Friday 24 January 2014

Artjournaling from the heart

Phew, I'm back. January is almost finished, 2014 sure started off in a flash :-)

After 3 weeks on the road, I'm happy to have decent internet again.

And guess where I was last weekend ....?


Ooh, just looking at the picture makes me long to be there again..... I was in beautiful Jervis Bay, where the lovely Tracy Verdugo had organised a weekend artjournaling workshop with Orly Avineri.

I've been admiring Orly's raw emotional journaling since I discovered her book through one of the blogs I was following. It was something I longed to do myself, but had no clue how to. I've been keeping journals for years, but that's more to try out new ideas, to sketch or to make drawings for new paintings. Whenever I tried collage or something I ended up trying to make it "pretty", and got really frustrated in the process.


I was hoping to learn how to let go of that perfectionism, how to make my artjournal an outlet for what's inside me, how to use collage in a way that complements this.


I got all that and so much more out of this workshop. This wasn't really a workshop, it was an experience. And Orly has such a beautiful way of explaining everything.


Two days long we splattered paint and tea around, glued little pieces of paper that were lovingly "pre-treated" by Orly in a very unique way, made self-portraits in lots of different ways, got a lot of great tips about the use of certain materials and generally had loads of fun.


This is the first spread that I finished. Up until now I did't really like using the 2 pages, but now it really makes sense and for this journal I wouldn't want it any differently.


This is a detail of the second spread. When it was nearing the end the words of a song from Stash (a Belgian band) kept popping up in my head, so I wrote them down, although I kept most of the lyrics unreadable ....



I discovered this little figure in the pieces of collage I had there. It symbolised for me the light and the hope, even in times of great sadness.

And now I'm hooked. In the evenings I couldn't stop adding more bits and pieces and penwork. The last days were pretty frustrating because "normal life" got in the way of my yearning to paint and to play. And it'll stay like that for a few more days I'm afraid, with the new schoolyear starting next week, and a pile of administration to work through.

I'm so happy I had the chance to do this workshop. Thank you Orly for everything you taught us in such a gentle way, and thanks Tracy for bringing Orly to Australia and giving us the chance to experience this!

I'm linking this for the first time this year to Paint Party Friday. Looking forward to seeing what my favorite artists have been up to in the last weeks :-)

Wishing you all a wonderful relaxing weekend full of joy! Thanks for visiting ♥ ♥ ♥

45 comments:

  1. Great to see you around again with those wonderful journal pages! Glad you enjoyed your course, too. Valerie

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  2. As always, such inspiring work. Happy PPF

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  3. WOW ! i need this book - your work is just inspiring !

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  4. Your work is always beautiful and inspiring. I am so glad that you had a wonderful experience at your workshop and that you shared it with us. I do not journal but now you have inspired me to try again.

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  5. Beautiful art journal pages.... and sounds like an amazing weekend...lovely to see you blogging again Denise...

    Jenny ♥

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  6. Wow Denise - I really see a huge shift here. Although the style is still uniquely YOU, there is freedom and dance coming through. Can't wait to see how you continue to integrate all you experienced into your work. xo

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  7. Loving your great pages Denthe and it sounds like it was a fab weekend.
    Happy PPF, Annette x

    http://nettysartadventures.blogspot.co.uk/

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  8. Wow, I love these - the sadness page is really awesome. it is so true that there is a fear about letting our true selves out into our artwork and how we strive to make things pretty. Very thought provoking and I really love these pages!! M.x

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  9. Ohhh Denise, wat is dit mooi!! Ik ben er helemaal weg van. Hoop dat je nog meer van die pagina's gaat maken. Ik ben blij dat je er weer bent, want ik heb je toch wel een beetje gemist. :-)
    xxx Marianne

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  10. so good to see you and your art again! That sounds like such a great experience-and your art shows how inspired you are-gorgeous!

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  11. i was wondering where you were!! glad you are back. looks like you had a very productive and fun-filled time away from blogging. these paintings are great!

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  12. Denthe! How wonderful to hear from you! Your journal is powerful and deep. Expressed so beautifully!

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  13. love your latest pieces!!! well done !!!! Wishing you a warm and cozy and Happy PPF!!!

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  14. Love your work. Orly is exceptional, lucky you. But I see so clearly Denthe in what you created, wonderful. xox

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  15. These are wonderful, so full of emotion. Look forward to seein g more.

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  16. All your pages are lovely! The portraits are so strong and full of emotion!

