When I stare at a blank canvas or blank page in my art journal, sometimes I have no idea where to start. NONE! About a year ago I decided to start writing down my favorite techniques for mixed media, painting and collage, and before I knew it I had a set of 189 prompts to help me get started. For fun I added dice to make it a real game of chance. All you have to do is print them out on cardstock (or stick them to a deck of cards) and you'll never run out of ideas and combinations to create art. Have fun and MAKE YOUR MARK!
As you may already know, I can't stand tossing things that I know can be turned into something beautiful! For example, every year I splurge on a fancy home decor magazine from England called The World of Interiors and I have stacks of them going way back. Because this magazine is printed on thick, yummy paper, in college I would use the old ones for smash books. Now, I cut them in half and make art journals with them. So much better than tossing them, right? You can use Citri-Solve to dissolve the ink on each page OR you can just add some white Americana Acrylic over each page to create a base in which to paint. Up to you! Either way, this is an economical way to have tons of art journals for your creative adventures. Use what you have, my sweet friends, and always
Make Your Mark!
Get the magazines cut in half at Staples with their guillotine machine!
I used a 5" x 7" Gel Press to create my colorful pages!
Make your own stencils with plastic salad lids and a Creative Versa Tool from Walnut Hollow
Last week I got to teach an Art Journaling class at Craftcation in Ventura! What an absolute blast I had, too. The first thing I emphasized when I began the class is that there are no rules in art journaling. None at all! I mean it, too. What I'm sharing here today are the techniques I use to create my pages. Of course I use DecoArt paint because I love it and the colors are just amazing, as you can see. So with that, cut a fancy magazine in half or grab an empty notebook and start creating your art journal. I guarantee you'll be more healthy for it! Remember to use every color in the box and always Make Your Mark!
