I am not sure I have ever posted here before

[Nevermore]

I am not sure I even know what art journalling is like although that didn't stop me from trying my hand at it. I wasn't sure what made it any different from anything else I did! But thinking I need to read through these posts and see what I can glean. I have been trying to do more title work and journalling so maybe this fits in?

[Nevermore]

Read through the bottom post and finally landed at a link for a layout and...it is out for publication! On to the next thread.

[Nevermore]

talk to myself all day long! Still reading all the threads here and found one where Becky suggested a Rant art journal. Now, all the stars are beginning to align (oh, I love when that happens! if you could visualise it in anime, it is like all these separate items draw in close to the camera then pan out again and then the borders surrounding all the separate items start to glitter and then dissolve and the final picture is a collage of everything that needs to go together. Not a discrete image but a shimmering, semi transparent map. That is how the process works for me. So I had art journal, several techniques mentioned, and the kicker that melds the entire thing together: a blank journal Becky sent to me with an illustrated cover she had done, her suggestion for a rant journal and my long term ambition to turn her journal into a place where I captured some of my blog ramblings. Viola, a project is born.)

[Nevermore]

time. Know where I can buy some?

[kygirl]

Sounds interesting, Kim. But your rants are more interesting than mine. Mine are about things like candy paper left on the table, someone forgetting to lower the toilet lid, and the fact that no one will feed the cat but me. Maybe, I'll do one, too. It would be funny, if nothing else.

[Nevermore]

Donna, I suspect my rants are "interesting" because I am immature. I would somehow manage to tie candy left on the table to the Taliban or the discovery of fire. When something bothers me, I throw perspective and balance to the wind! Nothing is allowed to stand in the way of making my point. It may make an interesting rant but it doesn't always make for an easy life, rofl.

I didn't find much else in this thread. I am going to try googling, too, to see if that gets me anywhere or else I will just make up my own definition of art journal.

And before 500 quirks throw pithy "there are no rules in quirkland" posts at me (I see ya coming!), there has to be some broad outline or else there is nothing to distinguish an art journal layout from any other kind of layout.
Late for work, gotta run. Hopefully can have some synthesis working in my brain during the commute in.

Donna, did you have any guidelines? Or are you making this up too ;)

[graybonnie]

When I think of art journal I think of "bound". Two ways - traditional or digital. Traditional - you are creating art in a bound paper journal like a visual dairy. Meg and Tish do wild creations that incorporate a bound book as part of thier digital creations. Other than the "bound" I would not impose anyother rules.

[indybev]

I backed into digital art through my visual journals, Kim. I use Canson blank page large-ring journals (they leave room for expansion). Yahoo has a group called Artist Journals2 which you might like to take a look at. My journals are a free-wheeling combination of daily events, political views, memories, ramblings (because I have an opinion on everything), poems, quotes that speak to me, and family photos. I fancy I'm leaving them for some descendant a few generations down and they will be a picture of the life and times, thoughts and talents of me, their ancient ancestor! Some things are sketched in, some things are glued in, ramblings are copied from computer and glued in, and so forth. I started a couple of years ago, and I'm on Journal #10 at the moment! Some of my earliest pages are posted at the Visual Chronicles group site in Bev's Journal. That site's about defunct now, but I haven't pulled the photos. I think you should do a visual journal -- for Max's great grandchildren, for example!
Here's an interesting look at journals:
http://www.aisling.net/gallery/journals/diary02/daily02-1index.htm

[cellomom]

*stepping in here* I'm about to do a hybrid challenge over at KBandFriends about art journaling and in my research (HA!), I happened upon a BLOG of a friend of mine...Lu Braxton is doing an Art Slam weekly challenge HERE (http://lucrecerb.typepad.com/lifeistheart/). every Friday she posts another step in art journaling. I love, love, love it. It is actually how I started in digital...hmmm...does that make sense? Oh well...I know that the hybrid genre is helping me really express what I love in art journaling.

so it's off to my craft room to start mine!!

[kygirl]

I love Lu's stuff. She was active over at ScrapArtist back when I first started digiscrapping.

One of my favorite sites on Art Journaling is www.artistsjournals.com (http://www.artistsjournals.com). Lots and lots of good info. I found it back when DAQ first opened. At the time, I really couldn't figure out how you could do an art journal digitally.

And, yes, Kim, I'm winging it most of the time. :)

[webchyck]

I consider the pages I've done for Frameworthy over at SBG to be art journal pages. They go in a separate album. Some of them have very personal journaling on them. Some are just messages to myself.

http://www.scrapbookgraphics.com/photopost/data/3063/webchyck469.jpg

[Nevermore]

Thanks for the links everybody, going to look at them after I post. I did do one last night. Made me realise:
1. I have an aversion to scribbling
2. It felt good to doodle directly on the photo (which I did) but I have an aversion to scribbling
3. I might like this (if I can get over my aversion to scribbling)
4. Anything hybrid (even a 5 x 7) creates a huge physical mess.
5. I have an aversion to mess.

