as

a water-soluble oil pastel,

a watercolor crayon, a

hunk of charcoal, or even

a china marker.

2

Find some way to keep

time that you will not need

to check. Rather than

a watch, use a cooking

timer, or even a song play-

ing on your home audio

equipment—something

that will audibly alert you

to the passage of t ime

without your needing to

be aware of it.

3

Think about a topic—

don’t think about what you

are going to write, just

think about the topic.

Materials

• paper

• timer

• mark-makingmaterial

insight activity: Automatic Writing

If you have ever attended a drawing or painting class, you are probably familiar with the process

of automatic writing. In this exercise, we’ll let our mark-making material flow across the paper

uncensored, and, to ensure that, some basic instructions are listed below.

4

Set the timer for two

minutes. Without looking

down at the paper, begin

to write about the topic.

Don’t be concerned about

legibility. In fact, writing

illegibly can actually be

freeing, because, when

you’re not concerned

about someone reading

your writing, you are free

to write all sorts of things.

Illegible text is also visu-

ally interesting, because

the loops and lines of

writing provide a visual

rhythm, and the idea of

a written, illegible mes-

sage is intriguing to the

viewer. Feel free to writediagonally across the page

or extremely large.

5

If you run out of space

before your allotted time,

turn the paper 90 degrees

clockwise and begin again.

Repeat as needed.





One resource that can be used as both an easygoing warm-up

activity and as a way to mine for deeper content is the creation of

a Vision Deck. A V ision Deck is a collection of single words to use

as prompts. A starter deck and some blank cards for you to copyonto card stock and cut out are located in the Appendix on page

136. Alternatively, you can use raffle tickets or small bits of paper.

Some artists use the cards in a deck format, shuffling and turning

over a random card; others place them into a fishbowl or box and

draw a card at random.

Single words are powerful tools for artists. As you ponder the

word, often multiple meanings come to mind, a mood begins to

form, perhaps colors or even shapes float to the surface. Pulling

a card from your Vision Deck can help you begin a page in your

art journal, and it can help you reach deeper into a topic already

underway.

To use the Vision Deck to begin a page in your art journal,select a card at random. Place it flat on your table. Taking up a

pencil and paper, jot down as many things that come to mind as

possible, without censoring. Allow your brain to free-associate.

Once you feel you have exhausted that process, examine your

list. What on your list intrigues, touches, disturbs, or distresses

you? Make a mark by each word association that sparks that inner

“ping” when you read it.

Now, look at the associations that have moved you in some way.

If you are merely looking for a jumping-off point, choose the most

interesting association and consider the mood the it generates,

your feelings about that association, and even the colors generated

in your mind. You might have to sit quietly with your eyes closed

to generate the colors. Some people find that the colors come with

the feelings. Use your colors to create a palette for your page.

If you are using the Vision Deck to mine deeper for subject

content, then keep your topic firmly in mind when you choose

a card. Follow the preceeding instructions, but generate your list

of associations, relating the word to your topic. If you cannotcome up with any, return the card to the pile and choose another.

Now, as you examine your list of associations, pay close

attention to your feelings—they are r ich fodder for journal work.

Some of the feelings may be expected, but often, you will discover

content you hadn’t considered. Use these feelings to guide you

into choosing various color palettes for your pages and objects,

and ephemera from your collection to use in your work. The

combination of materials on your pages, your color palette, and

your content creates work that is rich in meaning.

insight activity: The Vision Deck

Tip

Sometimes, trying to think of words for your personal Vision Deck canleave your mind blank! Becausewe are trying to avoid this, try the following two simple tricks. Using a dictionary, quickly flip pages open at random and chooseone word from each page spread. Don’t think about it, just react. Or,head to the hardware or paint storeand collect a stack of paint samplecards. The paint color names oftencontain words that are evocative for an artist. Keep only the words,and either discard the color chipsor set them aside for another project.(See the Dropped-Paper Collageactivity on page 36.)

List six words you can immediately add to your Vision Deck.




F i n

d

o n e

i m

a g e

o r

o b j e

c t

t h a t

i s

t h e

q u

i n

t e s

s e n

t i a l

d i s

t i l l a t i o n

o f

s o m e o n e

o r

s o m e

p l a c e

y o u

c h

e r i s

h

a n

d

c r e

a t e

a

p a g e

t h a t

s u

p p o

r t s

t h e

i m

a g e

o r

o b j

e c t .

1

Select some music that

speaks to the mood of a

topic on which you wish to

work in your art journal.

2

Cover your work area

with newspaper, and lay

your art paper flat. Place

your ink in a container

that’s easily accessible

for dipping your brush.

3

Start your music, andallow the feelings that the

music evokes to deter-

mine what comes next.

4

Based on your emotional

response, use the cal-

ligraphy brush to make

alphabet-like marks,

without actually using

the alphabet. Allow your

feelings to determine the

faux alphabet shapes:

rounded, long, sharp,

short, linear, wavy.

5

Cover your page with

these marks. Think

cuneiform writing, runes,ancient messages, or

Asian syll abaries, as you

allow your creative spirit

to work with the music

to fill the paper with t his

mysterious text.

Materials

• bamboo calligraphybrush

• sheet of hot-presswatercolor, print-making, or qualitydrawing paper

• music

• ink

• newspaper

Journal spread by Carol Parks.

Tips

• Use colored paper or paper thathas already been covered with awash of watercolor or ink.

• If you want to make crisper markson the page, use an ink containinga resin, such as Speedball Super

Black India Ink.

• These pages make gorgeous covers,backgrounds, collage elements,and endpapers for journals. Andbecause they bear a relationshipto your content, they add a layerof meaning to your work.

insight activity: Musical, Imaginary Alphabet


Similar to automatic writing, the Musical Imaginary Alphabet activity is useful as

a creative warm-up and as a mark-making activity.





chapter

Made to commemorate his son’s

third birthday, this piece by Joe

Ludwig incorporates text—things

his son says or enjoys doing—to

create the shadows and lines in

his son’s face. O b s e

r v e

c h i l d r e n

a t

p l a y .

N o

t e

h o w

e a s

i l y

t h e

y

m o v e

b e

t w e e n

f a n

t a s y

a n

d

r e

a l i t y .

C r e

a t e

p a g e s

t h

a t

fl o w

b e

t w e e n

t h e

r e

a l

a n

d

i m

a g

i n

e d .

33

Relationships

Simple biology dictates many of these

relationships, because we were each born with

two biological parents. Family, friends, teachers,

neighbors, roommates, love interests, and life

partners have intersected our lives and affected

our futures. The examination of relationships

has provided inspiration for artwork throughout

history—art journaling is no exception.Dozens of psychological theories and count-

less schools of philosophical thought have been

built around the nature of relationships between

people. It is no wonder then, that the dynamic

nature of our interactions and connections to

other people creates the most often explored

area in our art journals. We examine, explore,

commemorate, and, yes, sometimes eviscerate

our relationships with parents, siblings, child-

ren, neighbors, and lovers. We address failures,express fears and hopes, and record the very

nature of love in our lives.

A well-used axiom states that no one exists in a vacuum; we are

connected to others through a series of relationships and have been since birth.

“Man is a knot into which relationships are tied.”

—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry



Corey Moortgat journals

onto her mixed-media

paintings, which are created

on panels of Masonite.

Family and Friends

The process of art journaling about our most intimate relationships,

our family, and our closest friends can range from joyous to incredibly difficult,

depending on the nature of that relationship and the art journal’s content. Most

of us can work easily, in a way that celebrates and commemorates our feelings and

thoughts, but when the relationship we are addressing is difficult or painful, we can

find it difficult to bare ourselves in our artwork.

List the layers you’ve added to your inner child as you’ve become a grown-up.


“We all grow up withthe weight of history

on us. Our ancestorsdwell in the attics ofour brains as they doin the spiraling chainsof knowledge hidden inevery cell of our bodies.”

—Shirley Abbott



K e e

p

a n

A l t o

i d s

t i n

h a n

d y ; s n

i p

i n

t e

r e s

t i n g

l e

t t e

r s

f r o m

y o u

r

j u n

k

m a

i l

t o

s p r i n

k l e

o n

t o

y o u

r

j o u

r n

a l

p a g e s

a n

d

s t o

r e

t h e m

i n

t h e

t i n .

35r e l a t i o n s h i p s



Exploring family dynamics can be difficult and often leaves us

feeling exhausted or in need of therapy! If your art journal work

is leading you to explore difficult dynamics and you are having

trouble beginning, try a technique made famous by artist Jean(Hans) Arp, who was associated with different art movements,

including Abstract-Creationism, Dadaism, and Surrealism. One

of his famous works, Collage with Squares Arranged According to

the Laws of Chance, was apparently created by tearing paper into

pieces, dropping them onto another piece of paper, and pasting

them where they fell.

For this activity, draw from your Vision Deck, to begin to

associate thoughts and feelings with your topic. Choose one

or two colors of paper to tear, as well as a color for your surface

ground. Your paper and your ground can be the same color, if

that is the palette that corresponds with your feelings. Then do

as Arp allegedly did and drop the torn pieces onto your workingsurface, pasting them where they have fallen. You might find

this to be a sufficient background for a focal image or text, or

you may choose to work into the collage, marking around the

paper edge. You can also draw over the paper, perhaps with

automatic writing, while thinking of your topic.

Sometimes, a difficult topic may be rendered less so by the

use of symbolism—not to be cryptic and hide our meaning but

to find a metaphor with which we can approach our topic. The

metaphor provides distance, so that we can safely approach

painful, dark, or personal content, without feeling as though

we have exposed ourselves entirely. Use tarot cards, tales,

animals, trees, objects, geography—rivers, mountains,

and caves, for example—to represent yourself and others.

insight activity: Dropped-Paper Collage


Friendship can provide a lifeline when you’re treading through rough waters.

List a friend who has been there for you.




T e

a r

u p

a

c o

l l a g e

t h a t

d i d n

’ t

w o

r k

a n

d

r a n

d o m

l y

g l u e

d o w n

t h e

p i e

c e s

a c r o s s

a

s p r e

a d .

W a s

h

t h e

p a g e

i n

c o m

p l e

t e

l y

w i t h

a

l i g

h t -

c o

l o

r e

d

a c r y

l i c , s u

c h

a s

b o n e

w h i t e ,

a n

d

b e g

i n

a n e w .

This journal spread by the author is part

of a book exploring a difficult pregnancy.




1

Use either a digital photo

or an image that has been

scanned and open it in

Photoshop.

2

Under Image, select

Adjust and then Auto

Contrast.

3

Repeat and choose AutoLevels.

Materials

• photo or digital image

• computer with image-editing software

• card stock

• cutting mat

• craft knife and blades• glue stick

• white crayon

For TraditionalStenciling:

• stencil brushes

• acrylic paint

For Spray Painting:

• repositionableadhesive spray,

such as Easy Tack

• spray paint

visual toolbox: Making a Stencil Portrait

The first step in making a stencil portrait is to choose a photograph to work with. Choose one that is

relatively simple or that can be cropped into a simple shot, such as a head and shoulders shot. Then,

using image-editing software, alter the photographic image to remove detail and create a simplified

black-and-white image that is ideal for cutting.The following instructions are for using Adobe Photoshop to alter a photograph, so that it can be cut

into a stencil. Other image-editing software programs can also be used. In addition to referring to the

manufacturer’s instruction manuals and experimenting on your own, search the Internet to find tips

and shortcuts for using your image-editing software.

4

Then, also under Image,

Adjust, select Threshold.

You’ll see a slider to adjust

the Threshold Level. Once

the image is to your liking,

print it onto card stock.Make a reference print on

plain paper, and save your

image.

To Alter a Photograph in Adobe Photoshop:

1

Examine your printed

image. You might need

to print more than one

version and combine the

two to obtain t he level of

detail you want for your

stencil. Use a sharp craftknife to cut the parts you

like from one card stock

print; using a glue stick,

add them onto the other

card stock print.

2

Before you cut away all

the white areas from your

printed image, you will

need to be aware of how

the black-and-white areas

join, so that you do not

cut loose an entire area ofthe face from the image.

Be sure to look over the

image and determine

whether you have a

section that must remain

untouched, to hold the

stencil together. Mark that

area with a crayon, so you

don’t forget.

To Create the Stencil:

3

In the event that you

make a cutting error,

fit the piece back into

place. Glue on a piece of

discarded card stock—on

the top of the stencil, not

the bottom—so that itoverlaps the stencil and

the accidentally removed

piece. Flip the stencil over

to trim away the excess

card stock from your

patch.

4

Test your stencil by giving

it a spray with your spray

paint. Do not use the

repositionable adhesive

on the reverse side at this

time. Compare the results

to your reference print. Ifyou missed an area, it will

be apparent. You may

have to go back and cut

more from your stencil. If

the paint has obscured the

cutting area, print another

copy onto card stock, cut

the missing section from

this new print, and, using

your reference print as

a guide, glue this into

place using the technique

described in step 3.

variation

You can create

custom stencils for

text easily, without

all the craft-knife

work, by using a set

of alphabet punches.

Examine the relationships you have with four people; what symbols or metaphors

can you use to symbolize these people and your relationships with them?




Make

a

photocopy

of

your

palm.Head

to

thel

ibrary

and

look

up

palmi

stry.Give

yourself

a

palm

reading

and

create

a

page

about

what

your

palm

has

tos

ay.Are

secrets

there?

1

Always work outdoors

or in an extremely well-

ventilated studio and

wear the appropriate

safety equipment.

Disposable latex gloves

are also helpful.

2

Give the back side of your

stencil a healthy coat of

repositionable adhesive

spray. This affixes the

edges, so that you do

not have paint bleeding

under your stencil. Place

your stencil, adhesive

side down, onto your

journal page.

3

Shake the paint can

sufficiently, and, using

a light hand, spray paint

your stencil. A light hand

ensures that you will not

have drips and globs of

paint. Spray in shortbursts and review your

work after each spray,

continuing until you feel

it is suf ficiently painted.

4

Allow the piece to dr y

thoroughly in a well-

ventilated area. Lift

stencil from image.

Spray Painting

Tip

Store your custom stencils, treated withadhesive, on a piece of

plain white computer paper. These stencils store well in a three-ring binder with page

protector sheets.

In this piece, I spray painted three

stencil portraits, one of each of my

children, onto single piece with

a background created by spraypainting layers using stencils.



When I was pregnant with my second child, Maggie, I was having

a difficult time. I had complications with the pregnancy and was

separated from my husband. My friend, Nina Bagley, asked if she

could make a baby book for Maggie as a gift. Could she! Ooh, the

anticipation! As my pregnancy progressed, so did our friendship.

Nina, also a single parent, with her boys now nearly grown, was

filled with compassion for the situation and with nostalgia for

those babyhood days gone by. Nina asked if I minded her working

on some pages. Thrilled to be offered a gift of this beautiful origi-

nal artwork, I said, “Oh, please, feel free—it is your book!”

taking a closer look: Maggie’s Baby Book, Nina Bagley


Describe an ordinary summer day from your childhood. What games did you play?

What did you eat? Who were your friends?



I n

s e

c o n

d

g r a d e , w h

a t

d i d

y o u

w a n

t

t o

b e

w h e

n

y o u

g r e w

u p ?

W h a t

o t h e

r

t h i n g s

d i d

y o u

w a n

t

t o

b e

w h e n

y o u

g r e w

u p ?

H a v e

y o u

d o n e

a n y

o f

t h o s e

t h i n g s ?

