Day 23--30 Day Coloring Challenge

Just a little coloring

Today's page is yet another page from my Art Journal. This was a last minute project since I was struggling with something to do. I was flipping through my quote books and this quote spoke to me. I did a simple color wash on the page and let it dry.

Next, I searched through my stencil stash to find something that resembled a sun shape. I knew that I had some larger mandala stencils and stumbled across this one. I outlined the partial mandala in black .03 Micron pen. After letting it dry, I filled in the shapes with Copic markers. I added crosshatching with red and orange gelli roll pens. To take off some of the sheen, I used Ranger Distress Oxide inks in Orange, Pink and Amber (or Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick, and Fossilized Amber)--see N.B. below.

I added the quote using a newly discovered letter guide (and I now realized why it was hidden for so long). I should have just inked in the quote myself. I found some stickers that were applicable but they had disturbingly white backgrounds so I used the same distressed inks to make them blend more with the page.

Finished page

While I am not totally 100% happy with the result, it is respectable. The beautiful thing about an art journal is that you can always append, fix, change at a later point. I might gesso over parts and start again. Or I might tint some tissue paper and cover the quote and try again.

N.B. I hate the cuteness/girly level of color designations in the crafting world. I understand that most of the crafters are women but there isn't a need to cater to this audience. Pick color names that truly reflect the color. Variations of pink are fine (hot pink, coral, etc). But "worn lipstick" just doesn't reflect the real color. Plus when I demonstrate, I just can't let the words "worn lipstick" tumble from my lips. I always use the base color designation much to the chagrin of my students. We always get a big laugh out of it and by the time I get to the end of the demonstration we have made some really funny name designations as we try and outdo each other.

During my last class, we came up with "CSI New Orleans stabbed to death three hours ago deep purple dried blood red."

Day22--30 Day Coloring Challenge

For today's coloring challenge, I decided to color a single page in my Art Journal. This was a quick and easy project since I had a lot going on. I forgot to take a picture before I started so I took a picture of the opposite side of the page. Each of these signatures is made up of two pages folded in half. Therefore, there are three two page spreads and two single spreads. So in essence, I decorated page 1 but decided to use page 8 as the before picture. These two were colored at the same time.

After letting the paint dry, I lettered the words and then masked them off with painter's tape since I wanted to do a modeling paste treatment on the page.

Lettering done and hidden

I mixed some modeling paste with blue and green Doc Ph Martin's watercolors. I mixed in brown to get a darker shade. I then used a brick stencil to apply the paste.

Ready for the reveal

After lifting off the tape, I outlined each brick with black Sharpie and filled in the areas between the bricks. I then distressed the bricks and mortar with a Pentel white gelli roll pen.

Top to bottom

Bottom to top

The concept behind the message and how Fear prevents us from doing things in life. Sometime fear blocks you and walls you into a certain type of living and seeing the world. Conversely, many times we can also hide behind Fear so we don't have to delve into a non-comfort zone. How many times has fear of the unknown prevented you from doing something?

Day 21--30 Day Coloring Challenge

Full Page in Art Journal

Today, I decided to share with you another spread in my personal Art Journal. I had shared this color wash spread in a previous post. I decided to fill the page with a quote from myself and some images from a couple of stencils from my stash.

The sentiment comes from my diary that goes on to explain the effects of loneliness. The entire quote reads "Sometimes I sing because I am afraid: of the silence, that I am going deaf, or that no one knows I am here."

The birds were colored with fine tipped Sharpies and the outlines were done with extra fine tipped Sharpies. Because the pages are textured and treated with fixative, I couldn't use my Tombow markers. Tomorrow, I will try to see if my Copic markers will work.

To add interest, I included some international postage stamps featuring birds.

Left page detail

Right page detail

Day 20--30 Day Coloring Challenge

Base page

For today's coloring challenge, I wanted to share a page in my personal art journal. The first step was to fill the page with color. In this case, I used pastel sticks in shades of blue and purple. I blended the colors with a cosmetic sponge and then set the color with fixative.

