pamgarrison

current art journals

My friend Mary Ann showed her visual journals on her blog this weekend and it made me not only want to get to work in my art journals immediately, but to share them here as well. I haven't shared art journal pages forever, but I'm always playing in them off and on. I keep all the creative projects in my life ongoing, I'm not a one thing at a time creative. 

I made these, my current art journals back in September. They are huge and delicious! The left one is sized 12x16" with a 1 1/2 inch spine and the one on the right is 11x14" and has just under 1 1/2" spine. I covered the left one with a poster from Ikea, but didn't love it, so I've been collaging on the top every now and then. The one on the right is made from an old oil painting bought at a flea market. I didn't realized it was signed until I'd cut into it. I sure hope I didn't ruin a painting by a registered artist. It looks like the name is Merle Wheeler, but it's hard to tell. 

Here are their backs. Again, the Ikea alphabet poster on the left, and a brown painted cover on the right. Man, there is nothing like a handmade journal made to your own specifications and desires. These are a bit heavy and on the too big to bring with end of the spectrum, so I have been using a couple teaching demo journals when on the go:

These are 9 3/4 x 13" and true demo books- you'll see what I mean in the photos below, a lot of experimentation. 

The backs- stickers from boxes, found washi tape and notes on color chart while taking an oil painting class. 

and as always, doodles and mark making, drawing and playing. 

My art journals are my favorite place to play and experiment. 

Testing pens, writing down quotes, lettering experiments, doodles, collage...

...line quality, different paints, color explorations...

Good old fashioned mess making! these books are not precious to anyone other than me. And to me, they are precious not because of the finished artwork (because rarely is there any finished artwork in them, but instead, special to me because of all the ideas tested and tried. Even the bad ones teach me things about my own art making and creativity. 

Anything goes on these pages. As a matter of fact, it's encouraged. 

Mmm...early in the development for my Painting Petals class. 

I love that these are documents of some of that class development process.

Some quick sketches, pattern making, color palette selecting...

More quotes and more flowers, pens and paints. 

...trying different papers and loving the experiments in paper and color they bring.

Yum! 

Found papers and colors, long time loves of mine. 

That candy box was too great to not cut out and keep! 

Mess making freedom! Just seeing these pages makes me want to take it to my son's baseball game and doodle in the color patches. 

Although I love the absence of color (white) so much, I don't leave many pages with much white. 

...and still some vintage wallpaper ends up in there somewhere. When I love something it's usually a lifetime commitment ;). 

Ahhhh, art journals, absolutely love them! Do you keep an art journal? A place to experiment and explore; to play and also to escape and unwind? I highly recommend it. 

If you'd like to come create journals with me and be guided in scientific art experiments,  2 of my live teaching engagements in 2016 are just the thing: 

•Ever expanding creativity at Studio Crescendoh later this month, and

•Ever expanding creativity at Donna Downey Studios next September.

Online I have a variation on art journaling available; my Creative Sketchbooking class on Creativebug with some guided page play too. 

But you don't need to take a class to art journal, just get some papers and art supplies and get playing!!! It's done me wonders over the years, like I said before I highly recommend it! 

art journaling pages in progress

What?!?! An art journaling post? Just when I'd been talking all quilts, all the time.....

If you follow me on instagram, you know I still have quilts in progress to share...and I will! But today, as I continue to prep for my trip to Donna Downey's art studio to teach art journaling, I realized it's been way too long since I've shared some pages in progress. So here are some recent bits of art:

It's Friday! Ahhhh....

I hope you've got some nice plans ahead of you for the weekend. I'm going to continue class prep, finish sewing the binding on a quilt, patch some holes in my jeans...you know, the usual creative pursuits tucked in among the other parts of life...

Have a good one!!! xo

 

Ali Edwards' story kits

Ali Edwards has a new kit out, Story Kits, to go with her Story Stamps and I'm honored to be one of her guest storytellers in January (along with Cathy Zielske). Ali is such a great leader in the memory keeping world, with a true emphasis on telling real stories, capturing real life, in an authentic and well designed manner. She has a post up telling you more about it here, but let me just say that I have this first kit, and it's excellent. I'm super happy for her and this new direction all her hard work has been leading up to. 

