I’m trying to put things in perspective today. First of all, I’m happy that I’m keeping up with the Life Book 2018 lessons thus far (just waiting for some hard pastels to finish the current lesson), but discouraged that I was only able to complete a fraction of 2017 and 2016 lessons – less than half of them.

For that reason, I hadn’t bound those years. I had this compulsive idea I wanted to bind them in order of the lessons – and of course since some were missing I felt paralyzed.

 

So I pulled out all my Life Books since I joined in 2013. Not too shabby! I completed ALL lessons in 2013 and 2014, and about ¾ of those in 2015. This week I bound 2016 and 2017, even though they’re not complete and not “in order.” I will add to them as I finish the back-log of lessons.
 

I’ve also decided to back my 2018 pages as I finish them. It’s really time-consuming to do it at the end of the year, especially when I'm so excited to get started with the new year's lessons. I’ve always chosen to ring-bind my books, because I like the option of removing pages if needed (to scan, display, or whatever).
 

Seeing this body of work reinforces to me that ANYTHING I produce is so much better than not being creative at all.  

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Life Book 2013 Video Flip-through!

Today I filmed a flip-through of my Life Book 2013 art journal. Twice. Not as easy as it looks. I backed the video with some music, as I'm sure you don't want to hear me coughing and sniffling.

I wish it was higher resolution when I click full screen. Oh, well. It's my first attempt.

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Whoo Hoo!

A couple months ago, artist Tamara Laporte asked for Life Book love stories, so I submitted one. There was a chance it would be published on her website. Tam wrote today that my submission is currently featured! The exposure is great, of course, but I'm really happy to be able to write about my first art journaling experience. 
http://www.willowing.org/2013/12/17/life-book-love-stories-deanna-hogan-an-interview-with-jane-davenport/

Life Book 2014 is almost here. I'm still finishing up some of the most recent lessons, while binding my big book as well.

But for now I'm adding some finishing touches to my annual Santa doll for the ER Christmas Party/Auction, which is TOMORROW!  I'll be able to post photos of Santa after the party.

Life Book 2013 December Lessons

Oh, my. We're getting down to the end of Life Book. The binding lesson has just been released, and I'm five lessons behind (nearly done with one of them). This amazing year of art journaling is coming to a close.

 

This lesson is all about binding our Life Books. I haven't yet checked out the lesson, but I understand two methods of binding will be reviewed - a Coptic method, and a three-ring method. I'm not sure  I'm going with, but either way it's going to be a really thick book.

 

Tam requests that we film a flip-through of our books when were done, so I'll probably do that and add it here or in a separate post.

This wintery lesson was by Jeanette Maisy House. It took me some time to get started, but I finally finished it in January 2014. I still need to do a little journaling in the music balloons, but want to put some thought into it.

This last lesson of the year was taught by Dina Wakley. I just finished it today (January 26, 2014). I can't say I'm really happy with it, but it may grow on me.

 

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Life Book 2013 November Lessons

I'm still a few lessons behind, catching up with a few of the October lessons. Stay tuned! I managed to finish this one (before some of the others) but had trouble adjusting the contrast to look like the original. Happy with the feather, less satisfied with the background.

Finally finished this lesson, taught by Jane Davies.

Finally got this one done, January 2014! Though now that I look at it, I see I want to add a couple more details. Oh, well.
I've been a fan of Melody Ross and Brave Girls Club for a long time!

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Life Book 2013 October Lessons

Tam Laporte taught this first lesson of October. I started with the background (monoprinting with a gelli plate) while waiting for some stamp carving tools to arrive. 

 

One of the other students included a link to this video, a tutorial by Linda Germain on how to make your own gelli plate.

  

Aimee Myers Dolich taught this lesson. Not a favorite, but I did it anyway.

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer taught this lesson. I was unable to achieve the loose, abstract look I was going for. Just way too uptight, I guess!

 

Now this one was really fun!

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Life Book 2013 September Lessons

I finished my journal page today. The lesson was taught by Tam. I'm looking forward to doing the gel medium transfer technique again, to see what works best for me.

   

Finished this page today (9/23) though had to make do with acrylics instead of inks.

Taught by Kelly Hoernig.

 

    

Taught by Erin Faith Allen. This one features my granddaughter Fiona. Of course, when my grandson Ivan saw it, he wanted me to add him to the page. His page will come later.

     

Taught by Dawn DeVries Sokol. I miss these furry members of the family.

 

   

"What's Inside," taught by Rachelle Panagarry.

