Wanderlust 2025 - part four

The final twelve weeks of the art journaling course have been full of challenges.  The theme was 'Leaps and Bounds' and a lot of the lessons involved working outside a journal, on canvases,  etc.  However, I didn't want to make 3D objects as I really don't have the space for them, so I had to think how to translate them to 2D, to be able to keep them in my journal. (I think I will be doing the same next year when the course is aimed more at intermediate artists and will be focusing a lot more on 3D).  Above was Kate Crane's lesson on inchies, twinchies, ATC (Artists' Trading Cards) and Moos (half a business card size), so working small.  This lesson took me more time to complete but I really enjoyed it.   

Making ATCs from a masterboard was the next lesson and I turned the page over to cut it out, so the images really were a surprise.  Adding gilding flakes to each card made them look even more special.

Making matchboxes and filling them with interesting little bits and pieces, based on a printers tray, was the next week.  My 'printers tray' is flat, but I was happy with how it turned out.  I added a stamped image from one of my hand cut stamps, a piece of paper I made a few years ago with flowers and foil added into it, cut into a heart, some leaves and flower heads from the garden, a key die cut, an old postage stamp, a tile cut from a magazine, a piece of my handmade felt cut into a star and a tiny letter. 

Working with and on teabags was the next week's focus and sewing the teabag and stamping on it was included, so I had a go. It was tricky, but I got there!

This was based on an assemblage in a rusty tin, with another tin containing lots of bits and pieces. I made my own 2D version using die cuts, embossing, texture paste through a stencil and lots of bits of ephemera. 

Making a wrap closure for our journals was the next lesson, so I altered this into making little fabric 'cards' in pockets instead. I kept the same four seasons idea.  I used calico as the base, painted, collaged and sewn on. The backs of the cards have book pages stuck onto them for added strength.  

You can see the 'cards' better here.

A canvas family tree with photos attached inside painted lids was what I transferred into a journal page.  I used an embossing folder to add some texture to the die cut frames.

Finally, something completely different.  There is a load of writing underneath the paint, but no-one can see it now, which was the whole idea. Reflecting on things that have gone well, or challenges overcome was one side and 'what if...?' questions on the other.  I kept this simple and was going to add some words but decided I liked it as it is.

I think next year's course will provide me with more challenges - we'll see how I get on!

Wanderlust 2024 - weeks forty-one to forty-nine - Alternatives

The last theme of the art journal course this year was Alternatives.  For the first page of the theme, we could create different substrates to work on.  I used gesso mixed with Plaster of Paris to give me a textured background and then had fun using inktense pencils and mark making with acrylic pens on the top.

We used collage and pressed flower petals for the next page and added extra colour to the petals with acrylic paint.

I really enjoyed creating the elements for week forty-three.  We had to go for a walk or go into the garden and notice what colours we were drawn to.  We then made little numbered swatches of the colours and a description of what provided that colour.  On the right, we used window envelopes to display pressed leaves. The vibrant pink was from Salvia Cerro Potosi.

Rust dyeing was used in the collage background here.  The photos are of my Dad, aged about four on the left, my Granny in her twenties towards the top and my Mum aged fifteen just below her. I also did some journaling about some of my memories of them.

The page took a long time, but was enjoyable to do.  We created interesting stamps using string wrapped round cardboard and lids from bottles.  these were then stamped onto various papers and cotton material.  We made a patchwork from all these papers and hand sewed them together.  The photo which is 'trapped' behind tracing paper is of my Granny, Mum (at the front on the right) and her brothers, David and Robert. 

Another enjoyable week, making 'zines' from one sheet of paper, collaged onto, painted and illustrated with stamps, images or whatever you wanted to add, to make these little books.  I chose two of my favourite songs, 'What a wonderful world' and 'What a difference a day makes' for my zines.  I then made the envelopes and decorated them using watercolour swatches.

Dyeing material with plants and flowers was the next lesson.  I didn't have enough of anything to be able to use flowers or onion skins etc. However, I did have some walnut granules, so I used them as a dye and then attached some of the material to journal cards.

The artist's musings week was using stabilo all pencil (which is water soluble) and watercolours.  The teacher had incorporated collage in her page, but I was happy with my simple version. 

The final week was a round up and a bit of reflection, thinking of what we enjoyed, creative breakthroughs, what we would like to do more of next year.  I used a patchwork of gel printed pieces and made a tag flap on the page.  I carved a small birds in flight stamp which is on the tag.  I would like to do more printing (lino and gel), collage and loose watercolour and ink drawing, all activities I really enjoyed this year. 

On to Wanderlust 2025, which starts in January. 

Wanderlust 2024 - weeks twenty-five to thirty-two - Printmaking

I was looking forward to this theme of the Wanderlust 2024 course and I have enjoyed it. The first week included some rust dyeing which I had not done before, so that was an interesting start.  We incorporated the images into the page.  There was also making a printing block using crumpled packing tape and doing some gel printing.  The focal image was a print from a polystyrene tile which we incised.  I was pleased with how the page came together. 

Week twenty-six was all about carving our own stamps set and we had to create three squares which would be printed over each other.  The next thing was to print a repeat pattern which I found a bit of a challenge and I didn't get it quite right on the finished page, but I still like the end result and enjoyed carving the three stamps.  

I went full on grunge with my next page, using household objects to print on a gel plate.  I used a few lids and a plastic cover from a plug, as well as some bubble wrap.

Creating fern prints was the focus of the next week, using the fern leaves on a gel plate as well as using the leaf as a stamp too. We then had to cut the prints into strips and weave them. 

Making our own foam stamps was the next focus and I liked adding the bright neons to this page which is one of the most vibrant I have made this year.

Making transfer prints from photos and magazines was the technique here.  The photo which I transferred onto a book page (on the left) shows three of my great uncles, around the time of the First World War.

We had to find a photo of a person which appealed to us for the next week. I chose this girl as I like her attitude.  Once she was cut out of the background, we had to fill it in with descriptions of ourselves - Chris provided the words for mine.  We could then add colour to the image and other details as we wanted to. I really enjoyed this page and using old photographs.

For the 'artful musings' week, I chose to create a grid showing some of the techniques I have been using during the course this year.

Our next theme is 'Drawing' so it will be interesting to see what is featured and how I get on.

Index-Card-A-Day (ICAD) Challenge 2021 - week seven

Here are Week seven's offerings for the ICAD challenge 2021.  Above, from top, clockwise: Lilac (inks and stencils), Roundabout (photos I took at a Christmas market), Kaleidoscope (inks and stencils).

Pond (watercolours and stamps), Record Player (royalty free image from unsplash, stamps and die cut records), Cupcake (stencil, inks and watercolours) and Tropical (inks, die cuts and a piece cut from a paper pad).

I'll post the rest together - the challenge finishes this Saturday.