≡ Menu

A Lesson Learned

The little person, looking all befuddled to me, jumped out at me when I was flipping through my journal looking for a spark to start a page.   I am usually a type A kind of person (which serves me well in many many areas of my life), but in my art I find my type A-ness does not serve me well so  I am learning to be led by the moment instead of a “plan”. While letting the moment guide me I learned a valuable lesson…

 

When I am using stencils I often have ample ink left on a stencil so I use it randomly in another journal.  After a few of these I have the beginnings of a journal page. I love the serendipity of it.

 

 

 

 

 

Added a leftover bit with squares punched into it- just looking at general composition at this point.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Added some Tim Holtz tissue wrap and strips of black fabric.  Put white over the paper strip to lighten it up a bit.

 

 

 

 

 

Wrote on the fabric with black dimensional fabric paint.  It added great texture but didn’t show up well in most of the photos.

 

 

 

 

Paint and splatters added here and there with a touch of scribbling on the fleur de lis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peach and purple – I just had to add more colors! But it still needed something….

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text! It needed writing of some kind.  I tried messy writing and DID NOT LIKE IT. Oops!  (Foreshadowing of the lesson I learned…)

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used white to trace over it.  Actually like it now. Layers can fix anything!  The lesson – don’t give up on it if you don’t like it- simply  add more.  Just the black was yuck to me, but once I added another layer to it- it liked it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I liked it so much I added more writing in layers.  I must confess I don’t know what the words were supposed to be and even when I do know the word I often misspell it by accident, so who knows what it really meant at the time…

 

 

 

Linking up to all my painty friends at Paint Party Friday & Art Journal Every Day.  If you have  a moment check out all the great posts- they are full of amazing art and creativity!

{ 38 comments… add one }

Leave a Comment

  • Rita McGregor June 21, 2012, 10:39 pm

    I could almost picture watching you do all this. I forget about things like splatters and they add so much. Nice! 🙂

  • Cynthia June 21, 2012, 10:58 pm

    What an awesome page! Love the beautiful colors and all the movement each little bit provides.

  • Valerie-Jael June 22, 2012, 1:45 am

    Great journal page! Nice to see how you did it. Valerie

  • Rinda June 22, 2012, 2:45 am

    I love the black fabric on it. Thanks for the step by step!
    Rinda

  • Corrine June 22, 2012, 5:52 am

    Nice evolution of your page. The “messy” writing really makes it. Thanks for sharing your lesson lesrned, we could all benefit from this one. xox

  • Lisa WrightStuff June 22, 2012, 8:08 am

    Very cool page. Love the stencil use.

  • Kat June 22, 2012, 8:44 am

    This is such an interesting and lovely page Carolyn, I love your creativity in this, wonderful!

  • marge cadaret June 22, 2012, 9:33 am

    Love this and thanks for showing the process.

  • NatashaMay June 22, 2012, 10:24 am

    Awesome seeing the in progress photos. 🙂 Love it!

  • Mari June 22, 2012, 11:09 am

    Often we are so comfortable with our work that does not terminariamos never is so?, your page is great already. Saludos

  • Christine June 22, 2012, 11:10 am

    lovely creative journal work today!

  • Jan L. June 22, 2012, 11:14 am

    I’m liking the dimensional paint on the ribbon idea. I’m seeing that paint used in many ways….I guess I’m going to HAVE to make a trip to the craft store!

  • Leovi June 22, 2012, 11:17 am

    An interesting composition. I like.

  • AJ June 22, 2012, 11:17 am

    Another great page from you Carolyn, thanks for sharing.
    Big love
    AJ 🙂

  • Marji June 22, 2012, 11:49 am

    I really like seeing how this one came together. All those fabulous layers!! Beautiful work. Happy PPF

  • Carol June 22, 2012, 11:51 am

    lovely mixed media art work ~ very creative use of materials ~ thanks, ^_^ (A Creative Harbor)

  • lynn cohen June 22, 2012, 12:15 pm

    I think Bela is Beautiful in Italian…maybe? I love the black lettering on the fabric, wishing I could touch it. Fun these layers and hearing how you added and added to it until it met your full approval. HPPF!

