This month’s art journaling session was on the theme of ‘industrial grunge’. I thought it would be a great chance to revisit rust effects, drips and runs and also use up some of the matte black vinyl I seem to have inadvertently collected over the years… I also exercised AI skills using Microsoft Designer to create the graffiti and worked with ChatGPT to develop the colour scheme, selecting the base colours with my Nix Mini 3 digital colourimeter. Here’s what I came up with:
Back in the day, when there were still many crafting magazines available, free clear stamps were included as a cover gift. Somehow I still have a collection of these, which are all still clear and functional. Finding them in my stash, I came up with this month’s theme for the art journaling session at The Studio: twinchies. For the unfamiliar, twinchies are 2″ square elements for crafting and the giveaway stamps fit perfectly. Using mixed media and appropriate papers, I created this:
This month’s theme for the last art journal session of the year is ‘Christmas NBU’. A long while ago, I suggested the tag #nbu for ‘never been used’. I’m not sure it caught on… So this wintery layout uses items that have not been used yet alongside other bits and bobs that came to hand:
I’m finishing my makes guided by the week-long course from Online Card Classes: Extraordinary Embossing Folders. For the final day, we looked at bonus tips for using embossing folders which incorporate previous techniques with different ways of applying media.
Less is More challenge blog is following up their ‘B is for Beach’ theme with a new seashore-related subject: ‘under the sea’. Just enter your clean and simple card designs in the next two weeks featuring the theme for the chance to have the accolade of being shortlisted for our favourite card. I’ve not got any ocean-related stamps, so have created this panel card to fit the theme:
I’ve procrastinated a bit on my homework for this section as I and watercolours often do not get on well together. The lessons have been great on Wanderlust 2022, with each of the tutors carefully and patiently explaining the techniques they use so that they are, in the main, replicable. Here are my results from weeks 29-35…
Various mixed media techniques on papers other than watercolour paper have generally worked ok. I still haven’t fallen in love with watercolours as a medium, but am glad I have tried them. Oh, and buying decent tube watercolours made such a difference to the vibrancy of the colours over the student quality hard pan collections I normally use.
Update time on how I am getting on with the online Wanderlust 2022 mixed media course. The last seven weeks have been concentrating on using craft acrylics. We learnt they are generally cheaper and less pigmented acrylics and have a large premixed colour palette. Then we learned how to use them in various ways to make our art journal pages. I have fallen behind in the course due to holidays and that hot spell (which made the paint dry too quickly), but I’m catching back up. Here’re my takes on the seven lessons:
Continuing on with my art journaling course, Wanderlust 2022, we’ve been concentrating on using artist acrylics for the past 7 weeks. It’s been interesting to revise colour mixing and use ‘proper’ acrylics with their better opacity. There’s a self-portrait, a mini Gelli-printed art journal, a homage to my favourite artist and some collage and glazing. Here’s what I produced…
For this section of the fabulous Wanderlust 2022 art journaling/mixed media online course, we’ve been looking at using modelling paste and image transfers. Each week we’ve been set a different theme with a guest teacher showing us their project ideas and techniques. My previous sessions are here. This section’s layouts are here:
I signed up to do Creative Jumpstart 2021 back in November. What with Covid and no studio groups to prep for, my creativity has had a minor slump and I’ve not even had the mojo to create for the fun of it. Creative Jumpstart has a daily 10-15 minute tutorial or inspiration video to watch and so far it has included monoprinting, art journaling, illustration, watercolour and collage as part of the ‘storyteller’ theme. I’ve had a go at all but one so far and it’s been great to challenge my prejudices against some media (watercolour!) and to try out new media. Here are my attempts at the first week of projects:
