Art journal

Art journal pages in progress....  

Art Journal

I didn't know what paints I had so this was a way to remind me of what I have.

Homemade Gesso

I made gesso when I worked on my holiday snowman.  It worked great.  I decided to use my vintage journal as my art journal.  It's best to paint with gesso.  I was out of gesso and decided to make my own.

I used equal parts white glue and drywall compound and added white paint.  It seem thick but translucent.  It was gritty and not as smooth as I wanted.

Today I did some research on gesso recipes and found a different one. 

One part plaster of paris (1/2 cup)

One part white glue.  (1/2 cup)

Two parts white paint.  (1 cup)

The recipe.  It needs to be stored in an air tight container.

Not a very good photo of the gesso painted page.  It went on smoother and less grainy.  I think next batch I make i will mix a little water in with the plaster of paris to get the powder wet.  I noticed the powder left grains but once I painted it over and it smooth out in a nice coverage.  I liked this gesso recipe for painting.  It wasn't as translucent as the other recipe and it wasn't as thick.  I'll have to see how it is to paint on.

Art Journals

I had signed up for an art journal online class a month or so ago.  Yesterday I finally sat down and began the class.  I loved it!  I was reminded why I love mix medial art and art journals.  It's a way to use up all those cool pieces of paper and different paint mediums.  I didn't want to use a "journal book" so I dug through my vintage ledgers and found the perfect one.  Not a lot of pages and no writing in it.  I think who ever found it before me ripped out the ledger pages that were used.  I can't blame them since the handwriting was probably awesome.  

In my class she recommends painting the pages with white gesso to give all the paints and papers a good base to adhere to.  I didn't have any gesso so I made some.  

Painting gesso on the pages.

In the class she used various papers and images to glue on to the pages after the gesso layer.  I didn't have any gel medium either! I'm not a fan of mod podge, which I could of use. So on her next video she used oil pastels and pencils.  Here's my page and once I get some gel medium I'll add images.  Once process she used was taking tracing paper and tracing a sketch of the image and gluing it to the page to use as the basis of the painting.  Real cool method.   I have an idea to use a photo of my mom and her friends when she was young  with the tracing paper.  Another idea she gave was to use a color pallet you don't use too often.  I'm drawn to blues so I may challenge myself to oranges and pinks.

This is the pages so far.  I can't wait to add my images and papers!

Valentine's Day wishes

Normally I make Valentine treats for my little friends.  I have no idea where the time went and I have not made one Valentine theme craft, cookies, etc. and tomorrow is Valentine's Day!  Here's some Valentine stuff I like and will make another time.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY TO ALL OF  YOU!