The Artists' Craft - Art Journaling
- Kaaren Poole
- Jun 9
- 4 min read
Inspired by an on-line, self-paced class from Laly Mille, I’ve been working on this art journal spread. In Laly’s class, we were to create a series of four small (5” x 5”) mixed media pieces working with “flower doodles” and collage, but I decided to create a journal spread instead.
Laly’s teaching was clear, encouraging, and inspiring, but I found this piece very challenging. It wasn’t that any of the techniques were difficult or unfamiliar. It just felt that I got off on the wrong foot—and stayed there!
Nonetheless, I persevered, believing that there’s always something to lean, even—or maybe mostly—in failures. Here’s the finished piece.
Get Started by Drawing Flower Doodles
Following Laly's process, I began by creating flower doodles and then ripped the doodles out for collage images. I also collected magazine clippings, old book pages, and other found and painted elements that would coordinate with each other and the doodles. This gathering and creating of elements is basic to the artists' craft of mixed media art journaling.
Then it was time to select the images I would use and arrange them on the spread. The image below shows the first collage layer.
But Already There's a Problem
Although I found some clippings to accompany the flowers, it felt all wrong from the beginning. I didn’t like the flowers at all! Working with water-soluble pencil over old, yellowed-with-age book pages, the effect was drab and heavy—not at all like flowers.
To make things worse, before I began the collage, I prepared the background with colors that my flower doodles suggested. But those colors were destined to be as drab as the flowers themselves, leading me further down the wrong path.
I Tried Adding Elements
I added some collaged green leaves hoping to introduce a more cheerful color. Also, I added the five round dark circles to balance the color/value of the clipping behind the lily drawing on the left side of the page. The brown dried leaf had been sitting on my worktable for a while, so I just decided to add it, I guess because the color fit and leaves go with flowers!
But the whole thing just looked awful. I think of flowers as delicate and colorful. Instead, I had thickly drawn shapes resembling flowers and neutral, rather unhappy colors. Yuck! I let it sit overnight, hoping that fresh morning eyes would suggest a way forward.
Then Focused on Value and Detail, an important part of the artists' craft of art journaling
The next day, my first change was to warm up the background with light applications of pink and peach water-soluble crayon. I realized the brown leaf didn’t work and so painted over it.
When I’m in doubt—as I definitely was at this stage—I did what I often do: add more detail!
To brighten things up, I added white, white, and even more white to the flowers and then a very few, very subtle tints on some of the petals. Burgundy stamens added a bit of both color and punch to the lilies.
I used dark blue paint to paint behind the lily and bud, then more paint to add detail to the pattern in the dark blue clipping. I also extended those patterns beyond the clipping and over the background here and there. (This is one of my favorite techniques.) I emphasized the birds with both pen and paint. As for the green leaves, water soluble crayons and pen work added both detail and color variety. With a little paint, the dark blue circles became vague flower shapes. Spatters often have something to add, so I put them in, both dark and light.
A charming little bird appeared, standing on the three dark blue flowers. And a few light rust colored leaves found their way to the bottom right and upper left sides of the spread.
All these additions expanded and warmed the color palette. But it still didn’t say “floral” to me.
A Final Assessment and I'm Satisfied
Maybe it’s just floral in a way that I didn’t anticipate. A few days have passed now, and as I look at the piece from a little more distance in time, it seems to have a hint of an Asian style. And the colors fit with that.
Looking back on the process, I now see that the very first steps set me on a course that was incompatible with my concept of florals. But I carried on and, in the end, found something I rather like. It’s this detail, which could perhaps be further cropped for a greeting card or a small, framed piece.
The Last Word
It’s important to remember that an art journal isn’t for creating masterpieces. It’s for experimenting, exploring, playing, and learning things through both success and disappointment. And it’s also a lasting record of one’s personal art journey. With that in mind, I’d have to say “mission accomplished.” After all.
More From Me to You
I publish a weekly email newsletter, An Artful Path, which contains brief articles on art, animals, writing, the garden, and musings on life. You can subscribe on the home page of my website (just click the button below and scroll to the bottom of the page). Don't forget to claim your thank you gift for subscribing - access to my private web page with free goodies for subscribers only. And while you're on my website, www.KaarenPoole.com, take a look around!
Your email address is safe with me. I don't share that information with anyone! And you can unsubscribe at any time.
Comments