Continuing on with my previous post about how your art journal can have multiple lives, I will carry on with the history of my art journals.
This art journal has some of my favourite pages in it. It also has some of the most awkward and homely pages.
This art journal is the only one where I decorated the cover.
My first official art journal (I did have a previous kind-of art journal, more of a scrapbook of images that I liked - but as I hadn't heard of art journals, I didn't call it an art journal and so I am not counting it) was pretty much trying out the art journal stuff that was on the internet at the time. I think it was a pretty good way to start, as I didn't know what I liked to do or why I was doing it. But I do think it is interesting that I am not overly fond of this first art journal. I look at the pages and often remember the instructions I followed. Maybe this is partly why it doesn't feel intrinsically 'mine'.
My second art journal is the first one that I love. I went much bigger, from an A5 moleskine to an A4 Daler Rowney sketchbook (8" x 6" to 12" x 8"). I knew more where I wanted to go then too. This is what I wrote in my first page:
"I want to do more writing in this art journal, pages of it. And I want to write directly into it. I want it to be more RAW than my previous art journal. Messier, more spontaneous. Sloppier pages, some of them anyway. More of a work journal..."
And it was rawer, messier, less deliberate, unplanned - I rarely followed anyone's ideas for pages or prompts. I drew more. I still occasionally tried a technique that appealed to me, but often I just worked spontaneously. I think during that time I did take a few internet classes. One on making backgrounds, the teacher also gave prompts which I seldom followed. Another on stenciling - that was more exciting. But while I enjoyed stencils for a while, I lost interest as I couldn't spray or paint stencils at my computer desk.
This art journal has some of my favourite pages in it. It also has some of the most awkward and homely pages.
This art journal is the only one where I decorated the cover. 
8 comments:
it's interesting that you don't feel ownership of the journal in which someone else provided the prompts, technique ideas etc
there's a few online art tutors who have quite a following, sad thing is, everyone's work ends up looking the same
they all turn themselves inside out trying to create "pretty pages" that look like the tutor's style
what attracted me to your blog in the first place was your willingness to be unique, to 'speak' in your own visual language and not try to emulate somebody else
Fascinating to see how your journals progressed and the pages themselves are sensational.
I am enjoying this series about your journals, Zom. Thank you for sharing these beautiful pages. -sus
very nice to learn more abput your process
Kel, I think that what is important to me when I teach art journaling is that people find their own voice. Teaching is probably the wrong word, more like leading into the jungle of the self. And of course each 'self' is different.
Thanks Seth
Hi Susan and Valery, so glad you guys are liking it.
in the visual journalling workshops I have taught, my priority is that students find their own 'visual language' and use that towards making meaning - sometimes they resist at first because it's not what they expected - but when the light goes on for them, it's such a joy to have been part of helping someone on their journey of self-discovery
your students are lucky to have you as their teacher
zom, zom, i love what you do... xoxo
You have the best art journals EVER!!!
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