D o

y o u

s t i l l

w a n

t

t o

d o

a n y

o f

t h o s e

t h i n g s

?


Two weeks before the baby arrived, this beauty of an art journalarrived at my door. I took it with me to the hospital, and in those

wee hours, holding that wee bundle on my lap, I turned those

pages and felt we were loved. Each page is filled to the brim with

touching, gorgeous, baby-and-mama artwork. In fact, Nina had to

rebind it, because the book had become too large for the original

spine. More than 3" (7.5 cm) thick, the book is so full, Nina added

a tiny blank book to the interior back cover for recording Maggie’s

babyhood memories.

The amount of detail in the book is astonishing; one mustexplore these complex, layered pages, by opening envelopes and

peering into pockets. These journal pages were thoughtfully

created to communicate a sense of warmth and tenderness. The

vintage paper ephemera, combined with the delicate, antique,

floral shank buttons running down the vintage barkcloth spine,

the vintage charms, the incredibly tiny text hammered into copper

strips, and Nina’s tender writings, clearly communicate the

artist’s thoughts.



Childhood

No other part of our lifespan seems to have as much significance

to us as our childhood, that time of exploration, learning, and new experiences.

Memories from childhood are unusually strong, and some seem almost imbued

with a special power to generate the same feelings we had when the original

event took place. We can remember sounds, images, emotions, scents, even

physical touch.Exploring our personal childhood can be a roller coaster ride of both joy and

sorrow, but it is also an infinitely rich subject to examine in our art journals. Actor

Woody Harrelson is quoted as having said, “A grown-up is a child with layers on.”

Memories take us under the layers, back to places we have long forgotten or to

places we remember often. An art journal can serve as a place in which to work

without ramifications, to explore or exorcise difficult experiences, and enable us

to visually express feelings that no one need ever see or understand. Remember

that many treasured fairy tales, for all the sugar coating, were once scary and dark

tales. On a difficult day, we can travel in our art journal down the softly lit path of

nostalgic summer evenings spent catching fireflies and linger a while.

Childhood is an area for which few of us need prompts to generate topics; mostly,

we seem to simply need permission. Symbols and metaphors can provide a means ofentering topics we feel are difficult or that we are embarrassed to approach because

of their sweet tenderness. Problems with getting started often stem from a flood of

memories or feelings—by using your Vision Deck, you can narrow your focus to a

specific instance or thought.

Often, we are able to broach childhood in our art journaling after becoming

parents ourselves. Suddenly, we find that having children leads us to understand our

own parents more and, at the same time, understand them less. We are unabashedly

sentimental about, unstoppably tender toward, and unashamedly frustrated with

our offspring, as they grow from infancy to adulthood. Libraries and galleries could

be filled with art journals that examine childhood. From the worlds of dream and

imagination and the fiercely intense peer-group explorations to our interactions as

parent and child, there is much in the realm of childhood to explore.


What children’s songs or stories resonate for you? Why?

“So, like a forgotten fire, a childhood can always flare up again within us.”

—Gaston Bachelard



T r y

o n

d i f f e

r e n

t

h

a n

d w

r i t i n g

s t y

l e s .

Journal page spread

by Juliana Coles


Melanie Komisarski’s daughters

play while she observes and records

them with love on her journal page.




Tips

• Ephemera related to children,toys, storybooks, reading primers,

and vintage textiles can serve as jumping-off points to explore anyapproach to childhood.

• Fairy tales and nursery rhymesoffer potent symbolism andmetaphor for approaching work.

• Music lyrics and verses fromchildren’s songs and poems canoffer structure, by exploring averse per page.

Karen Michel journals about her son

and the magic he works on her heart.


• Childhood mementoes andtreasured teddy bears can be

incorporated into pages! Objectsthat won’t fit between pagescan be photographed, and the

photographs can be furthermanipulated or used as is.

• A favorite childhood book can bealtered to create a potent journal

structure, or the cover boardsremoved and used to bind a newblank journal. Try eBay and onlineused book dealers for a spare copy.

What fi ve people have changed your life most signifi cantly?




C o n s

t r u

c t

a

p a g e t

h a t

i n

t e

r a c t s

w i t h

t h e

v i e

w e

r .

T r y

p u

l l

t a b s ,

fl a p s ,

a n

d

s m

a l l

d o o

r s .

Tricia Scott’s writing, color palette,

and photography work together to

create a vivid visual whole.



Tributes and

Remembrances

Death is a part of life. Regardless of how terribly overused

this phrase is, it remains tr ue. You might find yourself working in your art

journal as part of the grieving process, expressing the tide of emotions and

memories to which you fear others have tired of listening. You might also

create art journals to house memories about those who have touched your

life in a particular way, so that your journal becomes a tribute or book ofremembrance. The timing must be right for this work. Fevered journal

pages upon which you pour your sadness and pain give way to more

introspective pages, as you work through your loss. While these pages are

often difficult to look at, even years later, the power they have to evoke this

visceral response tells you the work you have done in your art journal was

valuable for you.


Remembrances and tributes can be diffi cult to begin. Who might you

remember and why?




P r o v e

y o u

e x

i s

t .

Amy Hanna created this piece in a work-

shop as a tribute to her grandmother.

“The deep pain that is felt at the death of every friendlysoul arises from the feeling that there is in every individualsomething which is inexpressible, peculiar to him alone,and is, therefore, absolutely and irretrievably lost.”

—Arthur Schopenhauer



48 t r u e v i s i o n48 t r u e v i s i o n

Draw a spider web and place yourself at the center. Make a list of your close

family members, friends, and colleagues. Place them on the web according to

where they are in terms of impact on your life.

Remembrances offer a way to create art around people who were

special to us, to chronicle their lives and their impact on our lives.

Including personal ephemera, writings, signatures, textiles, and, of

course, photographs allows you to fully flesh out your pages. As you

work, think about your feelings, your subject matter, and the setting,

and use them to generate not only your content but your color palette,allowing it to inform your technique choices, as well. Ask yourself some

key questions: What feelings led you to choose this content? What feel-

ings are you trying to communicate? What colors are associated with

these feelings? What are the colors in your imagery? Is there overlap?

If not, how can you connect these color palettes? Are there techniques

that support the communication of your content? For example, use

shiny transparencies and colorful collage for hopefulness, patina on

metal or aging paper for the passage of time, or paint layers sanded

away for nostalgia.

nonpermanent

use of keepsakes

There may be times you want to use precious

mementoes but hesitate to risk them by

attaching them permanently to a journal page.

• Use quality photocopies of letters and images.

• Consider using tea-stained or vintage paper

for copies of written documents.

• Take antique and vintage photographs to a

photo developing shop to have quality copiesmade that look like the originals.

• Create pockets and sleeves in which to slide

mementoes.

• Use library pockets, page protectors sheets,

manila folders, or glassine envelopes to hold

treasures.




Melanie Sage remembers

women from her past in this

journal spread.

C o

l l e

c t

d o o

r w

a y s , o

r

r a t h e

r ,

i m

a g e s

o f

d o o

r w a

y s .

T h i n

k i n g

a b o u

t

t h e

n a

t u

r e

o f

d o o

r w

a y s

c a n

l e

a d

i n

t o

s o m e

i n

t e

r e s

t i n g

j o u

r n

a l

w o

r k .





chapter

Color, font choice, and

collage elements work

together to communicate

the dynamic state of

happiness described in

the quotation on Sarah

Fishburn’s art journal page. T e

a r

a

p i e

c e

o f

n e w

s p a p e

r

o r

t i s s u e

i n

t o

r e

c t a n g

l e s

a n

d

s t r i p s .

A d h e

r e

t h e s e

p i e

c e s

t o

y o u

r

p a g e

w

i t h

a c r y

l i c

m e

d i u m .

F o

r

a d d i t i o n

a l

t e x

t u

r e ,

c r u m

p l e

t h e p

i e

c e s

b e

f o

r e

a t t a c h i n g

t h e

m .

“But words are things, and a small drop of ink,falling like dew, upon a thought, produces that

which makes thousands, perhaps millions, think.”—Lord Byron, D ON J UAN , 1819

51

The Written Word

Whether the text is incorporated into the

background or used a focal point, text is a

powerful element, packing visual, as well as

narrative, content.

Text can be applied to pages as a design

element, through the use of the letters as visual

texture, not legible words—letters scattered

across a back-ground, for example, or sheetsof grade-school cursive hand-writing practice.

Artists have often incorporated favorite quotes

and words of power, poetry, and prose into their

art journal pages. Personal writings, chronicled

events, and storytelling often find their way

out of our fevered imaginations and onto our

art-filled pages. Even imaginary alphabets place a

visual rhythm on a page, and in turn, the rhythm

can tell a story. Sharp slashing marks speaktersely of tension. Fluid strokes share a sense of

grace and ease.

Art journaling allows us to fluidly move between art that is strictly

visual to art that combines visual elements and text.




Incorporating Text as a

DesignElement

Automatic wr itings, random arr angements of letters, or layers

of words can be used to create a powerful background or focal content. The larger

symbolism of the concept of language and words, of communication or the lack

thereof, can be expressed without ever using a legible word or phrase.

Legible text is also a v isual design element, as any graphic designer will tell

you. While art journal pages are not constructed to advertise a product, you are

communicating content to a target audience, even if the target audience is just you.

How your text is used to create visual impact is something to consider. You may wish

to consciously place and use your text in a way that deliberately creates impact and

communicates something visually, not just literally. Balance or lack of balance on

a page communicates different things visually—harmony versus chaos or discord,

for example. Proximity of letters to each other and to other visual elements on a

page can be used to reveal our feelings. Tightly spaced text may speak to anxiety

or intensity, while loosely spaced text can slow down a visual reading.

Alignment, or the placement of text on your page, can lead the eye across visual

elements, creating a visual sentence to be read diagonally, from top to bottom, or

from left to r ight. Repetition creates emphasis, although this is tr ue not just for

text but for any visual element. Contrast, or the lack thereof, can speak volumes

or speak softly. These design elements can be added to your visual repertoire and

used to communicate content as yet another layer of meaning in your work.

List two books you’ve read that you’ll never forget and your favorite passages.


“Words, like Nature, half reveal And half conceal the Soul within.”

—Alfred, L ord Tennyson,

“Im memoriam A.H.H.,” 1850

Melanie Sage uses a variety

of found text elements on a

portrait page to communicate

her feelings directly.



C o

a t

a

p a g e

i n

w a x

a n

d

s c r a t c h

m

a r k s

o r

t e x

t

i n

t o

t h e

s u

r f a c e .

R u

b

g

r a p h i t e

o r

c h a r c o

a l

i n

t o

t h e

s c r a t c h e s .

53 t h e w r i t t e n w o r d

Carol Parks created a series of journal pages, in which

the backgrounds are blocks of bold color and the text

in the blocks is written in either white or black gel

pen. Page after page in several journals is filled in this

way, and the text then dissolves out of focus, visually

becoming a strong, moving design element.



t r u e v i s i o n

Favorite

Quotes, Poems,

and Prose

Fill your packsack with tiny black sketchbooks scrawled with

a quote on each page for safekeeping. Add everyday journals made fat with

cellophane tape and snippets from magazine readings, hastily written excerpts

on napkins, airline boarding passes, and the occasional chocolate bar wrapper.

Shelves of books can be stored inside the packsack, paper flags poking up

from the spines, each a reminder that some arrangement of words on that page

whispered something to the soul.

Art journals are mar velous repositories for treasured writings; quotes, poetry,

and prose can all can find their way onto the pages, marrying the visual elements

and speaking, whispering, and shouting the myriad things you work so hard

to say.


Powerful and direct,

Melanie Komisarski’s

journal spread uses text

as a design element

and is built around aninspiring quote.

What writing would you hang on your moonlit clothesline?



F o

l d i n g

p a g e s

a d d s

n e w

p e

r s

p e

c t i v e s .

F o

l d

b e f

o r e

s t a r t i n g ,

t o

c r e

a t e

s e

p a r a t e

s p a c e s .

F o

l d

a f t e

r ,

t o

c r e

a t e

t e x

t u

r e

a n

d

d i m e n s

i o n .

“Poetry is a packsack of invisible keepsakes.”

—Carl Sandburg


Elizabeth Bunsen’s moonlit

clothesline and hillside page

is a repository for quotes

she wished to keep.



The two most frequent ways I add text to a journal page: I use these two

methods of applying that text:


In this piece, which shows my

daughter’s hand and a treasured quote,

I incorporated a variety of techniques,

including spray painting with stencils

and automatic writing. I had my daughter

rest her hand on a copier and used the

resulting image to create a mask from

contact paper.




There are two easy methods for applying text to metal mesh. Method one—Stencils and Masks on

Mesh—makes use of vinyl press-on letters, alphabet stickers, and alphabet scrapbooking masks. Method

two—Stamping a Resist on Mesh—uses alphabet rubber stamps and a Versamark watermark stamp pad.

Both methods can be manipulated to apply images to mesh, as well as to text.

visual toolbox: Text onto Metal Mesh

1

Fill the spray bottle with

patina solution. Be sure to

have a water supply close

at hand.

2

Tear down your mesh to

the size you require. Mesh

will tear, just like fabric.

3 Apply the st ickers, letters,

or masks to the mesh,

burnishing them down

firmly.

4

Wearing your rubber

gloves, rest the mesh on

some grass or in a tray,

and spray the surface of

the mesh with the patina

solution. When you see

sufficient color change on

the mesh, rinse the mesh

in your bucket or with the

hose.

Materials(for both techniques)

• wire mesh in eithercopper or brass

• patina solution: Novacan Black for Solder and Lead, liverof sulfur, ModernOptions Patina in

green or blue, or JAX patina solutions

• spray bottle• rubber gloves

• water supply, such asa filled bucket, gardenhose, or utility sink

• plastic tray, box, or grassy area

• clear spray paint

For Method One,Stencils and Maskson Mesh, you’ll need:

• vinyl stick-on letters,

alphabet stickers, oralphabet scrapbookingmasks

For Method Two,Stamping a Resist onMesh, you’ll need:

• rubber alphabet stamps

• Versamark watermark stamp pad

Method One

S a v e

y o u

r

d o o

d l e s .

Y o u

c a n

e n

l a r g e

a n

d

c o

p y

t h e m

t o

c r e

a t e

i n

t e

r e s

t i n

g

b a c k g

r o u n

d s .

5

Allow the mesh to dr y,

resting on some grass or

in the tray. Once the mesh

is dry, remove the materi-

als you have attached to

the mesh. The patina will

continue to develop over

the next hour or so. Once

it has developed, spray

both sides of the mesh

with a clear spray paint.

variations

Commercial Stencils

You can use all sorts of stencils and masks

with this technique. Plastic commercial

stencils sprayed on the reverse side with

repositionable adhesive can be adhered to

the mesh and then sprayed with patina

solution. These make gorgeous backgrounds.

You can combine small stencils and text to

create a page or focal piece.

Contact Paper

Contact paper can be used to cut custom

stencils and masks. Think of masks as

silhouettes. You can draw your own shapes

onto the contact paper and then cut them out.

Or, use a photocopier to enlarge shapes from

books or drawings, cut them out of the paper,

glue them onto the contact paper, and then

cut them out again. Adhere the cutouts to the

mesh and proceed as previously described.

Magazine Images

Anything you can clip from a magazine—a

person, a tree, a dog—can be adhered to the

mesh with regular spray adhesive. Add text

or other elements, spray with patina solution,

and follow the instructions described above.

