Journaling is a great way to learn about yourself. It doesn't matter whether you do it in a notebook, online, in a blank journal, with words or pictures, just do it! I encourage everyone to keep a book, glue stick/tape and pen/pencil with them all the time. If you are uncomfortable writing your feelings down on paper, make lists, write about your day or a childhood memory. Start a collection of images from magazines that appeal to you. You may see a common theme after awhile (i.e shoes, bikes, purple flowers...). This is your visual vocabulary. Think about what those images say to you. Do they represent adventure, a favorite place or person, or do they just make you smile (that is OK too). Including receipts, maps, ticket stubs make your journal more interesting and instantly bring you back to events and moments in time. Have fun!
The journal pages above were done at work during my lunch hour. I had painted the backgrounds previously in my studio (great way to use up paint leftover from other artwork). I grabbed a few scraps from my collection like the old photo and scrapbook papers, on my way out the door without much thought. The words were from a yoga brochure, the bird image from a wine bottle label (not consumed during lunch!) and the flowers were from junk mail. I often use fabric, lace and buttons in my collages. That is an actual piece of a doily saved from another project that appears over the photo. So what was my thought process? A lot of the composition comes from repeating shapes and colors. The words are affirmations that I need to be reminded of and I thought the photo represented them. The young woman's white clothes seem to be glowing and radiant. The angle of the photo, her expression and the weathered building has a relaxed feel to it. She is centered in the doorway and the photo is centered on the page. Rubber stamping was also used as another layer and to repeat patterns.
I will be teaching a mixed media class this summer and a journaling class in the fall. Go to http://www.southcountyart.org/ for more information.
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