Art Journaling on a Road Trip

One of things I love is being a passenger on a road trip. It's the perfect opportunity to add bits and pieces to my art journal. 

I have a fully stocked art bag for road trips which includes a little bit of my main mixed media favs. Then I add something fresh for each trip; usually a new medium or gadget to experiment with. For this trip from TX to AZ for my father-in-law's 90th birthday family celebration rendezvous I brought a stack of new stencils I purchased recently from the Artist Cellar. Cool variety and easy to add here and there to journal pages in progress. 

With the stenciled theme "gratitude" added I did some stacked journaling (writing on top of writing) of what I am currently grateful for. 

Stacked Journalng on a Mission Trip

Messy handwriting looks FAB with stacked journaling.

The art technique called "stacked journaling" is an excellent tool for journaling on a mission trip. The technique is writing on top of writing with the point to dump out feelings and emotions and experiences that you don't necessarily need (or want) to re-read later. The tools required can be very simple (i.e., watercolors and pencils or markers) or every elaborate (i.e., incorporating virtually any and all media). We used stacked journaling as a team debrief after a particularly hectic day in the mission field. There is no need for "show and tell" as the art is meant to be self-expression of the moment, day, event, or place.

Layers and layers of neat and tidy writing also works well.

No rules with stacked journaling...just write on top of writing on top of writing.

Team art journaling after a day in the mission field.

So Many Children Locked Up: A Reflection from Inside a Detention Center

It is important to slow down and art-it-out following an experience of any spiritual or emotional or physical intensity. I often zoom on with the next project, event, activity without slowing down. Art is my reminder of the necessity to slow down. I don't think it matters what the art is; or even what the end product looks like. It is the journey of doing the art itself which is the point of healing and wholeness. I often don't do art when my spirit needs me to do art. And yet, every time I do bracket out the time and dump my heart onto a journal page I am so glad I invested the time in doing art. Each mark on the journal page brings healing. Here: too many children (and moms) are being held behind locked walls in so-called detention centers (jail) for immigrants seeking asylum from violence in their homelands. It is very much jail for families, and it is appalling to see so many children (250-300) behind locked walls.

Simple mark-making with a mini stamp pad.

The background is a "reject" practice page done by a friend's mother.

A quick journaling; dumping out my experience of ministry inside a detention center.

Ver-Actuar-Azucar (see, discern, act) is an easy process for reflection.

Symbols: Peace sign & cross represent the two styles of earrings the women made.

Screened in. Behind bars. Women & children in a detention center.

Six tables with four chairs each for the women making jewelry.

World Travelers 1978 to 2014

 When I was going through a box of love letters from the year we courted while stationed 1200 miles apart (my husband USCG in NYC and myself USN in Memphis) I collated the letters with some of our old photographs. The theme for this page is the many countries and states that we've visited from our introduction in Indianapolis in 1978 to the present. I used stacked journaling to write the names of the key states and countries where we have lived or traveled to together. The background is one letter that Mike wrote me on the backside of a print of the USCG icebreaker cutter that he had been stationed on just prior to when we met. I kept thinking how stunning it was (is) the many places that we have lived and traveled...something that we could not and did not anticipate when we met in 1978. I was in Mexico with limited art supplies when I did this reflection. I had used clear gesso on the photos so that I could work over the images, but the clear gesso wasn't quite as "clear" as I had expected and it make the pictures look muddy. Upon return home I used lacquer thinner to remove the clear gesso from the photos. I removed some of the words but it also brightened the page which was my intent.

The purpose of the reflection was to remember and to celebrate the many places we have lived and traveled and to appreciate the the richness this has woven through our marriage.

With This Ring I Thee Wed Anniversary Mixed Media Collage

While I was on R&R for our 35th wedding anniversary I created several art journal entries of memories based upon (re)reading the love letters of our first year of dating/courting while we lived 1,200 miles apart (Memphis to NYC). As I re-read the letters, I more-or-less collated them on my journal pages based upon common (topic) theme. This page gradually evolved as bits and pieces related to preparation for the wedding itself. It includes snippets of letters from my (than) finance as well as from my mother as the wedding plans evolved. The letters became the background to the page, and the words and art were inspired/added based upon the letters. Overall, the theme is preparation for the wedding day...35 years ago.

