25 May 2010

print inspiration

the assignment: use layers of magazine cutouts or photos to make a cohesive layout.
there was a list of different prompts to use for this one. i chose to use my own. "i want a lovely garden." i cannot keep a plant alive for anything. please don't ever ask me to water your plants or anything, okay? i can pretty much guarantee that they will be dead once i get within five feet of them. i don't know if you can read the journaling here, but i wrote that if i lived in this gorgeous castle, i would just hire a gardener. ;)

small steps

the prompt: what are the small steps you are or will soon be taking in your life?
the assignment: mixing patterns
i found this really cool washi tape that looks like a measuring tape. when i put it over the mixed patterns, it felt like i was getting ready to do a sewing project! that's why i added the embroidered flower and the buttons inside the little frame. i decided to make my "small steps" be about my journey to a healthier me. a few months ago, the realization hit me that i was not taking very good care of myself when i had to go to the hospital for dehydration. i wasn't eating regularly, i wasn't drinking enough water, and i wasn't getting enough exercise. the eating thing is still a bit of a challenge. i sort of forget to eat in the middle of the day when i'm really into whatever i'm doing. then i'm really hungry at night, which is the worst time to stuff your face! haha. *and* i've finally gotten to the point where having my blood drawn isn't such a hugely daunting task. i had to have it done again yesterday (and probably yet again in six weeks), and i didn't even feel queasy. i didn't even *flinch*! i also wasn't taking care of myself mentally by actively working on my mood/anxiety problems. i've found that art journaling, as opposed to regular journaling, is an amazing way to help with these. i feel best when i'm creating.
anyway, these are my small steps toward a healthier me.

pretty soon...

the prompt: what's going to be happening in your life soon? it can be days, weeks, months, years from now. what are you looking forward to?
the assignment: use plastic bags & embroidery thread to make little flower shapes. decorate with those and masking/washi tape.
i didn't have any plastic bags that i deemed cute enough to become flowers. so i used fabric scraps. i like them. :)  and i only had plain white artist's tape, so i painted the tape pink. it was really sparse, so i added the doodle at the bottom to sort of represent the rays of the sun peeking out from behind the clouds, which, for me, represents anticipation. of course, i couldn't leave them the way they were. i had to doodle all over the clouds/rays. lol  this page still doesn't really seem complete to me, but we'll see if i ever go back & do anything else to it. maybe i need to learn to leave things alone & not do collage! collage! overkill! on every page. lol

my secret world

the prompt: welcome to my secret world...
what's in your secret world? the parts of yourself that you keep hidden away. or the parts that mean comfort and home to you. i chose to use this page to journal about my troubles with anxiety & what i need to do to help myself get better. the little sketch of myself ended up...not really looking like me. lol. still, it's a representation of a girl who looks put-together & cute on the outside, but her eyes are shifty, like she's nervous or worrisome. that's me. an external optimist, an internal worry-wart.

dream home

the prompt: what would your dream home be like?
i kept this page pretty simple since i chose to do a lot of explanation. my dream home would be a super cool and hip loft with beautiful wood floors and exposed brick walls. :) i used magazine pictures & pics i found on we heart it & printed out on photo paper. i can't believe i found a picture of a bed that looks really similar to mine, & it's actually in a loft with wood floors & brick walls!

need more

i wish i could remember to blog these as soon as i'm finished with them! there'll be a few posts today showing what i've been doing lately. this one wasn't necessarily an assignment for the "tell your story" class, but i loved the idea of it when elsie posted it. can i tell you how much i love finding awesome things in magazines that i can use for collage? i adore collage. i always have, ever since i was little. and now it's the "cool" thing to do! love it.

17 May 2010

work in progress

anybody who tells you they're all neat and organized while working on an art project is either lying, delusional, or not really an artist. just kidding. that probably just goes for those of us artists with ADHD. anyway, this is real life. this is how my desk looks when i'm working on a project. when i'm on a roll with something, i don't like to be interrupted for anything. that's why i like all my stuff in piles around me. i don't want to have to get up and go to the nice, organized shelf to find it, because chances are something else will attract my attention like*snap*that, and my train of thought will be completely broken. so my workspace usually looks something like this. in fact, it looks a little worse than this right now since i just finished cutting out a bunch of stuff from magazines. heh...


