2010 Art Journal: January

[Nevermore]

I am posting this early for lots of reasons: a) because I can b) because some of us have some time off (in THEORY she said despairingly) c) because some of us are chomping at the bit to get started.

I will leave it to the mavens to discuss the whys, wherefores etc. of art journalling. My take is simple: the only requirement is a bit of journalling and some visuals. I don't care about size, media, or anything else.

January is named after the Roman god Janus who was two headed: looking both forward and back.

PROMPT: Based on your history and on your dreams for the future, what gift would you like to give yourself for the month of January?

Solely as ideas and not meant as part of the challenge, consider the following. It can be an object but can also be a slogan or a mantra or a poem. It can be abstract (time, self love, listening). It can fulfill a long felt need or can be a totally unnecessary extravagance. You may wrap it or not as you choose. You may want to be as honest as you are able with the journalling and if you feel that you want to keep it private you can rig it so that the journalling is not visible (if hybrid) or simply post it without the journalling (if digital). If you do go hybrid, please post a picture of the page so we can oooh and aaah over it.

My journal entry for January: I am giving myself a used Starbucks bag. It claimed on the outside that it could be reused as a sketch pad with handles. So, I have cut it apart and turned it inside out. I am a perfectionist. It makes me crazy to have mess and no plans. I am giving myself one very ragged, crumpled odd sized sketchpad (with handles) to muck with. I would like to go out and buy some paints (acrylics would be handy!) but that would turn it into a planned project and I am not giving myself that. I have a house filled with stuff and I will use whatever comes to hand. I am actually giggling: I have no clue what I will do.

Please post your January journal entries here. (http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=2)

[Nevermore]

was crayons. I covered a side border with crayons. Then I put some pencil crayon on top and that scraped off a bit of the wax. So I thought I would try ironing that to see what happened. Not much. The iron got a bit messed up but I cleaned that.

[Nevermore]

I have some tubes of watercolour. I think I am going to squirt some on and mess them up with a non electrical thing (leaving irons out of it for a while). Like maybe a rag or something. I don't have any big brushes and no way I am going to spend hours with a little one. I do have a package of household sponges (yellow on one side with green scrape-y stuff on the other for pots I guess. I wouldn't use it on pots. I never use the green side. The next package I buy will not have the green stuff but it will be a long while before the next package as this is a rather large one). Maybe those. I also have ink pads (don't ask). I could just use the entire pad. Now that is a fabulous idea! If it is too thick, I could use my sponge to wet it down and smear it. Okay, off to try. I can't get going on the journal bits until my pad is prepped.

[Nevermore]

if you don't post, I will continue to talk to myself for as long as it takes.

[Nevermore]

I have:
1. cut the bag open
2. coloured part of it with crayons and then pencil crayons. Tried ironing it. Don't do that--bad.
3. inked it with my ink pads but that wasn't the best because the paper isn't that absorbent
4. found tubes of water colour and plopped them on and then tried to spread them with a) toothbrush. Not so good, it scrubs bits of the paper off b) Q tips. Good but tedious. c) cotton balls. Really good but watch out because they get hairy and start to shed fibres d) a buff puff thingie. Stupid because they have soap built in. Don't do that.

Paper towel made a delightful blotter, left cool design and some "rough" spots. Will post pictures after dinner!

[FLCindy]

I cannot wait to see what you've created! This is going to be alot of fun!

[Nevermore]

you need not wait: I am posting on an ongoing basis in deadly detail and have put a couple of pages up in the Art Journal gallery.

I am going to staple it shut or brad it shut along the bottom and carry it around like an art portfolio. Since it will be only temporarily "shut", it should be able to handle any size of anything I want to stuff in it. After a while, I may get a good idea about binding either my Caravan or my DAQ pages (either as one or two separate projects). I don't want to commit at this stage.

I don't have a flipping clue about any this. Just forging ahead like a bull in a China shop and I must say my normally anally organised office looks exactly like a bull has run amok through it. It is completely discombobulated!

[indybev]

You have me in stitches, Kim! I picture you with your tongue in the corner of your mouth, your brow furrowed in concentration, happily puddling about. A suggestion for spreading color -- a defunct credit card. It spreads the paint to a very thin coat, and you can add a new color easily. Great puddling with acrylics!