A fun technique is to outline simple shapes with white glue (AKA Elmer's Glue) and let it harden overnight. I used this technique to outline the wedding cake which I had originally planned to tear off the page of a novel that was sitting in the "re-circulation" basket at the pool. I'd begun working on this journal page when I saw the cover art of this book. At first I thought, "decoupage" and then I decided to imitate the concept by drawing an outline of the cake with glue. I repeated the same concept with the interlocking wedding rings. I like to title the page with something bold that says what I've been "hearing" during the art and reflecting. I used simple two layers of stacked journaling to write "And the two shall become one," and then "With this ring I thee wed." The stamped imprint of "friend" on the lower right portion of the page captures the essence of the relationship and the reason for the wedding ceremony.

It takes over-night for the white glue to dry.

The double-rings are emphasized by the 3-D from the white clue over the marker.

White glue adds a very cool 3-D effect/

The novel cover artwork on the left inspired my "white glue" 3-D art on the right.

Preaching Prep Experiment

After attending a workshop on preaching, I gave myself a self-assignment to intentionally experiment with my preaching preparation and "performance" style(s). Immediately following the workshop I used a journal page to identify specific resources that I could use during the next few months for my "continuing ed" on preaching. Some portions of the homework assignment were open-ended as I asked myself to remain open to the muse of preaching prep. After several months I went back and wrote on top of the original layout what I had learned about the experience in experimenting with preaching prep and presentation. Tip: Sharpie oil-based markers are excellent for writing the "top layer" as they easily mark on top of most surfaces.

Artsy Theology Workshop Feedback

After a day-long workshop on integrating theological reflection with mixed media art, the participants listed the following as key ways they will incorporate the material in their ministries:

·         Have youth paint scripture (being read) ahead of time—bring it in during the reading of the Word during worship

·         Journal to remember quotes

·         Write down weekly reflections—Hospice chaplain sharing weekly moments to staff

·         Stacked journaling as relaxing for therapy; also excellent for a “dump sheet” for individuals & staff

·         Mental illness—artsy theology to help the mentally ill process their thoughts

·         Hand map—use it for blessings of one’s gift/call

·         Add “artsy theology” to an existing arts & crafts group for fun & fellowship

·         Labyrinth (image transfer w/the smelly stuff—it was a HUGE HIT)—personal devotion and prayer

·         Art journaling as brainstorming for sermon prep

·         Communion workshop—use the block prints or the collage as part of the workshop

·         Global mission—make prayer flags for next year’s mission trip to Panama

·         Clergy retreats—assist with “processing” life

·         Staff journaling

·         Writing your life story—add elements of art

·         Incorporate artsy theology in existing church groups (“Celebrate You”0

·         Create a “gratitude” collage

·         Incorporate the art technique of “Subtracting text” with praying the newspaper

 

Have the children’s choir prepare a large board and let them decorate it ahead with art/reflection—bring out during singing/children’s choir performance

Gratitude Graffiti

 Sharpie oil-based markers are fun to use on pages covered with black gesso. The markers make the colors POP with vibrancy on the black page. Sparked by the exposed words on a previously black-gesso-coated page, I used the bright markers to do stacked journaling (writing on top of writing) to write my rejoice and be glad gratitude list. The symbols of the sacraments of the Protestant Church -Holy Communion and Baptism-are made with custom block imprints. The chalice and bread symbolize Communion, and the shell symbolized baptism.

VBS 'Dump Sheet'

Doing a "dump sheet" in your art journal is a quick way to jot down key moments you want to remember about a particular event or activity. Here I used four colors of pilot markers to write down the positive points of our week-long vacation Bible school. The journal page is in an altered book which was layered with white gesso and then spritzed with the fabric sprays we had used in one of the VBS activities. The simple layout also includes the group photo from VBS and my name badge. I used the block print from the t-shirts we had made at VBS to imprint the theme design with orange acrylic paint across the center of the journal page. The stacked journaling words describe the experiences of the week. Every time I flip through my journal it will be a reminder of the love and joy and fun and community of this this special week.

