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Be Bold

Taking big bold steps leads to such joy!  I delighted in the thrill of the risks I took while making this journal page.  Every choice I made had the potential to turn it to yuck or make it better.   It may be only paper and paint but it feels like so much more when it comes to deciding what to add or do to it next.  Bold was good for me today- I smile every time I look at this journal page!

At the end of this post, I have a wonderful announcement about a bold step a friend has taken that is leading to such joy for her and lots of others!

 

 

Just randomness with no purpose, no intention, no plan.  As I write this post I keep looking at this and seeing strange people like the purple snowman playing a french horn or the nun with the blue habit with green trim.  Hmm, is this lack of sleep? Nope.  Just my brain on paint…

 

 

 

Crazy sloppy journaling in Sharpie marker.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Isolating out the part I liked the most by covering most of it up with purple paint.  I scratched into the paint so that bits of the background showed through.  I just couldn’t stand it being a solid color.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are die cut remnants from some new die cuts I got at Blue Moon Scrapbooking.  Love everything about the window dies!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stencil Girl just released a line of stencils designed by my friend Jessica Sporn!    Her wonderfully big bold move has sparked such fabulous creativity- her stencils are amazing!

Starting December 6, and continuing once or twice a month through June 2013, Jessica asked me and a bunch of other artists to take her stencils on a “test drive.”  We’ll show you how we used her stencils, and you’re invited to play along too.  I am helping kick it off on December 6th with the Hebrew Calligraphy and Hamsa stencil!   This stencil has so many uses!   Visit Jessica’s blog here for all the details and to grab a button for your blog.

 

 

 

Want more creativity? If you have a moment, check out Paint Party Friday, Art Journal Every Day and  Art Every Day Month!

{ 37 comments… add one }

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  • Mary Walker November 29, 2012, 6:17 pm

    You had your SMWYG linked back to my web page so I changed it to here. Hopefully this is the page you wanted to share. Love the colors on this bold piece.

  • Corrine November 29, 2012, 6:48 pm

    Love your boldness, the background just makes me want to sing! And the die cuts really blow the whole thing wide open into bold beauty. And yes, so exciting for Jessica and the stencil drive that we all get to enjoy and explore with her fabulous stencils. xox

  • Cynthia November 29, 2012, 6:49 pm

    I TOTALLY love this page!! I love the colors and I love the window and I so love the scratching you did in the purple. SO cool. And I’m super excited to see the test drives of the stencils–that Hebrew calligraphy is awesome!! =D

  • Judy Shea November 29, 2012, 7:05 pm

    Let me just tell you how grand this page is. You were definitely bold, girlfriend. Can’t wait to drive along with everyone.

  • Rinda November 29, 2012, 10:16 pm

    Love it! Makes me think of stained glass.
    I really need to do some random backgrounds and isolate shapes – love how you do that.
    Rinda

  • Tracey Fletcher King November 29, 2012, 11:52 pm

    Bold is the right word… I do wish I had the guts to just jump in like you do…xx

  • Marja November 30, 2012, 3:38 am

    love your Boldness Carolyn and thank you very much for the address of this fantastic stencils. These we don’t have in Holland.
    Lovely greet Marja
    (marjascreativity)

  • Jessica Sporn November 30, 2012, 7:48 am

    I love every step of your page. Each one could stand alone as a great design! And in the end — WOWZA! is the only word that comes to mind. Love the colors, love the scribbles, love the die cuts, love it all! So looking forward to starting the test drive next week!

  • Daire November 30, 2012, 7:55 am

    Your colours are stunning as always… I wish my pages could be as vibrant as yours!
    D x

  • Ginny November 30, 2012, 8:03 am

    This is awesome Carolyn. There is always such a sense of excitement and boldness when I look at your work. Can’t wait to learn more about Jessica’s stencils. I know you will have a fun and exciting journey to take us on.

  • artmusedog and Carol November 30, 2012, 8:23 am

    Bold is right ~ also very colorful and creative work ~ (A Creative Harbor) ^_^

  • Kat November 30, 2012, 8:45 am

    Carolyn this is such a statement, no fear just proud to be and I love it!

  • Faye November 30, 2012, 9:08 am

    Carolyn, your be bold painting makes me smile too. It’s beautiful. Looking forward to seeing what you create for Jessica.