  • Za faran June 22, 2012, 12:33 pm

    Carolyn, really love your post. The final page in your journal looks so creative. Nice to see the evolving process of the page.

  • Anne June 22, 2012, 3:31 pm

    Cool mixed media! Thank you for taking us through the steps and the process shots, very interesting and fun to see this piece evolving!

  • Cris, Artist in Oregon June 22, 2012, 3:46 pm

    Looks very French with the fleur de lis in the picture.. could it be someone coming out of the shadows calling for Cheri? :)) My take on it anyway.

  • Lisa Isabella Russo June 22, 2012, 4:04 pm

    I love how you share your process, the colors you use are so pretty! The way it evolves is wonderful and I like the lesson you shared as well.

  • minnemie June 22, 2012, 5:53 pm

    “Layers can fix anything” – I need to remember that! Love your layers!

  • Mary C. Nasser June 22, 2012, 7:46 pm

    Fantastic textures and blues!!
    ♥♥♥
    Happy PPF!!
    Mary
    Mixed-Media Map Art

  • Andrea June 22, 2012, 7:57 pm

    Great page, lots going on!

  • Bleubeard and Elizabeth June 23, 2012, 6:24 am

    I do the same with my stencils. My monthly calendar backgrounds are filled with stencil ghost prints and those of rubber stamps I’m trying to clean with alcohol. They make for fantastic layering.

    I love what you have done here. It is truly amazing. And of course, I like how you stick with the page, allowing it to take you places you didn’t know were possible, when you allowed it to speak to you.

  • debbie June 23, 2012, 6:49 am

    such a cool process you have and the end result is great!

  • giggles June 23, 2012, 6:50 am

    Thanks for the evolution of your page!! Very interesting process!! I coat my one page in layers thick with paint, then smash the other page against it. Similar to what you do with the stencil or stamp!! I often like the second page better than the first!! Layers do help!! This was wonderful!! I may have put a dab of gold or silver on my finger and run in down the black ribbon over the writing to see what happens… not suggesting it just inspired by it!! Great post…thank you!!

    Hugs Giggles

  • Sabina June 23, 2012, 8:18 am

    Hey–I love that you made the flour de lis the main focus of the piece–truly such an elegant symbol, and I think the way you spaced out the other parts of the design was perfect. It complements the flour de lis rather the compete.

  • Linda K June 23, 2012, 12:30 pm

    Love the way your page came together-thanks for sharing all your steps!

  • Karen Smithey June 23, 2012, 5:47 pm

    Love seeing the evolution of this page. And what great texture you’ve brought to this–

  • jane w. June 23, 2012, 5:49 pm

    great page like all your work and so glad you show us the process! awesome!

  • Elisa Choi June 24, 2012, 12:51 am

    I enjoyed your process and thanks a lot for sharing it. I love that you had fun creating the journal. And oh, lovely mistakes! 🙂

  • rosa June 24, 2012, 6:27 am

    Una composición vibrante, muy enérgica. Me gusta mucho como vas explicando paso a paso tu trabajo.

    Un abrazo

  • Nora Clemens-Gallo June 24, 2012, 12:14 pm

    Really Nice!! I enjoy seeing the process of the page and how it turn out in a beautiful piece.
    Great job!
    Nora

  • Belinda June 24, 2012, 10:04 pm

    WOW! Thank you so much for sharing your creativity process! Your finished product is amazing! Love it! Thanks for sharing!!

  • Creative Mind June 26, 2012, 8:03 am

    This is perfect..very nice..thanks for sharing the step by step detail 🙂

  • JKW June 27, 2012, 10:02 am

    Thank you Thank you for this post. I am at a lost regarding journals and layering and collages. This is a tremendous page and the tutorial helps me understand. Blessings, Janet PPF

  • Pauline Leger June 27, 2012, 4:50 pm

    Carolyn, i had missed this one, somehow.
    i LOVE it. Great composition, great color…
    Thank you for posting your steps – each layer is really beautiful. xox