Art Journaling

I needed a change of pace so I went to my art journals. I got carried away with this one and went crazy with color. The paint was flying in the studio as the colors exploded off the pages. I think I had more paint on me than in my journal😂

I added some wording to each page and it was just really good medicine, exactly what I needed. That’s the beauty of journaling, it doesn’t need to be neat or pretty. It can be a total explosion of color. It can be anything you want it to be!

So if you find you have some time over the holidays, take a much needed break and just have some fun. You’ll be less stressed and much happier for it!!

Hope you enjoyed this post, thanks for stopping by!!

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“Color! What a deep and mysterious language, the language of dreams.” ~Paul Gauguin

Inchies

I needed to take a little break so I made a few inchies. Creating these mini pieces of art is the perfect way to destress and unwind. And for some unknown reason, I find drawing the tiny little circles very calming😊

I like to paint a handful of inchies in advance so they’re completely dry and ready to use when I feel the need. I store them on my desk in a handmade ceramic bowl. The designs were made using a Sakura Micron Pen and of course I couldn’t resist adding some glitter✨

How do you destress and unwind?

Hope this inspires you to create art this weekend, thanks for stopping by!!

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Simple Art Journaling

Just wanted to show you how easy journaling can be. I made these fun doodles in my Strathmore 5.5″ x 8″ Mixed Media Journal using nothing more than a ball point pen.

Most of you know I’m a bit of a color nut, so I prep pages in advance with splashes of watercolor paint and let them dry. Normally I’ll prep a handful of pages at a time so I have them ready to go.

Then when I’m on a trip or waiting for an appointment I just pull out my small journal and pen from my bag and let the fun begin. It’s easy, relaxing and calms the mind plus the supplies are minimal. Journaling doesn’t have to be complicated to make it enjoyable. Simple art is extremely fun and satisfying to create.

There are a lot of holiday sales coming up so make sure to buy a small journal and create some art!

Hope this inspires you in some way today!

Thanks for stopping by!!

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Handmade Little Monsters Journal – Take 2

Not sure if you saw my earlier post where I started creating a handmade little monsters journal inspired by  Margaret Peot’s book, “Inkblot”.

The idea is to create ink blots on your paper and then turn them into some type of image using your imagination. My inkblots are all weird but somewhat cute little monsters and these are my new pages. I don’t know what’s more fun, creating these little monsters or coming up with the fun names for them 😂🤣

  • Pearl and her entourage
  • Fluffy Muffins and her BFF, Jams
  • Agnus and her eclectic brood

Hope you’re enjoying these, thanks for stopping by!!

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“You have the greatest magical power within you, it’s called imagination.” ~Nitin Namdeo

Handmade Little Monsters Journal

I’m starting a new handmade journal inspired by Margaret Peot’s book, “Inkblot.” The book is suitable for all ages and it brings out the kid in all of us.

Remember when you were a kid and you used your imagination to create images in clouds that floated by in the sky? The premise behind this book is basically the same. You create ink blots on your paper and then turn them into some type of image using your imagination.

I haven’t designed covers for it or even sewn the pages together yet because I’m changing the orientation of the pages as I go. So the layout isn’t quite final. But one thing’s for sure, I can’t stop laughing at these little monsters as they come to life. When you view the pages below you’ll understand why. Hope this inspires the kid in you to be a little silly today and create some art. If you’re interested in Margaret Peot’s book, “Inkblot” it’s available on amazon. I highly recommend it!

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“The imagination is the pathway to everywhere.” ~Terence McKenna

PS – each one has a cute and fitting name 😂🤣😂

  1. Miss Bubbles
  2. Sarge
  3. Twinkle Toes
  4. Myrtle

Simplest Things Journal

Before getting back to business in the studio (and there’s lots to do), I had a bit more fun creating in my Simplest Things Journal. I’m finally getting that fall vibe going on and made this new page with splashes of fall colors. I don’t know why, but I really love the messiness of this design. It’s a bit chaotic but also calming.

I also used a few of the wildflower inchies from my stash to create several more pages. For the most part even though they don’t have a fall vibe going on, they’re dreaming they do😊 🍂🍁 My favorite flower inchie is the red one, it really pops!

Which is your favorite page?

Hope this inspires you to create art today, thanks for stopping by!!!

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“I can smell the autumn dancing in the breeze. The sweet chill of pumpkin and crisp sunburnt leaves.” ~Unknown

Simplest Things Journal

I’ve been busy with so many things that I’ve been neglecting my Simplest Things Journal. So I thought it would be a good idea to create something new and give my mind a break. The original inspiration for creating these journal pages came from Amy Maricle’s Simplest Things Challenge at Mindful Art Studios.

What I love most in creating these designs is it’s a great way to unwind and destress. You create interesting art, in a short amount of time with simple elements like lines, circles, droplets or anything else you can think of. There are no rules, just create and have fun!

I’m a huge fan of color, the more, the merrier! So for me to leave a design mostly black and white or with minimal color takes great restraint on my part. Sometimes my inner muse, you know the one who’s color crazy, wins the fight 😂

These are a few new pages in my journal. They’re similar but different.

Hope they inspire you to create art today, thanks for stopping by!!!

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“Color is a super power that directly influences the soul.” ~Wassily Kandinsky

Inchie Challenge Handmade Journal

I had an absolute blast creating the inchies for Amy Maricle’s Inchie Challenge at Mindful Art Studio. I made this 4 inch square journal for the inchies. I painted each page with coordinating watercolor paint and decorated the outside covers with pens and doodles.

This is a short video of my journal hope it inspires you to create something fun this Labor Day Weekend!

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Inchie Challenge 2023 – Part 2 Finale

I can’t believe yesterday was Day 12 and the last day of Amy Maricle’s Inchie Challenge at Mindful Art Studio.

I had such fun creating these inchies in varying sizes. I guess what I liked the most is that you’re given a starting point on what to create with the prompts given. You don’t have to burn a fuse trying to decide on “what” you’re going to create. You only need to think about the “how” part of the creation process.

Plus I love seeing everyone’s creative muse at play. There were so many wonderful designs, loved them all! Now I have to make a mini journal to put these into 😊

Hope you enjoyed this adventure in art with me, thanks for stopping by!!!

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These are my creations for the last seven days:

  • Day 6 – Knot
  • Day 7- Touching
  • Day 8 – Box
  • Day 9 – Fern
  • Day 10 – River
  • Day 11 – Art-Poem
  • Day 12 – Moon

Inchie Challenge 2023

Amy Maricle at Mindful Art Studio is hosting another Inchie Challenge. I participated last year and had so much fun I couldn’t resist joining again.

The idea is to create a small piece of art based on a prompt provided by Amy, every day, for 12 days. You should use 2×2 inch squares of paper but I already have varying sizes cut so I’m using what I have in my stash.

These are my creations for the first five days:

  • Day 1 – Frothy
  • Day 2 – Woven
  • Day 3 – Bark
  • Day 4 – Magnolia
  • Day 5 – Spill

You can still join in on the fun. Visit Amy’s website at Mindful Art Studio and click the link to join the Inchie Challenge.

You can also find Amy on Facebook and Instagram at @amymaricle

Thanks for stopping by!!!

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“Imagination is the most marvelous, miraculous, inconceivably powerful force the world has ever known.” ~Napoleon Hill