Leaves, Ferns, and Other

Natural Items: Adhere relatively flat natural materials to the

mesh, using regular spray adhesive. Apply the

patina solution and follow the instructions

described above.



Make a list of your favorite quotes. Consider what they are attached to, as

journal page topics.


1

Stamp text onto mesh, using

the Versamark stamp pad

Allow to dry.

2Wearing rubber gloves, spray

the mesh with patina solution.

3

Once the desired level of

color change has been

reached, rinse the mesh

with water from a bucket or

garden hose. Allow to dry.

4

After an hour or so, treat

both sides of mesh with clear

spray paint.

Method Two

variations

Rubber Stamps

You are obviously not limited to alphabet

rubber stamps. Most stamps will work forthis process, although extremely detailed

stamps will lose some detail.

Printing Blocks

Hand-carved printing blocks, made from

linoleum block or the new, easier-to-use

carving materials, can be used to create your

own designs for application to mesh and

other printing processes.

In this journal page, I used a

magazine image as a silhouette,

vinyl text, and natural items

from my yard as masks.



59

V a g a r y . D e s p i t e i t s n a u g h t y

s o u n d , a

v a g a r y

i s a

w h i m , a n

o d d

o r

e c c e n

t r i c i d e a . F o r

o n e w e e k , c

o l l e c t

a l l

y o u r

o d d

i d e a s , n o t

j u s t

t h o s e t h a t

a r e a r t - r e l a t e d . N o w

c h o o s e o n e , t w

o , o r

m o r e a n d

m a k e p a g e s

a b o u t

t h e m .

Calligraphy, collage, and

hand-sketched details

create a page balanced

between text and image inSandra Hardee’s art journal.

t h e w r i t t e n w o r d



Personal Writings

andStorytelling

What do you look at every day? Is any of it written words? List the reading

materials you peruse daily.

Many artists are a lso poets, storytellers, observers, and recorders.

For some of us, our written journals are quite separate from our art journals. However,

something magical happens when we allow our writing to inform our art. Whether

we are communicating written content and echoing the feelings or sentiments of that

writing with our art, or juxtaposing our art with our written thoughts, somehow the

work becomes something more, something larger, as if a collaboration has happened.

Anaïs Nin wrote, “The role of a writer is not to say what we all can say, but what we are

unable to say.” Our written words allow us to say what we are unable to say with our

artwork, and our art communicates where words fail.

Storytelling with text and art on our journal pages is an inventive way of approach-

ing content. Storytelling also allows for a bit of detachment, because the story we

have to tell can be told in the third person or as if it happened “long ago and far away.”

Creating characters to represent persons we do not wish to identify allows us to exag-

gerate, highlight, or eliminate to enhance our story. The richness and depth of the

story is in the presence of art and writing.


“And by the way, everything in lifeis writable about if you have theoutgoing guts to do it, and theimagination to improvise. The worstenemy to creativity is self-doubt.”

—Sylvia Plath



A t t a c h a l l t h e l o o s

e i t e m s — g u m w r a p p e r s ,

r e c e i p t s , s t u b s ,

t o - d o l i s t s —

f r o m y o u r c o a t p o c k e t s o r

t h e b o t t o m o f

y o u r h a n d b a g t o a

p a g e i n y o u r j o u r n a l . W i t

h a p i e c e o f c h a r c o a l , m a k e m a r k s a l l o v e r t h i s p a

g e .

S p r a y w i t h

w o r k a b l e

fi x a t i v e a n d u s e

a s a s t a r t i n g p o i n

t f o r a j o u r n a l p a g e .


Nikki Blackwood created

this piece in one of my

classes; it tells the tale

of a husband, a wife, an

affair, and a child.



Make up a fairy tale right now. Don’t think too much! Who are the characters?


Artist Loretta Marvel searched among her

ancestors to explain her and her sisters’

artistic natures. Finding no one, she cre-

ated a tale that imagines a hidden artistic

ancestor. She wanted to both explain her

unquenchable desire to paint and address

the sense that perhaps being an artist wasn’t

encouraged as a career path in her family.



I f

y o u

r

p a g e s

a r e

t y

p i c a l l y

n e

a t

o r

o p e n

l o o

k i n g ,

a s s

i g n

y o u

r s e

l f

t h e

t a s

k

o f

c r e

a t i n g

fi v e

m e s

s y

p a g e s .

I f

y o u

r

s t y

l e

i s

t y

p i c a l l y

l o o s e ,

a s s

i g n

y o u r

s e

l f

fi v e

c l e

a n

l y

d e s

i g n e d

p a g e s .


Clip apart the words from a brief magazine or

newspaper article and toss them into a paper bag.

Pull the words from the bag one at a time and lay them

out on a table. Rearrange them at will, and then paste

your found poem into your journal.

Materials

• newspaper or magazinearticle

• paper lunch bag

• scissors

• glue stick

• journal spread

insight activity: The Found Poem

Sometimes startling in their beauty and insight, found poems are relaxing to create.

Two ways of creating a found poem follow.

Version One: The Paper Bag Poem

Choose an article from a newspaper or magazine that

has as many lines as you wish to have words in your

poem—a ten-line article, for example, to give you a

ten-word poem. To really enjoy the process, try for a

twenty- to thirt y-line article. Clip the text into individual

lines. Working one line at a time, consider the words

in each line and snip one of the words of that line. Glue

them onto your journal page, in order of discovery.

Version Two: One Line at a Time

For this journal page, I applied text using a ruling pen,

then added a found poem cut from pages randomly

removed from a typing instruction manual and silhouette

figures. The background was created with successive layers

of fluid acrylics; the last two layers of color were applied

using a wood-graining brush from the hardware store.



What fonts do you prefer to use? List them and why you like them.


1Squeeze some fluid

acrylic onto a dish.

Dilute slightly wit h water.

2

Dip the paintbrush into

the diluted fluid acrylic

and apply the paint to the

opening of the ruling pen

3Using scrap paper, test

the diluted acrylic. If it

doesn’t flow, add a few

more drops of water to

your paint mixture. If it

flows out quickly, add

a bit more paint.

Materials

• fluid acrylics

• cup of water

• small dish

• paintbrush

• ruling pen

• scrap paper

visual toolbox: Writing with Fluid Acrylics

Adding handwritten text after using acrylic paint can be problematic, because many pens and mark-

ers will not write over a glossy surface. Sometimes, the piece calls for something other than markers

or paint pens, and the softer look of a crayon is insufficient for what the artist is hoping to accomplish.

One way to add handwriting is to use a ruling pen and fluid acrylics. Ruling pens are available at and

stores that sell art and drafting supplies—try craft and office supply stores.

4Once you have the paint

suitably diluted, load the

pen again. Practice writing

on some scrap paper.

5Write onto your painted

surface using the ruling

pen. You may find you

need to begin on scrap

paper and then write on

your painted surface to

prevent puddling on the

initial strokes.

Brenda Beene Shackleford created

a small series of mixed-media

paintings that incorporate small

poems, completed simultaneously.



P i c k

a n a r t i s t

i n

w h o m y o u

a r e i n t e r e s t e d . R e s e a r c h t h e t i m e p e r i o d i

n w h i c h t h e y

l i v e d . W h a t

o t h e r

w o r k

w e r e t h e y

e x p

o s e d

t o ? W h a t

p o e t r y

w a s

w r i t t e n t h e n ? W h a t

w e r e t

h e c u r r e n t

e v e n t s ? W h a t w

e r e t h e

d o m i n a n t

c o l o r s i n p a i n t i n g s ? F a s h i o n s ? C r e a t e a

v i s u a l

r e s e a r c h j o u r

n a l .


Kelly Rae Roberts considers

her paintings journal entries,

because her writings are part

and parcel of each one.





67

chapter

C r e

a t e

a n

a n

t i t r a v e

l

j o u

r n

a l .

C r e

a t e

p a g e s

f o

r

p l a c e s

y o u

N E V E R

w a n

t

t o

g o

t o

a g

a i n .

“Not being able to govern events, I govern myself.”

—Michel de Montaigne

Current Events

Think of current events on three levels—the

Everyday Events, the Personal Life-Changing

Events, and Events with Global Impact. Everyday

events are the stuff life is made of: sipping tea

in the mornings at the kitchen table, commuting

to the office, driving the children to school,

stargazing at night, and everything in between.

Everyday events include spying the red-tailed

hawk on his tree perch on the interstate roadside

and wondering if he is hunting the ubiquitous

rabbits and chipmunks or the ubiquitous auto-

mobiles wending their way north and south

each day, like beads on a string. Everyday events

include the gratitude you feel for the safety of

your own life when you drop coins into a hat

of a homeless person on your way to the subway.

The mundane everyday events—the arguments

or lovely dinners with your spouse, the worries

and joys of parenting, even the colors of the

produce at the market—are the fabric of your

life and are worthy material for art journaling.

Personal life-changing events don’t need to be

defined; we know what those are. Delving into

the joys and sorrows that make up the rhythm of

life provides a way of honoring those times and

a way of making art with deep personal meaning.

Use your art journal to explore your reactions

and emotions regarding the birth of a child or

grandchild, the loss of a loved one, a change in

careers, or a move across the country.

Events of global impact include our responses

to things that touch us from the news. Whether

we are responding to the daily newspaper,

evening news, twenty-four hour news channel,

or news bites from the Web, we can describe our

feelings about what is happening in the larger

world in our art journals.

The phrase “current events” might remind us of school days when

we reported on the happenings from the daily newspaper and the nightly news. However,

journaling about the current events in our lives can provide the most constant source of

rich, personal content.

Melanie Komisarski remembers

the sorrow of September 11 in

her journal.



EverydayEvents

Our admiration for powerful art journal pages about dramatic ev ents

can lead us to believe that our everyday experiences are not worthy of gracing the pages

of our art journals. In other words, we are saying our lives are unworthy of our own

attention. Yet, as artists, we find beauty, mystery, and emotion throughout our day.

We spy leaves swirling up from the ground in the wind of an autumn day, follow the

stark lines of a tree divested of leaves in the winter, peer into the face of the woman

who rings up our groceries, smile along with the toothless grin of a baby who loves us,

or vent our frustration at collecting yet another set of socks from the living room floor.

Art journals can chronicle the ordinary, or they can explore the moments when the

ordinary seems to transcend.

What everyday events do you visually record in your journals? Which ones do

you always record?

t r u e v i s i o n

Elizabeth Bunsen celebrates a

birthday in her art journal.

68



C r e

a t e

a

q u

i l t

o f i

m a g e s

a n

d

w o

r d s

o n

p a g e s .

D e

c i d e

o n

a

q u

i l t

d e s

i g n ,

s k e

t c h

i t

o u

t

o n

s c r a p

p a

p e

r ,

a n

d

m a k e

a

c o

p y .

C u

t

u p

t h e

c o

p y

a n

d

u s e

i t

a s a

t e m

p l a t e

f o

r

c l i p p i n g

y o u

r

i m

a g e s

t o

fi t

i n

t o

t h e

q u

i l t

s p a c e s .

P i e

c e

y o u

r

q u

i l t t o

g e

t h e

r

a n

d

g l u e

i t

d o w n

i

n

y o u

r

j o u

r n

a l .

69c u r r e n t e v e n t s

Lesley Riley combines image,

fabric, and fiber to express the

feelings of welcome, wonder, and

love she felt during her presence

at the birth of her granddaughter.



Make a list of the ways you can refl ect the seasons in your journals.

Tracie Lyn Huskamp’s

color-rich daily journal page

chronicles the first day of

fall and the impact of the

changing colors of leaves on

the trees. By using unusual

color, the oft-remarked-upon

change of the seasons is

given vibrant energy.




71

T e

l l

a

m o

r e

c o m

p l e x

s t o

r y

b y

s u

p e

r i m

p o s

i n g

o n e

i m

a g e

o v e

r

a n o

t h e

r

u s

i n g

t r a n s

p a r e n

c i e s

a n

d

p a

c k i n g

t a p e

t r a n s

f e

r s , o

r

b y

l a

y e

r i n g

i m

a g e

t r a n s

f e

r s

t o

a c c o m

p l i s

h

t h i s

d e

p t h .

Sandra Hardee captures

one Sunday using ink,

watercolor, photography,

and text.

Using images of a house

toppling into the ocean,

Diana Trout explores a

need for balance, in this

art journal spread.

“It’s surprising how muchmemory is built around thingsunnoticed at the time.”

—Barbara Kingsolver, A NIMAL D REAMS

c u r r e n t e v e n t s




insight activity: One Hundred Versions

Choose an ordinary object: a bowl, a sock, a blank book, a pen,

something very ordinary. Then, set about recording this object

one hundred times. Photograph your object in a variety of settings

or in the same setting but at different times of day, as the light

changes. Photograph your object with similar objects, and then

with unrelated objects.

Sketch your object in ink, in pencil, in crayon, in watercolor.

Re-create it using torn tissue paper. Create a collage in homage

to your object. Use the name of your object and create a page

using text as a design element. Make a self-portrait of you with

your object. Create an image in your journal in which your object

fills the page, and another in which your object is very small.

You needn’t reach one hundred, but the act of examining your

object in as many settings and media as possible will allow you

to see how truly unordinary the ordinary can be.

Carla Sonheim’s pocket-sized journals are

first filled with watercolor paintings, typically

of interesting characters. She then journals

directly onto the background area. Sometimes,

as in the case of the moose spread (above),her son, Wes, joins her in art journaling.

Where do you work on your journal? Why?



F l i p

a

p a g e w i t h w

h i c h

y o u

a r e n o t

s a t i s fi e d

u p s i d e

d o w n

o r

s i d e w a y s a n d

w o r k

o n

i t

f r o m

t h a t

d i r e c t i o n .

c u r r e n t e v e n t s 73



What two things can you do to prepare, so that you can journal more

frequently?


insight activity: The Calendar Journal

Using a journal to which you can add or rearrange pages, such as a

portfolio or ring binder, create one page per week for this journal.

You might find that you have created several pages for a given

week, but only one can be chosen for this journal. You can create

a montage or mosaic depicting your week, distill your week down

to one feeling or experience, or simply respond to your week visu-

ally without planning on a single page. The pages will comprise a

visual record of your year, and the results may surprise you.

Leighanna Light created this calendar

journal. In this spread, she deals on

one page with new growth and future

planning, while the other expresses

her feelings of unhappiness in a toxic

work environment.



A

x e n o

l i t h

i s

a

f r a g m e n

t

o f

r o

c k

i m

b e

d d e

d

i n

a n o

t h e

r

r o

c k .

C r e

a t e

a x

e n o

l i t h i c

a r t w o

r k .

taking a closer look: Traci Bunkers

Your work is so honest and real. Being fortunate enough tolook through your journals, I noticed your work is made up of

conver-sations with your inner self, unspoken prayers, visualiz-

ations, and requests from the universe or a higher power. Are you

able to tell us more about your way of approaching your journal

and your style?

I pretty much just do whatever I feel like doing, or what “needs

to be done” at the time. And whatever happens, happens. I’m not

trying to make “art,” so to speak; I’m just expressing myself. I’m a

very emotional person, and working in my journal is a perfect out-

let for me. Sometimes, I just start painting background colors, or

“gluing [stuff] down,” as I call it, without any concern for finding

the right image or color. Other times, if I need to get somethingdown before I have any background work done, I just get it down.

Then I add the color and what-not later, working around or on top

of what I journaled, whether it’s visual or just written.