  

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Transfer Failure :-(

I made some progress on my journal page this evening, though I can't say I'm particularly happy with my gel medium transfer. I'd hoped for a little clearer image, so probably should have left the inkjet print  in place a little longer. Live and learn.

Big picture, though, is that I know what the images are/were, and what they mean to ME. I suppose I could have done a TEST transfer, but my impatience got the better of me. One big challenge was making a collage with Photoshop Elements. I'm sure if I did this with any frequency I'd gain some degree of semi-competence.

 

I may still add some text. Or maybe not. I'm trying to decide if I should work any more on it tonight. Probably won't, as I was up at 0430 this morning. Insomnia sucks.

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

"Mindfulness" journal page progress

I'm trying to make some way on this week's journal page assignment, because a new one will be coming out tomorrow. The shading still isn't quite right, but I hesitate to mess with it any more. Maybe if I can get more of the rest of the page done I fiddle some more. Her face is watercolor crayon and gesso.

 

This lesson incorporates some gel medium transfers, so I've been thinking about what sort of images I want to include on her torso - as well as the colors I'm going to use.

 

Oh, and those four dots of color are bleed-through from a previous page - they have nothing to do with the page and will be obscured by the other layers.

 

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Journal Page Done! (BlogAlong day 30/30)

I finally finished my journal page this morning, though spent quite a bit of time trying to photograph it adequately. I tried using a tripod this time, which I think helped. I had to use my Photoshop Elements to tweak the color to match the page. I think this is almost spot-on.

 

All the progress photos were taken in the studio, and the lighting isn't the greatest. Today I took it to the kitchen table - as I usually do with the final pages. I'd love to know how others photograph their pages. I'm just using my simple point-and-shoot digital camera. Trying to decide if a digital SRL would be worth the investment.

 

I really enjoyed making this page - although, honestly, I've learned something with each and every page I've done. I'd love to take Life Book again in 2014. The time commitment is considerable (that is, if you do all or most of the lessons) - and I don't mind that - but it does take time away from designing and creating my art dolls. But I can't help but think that these lessons can only enhance my doll art. 

 

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

More Painting Tonight (BlogAlong day 28/30)

I did a little more painting tonight. Had to take a photo of my hand pretending to hold a balloon to get the perspective and shading right. Not that great, but by the time I add the balloon and stuff, maybe no one will notice.

I want to give her some flip-flops or something, and there's still some coloring to do around the edges, I think. She's a little more pouty than I'd intended, but maybe that tells me something.

 

Almost there!

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

Page Progress (BlogAlong day 27/30)

I worked all day today, so only got the basic shape of my girl painted. Foxes are little, so had to make her kind of big and in the foreground. Hope it doesn't look too weird when it's done. I want her to be holding a balloon. I still have to decide about her coloring, and need to darken the trunk and big branches of the tree. And probably outline the girl and the fox with graphite or something and blend it a little. We'll see.

Gotta work the next two days, too, so won't have much opportunity to work on this.

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE

To Live and Let Dry (BlogAlong 26b/30)

Impatience will earn me a special place in Hell. I've been working on the current Life Book 2013 lesson today, and I know better than to add a layer before the previous one is dry. Actually I don't personally know better since I'm new at this art journaling thing, but I've heard others say so. I should have listened.

It started out fine, gluing the tree silhouette to my watercolor paper. I even waited a bit before adding clear gesso to the page (yay me!)  So glad I bought the clear gesso - what a cool medium!

 

At this point I realize I probably should have picked a silhouette with a whiter background. Sucks to be me, but live and learn. Will just have to make it work.

 

What colors are in that printed background, anyway? Experimenting, and loving watercolor crayons.

 

Starting to figure it out. 

 

So far, so good. 

 

And here's where it all went wrong. I didn't allow the gel medium gluing the book text to the page to completely dry. While brayering on some white gesso, layers of the text peeled off and bubbled in a very ugly way. Crap. I had to rub my fingers over the rippling paper to remove it.

 

 More gesso. It appears to cover a multitude of sins.

 

Take a break for another cup of coffee now.

 

Thinking about what kind of critter I'll add to this page.

 

A fox. Because the grass is so dark, I decided to paint the fox's silhouette with gesso. 

 

Tried watercolor crayons and pencils to color the fox, but acrylic paint worked better. Now to draw the girl. I plan to have the fox looking up at her. The fox is a little too big, I think, but that's ok.

 

More Art Journaling Explorations HERE