One of the hobbies I picked up at my recent Artfest adventure was keeping an art journal. My artist friend, Michelle started one last fall and I thought it was amazing... something I could never do since I'm more of a designer than an artist. At any rate, Artfest helped me realized the necessity to doodle, draw, paint and journal just for fun... just enjoying the creative process and not worrying about the end product because it's just for me.
I love how this well-known YouTube art journalista, Suzi Blu inspires people to start an art journal.
So I brought back my original drafting table that I used to create some of the early April's Ideas products on and turned it into my new art journaling space.
This is one of the pages I completed one night while I was at Artfest. I created the background colors by gluing down bright tissue and using golden fluid acrylic paint (these paints are like no other!)
Since my drawing skills are fairly limited, I do a lot of cutting and pasting of images and information that I find inspiring.
In our Artfest welcome packet, one of the Artfest founders (the fabulous Teesha Moore - check out HER JOURNAL PAGES) posed 31 questions for us to ponder.
Michelle and I agreed we'd answer some of those questions in our journal and when we see each other during the summer trade show circuit we could discuss our thoughts.
Some of the questions are... Am I working in a field where I truly belong? What part of my life right now brings me the most amount of joy? What activities do I wish I had more time for? Am I balancing work and personal life? What is my portrait of happiness in the future?
It's so nice just to think about those kind of questions once in a while and stop the freight-train of life for a bit.
Some of my favorite journaling goods are: moleskine journals, golden paints, caran d ache watersoluble crayons, sharpie pens, oil pastels, white correction pens and white gesso.
Remember... "You too can make a mark on paper that looks like a lollipop that is grand as the taj mahal" - Suzi Blu
great pictures and great journal pages. I would love to do something like this but keep telling myself I don't have the time. Must decide to make time!
John
Posted by: John Dyhouse | April 25, 2008 at 04:19 PM
What fun... never wished I lived in "Jersey" before.. but it would be great fun to be close enough to spend an afternoon at journal play...
Thanks for the blog... I'll be checking in on a regular basis...
Gotta go get me a journal..
ta ta E-talk to you again...
Catherine
Posted by: Catherine Warner | April 26, 2008 at 10:54 AM
wowowow! your pages are awesome. I stumbled on your blog while visiting michelles blog... and didn't notice your banner until I finished reading your post: catching fireflies is a favorite shop of mine, but one I don't get to visit often enough since I have a new baby and live in the sticks (Richmond) of Macomb County! and I'm always glad to find artists from Michigan (it can be lonely sometimes... if it wasn't for the internet I probably would not be doing what I'm doing!)
so anyways, I've bookmarked you and maybe i'll get to see you at the shop one day! (haven't been to the rochester one yet!)
Posted by: Carolyn | April 26, 2008 at 06:30 PM
Love your journal pages and such yummy art materials. It's always great to see what other people use.
Posted by: robruhn | April 26, 2008 at 08:05 PM
wow... thanks for all the kind comments. It warms my heart to know I can be an inspiration to other creative souls
Posted by: april | April 26, 2008 at 11:24 PM
You are so crazy. I love it!
I paint on canvas normally but for some reason journals scare me. I use them just to brainstorm or sketch a piece before I paint it but to paint on a journal seems more difficult to me. I have bought so many of them because I want to paint them all but not sure if I can even finish one. I wish I could!
http://www.yvonnepoo.com
Posted by: Yvonne | September 24, 2013 at 03:51 PM