I do a lot of layering, sometimes covering up images or text. If

I don’t get a spread finished, and time goes by, I either leave it or

just start adding to it the next time I work in it. By the t ime I feel

“finished,” there is usually a lot going on, and it looks totally

different than when I started. I never work with any preconceivedidea of what the finished journal spread will look like.

I find myself working more in my journal when I’m down or

dealing with things than when I’m happy as a clam. The rea-

son for that is that working in my journal is what helps me get

through those times, and it helps me to figure out what I need

to do—whether it’s making a business decision or a personal

decision. As silly as it might sound, I have learned to become my

own cheerleader in my journal, and it has really shifted things for

me. I have done a lot of inner work through visual journaling and

with affirmations, usually combining them.

As far as the conversations, I have them in my head all the time.

They change from normal thoughts to unspoken conversations with people when I’m mulling something over, figuring out a

solution or action to take. So, it carries over into my journaling.

It gives me a voice to express things to someone or to a situation.

And that’s also where my inner cheerleader comes out. I went

through a pretty traumatizing experience in 2006 and found

solace in my journal. I believe journaling about it helped me to

deal with it and come out stronger.




Whose voice is the voice that is ongoing in your head?

Traci Bunkers’ multilayered,

intense pages, dense with imagery

and content, examine both her daily

life and larger personal issues.




Your pages are so visually rich, dense in both imagery and text.

Do you have a typical way of beginning pages?

I’m a big fan of gesso! I usually gesso a spread before I work on

it, but it just depends. I used to always use old printed books for

my journals, and I’d work on top of the existing text and images,

generally gessoing them to tone them down and make a ground to work on. At the end of 2006, when I was ready for a new journal,

I made a new book to work. For the pages, I used a wide variety

of papers: watercolor, brown rosin paper, and pages removed from

other printed books. So, I’m still working over existing text and

images most of the time. I just like doing that.

I pretty much always have a headline on my journal spreads.

That happens without my thinking about it—I think it’s part

of the conversations I have in my head. It also probably has

something to do with getting my degree in graphic design. I am

also an avid photographer, and I like to use my own images in

my work. I’m an old-school photographer—meaning I shoot on

film, and I do it with old, funky cameras! I use the actual prints in

my journals. I figure better to have them in my journals than just

sitting in boxes.

I read somewhere, on your blog perhaps , that you curl up in bed

and journal. How do you organize yourself to do that?

You probably read an article I wrote about making art in bed.

Yes, I love my bed, and so I love doing things that I love in my

bed, like working in my journal. It’s easier than you think. You

just have to keep an eye on the pets that hang out in bed with you! The main thing you need is one of those breakfast trays, the

kind with the legs on them. It’s the perfect size for my journal, or

whatever else I want to work on. I put other supplies on old metal

serving trays. I usually put the water container on the nightstand.

One thing I love about the tray is I can just pick the whole thing

up and set it next to my bed when I’m done for the night, or fold

the legs down and put it under the bed. That way, I don’t have to

clean up right away, and it’s ready to go.

You can’t go crazy when you work in bed, though, because

you don’t have all of your “stuff ” out. It’s a good time to practice

limiting what you use. I also have some of those little organizer

totes to put my supplies in. They work great for working in bed,

and they help stop the horizontal spread that always happens

when you work.

E m

b e

d

a

f r a g m e n

t o

f

a

p a s

t

w o

r k

i n

t o

s o m e

t h

i n g

y o u

a r e

w o

r k i n g

o n n

o w .




Personal Life-Changing

Events

We know these events: birth and death, m arriage and divorce,

illness, recovery, trauma, and achievement. The pages in our art journals and, often,

entire art journals themselves, are filled with what these events bring to us. While

I could wax philosophical and say we learn from the difficult things, in reality, we

survive the trauma, and our journals give us a shoulder to cry on or a door on which

to pound in frustration. We can celebrate new chapters in our lives, and trumpet ina new arrival with great joy. Thomas La Mance is credited with the famous quote,

“Life is what happens when we are making other plans.” None of us would choose

the difficult times, and even a planned-for, long-awaited birth of a baby can still

take us by surprise with the wonder and amazement the event brings.

What are the three largest inhibitors to your working in your art journal?

Tina Abbott uses manipulated

photographs to communicate

energy and joy in her expressive

journal pages.

t r u e v i s i o n78



N e v e

r

p a s s

b y

a

p h

o t o

b o o

t h ! T a k e

t h e

p e

r s o n

w i t h

y o u

i n

t o

t h e

b o o

t h ,

t o o .


“There’s a bit of magic in everything, and some loss to even things out.”

—Lou Reed, “Magic and Loss”



1

Apply the mask to your

page, and smooth it

down. Leave a tiny part

of the mask hanging

over an edge, or plan to

leave a small corner of it

clean—you will need to

use a clean section to lift

the mask off your page.

2

Knead the tube of Texture

Magic and squeeze a little

onto a shallow dish. Mix

paint directly into the Tex-

ture Magic i n a 1:1 ratio.

Materials

• Delta Texture Magic

• acrylic craft paint

• masks

• palette knife

• previously prepared page (collaged, painted,drawn on, or other)

visual toolbox: Adding Structured Texture to an Art Journal Page

Adding texture to pages obviously increases the page’s visual interest level. Adding content to the tex-

ture by using a mask adds meaning to yet another level of your artwork.

A mask is the opposite of a stencil. Masks are available commercially at scrapbooking supply stores

or online retailers. You can make your own mask out of blank stencil sheet, or any thin, stiff plastic. A

manila folder can be used, but because art media will adhere to the surface, it isn’t necessarily reusable.Punchinella, or sequin waste, can be used, as can a variety of items from your yard, such as ferns, leaves,

or feathers. Treat the back of your homemade masks with a lightweight, repositionable adhesive.

3

Using a palette knife,

spread a thick layer of

the Texture Magic paint

mixture over the mask and

the area you wish to cover.

Wash your palette knife.

4

Slowly lift the mask off

your page. Allow the page

to dry overnight.

Carol Parks turned to her art

journals during her journey

through the darkness of cancer.

Right now, in our world, the following is happening that reaches right in and

gets me in my gut:




C o l l e c t

i m a g e s w i t h

q u a l i t i e s o f

l i g h t

t h a t y

o u

fi n d

a t t r a c t i v e

f r o m a

r t , d e s i g n , a n d

p h o t o g r a p h

y

m a g a z i n e s .

N o t i c e

t h e e f f e c t o f

t h e

l i g h t

o n

v a r i o u s

c o l

o r s . T r y

t o

r e p l i c a t e

t h e

e f f e c t s y o u

l i k e

i n

y o u r

j o u r n a l

w o r k .

I used Texture Magic and

several masks to create a

textured image over a book

board collaged with various

papers and then painted with

fluid acrylics.




Elizabeth Bunsen responded to the

shootings at Virginia Tech with an art

journal spread that communicates

healing and hope.

Events withGlobal Impact

Natural disasters, such as the Asian tsunami of 2004 and

Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and frightening events, such as the London

bombings in 2005 and t he events of September 11, 2001, have been chronicled

on a personal level in countless art journals. The arrival of the new millen-

nium, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the fall of the Berlin Wall are

past events remembered in art journals. Global warming, the Darfur conflict,earthquakes, drought, famine: these human tragedies of the largest scale find

their way onto our pages, as we try to find ways to express our grief and sorrow,

our outrage, and our hope for the future.

List two global events from the past fi ve years that you followed in the news.


“Wherever a man turns, he canfind someone who needs him.”

—Albert Schweitzer



Originally intended to be a resource sketchbook for paintings for a

course I was taking, this sketchbook ended up as a visual reaction

to my fears and worries as a person and as a mother in the days

immediately following the tragic events of September 11, 2001.My instructor suggested that I submit the sketchbook as part of

my final portfolio for the class. Where we lived, we regularly saw

large army helicopters and planes patrolling the sky, and, sud-

denly, army vehicles were visible on the highways during my daily

commute. No one knew what would happen or if we were safe.

Billboards suggested that residents store bottled water, canned

food, and duct tape to seal our windows. We were frightened. I

had to travel to Amherst, Massachusetts, by plane three weeksafter this infamous day, and I was both comforted and unnerved

by the armed soldiers in the airports, something we are rather

accustomed to now.

taking a closer look: September 11, 2001, L.K. Ludwig

P u

l l

t h e

c o v e

r s

o f f

o f

m a g

a z

i n e s

f r o m

e a c h

m o n

t h

o

f

t h e

y e

a r .

B a c k

e a

c h

w

i t h

s

t u

r d y

p a p e

r

a n

d

v i s u

a l l y

j o u

r n

a l

o n

t h e

b l a

n k

p a p e

r

s i d e .

B i n

d

a

y e

a r ’ s

w o

r t h

i n

t o

a

y e

a r b o o

k .

For these journal pages,

I used newspapers from the

days immediately following

September 11, 2001. I applied

the papers to the surface

before beginning work and

used the papers again to

create collage elements.

The stark colors were applied

using acrylic paint, tinted

gesso, and Speedball SuperBlack India Ink.





1

Begin with a blank page, or

cover a page with the artist ic

media of your choice. Choose

colors that align with your

feelings about the image withwhich you are working.

2

Examine your image. Identify

the dominant shapes in the

image. If the process is

difficult, outline the broader

shapes of the image with a

china marker and eliminate

the details.

3

Now, using your scrap paper,

tear approximate versions of

the dominant shapes in yourimage.

4

Using acrylic medium, paste

these shapes down in an ap-

proximation of the dominant

images. Perfection is not

key—communication of the

sense of the original image is

the goal.

5

Continue to work the image

with other media, as needed.

Materials

• image or photographof relatively simplecomposition

• scrap paper, newsprint,colored tissue paper, sewing pattern paper

• acrylic medium

• china marker

Wassily Kandinsky said, “I value those artists who embody the expression of their life.”

Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky began the formulation of a new form of visual language in the 1920s

that eventually became known to us as abstract expressionism. Abstraction is more than merely making

art that isn’t a direct representation of something (nonrepresentational art). Far from being meaninglessshapes or blobs of color, abstraction attempted to express emotions in their truest, most reduced, form,

solely through the use of color and shape. Kandinsky was committed to the expression of the spiritual in

his work, saying “That is beautiful which is produced by the inner need, which springs from the soul.”

Sometimes, particularly when working with emotionally charged material, abstraction is an excellent

method of communicating the power of a moment and defusing the autobiographical nature of that mo-

ment, to create a more global experience.

insight activity: Abstraction Tip

Keep a shoebox or file folder of figures torn from magazines, newspapers, and books.

What was the last global news event you followed? Why?




If you want to use the

figure in the opposite

direction from which it is

currently positioned, first

clip out the figure. Glue

the paper to the front of

the figure, then flip and

trim around the silhouette.

C r e

a t e

a n

a b s

t r a c t

o r

n o n

r e

p r e s e n

t a t i o n

a l

i m

a g e

o f

y o u

r s e

l f .

C r e

a t e

y o u ,

i n

c o

d e ,

p e

r h a p s , o

r

f r

o m

c l i p p e

d

i m

a g e s , g e s

t u

r a l

m a

r k s , o

r

a

s e

r i e s

o f

c o

l o

r s

.

1

Choose figures with

clean lines, until you feel

comfortable clipping the

figure down to the lines

of human proportions on

your own.

2

If you want to use t he

figure in the direction it

is positioned, cover the

back of the image with

your chosen papers. Turn

it back to the front and

trim the excess paper

from around the figure.

Materials

• figures clipped frommagazines or news-

papers

• scrap or decorative paper

• glue stick

visual toolbox: Silhouette Figure Study

Working with figures is often integral to communicating what we have in mind. However, many of

us haven’t yet developed the drawing skills to render a figure in a way that says what we need to say.

One way to incorporate figure is by using silhouettes.

3

Insert into your page as

appropriate to your art.

Continue to work with

images as desired.

Alternatively, you can use

freezer paper, shiny side

up, to cover your work

surface and a sheet of

deli paper as a ground.

Paint, stamp, and collage

onto the deli paper and

integrate your figure into

this piece. Then glue the

finished sheet into your journal using gel medium.

This journal page incorporated

a figure with visual elements

clipped from a newspaper.






chapter

A d d

h i s

t o

r y

t o

y o u

r

t r a v e

l

j o u

r n

a l s

b y

p u

r c

h a s

i n g

v i n

t a g e

s o u v e n

i r s ,

p o s

t c a r d s ,

p h o

t o g

r a p h s ,

a n

d

b o o

k s

f r o m

y o u

r

j o u

r n e y

’ s

l o

c a

t i o n .

A n

t i q u e

s h o

p s

a n

d

e B

a y

a r e

t h e

b e s

t

s o u

r c e s f

o r

t h e s e

k i n

d s

o f

e p h e m e

r a

.

Color, font choice, and

collage elements work

together to communicate

the dynamic state of

happiness described in

the quotation on Sarah

Fishburn’s art journal page.

“How hard it is to escape from places. However carefully onegoes they hold you—you leave little bits of yourself flutteringon the fences—like rags and shreds of your very life.”

—Katherine Ma nsfield

Places and Spaces

We travel to places near and far, spend time

absorbing the beauty of nature, and ponder the

implications of house and home. Our art journals

become a record of our explorations, a repository

of our musings about the places and spaces in

which we spend our time. We are often chased

by memories and inquire about history. We

feel our surroundings, as much as we see them.Thoughts, feelings, sketches, imaginings, hopes,

memories, and dreams all surface in response

to location. In turn, they can become content

for our art and ripe for exploring in the pages

of a journal. More than simple geography,

places and spaces can be thought of in terms

of travel, nature, nostalgia, and memory—of

things that we may have lost or things we may

have found.

Location is everything, the adage states, and, as artists, we take

notice of our location—its light, color, texture, and shape.

87




Travel

Journals

I adore looking at other artists’ travel journals: the colors they

record, some neatly in swatches, others scattered wildly throughout; the moods their

pages evoke; and the details that leave me hanging on every scrap of information. I

peer into these wonders, examining sketches and smiling or quirky photographs,

and get a vicarious thrill. Travel journals are charged with the energy of discovery

and are often created with the idea that they will be looked at again and again.

What place holds the most memories, history, and power for you?


“Wandering reestablishes the original harmony whichonce existed between man and the universe.”

—Anatole France

Rhonda Roebuck’s Wroxall

Architecture journal makes

use of a book structure that

complements her content.



C o m e

o u

t

o f

y o u

r

s h e

l l .

C r e

a t e

a

p a g e

u s

i n g

s h e

l l

i m

a g e

r y

a r o u n

d

t h e

s k i l l s ,

t a l e n

t s ,

d r e

a m s ,

a n

d

d e s

i r e s

y o u

t h i n

k

n o

o n e

r e

c o g

n i z e s

i n

y o u .

89p l a c e s a n d s p a c e s

Sarah Fishburn’s art journal record

of a three-week summer road trip is

colorful and stuffed to the gills with

art, ephemera, and experiences.



90 t r u e v i s i o n90

List all the places to which you have traveled in your life.

t r u e v i s i o n

1

Sand the book covers and

page surfaces to remove

the glossy surface.

2

To create a flap on the

page, cut 3 to 4 pieces

of manila folder that are

slightly narrower and

slightly longer than your

book’s pages. You will

use each piece of cut

manila folder to create

an individual flap. Fold a

section of the top edge

of each piece over about

1" (2.5 cm) to form a tab.

Align the folded edge with

the top of the page and

glue just the folded piece

to the top of a book page.