  • Leah November 30, 2012, 9:32 am

    Great page. . . what wonderful colors! It was so much fun to see it evolve in the photos. Thanks for sharing your work and process. 🙂

  • Mary C. Nasser November 30, 2012, 9:49 am

    Carolyn,
    Have I told you lately how much I love your art and blog!! 🙂
    Looking forward to seeing what you do with stencils next week!!!
    ♥♥♥
    Happy PPF!!
    Mary
    Mixed-Media Map Art

  • Apni Avani November 30, 2012, 10:02 am

    Amazing! Love the colors and the final outcome with the window and the ‘bold’ words.

  • Annette G November 30, 2012, 11:40 am

    wow this is really bold and wild, love it. Happy PPF, Annette x

  • froebelsternchen November 30, 2012, 12:54 pm

    adorable… I love those colors and you very special style!fabulous to see your progress! GREAT Carolyn!

  • Kristin Van Valkenburgh November 30, 2012, 1:06 pm

    Oh how fun! LOVE the stencils and LOVE your page! xoxo

  • Linda K November 30, 2012, 1:09 pm

    You know how much I love color too and so this is a feast for the eyes-love your bold approach Carolyn!! Looking forward to the stencil hop too 🙂

  • Bleubeard and Elizabeth November 30, 2012, 2:27 pm

    Sorry I’ve not been around much lately. I finally got my head out of my basement so I could stop by! I’m also still playing in AEDM, but I can no longer link to it. So it doesn’t do much good.

    But I’m always glad to visit here. Your bold colors and positive outlook keep me upbeat and enjoying each post. Keep that bold concept!

  • Kay Wallace November 30, 2012, 2:55 pm

    Rather than “bold” I say BRAVE! What a magnificent page to celebrate a friend’s success! I love the layering helping to conceal the private journaling, too! Thanks for sharing!

  • kristin November 30, 2012, 3:27 pm

    Oh, that is so wonderful! I love the lettering under the paint and the bold letters. Great job! Happy PPF!

  • Terri Morse November 30, 2012, 4:18 pm

    Now this is my kind of art!!! The painting is so striking and I love the look of it through the “window”. What an amazingly creative piece. I think sanding out some of the purple to give a glimpse of what’s behind it was a great choice. This really makes my heart beat a little faster! -Terri

  • Debbie November 30, 2012, 5:18 pm

    This is great! I love seeing the process from start to finish, especially how you isolated your favorite part by painting over the rest. I’m still getting the hang of good composition in art journaling (even though I know there are no “rules”). Thank you.

  • Marjie Kemper November 30, 2012, 11:10 pm

    Sorry to be creepy, but I want to touch this page. Those stacked negative spaces on top of those gorgeous colors = verrrrrrrrrry hard to resist!

  • denthe December 1, 2012, 1:26 am

    oh, I love your big bold page, those colours are yummy. looking forward to what you”ll do with Jessica’s stencils!

  • Ritu Dua December 1, 2012, 3:06 am

    Hey this is not only BOLD but BEAUTIFUL too…and i totally love that blue…superb !!

  • sandra sherman December 1, 2012, 7:36 am

    Love to see the progress of your wonderful work

  • Anne December 1, 2012, 9:55 am

    Wonderful piece, great concept! Love the progress shots!

  • NatashaMay December 1, 2012, 4:26 pm

    Oh, I just love how you made a window. Fabulous!

  • Giggles December 1, 2012, 4:30 pm

    Wonderful bold page!!! I loved the before with the purple snow man too..also saw a fun kids character in the mix !! In fact saw several characters…so it’s not the paint fumes…it’s the great art!! Nice to have the photo in case you want to do something else with it! Jessicas stencils are awesome!!! Thanks for sharing!!!

    Hugs Giggles

    • Carolyn December 5, 2012, 9:11 am

      I have found that to be so true- to have that photo later gives me a sense of security as I paint over.

  • sharon December 1, 2012, 7:10 pm

    Such a great and gutsy piece….awesome!

  • Karen Smithey December 4, 2012, 9:15 pm

    LOVE this page! Absolutely love it!

  • Ayala Art December 5, 2012, 1:53 am

    Fantastic, it really makes the eye go all over the page ☺ Great colors and texture

  • Piarom December 8, 2012, 6:07 pm

    Carolyn such a colorful and joyful spread!! love to be with you during the process 😉 Very cool!