Completed Page

The second step was to add two interest with two separate stencils. First I laid down the butterfly and then laid down the flowers/petals. Originally, I did a zentangle design on the butterfly but didn't like the way it turned out. To cover it up, I tinted Golden light modeling paste with Ice Blue liquid watercolor (Dr PH Martin's). I then applied a thin layer using the stencil. I then added an additional layer that I then textured for interest.

I colored the flowers and leaves with Tombow markers. I added the quotes with a extra fine tip Sharpie is complimentary colors.

Right side detail

Left Side Detail

Day 8--30 Day Coloring Challenge

For today's coloring challenge, I decided to add some basic color to my art journal. I always have difficulty staring at a blank page when starting a journaling spread. To remedy this difficulty, I simply add a color wash and then put the page away until I am ready to journal. This is a handmade journal made from cold-press watercolor paper. This was accomplished using Dr Ph Martin's Concentrated Water Colors.

Art Journal Challenge (Two)

Here is a piece that I am adding to my Art Journal Challenge Page for the second week of prompts. The prompt is Negative. When I think of negative, I think of negative space in cutouts so I decided this simple cutout to show both the positive and negative space.

I haven't figured out how I will use this cutout but it will make its way somehow into this week's journal page.

Art Journal Challenge

This was my entry for Week One of the Art Journal Challenge. The prompt that I chose to use was "Scribble." I used one of the watercolor pages that I had specified for this challenge. This is a matchbook page that folds backwards and tucks into a one inch turn-in. The valley fold of the turn in will be stitched to an accordion spine that will then be cased in.

The pages are 90 lb Arches cold pressed watercolor paper. I usually would have used 140 lb but I wanted something that could be folded so I opted for the lighter paper. The paper curls more than I would like but that is what you give up for flexibility.

I layered fives colors of watercolor for the background. I based the colors on the brads that I already had. I wanted the colors to coordinate. I then attached the brads in random order being sure to try and not place two brads on the same color next to one another. I then took embroidery floss and scribbled between brads. I used five colors of thread (one strand each). I originally was only going to use four colors (red, dark purple, light purple and navy) but decided I needed a lighter color on top and added the yellow.

I Haven't Fallen Off the Face of the Earth

Hello faithful readers,

No I haven't fallen off the face of the Earth. I have been extremely busy though. The theater that I am working at has opened its new show and it is called "American Idiot." The show is based upon the Green Day album of the same name. To say that my life has been chaotic is an understatement. I am also still working my day job and teaching two mornings each week as well. My class ends in two more weeks so life will be a little less chaotic very soon.

On the creative front, I have been doing some commission work, and some private swaps on swap-bot. I have also signed up to do a one month Art Journaling Challenge. The nice thing about this month' s challenge is that it is stress free. You get the prompts on Sunday for the entire week and you work a page(s) as you have time. I plan on working on one page per week. Also, I am working on the pages in a loose format and will then bind them when I am done. These pages will feature a new layout based on a different according spine binding. Each page will fold backward like a reverse matchbook. I have been developing some non-traditional sized books and journals and this new design will be featured in that collection.

Finally, here is the card that I designed for the Opening Night of American Idiot. It features the artwork from the album and show.

Art Journal Swap--Part Two

Once the text block was complete, all I had to do was prepare covers and endsheets. The structure is very easy to construct because the boards can be prepared separately. One pleat of the concertina spine is then attached to the board. The end sheet then covers this hinge.


Here are the materials that I used for this project. Davey Board, a metallic swirl paper, and marbled paper from Rhonda Miller (who was featured last Friday on Paper Fridays).

I used a five station pamphlet stitch to sew the pages to the concertina spine. As with any pamphlet stitch, you must decide where you want to place your knot. Since artwork was going to be featured on the pages, I didn't want the knot to interfere with the artwork so I decided to hide my knots in the back of the concertina.

Here is the front of the book. I can say that I am not quite pleased with my choice of paper for the covers. The small metal brad-like features of the paper aren't very amenable to handling. Some of them were rubbed away when I was burnishing the paper. I would probably use a different paper if I were to do this project again.

Here is the book opened to the front endsheet. I was hoping that I would have the perfect project in order to use this paper. This paper was grain long so it was an excellent choice for a taller book that didn't need a folded endsheet. I love the surprise you get when you open up this journal.