The bottom edge should

either line up or be shorter

than the bottom edge of

your book page.

Materials

• child’s board book

• sandpaper

• decorative scrapbook paper; some patterned, some solid colors, orwith a worn layered-

paint appearance

• manila folders

• glue stick

visual toolbox: Altering a Child’s Board Book

A child’s board book is a sturdily constructed, yet compact, book structure that lends itself well to

traveling. Preparing some pages goes a long way to giving you the ability to journal on location and

to capture the dynamic energy that true travel journaling creates. Artist Minnie Helvey made such a

journal to use on a trip to Italy, with gorgeous results.

3

Cover the pages and

manila folder pieces

with scrapbooking

papers.

4

Travel!

Tips

If you cannot close yourbook, you can separate the

pages and bind the book backtogether when you returnhome.

You may want to collect someephemera and vintage imag-ery before your trip by doing

some searching on eBay. Look for reasonably priced vintage postcards, travel guides, and photographs. Pack this baggie full of goodies into your suit-case with the tiniest amountof art supplies.

Attach some of the flaps alongthe bottom edge of your book

for variety.

flap closed flap open




If you have no plans to travel to a distant land full of exotic color

and sound, yet your fingers itch to record an adventure, do not

despair! Become a traveler to your hometown. Pull out the map.

Have a good look. What’s within a t wo-hour drive? What is right

where you live? Are there small towns with quaint shops nearby?

Country roads with old barns painted with Mail Pouch Chewing

Tobacco signs and fields full of dairy cows? Does your park boast

sculpture or monuments? Is there a city with a museum within

driving distance? Are there weird or hokey displays that certain

businesses hope will be tourist attractions? Interesting skylines

of tall buildings and millions of lights? Billboards and marquee

signs? Strange shop signs or street graffiti?

Your assignment is to spend a Saturday being a tourist right

where you live. Although, like many travelers, you won’t complete

the pages until you are back in your room, pack a traveling art

insight activity: The Local Tourist

S e w

l o o

p s

i n

t o

t h e

s p i n e

o f

y o u

r

j o u

r n

a l

f r o

m

i n s

i d e

t h e

s i g n

a t u

r e s a

n d

h a n g

t h i n g s

f r o m

t h e s

e

l o o

p s .

Syd McCutcheon created this shaped

Day of the Dead journal.

kit: watercolors or water-soluble crayons, a brush, a small bottle

of water, a permanent extra-fine-point marker, a glue stick, some

scissors, and your camera. Now, spend the day eating, looking,

shopping, laughing, and admiring. Be surprised by doorways,

columns, steam grates, and manhole covers. Slip menus and

business cards into your traveling bag or pockets. Surreptitiously

photograph the locals, yourself in front of landmarks, and even

your lunch.

At the end of your long day, head back to your lodgings. Put

your feet up. Sift through your ephemera. Peek at your photos.

Spread everything out on your luxurious bed, and, with glue stick

and scissors in hand, water glass and watercolors at the ready,

begin a few pages. Then, just like those who have traveled far from

home, go back home to your studio, print out some photos, and

make use of your supply stash to make some more pages.



t r u e v i s i o n92 t r u e v i s i o n

Thoughts about house and home can be much like a Dickens novel; there are

the memories of a home long past, there is your present home, and there is the dream of your

future home. In addition, there are the memories you have of family homes long past and those

dreams you had as a child of a future home. Your present home can be looked at as the home

that it truly is or as the home you try to make it. Although it seems slightly schizophrenic andeven more than a little confusing, generally speaking, we carry a lot of thoughts

about house and home with us.

House and home imagery is extremely enchanting.

Think of the antique postcards created by itinerant

photographers who traveled through towns, photo-

graphing people standing on their front porches or

seated in their yards, often with chickens running

around. Picture the mothers, still in aprons, with

their babies in their arms, standing out in front of

their domains. There is something romantic about the

apron-clad, baby-on-the-hip lifestyle, with clotheslines

and chickens. However, the practical person remembers

the way chicken coops smell and the wonders immuni-

zation has done for infant mortality. (I wear aprons, and

I certainly have a baby on the hip, but, alas, no chickens,

and I buy prepared mashed potatoes to serve with my pot

roast. Don’t tell.)

“Never make your home in a place. Make a home for yourselfinside your own head. You’ll find what you need to furnish it—memory, friends you can trust, love of learning, and other suchthings. That way it will go with you wherever you journey.”

—Tad Williams

What does the home inside yourself look like? What does it look like inside?

Outside?

House

and

Home




In an exchange with her

friend Julie Madsen, Tracie

Lyn Huskamp has created an

opening spread to greet you

with imagery that evokes a

country home.

F i n

i s

h

a

p a g e

t h a t

y o u

l e

f t

u n

fi n

i s

h e

d .



If you were a tourist in your town or area, what should you see?


This journal spread shows

work from Julie Madsen (left)

and Tracie Lyn Huskamp

(right) which communicatesthoughts of home and heart

across the miles.



W e

h a v e

h a b i t s

i n

o u

r

a r t .

T a k e

a

l o o

k

a t

y o u

r

l a s

t

j o u

r n

a l .

W h a t

d i d

y o u

d o

a

l o

t

o f ?

W h a t

d o

y o u

w i s

h

y o u

’ d

d o n e

m o

r e

o f ?

W h a t

i s

m i s s

i n g

e n

t i r e

l y

?

In another page spread from

the journal exchange between

Tracie Lyn Huskamp and Julie

Madsen, Julie incorporated a

piece of vintage quilt, bringing

another touch of home to

her work.

On a piece of scrap paper or on a page in your journal or sketch

book, draw a loose house shape: two straight lines topped by the

roofline. Then divide your house in half crosswise and then in half

down the middle, so your house has four rooms. Add one last lineacross to form an attic.

In the bottom left room, list things you remember from your

childhood home. On the top left, list what you wished your

childhood home had been—the dreams and imaginings you had

as a child. On the bottom right, describe your current home, the

colors, feelings, and favorite things that say home to you. On the

top right, describe your dreams about the home you wish it might

be, not just physically but emotionally. In the attic, where old

memories typically go, describe any nostalgic thoughts or ideas

about a home you had, one you might have imagined from long

ago, or one that belonged to a grandparent.

insight activity: Building Your Sense of Home

Develop a color palette for each room. What colors suit your

memories, your emotions? What was the quality of the light? List

two colors for each room.

You now have sufficient material with which to make an artjournal around the concept of home. You may find that your

collection of objects in your studio or home fits neatly into your

“rooms.” Look through your decorative papers and ephemera, and

you’ll undoubtedly find pieces that speak to the colors and feelings

you described.

Consider moving forward to make a book. A child’s board

book can be cut or an old book altered into a house shape. Listen

to your inner voice telling you about other things as you work:

sibling and parental relationships, family secrets, quirky stories,

humorous anecdotes. Jot them down for safekeeping or include

them in your art journal.

p l a c e s a n d s p a c e s 95



Favorite Spaces

What’s your favorite place in the world?

We arrive somewhere we’ve never been, yet ev ery cell in our body

screams, “You are home!” It could be the light, the scent of the air, or the feeling of the

breeze. Perhaps it is the architecture of the local houses or the shapes of the trees as they

climb up a mountainside. We belong in this place, and our sense of belonging is primal,

as if we were born to be here. We return as often as we are able, and we spend the time in

between visits planning how to get back there. Perhaps we even consider relocating

to this place.

Invariably, being the magpie collectors that we are, we bring back trinkets and

mementos—sticks, stones, shells, photographs, souvenirs—and keep them like talis-

mans we hope will transport us back to this place once more. Often, art journals about

these places will span time, sometimes chronicling decades of travel to and from them.

If visited frequently enough, they appear regularly in our art journal pages. Across these

pages, we watch children grow up and friendships mature into deeper things or pass by,

as some friendships must.

These places vary as widely as people do; they are beaches, mountains, farms, resorts,

coastal villages, and metropolitan meccas. Sometimes, our place only exists during a

brief period of time—a retreat or a conference, perhaps—where the people present create

an atmosphere that feels like home. A place this special need not be thousands of miles

away; it can be a local park, a favorite camping spot, a place you have visited since child-

hood. What matters is the sense of belonging, the feeling of having arrived home. As

David Whyte said, “There is no house like the house of belonging.”


A triptych, done by Bridgette

Guerzon Mills in encaustic, has

writing embedded in the wax

surface of the painting.



Z o o m

i n o n s o m e t

h i n g —

a n o b

j e c t i n y o u

r h o u s e ,

p e r

h a p s .

S e l e c t j u s t

a p a r t o f

i t : t h e

s t e m o f y o u

r w

r i s t w

a t c h ,

t h e

k n o b o f

a d o o r ,

a n

d r e -

c r e a

t e

i t v

i s u

a l l y

i n y o u

r j o u

r n

a l .


“You can fall in love at first sightwith a place, as with a person.”

—Alec Waugh

This triptych of travel journal

pages by Brenda Beene

Shackleford includes both

landscape and detail.



What places have you fallen in love with at fi rst sight?

Artfest, an art retreat held annually at Fort Worden

State Park, in Port Townsend, Washington, holds

special significance for a number of artists. It’s

known as a place in which you can be surrounded

by 500 people who are very much like you, yet

totally different. Bee Shay, like many artists, keeps

a yearly Artfest art journal to record this special

place that exists only for a few days each year.




A t t a c h

a

s t r i p

o f

f a b r i c

a l o n g

t h e

e d g e

o f a

p a g e

b y

r u n n

i n g

i t

t h r o

u g

h

y o u

r

s e w

i n g

m a c h i n e

s e

t

t o

a

d e

c o

r a t i v e

o r

z i g

z a g

s t i t c h .


visual toolbox: Faux Landscape Painting

This technique lends itself to book covers, single-sheet pieces, and portfolios.

1

Glue the ink-jet print to

your book cover or othersurface using acrylic gel

medium. Cover it with

waxed paper or plastic

wrap and weigh the print

down as it dries. Allow it

to dry completely before

proceeding.

2

Using a paintbrush that

is as soft and as wide aspossible, apply a coat of

Golden GAC 500 across

the surface, to seal the

ink. Be gentle, and do

not press the paintbrush

into the surface. You do

not want the ink to smear.

Resist the urge to work

this coating. Allow it to dry

completely.

Materials

• quality ink-jet print ofa landscape

• book board, Daveyboard, or mat board

• flat paintbrush that isvery soft and wide

• glossy acrylic gelmedium

• Golden GAC 500(acrylic polymer)

• palette knives, paint-brushes, rubber color shapers, polymer clay

tools

3

Using a palette knife,

apply the acrylic gelmedium to the photo.

Use a heavy hand and

apply a relatively thick

coat. The coating will be

white but will be clear

when completely dry.

4

While this gel is still wet,

use your palette knives,rubber color shapers,

polymer clay tools, and

paint brushes to create

your faux painted surface.

Work with the content

of your landscape, and

create knife and brush

strokes, swipes, and

shaped marks, as if

you were painting the

landscape.

5

When satisfied, allow the

piece to dry completely.

This could take as long as

48 hours, 72 hours if the

humidity level is high. Do

not disturb the surface

during this time.

I incorporated this fauxlandscape into part of a

journal page.Tip

If you are using high-quality, matte ink-jet photo paper, you can simply apply a thin coatof gel medium, instead ofGolden GAC 500, becausethe ink will resist smearing.





chapter

Juliana Coles’ work is unabashedly,

unapologetically autobiographical. T o

i n

f u s e

y o u

r

j o u r

n a l

w i t h

s

c e n

t , s

c o

r c h

s o m

e

p a g e s

w i t h

y o u

r

f a v o

r i t

e

i n

c e n s e .

“Your work is to discover your world and then withall your heart give yourself to it.”

—Buddha

101

Self-Explorations

Self-portraiture, then, is the process in which

the artist sets about rendering an image of

herself. In the process of creating a self-portrait,

the artist becomes also the subject, collapsing

the distance between artist and model, between

creator and creation. When an artist creates aportrait of a person, the artist has a vision in

mind for that portrait. The person may or may

not have any direct input on the context or

treatment of the work, the setting, or the media

used. These are choices ultimately made by the

artist, to express something the artist wishes

to express. Self-portraits become exceptionally

interesting, because the way in which the subject

wishes to be viewed becomes part and parcel ofthe artistic process. Self-portraits can be fascinat-

ing and often extremely revealing.

A line of thinking suggests that each and every piece of art an artist

makes is self-portraiture, because the artist is sharing her unique perspective or, more

romantically expressed, a piece of her artistic soul. Some would argue this is merely the

nature of art.



Self-

Portraiture

Self-portra its are important for art journalers to consider for

several reasons. First and foremost, a journal is autobiographical by definition.

Including self-portrait work allows us to record how we saw ourselves, or how

we felt about ourselves, at a moment in time. We may not be able to see ourselves

clearly at that moment; only when we look back at our art are we able to see what was going on. Images of ourselves advance this process.

Another reason for considering self-portraiture is that we are frequently not

happy with our appearance, even when others tell us we are beautiful. Being able to

make images of ourselves that feel strong, real, or attractive, is important. Knowing

how to make an image of ourselves gives us more freedom to make images of others.

Having been on the other side of the camera lens or

canvas, we are better able to encourage our subjects

to speak visually.

There is a power in self-portraits that all artists

should own for themselves. You needn’t share

your self-portrait work, unless you feel so moved.

Sometimes, I have found my most powerful

self-portraits to be the riskiest and not attractive,

but nonetheless, the power in them is important

because of the honesty involved. If I am working

on self-portraits during a difficult time in my life

and I look “picture perfect” (although I never do),

the meat of what I am exploring is missing.

We all suffer the slings and arrows of life, and sometimes we get bruised and

wounded. List these times. What did you avoid adding to your list?


Juliana Coles creates

a personal tarot card

on this journal page.



U s e

a n

o l d

p h o n e

b

o o

k

a s

a

m a r k - m

a k i n g

j o u r

n a l .

S c r i b b l e

o n

o n e

p a g e

e a c h

d a y

f o

r

a

f e w

m i n u

t e s , u s

i n g

c h a r c o

a l , o

r

p a s

t e l

. N o

o b j e

c t

d r a w

i n g s ,

j u s

t

m a r k s .

103s e l f - e x p l o r a t i o n s

taking a closer look: Juliana Coles

Juliana Coles’ art journals go deep and stay there; they are intense

and can be difficult to look at, yet they reach straight for your

heart. Her workshops, which she teaches nationally, work to help

other artists do the same.

Could you share a little bit about the Western book you turned into

an art journal?

This is one of my most recent and favorite books, The Little

Naked Cowgirl, an altered Western book turned visual journal. It

marks a huge growth in my existence on this planet, and I turn itspages with tenderness and compassion. To me, the visual journal

is a combination of words and images for self-introspection, not

one or the other; it is work in tandem.



It is said that “the eyes are the windows to the soul.” List four to six ways

you can work your art journal pages to examine this idea. Try to range from

direct interpretation to subtle interpretation.




s e l f - e x p l o r a t i o n s

M a k e

a

p h o

t o

c o

p y

o f

a

p h o

t o g

r a p h

o

f

y o u

r s e l

f

a n

d , u s

i n g

p a s

t e

l s ,

p a i n

t s ,

c h a l k s , o

r

c o

l o

r e

d

p e n c

i l s , m

a k e

y o u

r s e

l f

r a d i a t e

l i g

h t .

You have a strong sense of self-awareness and this communicates

clearly in your journals. Could you talk a little about your philoso-

phy of art journaling?

