Memento Mori
- Kaaren Poole
- Sep 15
- 4 min read
I’ve had an art journal project in mind for quite a while and last week I finally got to it. It’s a three-part video series about creating an art journal spread from images chosen from a single issue of a favorite magazine.
A Magazine as the Starting Point
As I’ve mined magazines over the years, adding to my collection of image clippings, it’s occurred to me more than once that all the images in the magazine—though not necessarily counting advertisements— tend to have things in common. The magazine content itself caters to a certain interest. The time of year the issue comes out suggests a color scheme and a mood. The magazine also has its brand—elements of style by which it is identified.
So it seemed that beginning an art journal spread (or other mixed media piece) with a collection of images from a single magazine issue would provide cohesion from the very beginning! A bonus, for sure.
The magazine I chose to work from is Victoria, which describes itself this way:
“Victoria, a bi-monthly women’s lifestyle magazine, is created for all who love heritage linens, charming homes, gracious gardens, traveling the world, and all that is beautiful in life, promising a return to loveliness.”
One impediment to this project was that I’ve been reluctant to cut up my precious Victoria magazines. But I chose the latest one and took the plunge!
Selecting the Images
My first step was to review the issue, marking images which particularly appealed to me. As I went through the issue a second time cutting out images and bits of text, I found that I saw more than I’d seen the first time, as I began my second time through with an idea of what was there.
The images I cut out suggested a dominant color, orange, which I originally resisted. But that could be finalized later and modified with paint, colored pencil, or other media.
Working with those images, I began experimenting with layouts. As I was doing this, I was trying to discover a meaning, a theme which would unite the piece on a higher level than simply visual. “Memento Mori,” perhaps strangely, was what came to mind. After more thought, I wrote some text on the subject and planned to use it in the spread.
And Then a Theme - Memento Mori
Perhaps I should explain how I moved from these images to this theme. Memento Mori is an object which reminds us of the inevitability of death and suggests we prepare for it spiritually. A skull is a frequently used example.
I’d been watching several shows about the medieval period in England, and with that in mind, the image of the young woman in the raincoat jumped out at me, visually reminding me of monks and nuns. There were several images of really old buildings, suggesting the time period so often associated with monasticism. And on the second pass through the magazine, I noticed the little bit with the cross.
My initial placement of the main images seemed to fall into three columns, with the woman in the middle, looking to the right. And I saw that the arrangement could represent transition, the transition from autumn to winter, along with what those seasons symbolize.
The text I wrote expanded on this:
“Then, and now. Now, and as long as our sun is a star and the earth moves round it, the harvest peaks in fullness and soon the deep sleep will come, a sleep which renews the world. And so the cycle repeats, the wheel rolls on. Memento Mori. For along the way, we each find our point of departure. Our task is to find it good.”
Building the Spread, Bit by Bit
From there, It was the familiar process of trying something, evaluating it, changing it if necessary, then repeating the cycle over and over again. This is a way of letting the piece speak for itself—knowing that I can’t plan the entire spread ahead of time, but letting it grow bit by bit. (Planners, this may not be for you! Or, it might be a fun, fresh, challenging, revealing exercise. Take your pick!)
I’m really glad I created this piece and made this video. And rather than write more about the process here, I’ll just refer you to my YouTube channel. Here’s the link directly to the playlist for this project.
The three videos are 43, 30, and 32 minutes, respectively. I would be honored if you choose to view them, and delighted if you were to enjoy them. And as you watch, please keep in mind that I’m presenting a method rather than a specific project, with the intention that you can use this method to create a piece that’s uniquely yours.
I recently started a YouTube channel and there are several videos there about art journaling, as well as art project videos. You can access my channel by clicking the button below. Why not check it out? And if you like what you see, please subscribe. Subscribing is free and helps my videos get found.
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