Today: Get Messy Art Journal | Blog Hop
The first season of the Get Messy Art Journal program is wrapping up, so I’ve been catching up on missed prompts and pages before the next season starts.
I love all the mess um… character my sketch book has developed over the past six weeks.
Recent Get Messy posts:
- Get Messy Art Journal | Weeks 1 + 2
- Get Messy Art Journal | Weeks 3 + 4
- Get Messy Art Journal | Weeks 5 + 6
New pages
This week there are no new prompts to tackle, so I’m sharing a few pages (as well as some previously shared favorites) I worked on lately while playing catch up, as well as links to fellow Get Messy members’ pages for added inspiration.
Materials used: Black tempera paint, pink washi tape, a magazine clipping, watercolors and a nearly dead Sharpie.
This was my take on the 5 Love Languages prompt. I had never heard of this before, but after taking the quiz, it seems I am all about words. And I hate gifts (bahshashdhahdha). I picked up a set of Crayola tempera paint for another project (bubble painting!) and couldn’t resist throwing a bit of black down on these pages. I tried to follow this tutorial for plastic bag printmaking from Alisa Burke… but halfway through Grace dropped an entire bowl of peas on Clark’s head. So. That didn’t really pan out. Nevertheless, I like how those inky smudges turned out.
Oh, and I had by sketchbook upside down when I was working on these pages. By accident. Not in some irreverent, artsy way. Can’t win ’em all.
That semi-go-with-the-flow-ness? That’s new. And it’s good. It’s probably the most valuable lesson I’ve learned during this first season — that creating something is better than creating nothing. And that perfectionism can be a real barrier to art making. And, like… life in general.
Materials used: Red paint pen from Blick (a freebie during one of their sales), bubble wrap with black and pink ink, white gesso (which got all mixed up with the black ink when I dragged it across the page with some cardboard), washi tape, pre-cut watercolor paper, black ink spray, black Micron, magazine clippings and… even more pink ink.
Clearly, I was on a pink kick. I really like the ink splatter on the right hand side (I used a straw the expedite the splattering/dripping process) and had fun experimenting with layers and starting with pre-made (by myself, like a day or two before) backgrounds.
Materials used: Strips of scrapbook paper from a Studio Calico kit, grey watercolor and and a grey sign pen, yellow and gold watercolors and a set of alphabet stamps from the Target Dollar Spot (that special, special place), and half a random envelope.
I love secret hiding places (in our future home, there will be a secret door covered with a old timey looking bookshelf) and tucked little love notes to Nick and Grace in the envelope. This has been a year of soul searching and prioritizing and making tough but good decisions.
I’m still working on finding a balance between crap everywhere and sufficient white space. I think it’s the claustrophobic in me, but I crave lots of white space… but I also crave an end product that looks like I actually made an effort.
Materials used: Faber Castel Pitt pen, blue watercolors with a waterbrush, magazine clippings… AND LAMINATED GLITTER (can’t stop, won’t stop).
This is my favorite of the four pages. And not just because of the glitter. But that helps. I’ve had that quote kicking around for ages (it’s from an old issue of Yoga Journal, I think), but this page felt like the perfect place for it to land. On the surface, it’s kind of depressing… but I think it’s also really empowering. When you find your place, you know. Stick with it, my friends. Anyway, the quote is:
Each of us feels some aspect of the world’s suffering acutely. And we must pay attention. We must act. This little corner of the world is ours to transform. This little corner of the world is ours to save.
–Stephen Cope, from The Great Work of Your Life
While the subject matter this week isn’t exactly light and fluffy, I’ve been all about playing. Playing with new materials, playing with new techniques, and playing with new messes all over our condo.
A few favorites from the Get Messy Art Journal Season of Love
But wait… there’s more…
Get Messy Art Journal | Blog Hop
I’ve loved learning new techniques and really appreciated the motivation that comes with weekly prompts. Best of all, though, is the community of members. My favorite thing to do lately is scroll through all the #getmessyartjournal Instagram posts and swoon over what everyone else is creating.
For more Get Messy Art Journal pages and all kinds of inspiration…. hop on over to the following blogs:
Also On Tap for Today:
- Making a spring bucket list… and a spring cleaning list
- Yes, please: Key lime pie on a stick from The Kitchn
- My bracket is official busted
What’s on your must list for your amazing, imaginary dream home?
Comments (10)
Caylee
March 26, 2015 at 5:25 am
Thanks for linking that plastic bag tutorial. It makes me want to play, and I love the way you did it.
Your own lessons ring true for me too. It makes me so happy to know I’m not the only one.
Your pages are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Caylee recently posted…Get Messy Art Journal Blog Hop | The Number One Reason I Love Art Journaling
Delaney
March 26, 2015 at 8:28 am
I’m all about the words too – that page is my favourite! And what a great quote! 🙂
Delaney recently posted…Get Messy Art Journal Blog Hop
Sarafree
March 26, 2015 at 10:41 am
Your pages are great! I love the one with bright pink and the black. I’m going to check out that tutorial too. I’m always up for trying a new technique!
Kimberlee
March 26, 2015 at 12:56 pm
I love how you incorporate magazines and paint together in so many different ways. Fun!
Kimberlee recently posted…Get Messy Art Journal Blog Hop
Lauren
March 26, 2015 at 3:26 pm
I’m glad I came to check out your blog hop group, you’re pages are amazing! Your style is awesome, I especially love your ‘new obsession’ page.
Lauren recently posted…Get Messy Art Journal Blog Hop
Vanessa Oliver-lloyd
March 26, 2015 at 7:50 pm
Huge art journaling crush right now. I love that first shot of your journal! Thank you for explaining your process for each spread. I have to say that that shade of pink is my jam!
Vanessa Oliver-lloyd recently posted…Get Messy Art Journal Blog Hop!
Cassandra
March 26, 2015 at 8:48 pm
Elizabeth, Your semi-go-with-the-flowness looks good on you. Great variety in your pages and wow!… way to go getting so many completed. Thanks for your candid, real life happens post and your humourous take on it and sharing the tutorial link. Very refreshing!:)
Anna
March 26, 2015 at 11:20 pm
Oh my gosh, your pages are just gorgeous. The 5 love languages is so cool and evocative- I think the printing looks like a cross between a silhouette and an ink blot test. But my absolute favorite is your “I don’t want it all” page – it took my breath away a bit. I am still figuring out my life and career and I so want to get to that point where I know which parts of “it all” I actually want. Incredibly inspiring.
Anna recently posted…Get Messy Art Journal Blog Hop
cait
March 27, 2015 at 11:51 am
i especially love the paint and the pile of glitter!!!
Dawn
March 27, 2015 at 2:33 pm
I LOVE the very last page the most. so simple and so powerful.
Dawn recently posted…Get Messy Art Journal Blog Hop