summer

the prompt: what are your goals for the summer?
the assignment: use a pouch and washi/masking tape. journal about your goals on a separate sheet and stick it inside the pouch. i chose to use a tiny file folder, tape it shut on the sides, and attach it with artist's tape. i also added the vintage luggage sticker for a more summery feeling. and that big S? it's just a big chipboard swirl thingy that i happened to have. i thought it made a really cool S when tipped on its side. :) of course i used a little bit of doodling as well.

my thoughts are full of...

the prompt:  my thoughts are full of...
the assignment: layer vintage papers or maps, etc, to create a cohesive look. journal about what's on your mind lately. i decided to do this in list form. i was also lucky enough to have this really cool vintage magazine page. the lady looks like she's just sitting & thinking. i also accidentally happened upon the words that i posted underneath her: "she sipped her coffee, sighed and stared." that's me all right. lol  the book excerpt is from that "tiffany" book again, and the little red/yellow rectangle says "sincere." this is another one of my favorite pages. as you can probably tell, i'm really enjoying including these little doodles on my pages. actually, i think they sort of tie the whole journal together.

noted

the prompt: what have you noticed lately? make a list.
the assignment: use ledger or graph paper, a big title, a photograph, a list, and washi or artist's tape. it took me a while to think of what to journal about here. i was staring off into space when my eyes landed on this little clock on my desk. so i took a picture of it and journaled about how i have more time on my hands now that the semester is over and summer is coming, and what i'm doing with that time. i can't believe i actually found graph paper in my stash. i also added a couple of other small photos to reiterate what i've been up to.  i really like this page. :)

a closer look

the prompt: take a closer look at something or someone
the assignment: use interesting layers, and journal on a paint chip. i made a special trip to lowes & am now armed with an arsenal of paint chips. haha. i chose to journal about how i've noticed recently in pictures that i'm starting to get little "laugh lines" & stuff, but that i am proud of them instead of sad about looking "older." an interesting tidbit: that book page is from a book i picked up at goodwill a while back. it's called "the last tiffany" & is about louis comfort tiffany's heirs. i love it because it has my name all over it. literally. hee. i highlighted those, as well as a few other descriptive words.

inspired by print (part 2)

the assignment: use print to give the feel of texture on your page. i sifted through my collection of ripped-out magazine pages and cut out the patterns or pieces of photographs i thought would make the prettiest "texture." i was supposed to put a tiny picture on the page, so i decided to use one of my beautiful niece and myself.

inspired by print (part 1)

the prompt: thoughts on being _______.
the assignment: use magazines or some other type of print to inspire your layout. i thought this shot of a studio/office would be perfect for my journaling on being an art student. i journaled around and on top of the photo itself. i want to say the photo came from an anthropologie catalog...i think it did.

god only knows...

the assignment: use lots of pictures on one page. that was the entire assignment. i took total creative license and doodled all over the page. it's a lot harder & more time-consuming than it looks! i really love the way this page turned out.

three wishes

the prompt: ...obviously it was to write down three wishes...
the assignment: cut out a shape, lightly adhere or hold it down on the page, and draw a pattern over the entire page. i was originally going for a criss-cross, grid-like pattern. alas, i have shaky hands. i ended up liking how my crooked lines sort of looked like woodgrain, so i left it like it is. sometimes you just need simplicity.

today felt productive

the prompt:  "today felt..."
the assignment: use tissue paper and journal over or under it for whichever effect you desire. i failed at cutting out the suggested triangles, so i went with the good old rip & paste method. i hated this page while i was working on it. it was a thorn in my side. but once i finished it, it turned out to be one of my favorites. isn't it funny how things work out that way?

i want more than anything...

the prompt for this page was "i want more than anything..." the assignment was to use fabric and black acrylic paint. i like the contrast of the pink floral vintage fabric with the bold, black journaling.

tell your story

i've been participating in an online class through red velvet art called "tell your story." it's been a lot of fun, and very inspiring. the teachers, elsie and rachel, are amazing artists/designers, and the prompts they come up with really get me thinking! i'm loving this class, and i'll be sad when it's over. but i'm so happy to have been inspired to really get into art journaling. i have so many awesome ideas for future journals...

here's my introduction page:

i'll be posting the pages as i complete them. i'll also be posting some of my other work here, including projects for school. i'm not taking any studio classes this summer (just a brit lit class for my english minor), but i'll definitely share work from previous classes as well. thanks for checking out my artwork!

*tiff*