Art Journaling

I've been going to several art journaling classes to build my skills, and also learn how to use some of the supplies that I already have.  If you're in the Johannesburg area, I highly recommend a visit to Short Cuts Crafts  in Lonehill - the have a huge selection of art and scrapbooking supplies, and they are very friendly.  Jowilna Nolte is an excellent teacher.  I also buy art supplies from Stencil Art in Randburg, but their service is really not good.

 

This page was done at a class with Suzy Christodoulo at Stencil Art; we used the gelli print

 

 This page is my own creation; I love using the Dylusions sprays and stamps

 

All the other pages were done at Short Cuts Crafts with Jowilna Nolte

I use my art journal as a Faith Journal

Making art

I'm making art again, my version of Bible or Faith journaling.  I journal in a separate art journal, not in my Bible. 

 

Right now, I'm loving the wisdom and teaching of Joyce Meyers, Andy Stanley and Dr. David Jeremiah.

I'll share some pages when I'm ready...

Faith journalling

I spent time doing Bible study and faith journaling on Heritage day during September.  I'm participating in Stephanie Ackerman's year long Documented Faith project, but I don't do all the weekly tasks.  I don't want this to be yet another thing on my looong to-do list, so I only do what has real meaning for me.  Here are some of my recent pages...

 

 

I'm challenged and love the idea of 'radical' faith 

Radical faith is:

• believing when I don't see it
• obeying when I do not understand
• persisting when I don't feel like it
• giving when I don't have it to give
• thanking before I receive it
• trusting if I don't get it

 I prepare the base layout of a few pages in advance, so that once I'm ready to journal, I can get straight to it.  Here is one of my pages ready for journaling; I mostly use Ranger and Dylusions spray inks

 

 

Art Journaling

I love being creative.  Together with my faith, it's my therapy and refuge from a very stressful work life.  Scrapbooking is undoubtedly my 'first love' craft, but I also love art journaling and painting and crocheting. 

 

I scrapbook regularly, but due to time constraints and an overloaded schedule, I sometimes get a bit despondent that I don't do my other crafts regularly enough.  There's just not enough hours in the day to get to everything.  I feel like I just get going with some art journaling and then stop, and then get going and then stop.  This note by Connie Solera resonated deeply with me "I have had a creative practice my entire life and it's filled with gaps, long hiatuses, and abandoned pages -- and that's totally ok.  I'm an artist, not a machine"

One of the blogs I love is Dirty Footprints by Connie Solera.  Here is a lovely post by her of what she's learnt about art journaling and herself as an artist.  I think this also applies to scrapbooking.

 1.  I have had a creative practice my entire life and it's filled with gaps, long hiatuses, and abandoned pages -- and that's totally ok.  I'm an artist, not a machine.

 2.  Great things happen when you just stick to it.  Gosh, there is such a huge difference in skill and style as my art journals progress through the years.  I'm so grateful that I've stuck with this practice for over 20 years!

 3.  I'm a series girl!  In Take A Peek you'll get a glimpse of my Painting The Feminine series, my Grey series, my Healing Journal series, my Oil Pastel series, and many more.  I love to take an idea or concept and explore the hell out of it!

 4.  Experimenting is mandatory as an artist.  I'll be honest, I was cringing my whole way through episode 2 because that journal is like a mad scientist got her hands on it! I'm all over the place in trying different things out.  But  in retrospect I can see how necessary experimenting was/is in my development as an artist.

 5.  Part of being an artist is just having to make ugly ass shit.  (Sorry, there's no sweeter way to put it.)

 6.  Art journaling for me is all about moving energy and expressing myself in the moment.  I like to keep my supplies and even my techniques simple and direct so the essence of me can flow! flow! flow!

 7.  As vulnerable as I felt sharing an intimate peek into my personal art journals, there was something very cathartic about doing so as well.  I was able to bring light and much needed closure to an era of my life I feel.  Thank you to those who bared witness.

 8.  Without even trying, we tell the story of our lives when we art journal.  This moved me the most when I looked back at my journals.  There are so many pages I can remember exactly where I was -- what I was feeling -- and why I created that page.

 9.  Our mark is sacred.  It doesn't matter if it's pretty or the worst thing you ever did -- those marks you make on paper are sacred.  They are your younger selves whispering "I'm here.  I'm still by your side."

 10.  Art journals are living entities.  They have Souls all of their own.  I'm not being metaphoric when I call them my old friends.

So I'm sticking with my creative life, committed always to trying different things and starting and stopping and starting.  It's ok, I'm not a machine.  I'm an artist.

Documented Faith Project

I've been participating in Stephanie Ackerman's Documented Faith Project.  I'm not getting bent out of shape about doing every weeks' challenge.  I usually focus on this once a month, and only do what's meaningful for me. 

 

To me, it's not about making pretty pages.  I've been journaling about the monthly focus words (truth, believe and love) and the weekly verses, and digging deep to see what this really means for me.  Here are some of my pages...

 

 

  

a blank page ready for a future documented faith challenge 

Art Journalling

When I get stressed from the overload and endless demands at work, I feel the need to be creative.  I'm working in a Moleskin journal, which I've entitled 'the book of small moments'.  The big moments in our lives are rare and we usually look forward to them so much.  But our lives are made up of 10 000 small moments every day, and that's what I'm documenting.  And it's a reason to play with paint and stamps and stuff that I love.  I'll be offering a retreat in 2015 to make this journal.

 

Art Journalling

I have been doodling and art journalling using the theme "good things".  These pages are a form of gratitude journalling.  I find that I'm more inclined to journal this way using Sharpie pens and colour, rather than just using a standard gratitude journal.