Today is our family Christmas, tomorrow I'm seeing the Meryl Streep movie with a friend, and Wednesday I am hostessing the bridge foursome. I can't see my way clear to gifting myself a page until later in the week, but I am SO enjoying your exploration!

[kygirl]

Kim, it sounds like you're having a blast with this, and isn't that the whole point? :-) I love the idea of looking back/looking forward for January.

Right now, I'm trying to figure out what kind of format to use for my DAQ journal. I'm leaning towards 6x6.

BTW, Kim, you might try baby wipes for moving paints around. You can get some pretty interesting effects.

[Nevermore]

I knew I needed you guys to start talking to me. I have now added credit cards and baby wipes to the "equipment" list. After some emailing with Ruth, I have decided that I do need to get some acrylics. I will not stop working on my bag waiting to get them but sounds like they are very handy.

[mizamigo]

Kim, I love reading your reports about the techniques you use and how you achieve a certain "ending". I agree with Bev about the "credit" cards; but I use the sample ones that come in the junk mail. (That way I don't have to worry about the real credit cards with real numbers on them, etc.).

Also, I have found it useful to have a piece of wax paper for putting between my pages - after the journal is put together, after the glued on pieces have gone on, after I have put the paint on, etc. That's because I get impatient and sometimes they haven't totally dried before I say I'm done for the day and the jounal wants to close itself. The wax paper helps so that the pages don't stick (close themselves) together.

I've scanned my jounal cover and one page and will clean it up and post it. Then I can get started on my January Journal Page. I have company coming tomorrow and staying through Friday (Jan. 1) so I'm not sure that I'll be able to start my new journal until January. But I am so looking forward to doing this art journal.

[mizamigo]

Ok, here is the cover to my 2008 art journal:

http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7238

And next to it is a textured page in the journal.

[Nevermore]

and have posted it here and here

one side (http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7245&cat=500&ppuser=47)
the other side (http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7246&cat=500&ppuser=47)

[ceevee]

I'm reading reading reading all of your comments and replies and looking at the gallery. SNOWBOUND, ok, Icebound, today I plan to play. My "journal" is a Michael's purchased sketchbook, red cover. I am all fumble fingers making bindings, so the heck with that. I am in process of painting the pages in preparation for my so-called journal. No pixs to show you yet. Maybe later. I am stamping painting spritzing and spraying the pages, and yes they are getting all goobered up and burbly. But that's pretty much me.

[ceevee]

I am going to give myself the gift of doing whatever I want, wherever and whatever. Hey, I am old and I'm retired. I paid so many dues, they owe me back....:D

BTW, not only am I in Tangie's year long (!!) journal class, but am involved in paper/paint ones too. No, I don't blog. Only for my Etsy shop but that's fallen by the wayside. So. I hope I can keep up my zeal. And energy. Here's what I posted today.:eek:

http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7249&cat=2&limit=recent

[Nevermore]

but my piece for Art Caravan works equally well for DAQ January and so I scored a two-fer. For January, I gave myself a paper bag, for the year I gave myself permission to surrender.

Surrender (http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=2)

[Ozstuff]

My first art journal page (for January) is here:

http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7261&limit=recent

My word is "Hope" which is displayed as part of the "crown" - hope for change in 2010.

[Nevermore]

That my comment on your page is so lame. I just can't express how much I like that woman! This is a stupendous page.

[kygirl]

I love the idea of Janus looking backward, looking forward, but right now I'm trying to focus on the present, so I went with three heads, instead of two: http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7267&cat=2&limit=recent

Since I'm doing my "serious" art journal over at SBG, I wanted to venture out of my comfort zone and have some fun with the DAQ journal. So I'm playing with pink (a color I have professed to hate on more than one occassion) and pulling out all of my old scrapping supplies.

I tried a new technique on this page, using dimensional paint and stencils to add some texture to the page. It was so easy, and I really like the effect. I simply took a Wal-Mart stencil (goodness knows how long that's been in my stash) and used my finger to rub the textured paint into the stencil. Messy, but fun.

[Yorkshire Lass]

I gave myself a second gift for January : imagination.

You can find it here
http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7323&cat=2&limit=recent

[ceevee]

I feel completely nutz today, so here is another page I made just to express it. Please check it out at

http://www.digitalartquirks.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=7324&cat=583


arrrrrrgggh!