Under the Influence

Week 13 in my
Mellow Kraft
Journal.

The journal prompts from France Papillon
throughout this month
are based on moodboards.

This week the theme was
influencers.

To be honest I did not understand
quite what France was aiming for with this prompt,
so I just took a wide jump in the general direction.

My four influencers are

Joseph Cornell
Ray Johnson
Kurt Schwitters
Andy Warhol

They are not really influencers,
but validators,
kindred art spirits.

They gave me permission to continue
creating art in my own style.

On my weekly journal page this week
there is patterned paper
from Glenda Waterworth,
Life's Journey Pansy paper
from K & Company,
a flower image from
The Graphics Fairy,
a label image from Joseph Cornell
& Tim Holtz Paper Dolls.

I used a dictionary definition,
words cut from an old novel,
printed text,
washi tape
& photo corners by Paperchase.

Finally a wandering path
made with a black Posca paint pen.

This week has been hard.
We were told to keep our distance,
preferably to just stay at home,
in an attempt to slow the spread of this virus.

If you read the dictionary definition
on my page of the word
influence,
wow, just wow.

To think that the current world situation
is down to just one person's actions.

That's what you call
influence.

That was the week that was

Week 12 in my
Mellow Kraft
Journal.

The journal prompts this month
from France Papillon
are based on moodboards.

This week the theme was
visualise.

On 21st March
up popped a Facebook memory
from 4 years ago
of the haiku I had written for
World Poetry Day.

There is patterned paper
from Glenda Waterworth
& Life's Journey Pansy patterned paper
from K & Company.

The butterfly & flower images are from
The Graphics Fairy &
I used a paper doll from Tim Holtz.

I used a white Posca Paint Pen
Distress Marker (black soot),
a gold uniball Signo pen
& a black Pigma pen.

I used a dictionary definition,
printed text,
Tim Holtz Design Tape
& photo corners by Paperchase.

For the bases of the
Art Journal Card & Inchies
 I am using up my
Tim Holtz idea-ology kraft paper stash.

You are Resilient

Day 7 of 7
of Kasia Avery's
Soothe Me
art journal event.

I had already prepped my old typing manual pages
with a wash of diluted white gesso primer
by Daler-Rowney.

I added a layer of clear gesso
by Liquitex,
then a wash of Pentel watercolour paints
in purple & blue.

I printed out my words,
mounted them on more of the painted paper as before,
to bring cohesion to the seven spreads.

Finally, I added some Posca paint pen doodling,
washi tape
& a date stamp.

The number 7 also crept in
& I have added the day number
to the other six spreads.

Below is a video flip through of my journal.

One inchie at a time

Day 6 of 7
of Kasia Avery's
Soothe Me
art journal event.

I had already prepped my old typing manual pages
with a wash of diluted white gesso primer
by Daler-Rowney.

My inchie grid was drawn with
a black Pigma Micron pen.

Doodles added, one inchie at a time.

Coloured in with a black Stabilo All pencil
& a wet brush.

Then I added the date stamp.

Trying to keep calm & carry on.

Raw Emotions

Day 5 of 7
of Kasia Avery's
Soothe Me
art journal event.

I had already prepped my old typing manual pages
with a wash of diluted white gesso primer
by Daler-Rowney.

The three circles were drawn
with a black Posca paint pen.

Words were written
with a black Pigma Micron pen,
then rewritten over in a white Posca paint pen.

The circles were filled with torn painted paper,
mixed from Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paints
(Ruby & Lemon) with white gesso on top,
then colour added to the rest of the page
with Tim Holtz Distress Crayons
(picked raspberry/spiced marmalade/mustard seed).

I am trying to use a different medium each day.

Then I added the date stamp.

Today we were suppose to let our emotions out.

No trouble there then.

They are bubbling there, just under the surface.

Raw & deep felt.

I am sad, because I saw my parents today,
unable to kiss or hug either of them
was just too painful.

I feel like the world is
spiralling out of control
& there is nothing I can do.

I feel helpless,
completely helpless.

The flowers will bloom again

Day 4 of 7
of Kasia Avery's
Soothe Me
art journal event.

I had already prepped my old typing manual pages
with a wash of diluted white gesso primer
by Daler-Rowney.

I stamped a floral images
(which I think are by Dawn Bibby)
with black Archival Ink.

Added a layer of clear gesso
by Liquitex.

Added a wash of Pentel watercolour paints
in two different blues & white,
then with a wet brush,
removed some of the watercolour pigment
from the flower petals & leaves,
revealing the white page beneath.

Then I added some Posca paint pen doodling
& a date stamp.

Each day seems to be getting harder.

Each day that passes hurts a little more.

But my daffodils are in flower,
the tree blossom is about to burst open,
the gardens birds are singing cheerily
as nature continues oblivious to
our current situation.

One day at a time ...

A Life full of Adventure

Prompt 7 for Dina Wakley's
Year of Gratitude
challenge is
Adventure.

Dina was encouraging us
to be adventurous,
to try something new.

At this very moment in time,
all I wish for is a very boring,
ordinary &
uneventful life,
however the world has different ideas.

So I adapted my approach for this journal page,
being as adventurous as I can
as faces are not my go to subject.

Four years ago, during ICAD
(the annual Index Card A Day event)
I worked through two of Dina's books,
Art Journal Freedom
&
Art Journal Courage.

I took inspiration from two of my index cards,
inspired by Art Journal Courage,
to make my own face stencil.

Then I used Dina Wakley Media
Acrylic Paint in Ruby & Lapis
mixed only with water
to add colour.