Whether we admit it or not, in all of us lies a deep pain—some

disturbance, loneliness, heartache, grief, memory, remorse; some

weight, fear, or feelings of unworthiness, unloveability, emptiness,fakeness … you get it. My extreme visual journaling practice is a

desire to know these deep and tender shadow places, to give them

voice, and to heal and transform them. In these dark recesses lie

my greatest gifts. I don’t want to hide them; I want to reveal them!

The extreme journalism process I have developed combines

words and images for self-dialogue and enables me to create

communication with my higher self, to access healing. This is

deep and challenging work: I am crying, gluing, painting, furi-

ously writing, tearing things off, rewriting, all in an explosion

of emotion and expression, so I don’t have time to judge it or

hold it back. This tangible act of revelation has had a powerfully

transformative effect on my life. The ancient Greeks said it is our

obligation to ask questions; this process of active meditation is

how I ask questions. Most of the time I don’t even know what the

questions are, but my book always knows, and I must be patient

and have faith in the process.

The extreme journal is the container, soul home, or witness-

protection program and not some proving ground. There is noplace here to show the world what a great artist I am or how nice

and pretty I can make everything, so everyone else can feel fine.

I am what I am, when I am. Silly, cute, raw, angry, frustrated, sad,

fierce, frightened, drowning, and rising—all just pieces of me, no

better or worse than any other part. I won’t leave behind or reject

what is integral to my being. This is how I got here. My pages are

a place of safekeeping and honor, in which I transform my inner

enemies into allies. What seemed to be my weaknesses are really

my strengths. Like a soul map, my pages allow me to see more

clearly and more deeply the path to the real me. I have been

saving my life in extreme journals since 1987, page after page,

book after book.

105



PhotographicSelf-

Portraiture

Having spent a lifetime of examining our reflection, we

are used to what we look like in a mirror. Psychologists have discovered

that we rearrange our features to match what we see in the mirror

with what we envision in our heads. Often, we dislike a photograph

“because it looks nothing like me!” This is the mirror phenomenon

in action. We dislike the image because it is dissimilar to the image we hold of ourselves in our mind’s eye. What we see in our mind’s

eye is incredibly important on many levels and provides a rich area

for exploration. You can use the mirror phenomenon to your advantage

for your art most easily through photographic self-portraits.


Describe the photo of yourself you like the most and why:



I f

t o m o

r r o w

w e

r e i

n fi n

i t e

i n

i t s

l e n g

t h ,

a n d

m o n e y

w e

r e

n o

o b j e

c t , w

h a t

t e n

t h i n g s

w o u

l d

y o u

l e a r n

t o

d o

?


“While there is perhaps a province in which thephotograph can tell us nothing more than what wesee with our own eyes, there is another in which itproves to us how little our eyes permit us to see.”

—Dorothea Lange

Melanie Komisarski

examines parts of

herself, both literally

and figuratively,

through self-portraiture.



You are the sum of your life experiences. Create a timeline of your life across

a journal spread. List at least one event for each fi ve-year span.


In this journal, I focused

strictly on self-portraiture.

Below each letter on the

cover, a self-portrait image

peeks through.

Feeling shy?

Try

• wearing hats and sunglasses

• photographing the back of your head

• looking off to the side




P a y

a t t e n

t i o n

t o

t h e

s c e n

t s

o f

y o u

r

d a y

: c o

f f e e ,

a s

p h a l t ,

b a b y

s m e

l l s ,

p e n

c i l

l e

a d ,

t o o

t h p a s

t e ,

l e a v e s .

J o u

r n

a l ,

u s

i n g

t h e

c o

l o

r s

t h

o s e

s c e n

t s

g e n e

r a t e

i n

y o

u r

i m

a g

i n

a t i o n .

visual toolbox: Photographic Self-Portraits

1

Find a portable mirror

and a tripod or something

sturdy, such as a chair,

stool, or even a stack ofbooks, on which to rest

your camera.

2

Take camera, tripod, and

mirror to a well lit, but

not brightly or harshly lit,

area. Harsh lighting is not

flattering, and while all

self-portraits need not be

flattering, getting comfort-

able with self-portraits is

easier when you start with

images that are uplifting.

Think of the lighting you

need as the light you’d see

on a bright but overcast

day; the light is plentiful

but without stark, strong

shadows.

3

Set the mirror just slightly

to one side of the camera.

Arrange yourself in a way

that pleases you. Taketime to practice.

4

You can use an object

such as a chair or cushion

as a stand-in for yourself,

so you can frame the

photo properly. Be

brave and attempt to fill

the frame with yourself.

Later, you can include the

physical setting, because

it also includes information

about you, but do it with

intention.

5

Press the timer button or

the shutter.

Materials

• camera with a timer

• tripod, stool, or

chair for proppingup camera

• mirror

6

Do not scold or berate

yourself during this pro-

cess. Be kind to yourself.

Appreciate yourself. Feelfree to delete images, if

you need to. Be patient

and shoot a sizable num-

ber of images. Twenty is

not too many. You may

notice a change in your

images as you work

through a shooting—you

become more comfortable,

get more creative, just as

you would if you were only

the photographer and not

both photographer and

model. As you become

more accustomed to your

own image as the subject

matter, you will be more

comfortable in your role

as photographer and more

comfortable with the many

ways you may appear:

happy, sad, frustrated,

relaxed, sullen, gentle.

Tip

Don’t hesitate to Photoshop your images:adjust the contrast,invert, equalize,

posterize, crop,enlarge, or reduce.

In this journal spread, I explore duality, noting with

certain irony the two-faced Roman god, Janus, who

is the god of beginnings, endings, doorways, and

also the month of January, my birth month.



Our lives are made up of eras, spans of time—childhood, adolescence, young

adulthood. Think about the eras in your life—what original names would you

give them?


“The whole is greater thanthe sum of its parts.”

—Dr. Russell Ackoff

A fun way to ease into self-portraiture is to take photographs of

your “parts”—your hands covered in paint, smiling eyes, an ear

dangling a favorite earring, the curve of your neck, a close-up of

the back of your head, or your bare feet. If you feel intimidated

by even that much self-scrutiny, opt for photographing things

that are with you daily or often: a favorite bag or purse on your

shoulder or with the contents on display; your favorite cowboy

boots; your dresser top; or objects you treasure. Work with

straight photographs, or try using ink-jet image transfers that you

manipulate further with mark-making media, acrylic paint, and

rubber alphabet stamps.

Make a list of ideas for parts to photograph. This process is easier

if you keep your camera handy in your bag. Eventually, if you desire,

you can compile these pieces into a self-portrait journal. In this

instance, you would vary the way you use them: ink-jet transfers,

for example, transparencies, or printing on rice paper. You can

further manipulate the pages in your journal with mark-making,

automatic writing (see pg 29), collage, and text.

visual toolbox: More Than the Sum of Our Parts

Bee Shay peers out from a page

in a self-portrait art journal.



C r e

a t e

v i s u

a l

r h y

t h m

o n

a

p a g e ,

b y

m a k i n g m

u l t i p l e

c o

p i e s

o f

t h e

s a m e

i m

a g e

i n

t h e

s a m e

o r

v a r y

i n g

s i z e s

o r

b y

c u

t t i n g

a

p h o

t o

c o

p y

i n

t o

s t r i p s

a n

d

g l u

i n

g

t h e

s t r i p s

w i t h

v

a r i e

d

s p a c i n g

a c r o s s

t h e

p a g e .


1

Print an image of your

choice onto JetPrint

Multiproject paper or

other inexpensive glossy

ink-jet photo paper. Trim

any excess paper, leaving

approximately ½" (1.25

cm) around the image.

Set aside.

2

Using a spray bottle,

dampen the receptor

paper surface wit h water.

Blot with paper towels and

repeat the spraying and

blotting processonce more.

3

Using the fine spray

setting on the spray

bottle, spray the paper

lightly. There should be

no puddles, only a fine,

even coating of spray on

the surface. Place your

image face down on the

receptor surface. Hold it

in place with the fingertips

of one hand and use the

other hand to rub the back

of the image firmly with

the bottom of a wooden

spoon or with a bone

folder. Work across the

entire surface of the back

of the image.

4

Work quickly, because if

the paper dries, the image

transfer paper will adhere

to your receptor surface.

Check the work by lifting

a corner of the image,while continuing to hold

it in place. Once satisfied

with the transfer, remove

the ink-jet photo paper.

Continue to work the

image using pencils, a

china marker, or acrylic

paints. Add text, if desired,

using alphabet stamps.

Materials

• camera

• ink-jet printer

• JetPrint Multiproject paper

• water

• wooden spoon

• printmaking paper

• rubber alphabet stamps

• inkpad

• acrylic paints

• pencil

• china marker

visual toolbox:

Ink-Jet Transfer



Examine two or three recent pieces of work. How do they overlap? (For example,is it the medium used, the color palette, the collage elements?)


In this journal spread,

artist Bee Shay created

a great deal of texture by

using patina on paper.



P u

t

t h i n g s

t h a t

m a

k e

s o u n

d s

b e

t w e e n

y o u

r

p a

g e s

: w

a x e

d

p a p e

r , g

l a s s

i n e

, c r u m

p l e

d

t i s s u e , w

r i n

k l e

d

p a p e

r

b a g s ,

c o

r r u g

a t e

d

p a p e

r .


This technique will not simply mimic the look of patina on metal; the products

actually form a patina on metal. Modern Options metal paints have metal flakesin them, which react with the patina solution, creating a real patina surface. The

patina solution will also work on copper or brass sheet and mesh. I enjoy teach-

ing this technique because the products offer many possibilities!

visual toolbox: Patina on Paper

1

Pour some Patina Green

(or Blue) into a small spray

bottle. Set spray bottle

to mist.

2

Shake the container of

Modern Options Copper or

Gold Surfacer paint thor-

oughly. Pour some onto a

disposable plate. Working

quickly, cover the paper

with one coat of Surfacer

paint. Allow it to dry.

3

Apply a second coat of

the Surfacer paint, but

before this second coat

dries, immediately begin

spraying the painted paper

with the patina solution.

Allow to dry. Additional

coats can be applied to

build up the patina on the

paper. Important note:

patina will only appear

where the patina solution

comes into contact with

the wet Surfacer paint.

This is one of those sit u-

ations where less is not

more; more is more!

Materials

• heavyweight paper, such as printmakingor watercolor paper, cutor torn to desired size

• Modern OptionsCopper, Bronze, or

Gold Surfacer paint • Modern Options

Patina Green or Patina Blue

• disposable brush

• disposable plate

• small spray bottle

Tips

If you are covering a larger surface area, you can save

money by applying a base coatof metallic spray paint in the

same metal as the Surfacer paint. The second coat shouldthen be the Surfacer paint,which can be sprayed with

patina solution.

You can also apply the secondcoat of Surfacer to specific

spots of the object being painted and apply the patina solution only to those spots.



Talismans are powerful, but many of us have ordinary objects in our pockets

and bags that are always with us. List three objects that are nearly always

with you. What’s the story behind these objects?


Another way to ease into self-portraiture is to make use of significant images of ourselves from childhood

and work them into a journal page about ourselves. Like many artists, Melanie Sage has made use of child-

hood photos to help her explore childhood experiences and, by doing so, she creates a revealing self-portrait.

taking a closer look: Melanie Sage

I loved seeing your journals in a stack, the covers similar yet dif fer-

ent. The repetition emphasized your commitment to art journaling.

Could you tell us about your working style? Are you a daily art

journaler? Are your books limited to an area of exploration, or

are the topics in your books those that are simply current for you?

All my books start out with the same base. I bought a stack of

these books at the dollar store, shiny Back Street Boys books, a

pop band from the 1990s. A fter rebinding each of the books with

heavier paper and covering them, I created a starting place. I love

that all the books are the same size, each book like a volume in a

series. I also keep the books purposefully short, about forty pages.

I like the books to cover a short period of time, a snippet of my

life. This is especially helpful when I am going through a difficult

time, because finishing a book can feel like closure—I can “put

away” that experience (literally and figuratively). I also tend to

look back at my past journals, basing them on what I was going

through at the time; “this is my ‘choosing a job’ journal, this is my

‘relocation’ journal.”

The books aren’t limited by theme; they hit whatever is going

on for me at that place in time. I always do a table of contents

in my books when I am finished. I think this is another way of

deepening my personal understanding of my experience, and

doing it at the end allows me some distance. I might have been

very confused while working on a page, but I go back and label

the page “growing” when I revisit it. I have new insight.

These books are personal dialogues for me; they help me work

through a thing. I usually spend about four hours on a spread, so

it is meditative. I am thinking about something that is going on

for me, and focus playfully on that topic for hours. When I say

playfully, I don’t mean the topics are light—they are often intense.

But art creates brain connections for me, I think, that allow me to

consider a problem in ways I haven’t thought about before, and I

can make better sense of it all. And it’s cathartic, too. If I can get

it all out on paper, it helps me to make better decisions.



U s e

m a s

k i n g

t a p e t

o

t a p e

o f f

a

g r i d

o n

a

j o u

r n

a l

p a g e .

P l a c e

t h e

t a p e

a t

o d d

a n g

l e s .

U s e

t h e

s e

c t i o n s

o f

t h e

g r i d

t o

c r e

a t e

a

s e

r i e s

o f

m i n

i c o

l l a g e s

a b o u

t

o n e

t o

p i c .


What is your typical way of beginning a page?

I never really preplan a page or have a vision for what it will be.

But I often start with getting color on the page. I love Peerless

watercolors. The colors are so bold and so easy to use. I often put

different blocks of color on my page, and that gives me an oppor-

tunity to organize my thoughts into the different blocks later,if I choose. Sometimes, they disappear with the next layer.

When I sit down to journal, I often have something going on

in my head, something I know I want to journal about. If I don’t

know what I am going to write about, I will often start with child-

hood photos of myself. I think this helps me meditate on who I

am, get in touch with the child in me, think about my most basic

needs, and consider the process of growing up. If I am stuck, I’ ll

go through words from junk mail and scraps. When I find some

words that appeal to me, I cut them out and glue them down.

Everything else just comes one layer after another. I keep a scrap/

collage box (OK, lots of them!), and I’ll pull one of those out when

I am working on a journal. When my page feels done or almost

done, it often needs a unifying force to hold it all together. So,

I will use one or two colors of paint around the page, to create

some balance. I am working toward balance in art and in life.

I try hard not to censor my journaling, but I do still have

internal sensors. There are things I am not ready to put ontopaper, even for myself. In one of my books, I wrote, “once you say

the words out loud you have to do something about it.” Some-

times I am not yet ready for action; I can’t put the words on paper.

But I have a philosophy about sharing my pages and the struggles.

I want other women to know that we all struggle, we deal with

similar hurts and crises. Maybe it’s a bit of a reaction to the

“scrapbook happy” pages, the ones that highlight the trips to

Disneyland, where everyone is happy all the time. Don’t misun-

derstand, I love happy family scrapbooks, but I think it shields

part of the picture. I hope that, through sharing my pages, other

women might feel more whole and less alone in the world.



Draw or collage a silhouette to represent yourself. Then create imaginary

organs to represent your inner life. Brainstorm a list of those organs.


Ruth Fiege uses images of herself

over the years in this journal page

spread, in which mixed-media

paintings provide the central focal

image set and are repeated in the

background for a sense of history.

