Many months ago (June last year) I enrolled in a Mini Online Workshop run by
Valerie Sjodin focussing upon Embellishing Edges & Fitting Text into Shapes; this was a 'taster' for her series of
online workshops, the first 3 of which were launched at the end of December 2013. Valerie introduces these on her blog
HERE,
HERE,
HERE &
HERE.
As I've neither used acrylics nor done any art journalling before I was rather intimidated by the 16 page size of the journal Valerie suggested making. So, I decided to work round that by creating a smaller journal from a sheet of 10 x 7 inch watercolour paper. For copyright reasons I'm not detailing Valerie's techniques or materials information.
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| fold over format open prior to completing internal pen work |
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| flap closed |
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| flap open |
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| internal pen work |
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| the outside with both flaps extended & lying flat |
I was thinking about the kind of home I'm hoping for when we sell our house & was struck by how Gertrude Jekyll writing of the house she commissioned Edwin Lutyens to build for her reflects my own hopes for a Victorian or Edwardian property retaining some of the original period features. So, that formed part of my design together with references to the Celtic & Anglo-Saxon art I find not only delights but provides me with inspiration for drawing (the internal pattern is somewhat in the manner of a
carpet page).
"THE ART OF CREATION" wording has a double meaning: firstly, my belief that Creation is God's artwork; & secondly that artwork is an act of creation/creating.
Quite frankly I was astonished at what I was able to draw & how it flowed from looking at the centuries old artwork that I find thrills me. I've not thought of myself as an art journaller but this freedom to draw & create with colours using patterns that suggest themselves is something quite new to me. I'm not a planner - I have to start & then the pen & my mind will start providing suggestions.
In my next post I'll show some of my experimenting with acrylic colours ………….
