Rescuing an Art Journal Page

A RETURN TO

Workshop 1 Recycled Journal Pages * 

I tried the Strathmore Workshop 1 - using recycled journal pages - and I was very unhappy with my first attempt.

The colours were dark and depressing so I abandoned the page and continued on into the journal.

However, this page was the first page in the journal and it had been bothering me every time I opened the book - there was gloomy, miserable page 1, and then overleaf (actually page 3) there was a brighter page talking about inspiration.

And I was far too mean to cut the page out!



At the same time, I wanted to work on a journal prompt from my lovely art journalling group on www.atcsforall.com.

It was a quote:

"Oh, the places you will go!" from Dr.Seuss.


And suddenly I was inspired! What a great phrase to start my journal with, especially as this is the one I am using to try all the new techniques I have been learning from The Strathmore Workshops and from the journalling group.

So I used acrylic washes to lighten and brighten the page and used some black fine liner pen to emphasise some of the eyes and faces.

Then I used the black pen in a stencil to write the Seuss quote and filled it in with a white pen. I added some vintagey photos with an emphasis on eyes and looking, outlined the eyes with my black pen, then softened the effect with some thin acrylic.

Then I added a great quote I found on the internet about the future and what kind of place it is - which fits in with the Dr. Seuss quote really well - and I now have not only rescued a really horrible page, but I have an inspiring opening page for my whole journal.

Next I am using the ideas from latest Strathmore Workshop 3 to create an interesting background for a journal page 2 which I am hoping  will complement the existing page 3....