Self-PortraitureUsing Other Media

Although photographs are the most accessible way

to make a self-portrait, an artist can be use any other media to

create a self-portrait. Small sketches and paintings can be worked

into art journal pages on personal topics or be the focus of the

page itself.

“Anyone who says you can’t see a thought simply doesn’t know art.”

—Wynetka Ann Reynolds




T u

r n

p h o

t o s

o f

p e o

p l e

a n

d

p e

t s

i n

t o

p a p e

r

d o

l l s

f o

r

i n

y o u

r

j o u

r n

a l .

U s e

c a t a l o g s

a n

d

c l i p

a r t

t o

r e

d o

t h e

i r

w a r d r o

b e s .

Self-portrait sketches

by Diana Trout

Zorana Stanojkovic includes

a self-portrait painting as

part of a mixed-media page.

This piece by Leighanna Light is

one of a series contained in an art

journal entitled One. It is based on

the concept that we are all one.

The images, including this one,

were created by filling the journal

with large faces and then working

them over and over, until they were

unrecognizable.

Mary Ann Moss used a self-portrait

stencil to create these art journal

pages. See page 38 for information

on the techniques used to create a

portrait stencil.



Living through adolescence can be bewildering, confusing, painful, astonishing,

and often set us on a particular life path. List some key words to describe

your adolescence, and pair them with adjectives and colors.

1

To begin, place a mirror in

front of you, so that you can

see your face.

2

Place your paper or sketch-

book on the table. Because

you are not to look at your

paper as you draw, you

might need to place your

sketchbook on your lapor even under the table to

avoid cheating.

3

Fix your eyes on your image

in the mirror. Choose a point

to begin your drawing and

place your pencil or pen on

the paper. Without looking

down, begin to draw the

outline of your face, very

slowly, in a steady, continuous

line without lifting the pencil

or looking at the paper.

4

Think of your line as a lasso,

as you begin to work inside

the outline of your face, and

lasso in your eyes, mouth,

and nose. You may look at

the paper to place an internal

feature, but once you begin

to draw it, don’t look at

the paper.

Blind contour drawing is sometimes called continuous line drawing. Although blind contour drawing is

often taught as part of learning to draw, there is a continuum of skills involved in the process, when the

artist begins to place internal lines in the drawing. The contour drawings by Shirley Ende-Saxe (below

and opposite) are of the more complex variety. She worked into the image after completing it, and thenincorporated her drawing into a mixed-media art journal page.

visual toolbox: Blind Contour Drawing




s e l f - e x p l o r a t i o n s

M a k e

a

p a g e

f u

l l o

f

p e n

c i l

o r

c h a r c o

a l

m a r k

s .

N o w

g o

t h r o u g

h

a n

d

e r a

s e

p a r t s

o f

t h e

m a r k s .

O u

t l i n e

o r

c h a n g e

t h e

d i r e

c t i o n

o f

t h e

m a r k s , u s

i n g

y o u

r

e r a s e

r .

N o

t i c e

h o w

p o w e

r f u

l

r e m o v

a l

c a n

b e

?

This mixed-media art journal piece

by Shirley Ende-Saxe is constructed

around a contour drawing.

119



t r u e v i s i o n120

1

Place your photocopied

image face down onto

your carving material.

Using a Chartpak color-less blender pen or a rag

dipped in acetone, rub the

back of the photocopy,

transferring the image to

your carving material.

2

Linoleum carving blades

come in different sizes.

Use a larger gouge blade

to clear large areas, and

a smaller V blade to carve

detailed areas.

3Carve away the white

areas and leave behind

the black areas. This

creates a positive of the

image. Carving away the

black areas, and leaving

the white areas creates a

negative of the image.

4

When you are finished

with your carving block,

print a test image. To do

this, squeeze a line of

paint onto a glass plate

and roll a brayer across

the paint until the roller on

the brayer is coated with

an even layer of paint (not

too thick).

5

Roll this paint onto your

carved image. Place a

piece of paper over the

coated carved image and

burnish. Lift the paper

off the image to view

your print.

Materials

• carving block, eitherlinoleum block or softercarving material, suchas Mastercarve or

Speedy-Cut

• linoleum block carvingtool and blades

• Chartpak colorlessblender pen or finger-nail polish remover

• toner photocopy of a photograph of yourselfthat you have altered in

Photoshop, accordingto the instructions on

page 38, and reduced or

enlarged as needed, to fit your carving block

• liquid acrylic paintsor water-solubleblock-printing ink

• brayer

• glass plate

visual toolbox: Carving a Self-Portrait into a Printing Block

Joe Ludwig carved

his self-portrait onto

this linoleum block.

Even when we are unhappy with our appearance, we have aspects we like. List

your three best body parts.

t r u e v i s i o n




M a k e

a

c o

l o

r

t r a n s

p a r e n

c y

o f

a

j o u

r n

a l

p a g e

a n

d

a t t a c h

i t

t o

t h a t

j o

u r n

a l

p a g e ,

b u

t

s l i g

h t l y

o f f -

k i l t e

r .

Joe Ludwig incorporates a variety of

visual imagery that has significant per-

sonal meaning into a watercolor painting,

over which he has printed a self-portrait,

made with a carved linoleum block.



Personal Archetypes

Found throughout history in liter ature and mythology, archetypes

are an idealized model of a person. The Hero, the Warrior, the Mystic, and the

Monster are examples of archetypes commonly seen in mythology and literature.

Carl Jung developed a psychological theory involving a framework of archetypes,

such as the mother, the child, the self, the shadow, and the hero.

Artists often have a pantheon of personal archetypes they use, sometimes

unknowingly, to represent themselves in their artwork. Sometimes, the archetype

is a particular self-portrait image. Other times, it involves a particular image that

repeats itself in the artist’s work. Think about your art journals. Are there images

that repeat themselves? Eyes? Wings? Birds? Hands?

Interestingly, Gestalt psychological theory offers up the idea that, in interpreting

dreams, we are everything present in our dreams. If we dream we are lost in a forest

and attacked by a bear, we are the forest, the bear, and ourselves. Examining the

dream from these various perspectives gives us insight into our dream. The same

might be applied to the images and content that artists repeat.

If we examine the objects that appear in our work repeatedly, and look at their

symbolism, we may begin to see connections between those objects and ourselves.

For example, I am drawn to birds, wings, feathers, and nests. When I look at the

symbolism of birds, wings, and feathers I find flight, freedom, escape, soaring, and

perhaps even, by the use of a single feather or found feathers, the loss of flight and,

therefore, freedom. When I look at birds and nests, I find that the symbolism of

home and family applies directly to where I am in my life. When we know why we

are drawn to particular imagery, we can begin to use these images with intention

and give our work greater meaning.

List fi ve personal archetype symbols you regularly use.


Nell Morningstar created a

series of personal tarot cards

around specific archetypes.



L a b e

l

a n

e n v e

l o

p e w

i t h

t h e

w o

r d s

“ v

i s u

a l

f e a

s t ” ,

a n

d

a d h e

r e

t h e

e n v e

l o

p e

i n

y o u

r

j o u

r n

a l .

F i l l

i t .


“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul,and paints his own nature into his pictures.”

—Henry Ward Beecher

Carol Parks created

a tarot of archetypes

inside an art journal.The self-portrait image

in the right-hand card

is an image that she

uses repeatedly.





Katie Kendrick explores the

nature of a dream in her

large atlas art journal. A p p l y

fi v e

t o

e i g h t

c o a t s o f

a c r y l i c m e d i u m t o

a

t o n e r - b a s e d

o r

m a g a z i n e

i m a g e

a n d

a l l o w

t h e

i m

a g e

t o

d r y

b e t w e e n

c o a t s . O n c e

d r y , w e t

t h e

b a c k

a n d

r u b

t h e

p a p e r

o f f

w i t h

y o u r

fi n g e r s . T h e

i m a g e , w h i c h

h a s

a d h e r e d

t o

t h e

t h i c k

l a y e r s

o f

g e l

m e d i u m , w i l l

b e s l

i g h t l y

s t r e t c h y , a l l o w i n g

y o u

t o

d i s t o r t

t h e

i m a g e ,

i f

y o u

w i s h .

“What art offers is space—a certain breathingroom for the spirit.”

—John Updike

125

Spirituality and Dreams

Spirituality and faith—subjects that are

difficult to articulate with just words and that

are often a minefield when discussing them with

friends—are wonderful topics to explore in the

pages of an art journal. Provocative questions,

controversial thoughts, and deeply held beliefs

can be explored and expounded upon. Tenets of

faith can be honored or challenged in the relativeprivacy of journal pages.

Dreams, their ephemeral or mystical nature,

and their hidden meanings are also an interesting

topic to mine in an art journal. Fantastical,

disturbing, odd or sensuous, our dreams are

image-dense and loaded with content. Examin-

ing our dreams visually, responding to feelings

and content, can reveal a great deal about

situations in our waking lives.

Our art journal becomes a place in which we

can mine our subconscious for answers, speak with God, connect to the universe, send prayers

aloft, or manifest abundance into our lives.

Many artists explore in their art journals concepts that escape

concrete definition.

chapter




Faith and Spirituality

As artists, we are aware of a creative force inside of ourselves.

Many of us, regardless of religion or faith, believe in the idea of a soul and feel that

we are part of some larger plan or energy. Some artists explore an awareness of a

spiritual force on the pages of their art journals. Others make use of iconographic

symbolism to connect their work to ideas they feel others will understand, withoutnecessarily having an allegiance to a particular religion. One example of this is

the use of Madonna imagery. While the Madonna has a particular significance in

Christianity and in Catholicism, it has also been used to represent the Mother

aspect of the goddess (Maiden, Mother, Crone), to connect a work with the spiritual

nature of motherhood itself, or to draw attention to one of the common aspects

of womanhood.

Many of us were raised in a household that followed a particular religious faith.

Some faiths encompass so much of daily life, determining holidays, foods served,

schools attended, customs practiced, or modes of dress, that they move beyond

religion to culture.

In these cases, family history is intensely intertwined with the religion of our

childhood, and faith becomes part of our past, our memories, and our present life.

How is your life touched by your faith or spirituality? Does this appear in

your art journal?




T a k e

a

c l e

a r

v i n y l

s l i d e

o r

p h o

t o

p r o

t e

c t o

r

r i n g -

b i n

d e

r

s h e e

t

a n

d

p l a

n

t o

a t t a c h

t h e

h o

l e -

p u n c

h e

d

e d g e

t o

t h e

o u

t s

i d e

e d g e

o f

y o u

r

p a g e .

C r e

a t e

a

p a g e

i n

y o u

r

j o u

r n

a l

a n

d

fi l l

t h e

p o

c k e

t s .

A t t a c h

t h e

v i n y l

p o

c k e

t

p a g e

t o

y o u

r

j o u

r n

a l

p a g e .

127s p i r i t u a l i t y a n d d r e a m s

“The windows of my soul I throw wide open to the sun.”

—John Greenleaf Whittier, M Y P SALMS

Like many other female artists,

Ruth Fiege and Traci Bunkers have

made use of the Madonna image

in their art journal pages. Traci also

makes use of images of Ganesha,

a Hindu deity, whose most common

aspects include Remover of

Obstacles and Lord of Intelligence.



Create a prayer, positive affi rmation, or request of the universe in your art

journal.


Los Dias del Milagro , an art

journal by Loretta Marvel.



C r e

a t e

a

p a g e

t o

b e

t o u

c h e

d .

U s e

f a b r i c ,

t e x t

u r e

d

g e s s o , o

r

i n

t e

r e s

t i n g

h a n

d m

a d e

p a p e

r .

M a y

b e

f u

n

f u

r

i s

t h e

a n s w e

r , o

r

m a y b

e

i t ’ s

a

s m

a l l

p i e

c e

o f

fl a

t , s m o o

t h

s t o n e .


taking a closer look: Loretta Marvel

Having known you for a few years , I am aware that faith is an

integral part of your life. Your faith seems to also be an integral

part of both your culture and your personal history. I was

wondering if you might tell us a little bit about the significance, for you, of the title of your Los Dias del Milagro journal?

My faith is woven through every page of this book, stitch

by stitch. Or rather, my continuing pilgrimage towards faith is

stitched on every page. I don’t think faith is a static thing that you

either have or you don’t. I was very heartened to read that even

Mother Theresa had droughts of faith and persisted in her good

works despite them. I have felt at times like that lizard on the

first spread, scrambling on my belly through the desert, in search

of my soul. I have envied those who are like the big, fat, lazy

bumbles, sipping faith from ever y flower.

My formal religious education is as a cradle Catholic raised in

a conservative and traditional Italian American family. I don’t

think my parents ever missed church on Sunday unless they were

ill. After pulling away from the church as a teen, I returned to a

formal, active church-going parish life over the course of raising

a family. My husband converted to Catholicism on our fifteenth

wedding anniversary. My faith, however, has little to do with what

I hear at Mass or what the church professes. Currently, I am not a

traditional, active church-goer. My faith is bound up in my family,

in my art, in the natural world, and in the strong matriarchal

legacy of my family that has me believe that all the rich, potent

personalities that have gone before me still linger somewhere,

somehow, waiting for me to catch up with them.I credit my Catholic-school upbringing with giving me a rich

love of ritual and liturgical ceremony. The relics of the saints,

the blessed medals, the novenas, the rosaries, the scapulars,

the little white First Communion prayer book, the drawing of

the heavy folds of the velvet drapes that left me in the darkness

of the confessional and my sins, and the lighting of the Easter

fire are all symbols that reverberated the mystery of faith. The

majesty of faith is found both in the first breaths of my new-

borns and as witness to my mother cradling my father’s head

as he took his last breath.

I found the humanity of faith when I was a eucharistic

minister, standing on the side of the altar, facing my friends

and fellow parishioners, the host in my hand and placing it

in wave after wave of hands, old, young, slender, fat, graceful,

gnarled, calloused, and gentle, with the words, “The body of

Christ” meaning, to me, both the host and the hands waiting

to receive. All of these things make me treasure everyday and

consider everyday to be Los Dias del Milagro.



Create a list of names for the major arcane of your personal tarot. Be as

funny or as serious as you desire.


Using her own poetic writings

as a focal point, Loretta

Marvel visually explores the

humanity of her faith.



s p i r i t u a l i t y a n d d r e a m s

T a b

i n

p a g e s

t o

a

b o u n

d

j o u

r n

a l

u s

i n g

p a c k i

n g

t a p e

o r

b y

g l u

i n g

d o w n

a n

e d g e .

Los Dias del Milagro is a large book, which could be seen as

imposing, yet the pages are intricate and intimate, rendered

even more so by the writings. Could you tell us a little more about

your process? What came first, writings, art, or was it a hand-

in-hand process?

The process of making the book was very organic. I began with

no real idea in mind, other than that I wanted to make a book

that would express both the highs and lows of my struggle with

faith. All the inspiration from the book was derived from Mexican

folk art, the crosses, retablos, and enameled ar t that I collect.

I find that art is extraordinarily powerful for my personal

spirituality. I constructed the book, which was an oversized

scrapbooking album bought on sale after Christmas at a Hall-

mark store (there were three others, and now I regret giving them

away!). I had never worked with cutting out windows in books,

so that was my first endeavor, and I wanted them to resemble

nichos. Almost all the materials used in the book are religious

artifacts and household detritus from my grandparent’s house,

all of which have enormous spiritual energy for me. I wanted the

book to actively involve the reader through the narrative and the

intricate artwork. I want the reader’s experience to be that of a pil-

grim on a journey, with each page being a step on the pilgrimage.

