Although I can’t hop on a plane to travel right now, I can take a trip in my art journal!  My muse is my travel agent and she’s booked me to Venice for this trip.

Below is the progression of my art journal page as I played with the newly released, Venetian Large 9×12 stencil from StencilGirl.

No plan, no goal. Just random play with  What’s the Point from Nathalie Kalbach and Intersecting Circles Brick from Lizzie Mayne.

The bricks reminded me of my trip overseas so I grabbed a stencil inspired by Venice.

I used the Venetian  9 x 12 stencil with acrylic paint.  But all the color in the background made the building hard to see.   A problem?  Nope.

I added a thin layer of pink paint all over the buildings.  I went right over the blue and the spaces in the building to even out the busy color behind it.

Then put the stencil right back on top and restenciled it.

Now it was time for words.  A touch here and there of stamped script and 3 Latin vocabulary cards.

What do these Latin words mean?

Begin, take refuge, and memory which I took to mean Begin to take refuge in the memory of Venice.

I know my Latin professor is cringing right now because I certain took liberties with the Latin, but this is art…

Lightened it all up with some blue and white paint and white Stabilo pencil on the buildings.

A darker blue around the edges finished up this art journal play session.

Wonder where my muse will take me next in my art journal…any suggestions for my muse on beautiful places to visit?

Have you ever been drawn to the art or style of an artist and then when you meet them in person it all makes sense…because they are their art?  That is what it was like for me meeting Tangie Baxter in person at her Artspiration Studio in Mesa, Arizona.   This studio is like a living art journal that is inviting, creative, and comfortable-  a dreamy place to teach my workshop, The Stenciled Journal.

Here we are all working… I was a slave driver at one point but they all handled that 30 minute time limit like pros!

Marva used the deli wrap just as I do.  This is what deli paper is for in my world…

Then something very very unexpected happened at lunch.  Liz used deli wrap for a sandwich…she had a messy lettuce wrap sandwich for lunch so she actually used the deli wrap as deli wrap to hold her sandwich. Crazy crazy idea!

Charlotte got those fingers into the paint as we explored colors, getting ready to work with wet paints and a stencil.

Cindy created such a vibrant color palette!

Once the stencils came out, the hands really got colorful. Sandi’s got the proof!

Karen took the leap and used her fluorescent paints.  Those bright colors add a wonderful pop to designs!

Diane built her layers and worked at lightning speed!

The dry climate of Arizona had things drying faster than I imagined, but never fear, we worked quickly! Jan used that “third hand” to hold her paintbrushes.

Andi’s had such wonderful color on her gloves after her stencil fun.  Those gloves  ended up as a part of her journal!

Sylvia played in the most wonderful desert colors and after sightseeing in Phoenix, I must confess, I am looking forward to seeing how the desert influences my art journal.

Laurie explored the most scrumptious pastels in her stenciling…next time you see me use a pastel color, Laurie, it is all your influence!

Once our layers of color were down, it was time to build the journals, the rebel way.  No measuring and no careful precision for stress free binding.

The glee on Liz’a face when she had her journal bound summed it all up!

Thank you to each and every woman in the workshop for making this such  a day of play!

For my East Coast friends I will be teaching in October at Art Is You, and there will be plenty of stencil fun paper making happening in that class too!  You can check out all the details here.