Dina Wakley’s Out of the Journal challenge has been making my head hurt. It’s not her fault.  It’s me.  Is this a canvas or an art journal page (just not in a journal)?  I’ve pondered (which lead to the head hurting) how I would define art journaling and the answer that is best for me is art where I journal my emotions.  With that definition I would consider this canvas  art journaling.  Granted, it’s art journaling that hangs well on a wall.

Do I use words to journal my feelings. Sure.  But not always.  I was feeling a bit stressed so I wanted paint on my hands.  I had the most wonderful green & blue paints stuck under my fingernails from the background.  My feelings were vital in why I chose that color – I wanted a happy ocean color that would lead me to a better mood.  Oceans and beaches are my happy place.

I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with the girl in the middle so I just went “near” her carefully with my fingers full of paint.  I didn’t trust myself not to get paint on her in most places so I left a bit of white.  I was sure I’d come back with a brush and touch that up.  Never did go back.  I liked the white around her.  She wasn’t turning out the way I expected but it was turning out better than I envisioned.  Life lesson- make a plan and then stay flexible as it unfolds.  A reminder that most of the stress I needed to release with the finger painting was my own creation because I was not staying flexible.

No matter what I am working on- art journal, canvas, or something else – I am happy when my hands are covered in paint.  Be sure to stop by Dina’s and see what everyone’s doing for their Out of the Journal Challenge! Want to see more paint? Check out all the goodness at Paint Party Friday!  Want to see more art journaling? Check out Art Journal Every Day!

A happy box of spray inks arrived in the mail.  I decided to play with wild abandon. I put the vintage doily and a butterfly stencil by Julie Balzer down and started spraying inks around. I thought I had picked some good colors to coordinate.  Nope.  Ugly.  Yucky.

But I am not a quitter.  I am a gesso-er.

I gesso’d around the parts I didn’t like.  I knew this was just another layer of many.  I didn’t even bother to photograph it.  But it started to grown on me. I used a big pencil to draw in the butterfly shapes.  Then  Dina Wakley’s text stamp .  I was pulled away from the studio for a while.

When I returned I just liked it the way it was.  This was a huge surprise to me. I tend to like many many layers and a bundle of different mediums.  And very very little white space.  But I like it here.

Thanks Dina for a challenge that helped push me out of my usual.  If you’d like to join her Out of the Journal challenge this August click here!

Linking up with Inspire Me Monday and Creative Every Day.