Mixed Media Stacked Journaling Dump Sheet

Ever have a bad day? Get talked into doing something you really, really, really, REALLY wish you had never agreed to do? I created a mixed media stacked journaling "dump sheet" to do some creative venting and to emblaze upon my heart, mind, and soul that the answer next time is NO THANK YOU. I didn't

Step 1: choose a journal page and dump how you feel.

Step 2: add more layers of dumping; here stencil with crayon.

I was in a dark mood so I chose pages with black gesso and the exposed words "be loving and gracious when we'd rather not" because these words reflected why I thought I agreed in the first place. After the layers of mixed media stacked journaling which included crayon and water color, acrylic and printed portions the project I was lamenting doing, and Pilot markers with the insights gained about myself during the process of reflection, I added a border edge of lessons learned and glued on the take home message that I want to remember: "This will change you forever." In other words: What began as unhappy venting ends on the upbeat message of the lesson learned from the experience.

Step 3: add layers of words on top of words, gradually including "lessons learned."

Stacked Journaling as Sermon Preparation

During the course of Reading the Bible in 90 Days and fast-forwarding through I & II Kings and I & II Chronicles in the Old Testament during one week of reading, there was so much information to process and ultimately distill for a Sunday morning sermon that I opted to break it down in layers of "stacked journaling" (an art technique advocated by mixed media artist Judi Hurwitt). The readings covered the sweeping history of the various kings of the Israelites from King David until the exile to Babylon. It was a lot of material to read and process for just one sermon, but I was struck by one sentence in II Chronicles 20:15:

"Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army, for the battle is not yours but God's." For the art reflection, I chose previously prepped pages with the exposed words "Remain in me, as I remain in you" because it is a New Testament verse that complements the verse in II Chronicles. I began by writing the verse from Chronicles 20:15 in large letters. Next I added words in stamped letters diagonally up from the bottom. These represented my current "battles."

 I was struck by the common theme of the "bad kings" vs. the "good kings" covered over the 112 chapters of scripture. Essentially, the kings were measured by whether or not they led the people to live according to the Shema in Deuteronomy 6:4 ("Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD in one...."). I switched to silver ink for stamped words expressing the Shema and purple ink to contrast covenant faithfulness as expressed in Deuteronomy with the New Covenant in the Gospel of Luke 22:20. Identifying key themes and their appropriate scriptures became a springboard for preaching and teaching a massive amount of scripture for a 20-minute message. Next, I opened my sermon journal and expanded on the key themes from the stacked journaling reflection, organized the order of texts to include for the sermon, a noted a few key thoughts for the closing comments.

Peace: Beauty of Baja

Memories can slip away unless we slow down and name them through art and/or journaling. I had the unexpected blessing of spending a week with my (new) daughter-in-law when she joined our mission trip to Mexico. I wrote down the key words and phrases that described our time together. We share purple as our favorite color, so I used that as the theme color for the background, words, and flowers made out of encaustics which represent the beauty of the Baja plus the beautiful time we spent together.  I chose exposed words from a previously painted with white gesso page which also expressed the joy of our growing relationship.

I also included scrapbook items from the trip: a map a few phrases torn from tourist publications, and a snapshot of us together. I toned down the brightness of the words and encaustic flowers on the two pages (left) with a layer of pearl acrylic glaze over all (below). I wanted to choose one key word that expressed my experience-one BOLD TYPE word that summed up the time spent with my daughter-in-law. I painted PEACE with three layers of acrylic glaze, using an increasingly slightly wider flat brush. The finished journal page isn't about "art" or "theology" but about a beautiful (growing) relationship. It is encouraging to experience the presence of the peace of God in relationship, which is what this reflection names: PEACE.