Five Ways to Rescue an Art Journal Page

We all have pages in our journals that we hate.  Either the page didn't turn out as we planned, or we had an "accident" on it - something spilled or a product was expired and didn't react as it was supposed to.  Here are five ways you can take such a page and turn it around. 

1.  Make your background your foreground.  Use gel medium through a stencil, let it dry, and then gesso over the rest of the page.  Wipe the gesso from the gel'd areas with a baby wipe, leaving your background peeking through.  You can add journaling over the gesso, or just keep going with another technique.   You can watch a video of this process here by Peerless Designs.

Stencil used: Eastern Lotus and Leaf Repeat

 2.  Add lots of layers using the same stencil or stamp.  Using the same stamp or stencil, first do a layer of really dark color.  Then use a lighter or neutral color.  Finally, use a very light color, like a Titan Buff or white.  You will get lots of depth using one tool.  Then add a sentiment or embellishment, and voila!

Stencil used:  Herbs and Doors & Windows

3.  Tease out hidden elements.  Hold your page far away from you and squint.  Are any hidden shapes peeking through?  Bring them out.   Here, I saw a face peeking through the leaves and brought her to the front.

Stencil Used:  Curvy Stems by Terri Stegmiller

4.  Push your page to the background by adding elements in complimentary colors.  See how the orange flowers seem to jump forward?  You can do this with paint, ink or collage.  (This page is a demo from one of my online classes.)

5.   Just keep going.  Keep adding layers.  Remind yourself that no effort you make in your artwork is ever wasted.  Something you initially dislike may hold the kernels of something you may eventually love.   That's what happened for me with this 2013 journal page.  

Here's a video of how it happened. 



You can also watch Rescuing a Journal Page on YouTube.

Here's what my worktable looked like as I experimented with all these techniques!

I leave you with these words from one of my favorite books - The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster:

“You may not see it now," said the Princess of Pure Reason, looking knowingly at Milo's puzzled face, "but whatever we learn has a purpose and whatever we do affects everything and everyone else, if even in the tiniest way. Why, when a housefly flaps his wings, a breeze goes round the world; when a speck of dust falls to the ground, the entire planet weighs a little more; and when you stamp your foot, the earth moves slightly off its course. Whenever you laugh, gladness spreads like the ripples in the pond; and whenever you're sad, no one anywhere can be really happy. And it's much the same thing with knowledge, for whenever you learn something new, the whole world becomes that much richer.”

Words to live by! 

The deadline to applying to my Design Team is May 1!  I hope you'll check out the requirements and apply.  

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Why Art is Good for the Brain and Soul

Some of us make art because we HAVE to.  But even if you're not compelled by some energy buried deep inside of you, making art, playing with color and shapes, is good for you.  It stimulates parts of your spirit and brain that may not have been touched in a long time.

Recently, I collected some leaves while walking my dog.  The colors and shapes touched me deeply.  While admiring nature's canvas, I "received" a lesson from these leaves on the ground... they knew when to fall.  They didn't hang on.  They let go.  Just when they were at their most beautiful, they released.

They had profound wisdom to share with me.

When I came home, I thought about painting with the leaves.  Instead, I started playing on my GelliArts Gel Printing Plate, using the leaves as masks.  I made many prints.  And then I pulled out some favorite Stencil Girl leaf stencils and started over stenciling on my prints.  On one of them, I saw a head and hand behind Terri Stegmiller's Curvy Stems.  I traced it out with white chalk - can you see it? (Looks a little bit like E.T.!)  I had to "bring her out."

here's how she progressed.

And here she is, finished.  Around her head are marks from a border stencil by Pam Carriker  and around her neck are marks from Stencil Club Stencils.   She holds her hand up to feel the wind and catch the wisdom of the leaves. She will remind me when it is the right time to let go.

So make some art - collect pretty things from nature and use them as inspiration to make pretty marks and patterns.  See what ideas they spark in your brain, and what emotions they spark in your soul.  Here's a link to 20 Different Crafts with Fall Leaves.

 

LIMITED TIME OFFER ALERT:  
Have you checked out my new online classes?  There are only 6 more days to purchase them for $9.99!  Buy them now and do them whenever you'd like - they are downloadable and yours forever! 

Here's what people are saying about them:

"Thanks for jump starting my creative juices, Jessica. The flowers are growing and blooming..on wood panel, canvas, and in my art mournal. Thanks, Jessica Sporn...love your Floral Canvas online lesson."  Robin Bass

"I just loved your Village Shadowbox class! It really helped me loosen up, and just have fun! Your instructions are clear and helpful, while still allowing us to use our own style. Loved it!"  Michelle Rydell

"Thank you! I just watched all the videos for Village Shadowbox and absolutely loved it! I learned so many tips and techniques!! Great videos!!! " Laura Marshall

"Just finished my page from Jessica Sporn's online class called Floral Canvas. Great class with lots of insight on painting, layering, and mark making!"  Marjie Kemper
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