Anyhow, this is the project I looked back on. It's an art journal page I made a little over a year ago. I struggle with depression and the past few years have been pretty hard in my little mind castle. Nowhere near as hard as so many dealing with devastating circumstances, but still impactful nonetheless.
Creativity is one of those things you can't force. It has to flow from your heart to be meaningful. You can practice and practice and you can go through the motions and create something that's pretty, but without the heart and soul of the piece, it's just a shallow prettiness. Not that soul-cleansing kind of beauty that shines deeper. Not the kind that ignites your worn out soul and makes you want to create more and more. I think I'm finally getting to a place like that again, but it's taken over a year and the closing of my business to get there. Marching ever forward, my friends. Ever forward.
When I sat down to art journal this page all those moons ago, I was feeling blue. I hadn't art journaled in quite some time. I absolutely love it, and keep telling myself I should make time for it way more often! I had recently seen an acetate smooshing technique with magical powders on Instagram and decided I wanted to give it a go. I even set the camera up to record the journaling process, but my computer decided to corrupt the file when I imported it and deleted the original at the same time. Technology 1... me 0.
The pages are treated with heavy gesso and then I used a stencil and light paste for some texture. Next I sprinkled on the powders, then spritzed the acetate and blotted it on the pages, smooshing it down and adding more powders and re-applying the watery acetate until I achieved the background I wanted.
The only word that kept coming to me was hope and it made me think of this Emily Dickinson quote. So I pulled out the old Verve Hope Perches plain jane and stamped in archival ink on some pretty Prima packaging I had laying around. Next I found some feather ephemera in my stash and mixed up some of the magicals powders with water to watercolor the feathers, then also added a bit to the sentiment piece and layered them onto my page.
Next I found the word hope in an ephemera pack along with those little monochromatic chevron pieces and as luck would have it they totally matched the layout. I added them, then did a little accenting with black and white pens to incorporate them into the page. I finished with another bit of packaging that I journaled on and stamped the date.
Thanks so much for stopping by today! I hope you found a bit of inspiration here.
5 comments
Julee, beautiful work on this spread! Like many card crafters around the world I have known through the years, I too suffer from periodic depression, and like you, I find that crafting helps. Thank you for sharing your art, but more, thank you for sharing your story and putting light to a difficult to discuss subject.. You are wonderful to do it.. My father, many years deceased, used to tell me "Keep your chin up"..I remember and try to honor this.
This is beautiful and powerful. As soon as I looked at this I first felt the blue feeling and it almost engulfed me then my eyes drifted over to the "hope" and the blues turned to joy (and that was before I read what you wrote lol). I always feel like art is true art when it makes me feel something and this definitely did, I love it. Thank you for sharing and the inspiration. (mardy14@bellsouth.net)
I can totally relate Julee, on so many levels! What a blessing you have been in the crafting community with your realness and gorgeous stamps and creations. I'm relieved you're still sharing your talents, even though the shop closed. I am always in lifted spirits after seeing your amazing mind castle projects. Blues are my fave so this makes me feel calm and inspired. Blessings~
So Gorgeous!! I love the feathers!!
Hi Julie, I just discovered your blog today, while teleworking (yes, I'm cheating!) today due to coronavirus issue. I am a therapist in a jail-based treatment program for women recovering from addiction. My group LOVES art projects and they just received a new journal from the jail because even the jail has to reduce contact and movement during this time. In the past, I have provided "card kits" for them, as we are allowed to have paper, paint, glue sticks and "safety" scissors. you'd be amazed at the beautiful cards they make for their families. but today your post about Hope inspired me to come up with a project for them in their new journals. I can't wait to get started! thank you for the inspiration, and I hope you are well. thank you, and stay safe!
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