Daily-ish Art Journaling: Still At It . . .

"There have been setbacks, illnesses and other obstacles, so inevitably I've had disappointments. 

But once you realize that things can't always go your own way, you're right on track to being able to handle your own life."

- Diana Quick

Sooooo, yeah. It seems that the moment I declared my joy in having finished the first eight days of consistent Art Journling this year, we all got sick. As in, really-bad-flu-that-made-us-catatonic-for-dayzzzzzz sick. I didn't even have the energy to "art" in bed. Which, naturally, made me question the whole idea of Art Journaling on the daily. Not only do I hate the idea of being "behind," but I also question my ability to get it all done, and in a way that makes me happy. 

Case in point: in last week's post I mentioned that my original idea was to create a page in about 15 minutes per day. Um, ok. How in the world I thought that was possible is beyond me. I take longer than that to gather supplies. Having said that, I truly enjoy playing in my tiny little journal and do want to allow myself the freedom to grow as an artist by doing so. SO, here's the deal: I'm still at it, but the terms are getting looser. In order to keep it up, I realize that I have to be gentler on myself. So, if that means that a page doesn't get done one day, or if a spread is much less detailed than I would prefer, that has to be okay. I have to just move on to the next day if I want to keep it up. So, some days may be fabulous and some may just well, be. 

With that in mind, here's where we are now. "Behind" but still at it . . .

Days 8 & 9: "I was just really sick for days" 

Days 11 & 12: Playing with textures and collage.

Days 13-16 all look like this. Meh. I've moved on out of necessity, but I will do something with these pages (perhaps even adding photos?) by the month's end. 

Having said all that, as far as the creativity begets creativity part, I've started working on a huge canvas (as in, 30 x 40 huge) since the beginning of the year. And so far, it's been the largest palette cleaner ever. I plan to work on this for a while - as it's really being influenced by my journal - but here's a tiny peek at it's beginnings:

And that's it! Back to the studio now for today's page. Until next time. . . . 

To love and Art,

Kristin xo

So I Have This Idea . . .

(Art Journaling Day 1) 

"Writing the little daily journal is fun. I have to set my usual two pages of writing as the day's work. I don't know if I can keep this up from the beginning, but I will try."

- John Steinbeck 

So I have this idea. In an effort to create more often and really document 2015, I've decided to make a tiny Art Journal for each month of the year. Each book will be about 30 pages and approximately 5 x 5.5 inches. So in theory, by the end of the year, I should have 12 bitty books to show for it. The original idea was to dedicate 15 minutes a page to just play on a daily basis. (Or um, three days at a time if that's what happens). Point is, I'm giving myself permission to create, grow and learn by allowing myself the time the do it. 

Handmade journal made from a single sheet (22 x 30) of Fabriano Artistico paper.

And as I write this, I've actually completed a page a day since I started. Having said that, the whole 15 minutes a day thing has in reality been more like an hour and 15 minutes a day. Hm. So, while there's still some kinks in the plan, I'm gonna keep trying to make happen as often as I can. So, wanna see what I've done so far? Okay, here we go:

(Day 2: Inspired by the documentary, "I Am" by Tom Shadyac).

(Day 3: Inspired by the unexpected loss of my friend's mother. Quick study in oil pastels)

(Day 4: Inspired by the documentary, "Bound by Flesh," about conjoined twins The Hilton Sisters.)

(Day 5: A "mad" portrait)

(Day 6: Altered collage)

(Day 7: Inspired by neon paint pens, vintage children's illustrations and the idea of play)

(Day 8: A painterly little girl)

And there we have it. 8 days and counting. And the coolest part? I've become incredibly productive in the process. Why? Because at least for me, creativity begets creativity. In other words, the more I do, the more I want to do. And the more time I spend on my art, the more my mind seems receptive to other ideas, other challenges and other, well, other ways to express myself. It looks like I'm in for quite a ride. . . 

Wanna join me? I'll post the Art Journals here on a regular basis, but if you want to see the pages created daily (remembering that daily is a loose term), just pop over to my Facebook or Instagram accounts to take a peek. And, if you decide to try your hand at it, let me know! I'd love to follow your progress as well.

PPF

To love, art and the dedication to our crafts, 

Kristin xo