Here is the book in a horizontal position. You gotta love that marbled paper.

All that I have to do now is to art journal my entry for this journal before sending to the next person. I can't wait to get started. Unfortunately, I won't be able to share the results with you until the swap is completed--I don't want to ruin the surprise for the other artists.

Art Journal 4

For this page, I wanted to create my own alphabet that did not include curves. For the background, I turned the page sideways so that the lettering would run perpendicular to the image that I was about to include.

On a piece of cardstock, I covered the page with the same alphabet style. I then cut out the silhouette from this marked cardstock. In retrospect, I should have written in a smaller size on the cardstock so that it would appear more often when the image was cut out. The silhouette was used on a previous project in a smaller size. When I was thinking about the project, I was watching video of my friend's children playing.

The text translates to:

I don't ever remember being a child. I don't remember ever flying a kite or rolling in the grass. I never learned how to skip until I was in a dance class in my 30s. I think that I was 40 ever since I was 13.

Art Journal 3

I used one half of the page on the left for the page that is presented today. I did a blue tinted gesso wash to deepen the color on the page. As soon as I did that, I knew that I wanted to do something associated with the sea.

Being a fan of all things Japanese, I decided to do a version of a carp. I hand cut a stencil for the carp. I then used modeling paste for the body of the fish. Once the paste was dry, I painted it with red, orange and black acrylic. I then wiped away some of the color to give the fish some extra texture.

Art Journal 2

Here is the second set of pages from my Art Journal. This page is dedicated to my former student who attempted suicide by slashing his wrist. He was found moments later by his mother who unexpected returned home because she forgot something in her bedroom. This was his response when I asked him "Why did you try to kill yourself?"

The picture on the left is the beginning picture. The picture on the left is the finished spread. I took black Gesso and tinted it with watercolor concentrate (blue and purple) which gave the gesso a more purple cast rather than a flat black. On the left page, I lightened up the Gesso by using watercolor crayons and misted them with water and spread the color with a paper towel.

The right page was recolored with more of the Gesso mixture but was left to dry. It was treated with a misted paper towel to move the color around a little bit. The writing was done in a circular pattern to mimic the downward spiral mentioned in the quote and was done with a silver gel pen. In the middle of the writing is a red Sharpie mark.

The text reads:
You look around you and everything is dark--up, down, left, right. And you feel like you are falling but in no particular direction. You feel motion--you feel the air rushing against your cheeks but you can only see the darkness. If you see a light you don't know if it's the way up or the way down. As you draw the razor against your arm you feel relief. You see something other than dark and you get lost in the color. You concentrate on the color and you forget your problems. That's what it's like to kill yourself.

Art Journal 1

Here is the first set of pages from my Art Journal. The photo on the left is the page as it began. I cut out letters for the word Envy and spray mounted them to the page. I then took black Gesso and covered both pages. I rubbed the most of the Gesso off before it dried. I then used watercolor crayons to lighten up the Gesso that was left over. I removed the letters to show the original background in the green color that I wanted to use.

I then pasted down four images of things that I want. I covered both pages with acrylic medium and placed a piece of white tissue over both pages. While still wet, I tore away the edges of the tissue. I then removed the tissue over the images. Once dry, I sanded both pages with very fine sandpaper to smooth the surface for writing.

I wrote about three of the items that I wanted in green sharpie in one direction. I then wrote in black Sharpie at a 90 degree angle for the fourth item.

The text reads:

"I am surprised at most of the things I want are physical: hair, blue eyes, and abs. I have always been infatuated with blue eyes. All I have are boring brown eyes. I wish that I could have six pack abs. I don't think that I am genetically predisposed to have them. Maybe I am just too lazy and it is easier to blame genetics. Finally, I wish that I had cool hair, a mohawk or a Pompadour. I want to spend money on hair product and a stylist.

One of the most important things that I would like is a child. I think that I would make a great father--if only the world would give me the chance. I am tired of being the cause of all things that are wrong with the world simply because I am gay. I want to be a father--not a pedophile. I do not have sex with animals. I would love to be able to walk down the street, holding hands with the man I love and not worry about getting beat up. I am envious of those who can show their love openly to those they love."