Words, as always, cut from an old novel.

I am working in a small
Black Cloth Hardback Sketchbook
by Seawhite of Brighton.

The paper is 140gsm.

You can see the two original index cards below.

Card 23
Card 29 - Listen to your heart

Daily Gratitudes

Day 3 of 7
of Kasia Avery's
Soothe Me
art journal event.

I had already prepped my old typing manual pages
with a wash of diluted white gesso primer
by Daler-Rowney.

I added torn pieces of already painted paper
from the same typing manual as my base pages,
which had been created to use up spare
Dina Wakley Media acrylic paints
(lemon/lapis with white gesso)
leftover from a past project.

I used
Faber-Castell Gelatos
(Chocolate/Limoncello/
Pistachio/Margarita Mix)
to add more colour.

Then I used my black & white Posca paint pens
& a gold Signo pen,
to doodled over the Gelatos.

Next I watered down some black acrylic paint
(from ecogreen crafts)
& splattered my pages
& my desk
& my computer screen ...

Once I had cleaned that mess up,
I added a small butterfly image
(already printed & cut out
from the Graphics Fairy),
some Masté washi tape
& a date stamp.

Day three I am grateful that I find peace
in time spent in my art studio
being creative.

I am grateful for the spirit of friendship & community
shown by my Instagram followers & those I follow.

I am grateful that at present my family is well.

Stronger Together

Day 2 of 7
of Kasia Avery's
Soothe Me
art journal event.

I had already prepped my old typing manual pages
with a wash of diluted white gesso primer
by Daler-Rowney.

Still feeling in a splattery mood,
I grabbed some Neocolor II pastels by Caran d'Ache
(Malachite Green/Olive/Metallic Gold)
& flicked my water brush over them
on to the pages.

I added some old tissue paper
& a date stamp.

Today's word was isolation,
so I opted for a few black circles
doodled with my black Posca Paint Pen.


Countries,
communities,
families
& friends
are all experiencing isolation.

We are all united by isolation.

We might be in isolation,
but we are not alone,
we are in this together
& together we are stronger.

What if ?

Day 1 of 7
of Kasia Avery's
Soothe Me
art journal event.

I had already prepped my old typing manual pages
with a wash of diluted white gesso primer
by Daler-Rowney.

I splattered the background with
watered down Distress Ink
(in broken china & peeled paint).

I added my words with
my black Stabilo All pencil,
& then having sharpen the pencil
I sprinkled the black shavings over the page
then sprayed with a mist of water,
letting the inks & words run.

After drying with a heat gun,
I added a little more Distress Ink
in broken china,
Masté washi tape,
a date stamp
& doodled a border with
my black Posca Paint Pen.

On day one,
these two words were swirling
around in my head,
making me uncertain,
uptight & a little scared.

Seeing them written down on my page
& partially dissolved with water,
removed their potency.

Soothe Me

Kasia Avery at Everything Art
is hosting a free
7 day art journal event
entitled
Soothe Me.

I made a small journal
which measures 4 x 6 inches.

The cover uses prints of two of my pages
from her Advent Calendar event
held in December 2019.

I thought these two pages
were very apt for this event.

I added a new title
(which are words cut from an old novel)
doodling with a black Pigma pen
& a piece of Masté washi tape.

Inside there is one signature
stitched with paper string,
with eight pieces of paper
creating a journal with 32 pages.

I used pages from an old typing manual.

I prepped the pages with a wash of
diluted white gesso primer
by Daler-Rowney.

You can see the original pages below.

Front Cover

Back Cover

Direction & Purpose

Week 11 in my
Mellow Kraft
Journal.

The journal prompts this month
from France Papillon
will be based on moodboards.

This week the theme is
what I am
longing for.

I used a dictionary definition,
words cut from an old novel,
& printed text.

There is patterned paper
from Glenda Waterworth
& Life's Journey Pansy patterned paper
from K & Company.

The butterfly image is from
The Graphics Fairy &
I used a paper doll from Tim Holtz.

I used a black Posca Paint Pen
& photo corners by Paperchase.

For the bases of the
Art Journal Card & Inchies
 I am using up my
Tim Holtz idea-ology kraft paper stash.

Here & Now

Week 10 in my
Mellow Kraft
Journal.

The journal prompts this month
from France Papillon
will be based on moodboards,
with the first one being our
current situation.

I used words cut from an old novel,
printed text,
patterned paper
from Glenda Waterworth
& Life's Journey Pansy patterned paper
from K & Company.

The butterfly, flower
& calendar images are
from The Graphics Fairy.

I used a gold uni-ball Signo pen,
EberhardFaber Leaf Metal
(as a border around the journal card),
photo corners by Paperchase
&
washi tape.

I used
Tim Holtz idea-ology kraft paper stash
for the bases of the
Art Journal Card & Inchies .

Grateful for Nature

Prompt 6 for Dina Wakley's
Year of Gratitude
challenge is
Nature.

I taped off the edges of the page
(using Dina Wakley Blank Media Tape)
to keep the border clean.

I used her Cellular Stencil
to draw the centre of my flowers,
then doodled around them.

I coloured them with
Dina Wakley Media Acrylic Paint
(Ruby, Lemon & Lapis) &
a little Dina Wakley Glazing Medium.

Finally I removed the media tape
& added a few words cut out
from an old edition
of Pride & Prejudice.

I used Posca Paint Pens
in black & white,
as they dry quickly,
do not smear when painted over
& work well over the dried acrylic paint.

I am working in a small Black Cloth Hardback Sketchbook
by Seawhite of Brighton.

The paper is 140gsm.