Fall Fearless and Fly

Hmmm....me participating in an art challenge. Me - the 'I'm not an artist  person.' Over at Artists In Blogland an art challenge (Fall Fearless and Fly) is currently underway. The current challenge has three prompts.

Headline Prompt: Inventing the Future: Where do you want to be 5, 10, 15 years from now. What's holding you back? What's propelling you forward? What do you need to do or stop doing to create your future?
Color Prompt: Warm colors (reds, oranges, pinks, yellows)
Quote Prompt: "The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time." Abraham Lincoln

You could use one or all three.  Since I was already working on something that fit the color prompt  I'm jumping in although not quite fearless about it. I have looked at some of the work by other participants and they have loads of talent. What I consider real artist talent. In a way the headline prompt which asks 'what's holding you back' fits my reluctance to share my 'art'.  Having begun this art journal in the past two weeks I'm not sure I'm ready to share it. It still has a scrapbook look to it that I want to get away from; but for now I'm creating and that's more important to me.
This two page spread centers around the making of an ATC card (see closeup below). I've seen many ATC's with lots of detail on such a small canvas. I kept this one simple and I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.

I used a clear protective sleeve pocket to put the card in. I wanted to be able to take it out of the journal if I wanted to.

(Remember clicking the images will make them bigger and better.)

Click here to check out the challenge details.

With All The Colors of the Wind

I've always loved this song and had done an index card over the summer with some of the words. A couple of weeks ago I saw the Pocohontas sticker in a discount aisle and bought it. The left side of the spread came together rather quickly. My idea for the right side was a rainbow page with the words. I used chaulk to do the rainbow but I didn't like it so I layered on some paint to cover that and some blue alcohol ink. I liked the background at that point but I thought I needed more. I looked down at my table and saw the freezer wrap paper I had used to cover my table. The colors were there and I just ripped it off and glued it down. I didn't like it at first but I came to like how the blue swirl at the top almost mimics the necklace on Pocohontas. I took the index card I had made during the summer and cut it up and layered that on top.

(Remember, clicking to enlarge is a whole lot better.)

Falling for Autumn

Fall/Autumn has always been my favorite time of year. I like the changing colors and the cooler crisp air. I've had these photograph looking stickers forever and this seemed like the perfect time to do something with them. The verse is on a small vellum card I had purchased three or four years ago. The frame was one from a small bag of them that I picked up somewhere in a discount bin. I'm already working on another fall spread with yet another idea in my head for a third spread. I'm thinking I should have started a journal just for fall!

A First Look Inside

The above image is the inside cover of my journal and the adjoining page. Just like in a book I opted for this adjoining page to go along with the inside cover as a two page spread.
On the left I made a pocket to hold a bookmark. I was quite pleased with the colors on these pages and had originally thought I'd keep to the same color palette throughout the journal. I can see being able to do that in a journal with a theme but for my first journal I decided it would be limiting myself. I do love the pink, burgandy, and green combo though!

(As always, remember to click on the photo to enlarge it for a better detailed view.)

Let The Journey Begin

My Art Journal



Five years ago after an early retirement I started blogging and took up photography. Those ventures have sustained me in my creative endeavors - until now.
For the past five years I've also been lurking off and on at many art journal blogs and really loved the whole idea about creating them. At the same time I was always thinking, "Who am I kidding I'm not an artist."
This past summer I stumbled across a lovely blog called Daisy Yellow by Tammy. She was the wonderful hostess to a summer art challenge called Index-Card-A-Day. Every day during June, July and August the challenge was to decorate an index card every day.  I thought it was such a neat idea and it was on a small scale that seemed manageable to attempt. While I didn't formally join in I did participate. I didn't do it everyday but enough so that I completed an index card notebook and part of another one and I'm still going. I have cards I like and some not so much; but, I was doing something creative almost everyday. Those index cards gave me the push to start an art journal on a larger scale.
So, two weeks ago I went to the craft store and purchased a small 6x8 sketch pad. I chose a size I thought I could manage and be comfortable with.  I began to design a cover and two or three two page spreads. I'm still getting a feel for the process and happy with some things I've done and some I'm just ok with. As time goes on I'm sure I'll find a creative path that suits me.

These are my two notebooks of index cards.

The prompt for the card was 'fly'.

I happened to have a dragonfly charm that I added for that little something extra.

This was the paper towel I had used to wipe my brushes and stamps on. I put it aside and let it dry. It reminded me of my Grandma's hankerchiefs she always carried in the pocket of her dress or apron.


The prompt for this one was a song title.

(you can hopefully click on any image to enlarge for more detail)

"Art is the only way to run away without leaving home." ~Twyla Tharp
Here's to running away a little every day!