The paintings in Los Dias del Milagro are luminous. Can you tell

us which media you used to get such color?

Most of the pages and the cover of the book are painted with

Golden Heavy Body Acrylics. They dry to a matte, velvety finish

that reminds me of milk paint. The metallic paints are GoldenGlazes, including the teardrops on the front cover. The page with

the border that resembles mosaics was done with pastels sealed

with a fixative.

131



Have you a recurring dream? Describe this dream. Does this dream appear in

conjunction with events in your life?


Dreams

Dreams provide fascinating art journal content. Mysterious, rich

in visual imagery, we often wake with the sense that a particular dream needs to be

examined more closely. A quick search of the Internet will provide a variety of ways to

examine the meanings of our dreams and even associate the symbols with numbers

we might use to play the lottery!

t r u e v i s i o n

In King and Queen of the Lopes ,

Leighanna Light describes a wild

dream, in which she was queen

of a crazy mail art project. As she

created the Queen of the Lopes in

her journal, Leighanna decided the

queen needed a king to assist her.



G r a v

i t y .

U s e

i t .

S p i

l l

c o

f f e e

o r

p a i n

t

o n

t o

a

p a g e , e v e n

o n e

i n

p r o g

r e s

s .


When you awake with a dream that is puzzling or intrigues you

visually, grab a piece of paper and jot down a quick description

of it. Then, before your dream fades, make a list of all the“characters” of your dream, giving a quick visual description

of each character. Later, in your art space, consider your notes.

Determine which two characters in your dream were most

significant. Bring these characters into existence on your art

journal pages. Most likely, you will not be able to re-create them

as they appeared in your dream. Go instead for the flavor of the

characters, examining your stash for ephemera, papers, and

items that fit the character. Tell your story with words right

on the page.

insight activity: Dream Characters

In her art journal, Michelle

Remy chronicles the mes-

sage found within a dream.

Michelle Remy’s art journal

page was created around

a Rainer Maria Rilke quote

that she adapted: “Art is

the way we surprise God

in [her] hiding place.”




What is the weirdest dream you can recall?


Mary Ann Moss layers spray

paint onto blank art paper

using stencils and adds

collage elements to create a

place in which to explore the

content of her recent dreams.

“Dreams say what they mean, but theydon’t say it in daytime language.”

—Gail Godwin




C r e

a t e

a

v i s u

a l

j o k

e , s o m e

t h i n g

t h a t

m a k e s y

o u

s m

i l e

e a c h

t i m e

y o u

s e e

i t .

visual toolbox: Altered Scrapbooking Papers

This technique gives you a head start in creating layered backgrounds. Using some of the amazing

scrapbooking papers available at local craft stores and scrapbooking specialty stores, and working

with the wide range of spray paint colors and stencils that are commercially available, it is possible

to create a layered background that can communicate mystery, opulence, and even gothic horror.

1

Working outdoors, place

your box on the ground

or on an old table. Place

a small piece of masking

tape along the white edge

of your scrapbooking

paper, and tape the paper

to the bottom of your box.Wear a mask to avoid

breathing in spray paint.

2

Select a stencil with

which to begin. Spray

the reverse side of the

stencil with reposition-

able adhesive and place

the stencil across your

paper. Place scrap paper

around the edges of thestencil, where the paper is

exposed. Tape the paper

into place, so that only

the paper to be sprayed is

visible through the stencil

openings. Choose a paint

color, and spray. Spray

in short bursts—think

puffs of paint, not lavish

coatings.

Materials

• spray paint in severalcolors

• repositionableadhesive

• several stencils

• scrapbooking papers• respirator (mask,

available at hard-ware stores)

• large cardboard box

• scrap paper

• masking tape

• latex gloves

3

Allow to dry a lit tle, and

remove the stencil.

4

Allow to paint to dr y

completely, and add a

new stencil. Repeat from

step 2 with another colorof paint.

Tips

• Experiment with working from light colors to darkand the reverse.

• Experiment with metallic paint on dark backgroundsand black paint on metallic papers.

• Use colors similar to, but slightly darker than, thecolor palette of the paper.

• Look in craft stores for spray paint in a widerrange of colors than what

might be available athardware stores.

As part of creating a page spread

that looks at the mother and maiden

aspects of the goddess, I used

scrapbook paper altered with spray

paints and stencils.



t r u e v i s i o n t r u e v i s i o n

cavort glacialincandescence

Photocopy these words onto card stock, then cut each word out following the frame. For more about using this Vision Deck, see page 30.

Appendix: Vision Deck

machination transcendgrit

promise giftsilence

136



137

evolve renewvivid

salutary fogdirect

flourish colludefugue

spill expandcavernous



t r u e v i s i o n

envelop descendencompass

resplendent gravitatereverberate

expand invisiblesilken

manner antagonizeintent

138



object embroiderdefend

entangle suffusetemptation

round ingeniousconsequence

139 a p p e n d i x

Add your own words on these blank cards.



Contributors

Tina Abbott

http://throughthekeyhole.typepad.com

Nina Bagley

www.ornamental.typepad.com

Nikki Blackwood

www.pdxnik.blogspot.com

Traci Bunkers

www.tracibunkers.com

Elizabeth Bunsen

http://elizabethbunsen.typepad.com

Julia na Coles

www.meandpete.com

Shirley Ende-Saxe

http://shirleyendesaxe.typepad.com

Ruth Fiege

[email protected]

Sara h Fishburn

www.sarahfishburn.com

Amy H anna

http://amyhanna.etsy.com

Sandra Hardee

http://skhardee.blogspot.com

Minnie Helvey

www.herminnie.blogspot.com

Tracie Lyn Huskamp

http://TheRedDoor-Studio.blogspot.com

Katie Kendrick

http://joyouslybecoming.typepad.com

Melanie Komisarski

http://musings.navylane.com

Liz Lamoreux

http://bepresentbehere.blogspot.com

Leighanna Light

http://lklight.blogspot.com

Joseph Ludwig

[email protected]

Julie Madsen

[email protected]

Loretta Marvel

http://artjournaler.typepad.com/

pomegranatesandpaper/

Syd McCutcheon

http://sheepfloozy.blogspot.com

Karen Michel

www.karenmichel.com

Bridgette Guerzon Mills

www.guerzonmills.com

Corey Moortgat

http://coreymoortgat.blogspot.com

Mary Ann Moss

http://dispatchfromLA.typepad.com

Carol Parks

www.carolparks.com

Michelle Remy

www.picturetrail.com/2alteredhands

Lesley Riley

www.lalasland.com

Kelly Rae Roberts

http://www.kellyraeroberts.blogspot.com

www.kellyraeroberts.com

Rhonda Roebuck

[email protected]

Melanie Sage

www.melaniesage.com

Tricia Scott

www.a-little-birdie.blogspot.com

Brenda Shackleford

[email protected]

Bee Shay

www.beeshay.typepad.com

Carla Sonheim

www.carlasonheim.com

Zorana Stanojkovic

http://zoranaland.blogspot.com

Diana Trout

www.dianatrout.com

Nell Morningstar Ubbelohde

www.nellmorningstar.blogspot.com


http://throughthekeyhole.typepad.com/

http://www.ornamental.typepad.com/

http://www.pdxnik.blogspot.com/

http://www.tracibunkers.com/

http://elizabethbunsen.typepad.com/

http://www.meandpete.com/

http://shirleyendesaxe.typepad.com/

http://www.sarahfishburn.com/

http://amyhanna.etsy.com/

http://skhardee.blogspot.com/

http://www.herminnie.blogspot.com/

http://thereddoor-studio.blogspot.com/

http://joyouslybecoming.typepad.com/

http://musings.navylane.com/

http://bepresentbehere.blogspot.com/

http://lklight.blogspot.com/

http://artjournaler.typepad.com/pomegranatesandpaper/


http://sheepfloozy.blogspot.com/

http://www.karenmichel.com/

http://www.guerzonmills.com/

http://coreymoortgat.blogspot.com/

http://dispatchfromla.typepad.com/

http://www.carolparks.com/

http://www.picturetrail.com/2alteredhands

http://www.lalasland.com/

http://www.kellyraeroberts.blogspot.com/

http://www.kellyraeroberts.com/

http://www.melaniesage.com/

http://www.a-little-birdie.blogspot.com/

http://www.beeshay.typepad.com/

http://www.carlasonheim.com/

http://zoranaland.blogspot.com/

http://www.dianatrout.com/

http://www.nellmorningstar.blogspot.com/

http://throughthekeyhole.typepad.com/

http://www.nellmorningstar.blogspot.com/

http://www.dianatrout.com/

http://zoranaland.blogspot.com/

http://www.carlasonheim.com/

http://www.beeshay.typepad.com/

http://www.a-little-birdie.blogspot.com/

http://www.melaniesage.com/

http://www.carolparks.com/

http://dispatchfromla.typepad.com/

http://coreymoortgat.blogspot.com/

http://www.guerzonmills.com/

http://www.karenmichel.com/

http://sheepfloozy.blogspot.com/



http://lklight.blogspot.com/

http://bepresentbehere.blogspot.com/

http://musings.navylane.com/

http://joyouslybecoming.typepad.com/

http://thereddoor-studio.blogspot.com/

http://www.herminnie.blogspot.com/

http://skhardee.blogspot.com/

http://amyhanna.etsy.com/

http://www.sarahfishburn.com/

http://shirleyendesaxe.typepad.com/

http://www.meandpete.com/

http://elizabethbunsen.typepad.com/

http://www.tracibunkers.com/

http://www.kellyraeroberts.com/

http://www.kellyraeroberts.blogspot.com/

http://www.pdxnik.blogspot.com/

http://www.lalasland.com/

http://www.ornamental.typepad.com/

http://www.picturetrail.com/2alteredhands



Resources

art supplies

Patina Solutions

Novacan Black for Solder and Lead: various

online stained-glass supply retailers

Liver of sulfur: www.misterart.com;

ww w.riogrande.com

Modern Options: various online art-supply

retailers, Michaels craft stores

JA X Patina solutions: various online

suppliers

Wire Mesh

Wiremesh brand: various online art supply

retailers

ww w.volcanoarts.biz

ww w.animadesigns.com

Chartpak Colorless Blenders

ww w.artcity.com

Jetprint Multiproject

Photo Paper

ww w.amazon.com

ww w.jetprintphoto.com

artists to

research

Peter Beard

Nancy Chunn

Dan Eldon

Sabrina Ward Harrison

Candy Jernigan

Robert Rauschenberg

books

Alphabetica

Lynne Perrella, Quarry Books, 2006

Altered Books, Collaborative Journals,

and Other Adventures in Book Making

Holly Harrison, Quarry Books, 2005

Artist Journals and Sketchbooks:

Exploring and Creating Personal Pages Lynne Perrella, Quarry Books, 2005

Collage for the Soul


The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery:

Mixed-Media Techniques for Collage,

Altered Books, Artist Journals, and More

Karen Michel, Quarry Books, 2005

Fabric Art Journals: Making,

Sewing, and Embellishing Journals

from Cloth and Fibers

Pam Sussman, Quarry Books, 2005

Making Journals by Hand: 20 Creative

Projects for Keeping Your Thoughts

Jason Thompson, Quarry Books, 2000

Making Memory Books by Hand:

22 Projects to Keep and Share

Kristina Feliciano, Quarry Books, 1999

Mixed Emulsions: Altered Art Techniques

for Photographic Imagery

Angela Cartwright, Quarry Books, 2007

Mixed-Media Collage: An Explorationof Contemporary Artists, Methods,

and Materials


Mixed-Media Nature Journals

L.K. Ludwig, Quarry Books, 2008

1000 Artist Journal Pages

Dawn DeVries Sokol, Quarry Books, 2008

magazines

Somerset Studio

www.stampington.com

Cloth Paper Scissors

www.quiltingarts.com

Art & Life

www.teeshamoore.com

141

http://www.misterart.com/

http://www.riogrande.com/

http://www.volcanoarts.biz/

http://www.animadesigns.com/

http://www.artcity.com/

http://www.amazon.com/

http://www.jetprintphoto.com/

http://www.stampington.com/

http://www.quiltingarts.com/

http://www.teeshamoore.com/

http://www.jetprintphoto.com/

http://www.amazon.com/

http://www.artcity.com/

http://www.animadesigns.com/

http://www.volcanoarts.biz/

http://www.riogrande.com/

http://www.misterart.com/

http://www.teeshamoore.com/

http://www.quiltingarts.com/

http://www.stampington.com/



t r u e v i s i o n

Acknowledgments

There is something exhilarating about writing a

book about a much-loved topic. Art journaling has led me on

a journey that I could never have imagined. Friendships that

have spanned nearly a decade were forged over discussions of art

journaling techniques. Moving from conversations about paper

and paints, we shared about children, husbands, partners, and our

daily lives. Heartaches and incredible joys graced our art journal

pages and our emails. I’m honored to show the work of some of

these gifted artists in these pages.These contributing artists risked something of themselves

in sharing their personal art journal work with the larger world.

Thank you for allowing me to show the world a little of who

you are.

I owe a debt of gratitude to my editor, Mary Ann Hall; her

patience and her remarkable talent for shaping the book was such

a gift. I also want to thank Betsy Gammons, whom I am fortunate

enough to have had as my project manager for two books. She is

the book’s shepherd, solving, fixing, coddling, all with infinite

kindness.

To my beloved, thank you for all of it: the time, the space, and

the support. I’m tickled beyond words to give the world a peek at

your artistic gifts. You are my heart.

I have to also thank my moms for occupying the littles while

the manuscript was being written. Bless you.

To my littles: When I was pregnant with my first child,everyone told me how quickly t ime would go by, and I nodded,

understanding, despite not knowing. I now know, and time is

passing so quickly. I cannot stop time, nor can I keep you from

growing up. But, I can record my heart on the pages of my art

journals, chronicling the love I feel for you and my amazement at

your beauty. I love you.

142



About the Author

143

L.K. Ludwig creates art and chases her three small

children around in a Victorian Foursquare in a very small town

(pop. 4,023) in Western Pennsylvania. Many weekends are spent

in the woods and at the river where family memories and art

are made while the A llegheny flows by. With a strong belief in

creating around what she knows—nature, parenting, love, and

life—these elements seep deeply into L.K.’s artwork, making

it content rich and personally meaningful. L .K.’s first book

with Quarry was Mixed-Media Nature Journals, New Techniques

for Exploring Nature, Life, and Memories. Her work has been

featured in a number of books and magazines and shown in

various galleries. L.K. enjoys teaching at various venues across

the United States You may contact her through her blog at

http://gryphonsfeather.typepad.com.

http://gryphonsfeather.typepad.com/

http://gryphonsfeather.typepad.com/



Notes




© 2008 by Quarry Books

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have beenreproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the artists concerned, and noresponsibility is accepted by the producer, publisher, or printer for any infringementof copyright or otherwise, arising from the contents of this publication. Every efforthas been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied.

We apologize for any inaccuracies that may have occurred and will resolve inaccurateor missing information in a subsequent reprinting of the book.

First published in the United States of America by Quarry Books, a member of Quayside Publishing Group100 Cummings Center

Suite 406-L Beverly, Massachusetts 01915-6101Telephone: (978) 282-9590Fax: (978) 283-2742

www.quarrybooks.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ludwig, L. K. True vision : authentic art journaling / L.K. Ludwig. p. cm.ISBN 1 59253 426 0

http://www.quarrybooks.com/

http://www.quarrybooks.com/

Documents

Ludwig L K True Vision 2008