Sometimes my art journal is simple a place to experiment with new art materials and/or art techniques; other times I use it to "doodle" with ideas. Ultimately, each art journal becomes a record of my thoughts, feelings, ideas, and reflections over a given period of time. Some entries are more profound than others; some are more "artistic" than others. It is during the discipline of consistently sitting down with my journal for self-expression, listening, planning, prayer, and putting "brains on paper" that I am able to "process" what is happening in life. When I go through stretches where I do not make/take time to diddle in my art journal, I realize later that I've usually missed a piece of my life. It is the slowing down and artfully reflecting which helps me to identify, appreciate, and better understand the people, places, ideas, and activities in the too-busy-world around me.
In an altered book, I covered the right side of the page with white gesso and the left side with clear to show the crosses. I experimented with water soluble pastels (bottom layer) and oil pastels (top layer) to make the crosses on the right. Water and a cotton swab or brush easily spread the water soluble pastels. I used 99% isopropyl alcohol (available by special order at your local pharmacy) and a paint brush to spread the colors on the oil pastels.
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| Oil pastels spread with 99% isopropyl alcohol. |
A few weeks later, after doing the crosses and the basic background, I was skimming through my sermon journal and I came across notes from one of the pastors in my study group. I saw a few doodle notes from a side path we'd run down while reading the scriptures for the upcoming Sunday.It is a theme I want to revisit with the leadership team at my church-and it goes with the theme of this journal page-so I added the doodle note in this journal entry for possible future art/reflection and also to remind me that this is a conversation pending with my leadership team.
