Merely to be Normal: Art Journal Week Day Two

Welcome back to Art Journal Week. I was looking at all my post and I already have ten so… art journal fortnight? 

This is so me. Anyone else relate?

One of the easiest tricks for helping your art journal pages not get away from you into chaos is to pick a color and then two colors that are very close to the 1st one. For example here I used, teal, teal with white mixed in and a little blue (ultramarine or manganese, I'm not sure). It gives you a monochromatic background that you can add as many layers as you want to without making it hard to look at. 

*Black and white don't count so I use loads of both.

After that, add in one contrasting color for pop.

While I've been known to empty the whole fridge onto a page, this formula saves oodles of time.

But I see more than one contrasting color, what gives?

Since I never start with white pages (stencil blotting, brayer cleaning and what not) there is always a little something showing through. Generally speaking, that something is enough to add interest without driving the design principles for the page. Had I left more of the mauve and orange on the left showing I would have had to approach this page differently.

Thanks for the visit. 

Art Journal Week Posts:

Day One: Branch

Day Two: Merely to be Normal (you are here)

Day Three: Royal

Day Four: Home 

Day Five: Our Devils

Day Six: Say Thank You and Grow

Day Seven: Respect Yourself 

End of Patience: Art Journal Page

This is the other side of the 'one idea, two ways' project I was working on.

I really love how the Stabilo pencils bleed gray into the white paint. It adds interest and shading without  extra effort. 

Never Apologize For Who You Are: Art Journal

This is a page I did for Dina Wakely's lesson for LifeBook. 

It was a dresses assignment and I did one in a dress (I'll post it tomorrow) but then made another wearing pants. 

Seemed like a good message for a Monday morning.

If I Could Hold a Star Handmade Canvas

If I could reach up and hold a star for every time you've made me smile, the entire evening sky would be in the palm of my hand.

I thought this one was appropriate to close the series with, as the romance of the quote seems particularly appealing so close to valentine's Day.

Here's the back side:

And all three together.

If you are interested in any of these pieces please email me. I haven't listed them on Etsy yet.

Please click on the picture to see them full-sized.

Don't Let Your Struggle Become Your Identity

Today is my 40th birthday. 

I thought I'd be older. 

Thinner

Smarter

Well-read

Sure of myself

Further along my journey

Healthy and Whole

But I also never imagined that I'd be 

So dedicated to my family 

Creative

Living an artful Life

Actively seeking beauty

Pretty good in the kitchen

Madly and hopelessly in love with my husband of 18 years.

On the 10th year of my health struggle but still fundamentally me-ish.

Because one of the things I strive for is the message of this art,

Don't Let Your Struggle Become Your Identity

~~~

This "canvas" is actually a See's candy box. How great is that?

xoxox

Warmly,

~~~Nicole

This is the Part Where You Find Out Who You Are

One of the classes I took last year had us make a cardboard "canvas" from cereal boxes. To be honest I had little faith in them so I let them 'hang out' in my craft area and suffer some injustices before I started decorating them. Turns out that they are TOUGH and I really like the irregular nature of a hand-formed oval. What do you think?

Here's the back so you can see how I did it:

I made a little series of these and will be sharing more tomorrow.