So I am thinking of taking the return on my desk (I have a HUGE desk. I sit at a large u shaped corner of it but I also have an add on table that fits behind me that is always absolutely pristine clear) and letting it be the "art journal" spot for a few days. I don't know if I can live with that. An alternative might be to buy a large plastic storage container with all the immediate art journal needs in it.

I know--it is stupid to go on and on about housekeeping clutter instead of the art but I can't help it. I think that #5 has a direct link to #1. I have to say that even my digital stuff is stored, catalogued and backed up to an extreme degree in terms of organisation.

The achievement is that I did it without researching it to death (will continue researching but I have been known to use research as avoidance activity, lol), I actually printed it out and just tore a strip off the side so it would fit in the notebook. I used glue dots and scotch tape and then doodled a bit on the rooster's eye to cover up the rotten masking job. To some extent, it really worked. I have been pondering my "avatar" (a little painting I did when I was 19 that I have used as a signature since then) and now I know what all that pondering means.

Okay, enough. I posted the digital part in the gallery but doesn't really make sense since it is just part of the page. Would need to photograph the page. Thanks for letting me ramble on. I know you don't have an unquenchable need to hear every thought blip that passes through my mind but it helps me focus no end to try to communicate (you can't tell from the rambling that it is helping me focus but just imagine what my head space is like if I consider this focussed, lol!)

[indybev]

Kim -- I followed Lisa Vollrath's suggestion and use glue stick for everything in my journals (acid free). It doesn't make the pages buckle, it's fairly mess-free, and seems to be holding up well in my journals that are a couple of years old. As for the mess -- oh yeah! I bought some of those lovely decorative boxes they have out now...started with one and am working on a tower! I loved your rooster-with-attitude!

[webchyck]

I am a big fan of the craft glue stick! But Kim and adhesives don't necessarily mix!

[Nevermore]

don't. That is why I have a surprise up my sleeve for my July ATC (I am shipping July and August together).

Thanks guys for all the support and encouragement. I did the Artist's Way over ten years ago and it took me ages to get into morning pages but I did them for three years solid after I got hooked. One of the suggestions that worked for me was not to look at them for a week or some such period of time. It did work. Stuff I would have thrown in the garbage upon an immediate re read was interesting to me a week later. I am going to do this with my art journal. I have a feeling if I look at Mr. Rooster tonight, I will rip the page out. So I am going to hang tight for a couple of weeks and then take a peek. I will not be adding a page a day for sure but think I will try to make it fairly regular. We will see. I will report back (and probably in every intervening moment as well...)

[webchyck]

Yes, I'm sure we will hear all about the intervening moments and we will sincerely be mesmerized! It will probably go something like this: we'll hear about the moments when she's THINKING about art journaling; when she's GOT AN IDEA for art journaling; wondering when she'll HAVE THE TIME for art journaling; a post about what MAX thinks about art journaling; posts about NEVER art journaling again; posts to REMIND herself that the artist within has no boundaries even as she sets out RULES for herself for art journaling. We'll hear about the next page she does, and the one she's going to rip out of the book...am I close here, girls??? Oh, we know you, Kim! And we love hearing all about the intervening moments, because IT IS THE PROCESS that is delightful...it's the JOURNEY, not the destination, as "they" say. So report back and report back often!!!

[Nevermore]

Just so you understand the tone of this post. When I read Becky's post above, my emotions recorded as followed from beginning to end: interest, a bit edgy, angry. I reread it immediately and a huge bellow of laughter. Surprise and chagrin. That chain of posts described by Becky is so bang on I feel like I have been hit. It has actually triggered a hot flash (you forgot that post, Becky, the one about menopause and art journalling.) I am torn between delight at being that known and embarassment (hence the anger I suspect) at being that obvious. When it was not that obvious to me. A bit of an epiphany, actually. Or maybe I am confounding the hot flash with the process.

[kygirl]

But, Kim, this is what we love about you -- the fact that you care about everything, and are willing to share so openly. And, if you don't follow the process that Becky has set out, we'll all be very disappointed.

I think the next thing you're supposed to share with us is your idea for the art journal. :)

[mizamigo]

Kim,
Please, please follow the procedure already set up in the quirk-a-life section. You are SUPPOSED to do those things that Becky mentioned; and I so look forward to your musings, inspirations, second-guessing yourself, and your "ah-ha" moments. I feel so fortunate to go through them with you and see how it's really like to be in the artist's mind.

And on some of your ramblings (Sundays), I find when I come to the end of the piece, I want to call or write you and say, "well, then what happened?".

[webchyck]

Oh, Kim, I sure hope you did finally take my post in the spirit is was intended! We just KNOW you and we LOVE you!!! And yes, you ARE "that known" and isn't it wonderful!? You've let people in and you've let yourself be known. That is an amazing thing in itself. Don't be mad at me!! I wuv you!!! Menopause and all!

[Nevermore]

Becky, it is the recipient who needs shaking up, not the message! You called me out in the most perceptive and funny way. I am thrown by just how much you know me and how much I have let myself be known. Perhaps better than I know myself! Just need time to digest that. You are a warm, funny person Becky. My chagrin is self generated.

[webchyck]

Okay...whew! I thought maybe I'd crossed the line and become cold and catty or something!