Start of a "real" art journal!

I finally did it. I started a "real" art journal.

Not that I didn't have any journals before. I have several actually. But I use them mostly to sketch or work things out. Sometimes I paint in them, but usually when it comes to painting I grab a canvas.

But I was always admiring other people's journals. The colors, the looseness, ... And I wanted it for myself. Just didn't know how to start. Until the 29 faces challenge in May. I was fascinated by the journal pages of Courtney, who made an art journal of an old book. And then I discovered Orli Avineri, and became even more eager to try it myself. And last but not least, I went to the papercraftshow in Brisbane, and saw Jane Davenport. She had her gorgeous journals spread out on her table for us to look through, and oh my, I was almost literally drooling over it.

So I went to a thriftshop, bought an old book with a hardback cover and googled how to turn it into an art journal. I took some pages out, glued some pages together and put some collage in it.

Then what?

I had no clue how to start. Tried putting gesso on some pages, tried drawing with a paintbrush, tried to loosen up and just paint a face, which I quickly covered with gesso again. I even ended up putting the book back on the shelf.

I must say that art journaling is way more difficult than it looks ...

But last night I flipped through the pages again, and decided to MAKE something. ANYthing. Loosen up.
On one page there was a collage of a little body, so I just put a face on top of it. And went from there.

It's by no means anywhere near the quality of the 3 people I just mentioned. But at least I had fun. And didn't feel like throwing the thing in the bin anymore.

So who knows? I might become a "real" artjournaler.

Here's my first page. Don't know whether it's finished, but for now it'll have to do.

Played around with ink in an old-fashioned pen. That was fun! You can make really fine lines with it. Bit more difficult to handle than markers, but I'll definitely try some more with it.

And here's a sneak peek of my box ....

Tomorrow it's summer of color-time again. This week the color is Baseball Nut ...

Thanks for taking a look! So nice to have you here :-)