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  17. Sounds like you had a great experience and the fruits of it are very full of emotion

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  18. Your pages look brilliant and vibrant. The workshop sounds like a very good place to be, exactly the right thing for you at this moment. I'd love to do "real" art journaling and not just sketching and trying something out in my journals.

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  19. The workshop sounds fascinating. Looks like you got a lot from it. Love the colors.

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  20. Welcome back. What a great way to spend a vacation, learning new art techniques! Who needs Paris or a tropical vacation when you can have a vacation making art, right? Happy journaling!

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  21. Wow! You have made some wonderful art on your workshop. What a fantastic opportunity! Funny thing... I was thinking about taking Tracy's 'sacred Marks' workshop when she comes to Brisbane this year!! What a great was to start the year :)

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  22. Love the pages you have done!!! I need to do a class like this :) The books are nice but I so much better in the hands on classes...

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  23. Wow sounds like this was a great time for you. Your art is always full of meaning and depth but this week I do see a change. These pieces show case you. The you that is full of life. I really love all of them.
    Well Done
    Nicole/Beadwright

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  24. Your art is so impressive. Seems like you got a lot out of the workshop. Happy PPF

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  25. wonderful Denise, so much feeling in your journal, there's always so much to learn and appreciate with art and yours is stunning!

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  26. wow prachtige kleurrijke creaties, mooie quotes ook!
    Groetjes Karin

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  27. Oh you've been so busy journaling and what fun! Wonderful bright pieces here, so very expressive!

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  28. What you have achieved on Orly's course is breathtaking, and what is so good is that although you are following Orly's method, every section of what you have done is so expressive of yourself, and they are full of emotion and as always your colours are wonderful. I feel very touched by your double page spread. Thank you for showing this work, somehow it has meant a lot to me … in a week that saw a very special birthday.

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  29. beautiful, deep and sensual pieces. Lovely works. congratulations!

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  30. Hello,

    your workshop experience sounds wonderful and so perfect that you got to fulfill some of your art journaling desires! It is wonderful to see your art! Welcome back!

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  31. Hi Denise,
    Thanks for your lovely comments on my blog, yes, I looked all weekend for you too, and thought the same, that you weren't there. So nice to put a face to this wonderful art of yours!, I loved also that your work looked like your style, even though following Orly's methods, these pages are full of love and are absolutely beautiful!....x

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  32. Congratulations on your successful workshop and these spreads are fantastic! Always so much life and wonderful color in your work!

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  33. It sounds wonderful! I love the pages you created - I can see the influence but they are still so YOU. AND I totally agree about trying to journal that way. I'm trying my best to push perfect away too ;) xoxo

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  34. Great pages the colours are so vibrant. Thank you for visiting my blog and for your lovely comments.

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  35. Denise what a special experience!! Lucky you and the pages are so amazing. Some how your style always shines through the amazing work!! Such a beautiful and powerful rumi message!! Also the lyrics work as a wonderful comfort!! Big Hugs!

    Giggles

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  36. What a wonderful experience and your new art is amazing!! HPPF!

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  37. sounds like you have had amazing fun and such a creative experience, I can see your enthusiasm shining through in your double page spread.

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  38. I am feeling your excitement and desire to keep journalling! I have yet to do much of this kind of work as I find it a bit intimidating with all of the choices available (not that it needs to be that way). I expected the journals to be small but no, they are so big! - regular sized sketch books! I love that! Being a perfectionist myself, ( as most of us creatives are) I too, have a difficult time letting that go of things being just right or a certain way.

    Your work is always sooo lovely! It seems like you are going on a journey, rooting out/clearing out some stuff from the soul. Your little girl, to me, is full of strength and a great companion along your journey.

    I have always loved the lettering style you use and the white for the letters. I have purchased white poster paint in the past as well as marker but just can't seem to make it show up unless I use acrylic - what do you use??

    Wonderful! xx

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    1. Thanks so much :-) My favorites are the acrylic markers from Posca. Very opaque, and they last long. I have a Sharpie waterbased marker too, and although I didn't like it so much in the beginning (it "spits" sometimes ...) I'm now used to it, and that white is also very opaque.

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  39. Art journaling is so freeing, isn't it? I'm so glad you enjoy it. It's important to do art just for ourselves now and then. :)

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  40. I am so glad you are learning outside the box. Your work is stunning. Yep, Life happens while you are planning something else. . . Always! Blessings, Janet PPF

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