Index of Ideas

An index on the last two pages of an art journal helps ID themes & reflections.

 In one of my nearly completed altered book journals I tend to flip the pages back-and-forth looking for particular pages. While I was a passenger on a long road trip, I decided to make an index of ideas on the last two pages of the journal. First I used a post-it note on each page to give it a number and ID the main art themes. Then I took the total number of double-page-spreads (38) and divided that number by four to make columns. To ensure I saved the appropriate space for each index entry, I put a piece of washi tape for each position (plain masking tape would work also; but I used what I had on the road trip). With the spaces saved/masked, I sponge painted the background with watercolors on top of the previously laid down white gesso. Then I took each post-it note and wrote the page heading and materials & techniques used. Now I have an easy reference page to locate whatever art/reflection entry I'm looking for.

The washi tape "masks" out the space below.

The completed index.

Detail of the completed index.