Here's a little bit from my project that goes live in her subscriber only classroom January 1!

The theme for January's kit is "firsts" and after working with it I must say I'm motivated to create some new firsts for myself in 2015! It's just around the corner now!!!

helllloooooo!

Well, howdy strangers! How's it going?!? I've missed you and checking in here!

 

I'm back from 2 wonderful weeks in Italy. Oh Italy...you are so awesome. I got back late Tuesday night and have been a bit off (read:exhausted, jet lagged, in a travel coma...whatever explanation you prefer.) This picture (thanks Susan for the photo!) shows most of the gang in Orvieto where we met for the Adventures in Italy class Amy and I taught. Kristin and Bill were our amazing hosts and I have a million more pictures and stories to share, but wanted to thank Michelle, Robin, Leah, Ingrid, Franscesca, Alisa, Paige, and Susan for joining us on the journey. What a truly great group to spend a week of wonder with! 

And more thanks to my partner in crime, Amy! We spent most of the minutes of the entire 2 weeks away together, sharing hotel rooms, classroom, meals, experiences, etc. etc. and really, there aren't many people one can do that with and have as much fun and as little conflict as we did along the way! Wouldn't have been the same without you Am! (again, thank you Susan for the photo)

I really will get my photos off my camera and share some here soon. Just wanted to say hi and tell you that no matter how great the journey, there really is no place like home! The first thought as I lay in a stupor on the couch and picked up my art journal. 

I told you I've been in a ditsy place...I didn't even notice my spelling error until after I'd posted it on instagram. It cracks me up and sums up my state of mind when doing it perfectly ;).

No matter how many times you say it, it holds true. Happy to have adventures made all the sweeter by loving to be home. Hope you've been well and happy happy Friday! 

 

new art journal & first few pages

The night before I headed to the desert get away, I decided I couldn't go with only sketchbooks, I had to make a new art journal, as my current journal had about one page left. 

I used a well loved and well worn book bought at the Marche de Puces in Paris. So worth the heaviness it added to my suitcase to bring old books home with me! 

Can you see the old lettering on the spine? I had to save it in the process of making it work. 

I had to "mend" this book a little, (which I think gives it added character), by reinforcing the existing corners.  

Always gonna try out my friend's latest discoveries! Of course, I loved the pen and I'm going to have to get one too. 

 

hello monday

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had a little fun in my art journal this morning. I need to wake up earlier so it can be first morning activity every day. It's just a great beginning to the day for this girl.

Hope your week is off to a good start. We had a full one, so it felt like Monday was here faster than usual, but thankfully, it's summer, which means Monday's are easier. 

I've been doing a lot of making just for fun; simple and quick craft projects. I've always loved felt, and color combinations too, so you know, seeing this little pile I had to take a photo. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I made myself a couple of "summer mantra pennants" as I am referring to them. I started making a list of the hundreds of other sayings I'd like to put on a pennant or two. Oh, to have someone to execute my ideas after I made the sample ;). So far it's just these two and then I had to clean up for company, but I know I've got to at least make a third...

Well, actually, I did make a third, this mini pennant...if you are a student coming to Italy with us in the fall, there will be one of these in the kit we ship to you late summer. It's sized to fit in the vintage books we'll be turning into our gorgeous travel journals:

So cute, if I do say so myself! 

I just glance at this pile of color waiting to get mixed and matched and the ideas start rolling...

Summer is off to a nice start.

 

join us for class in Italy!

Amy and I are getting together this week to book our tickets for class in ITALY!!!!!! We are super excited!!! We have a fun group of international students on board, but there are still a few spots open, so I thought I'd post some photos of the fun we're going to have making to entice any of you that might be thinking of joining us. ;) It really is going to be a wonderful week! Our hosts, Kristi and Bill Steiner, have it wired, having hosted hundreds of small groups for a week of slow travel and art learning. Their enthusiasm for Orvieto's beauty and history is contagious!

should one of these books have your name on it?

Amy and I have collected some wonderful vintage books for students to use as a base for the travel journal we will be constructing...which is just one part of class. We'll be packaging up a big box of goodies and supplies both bought and shared from our personal collections to ship to each student at the end of summer. We both have so much love for Europe, collecting, traveling, creating, living artfully and appreciating a trip via a travel journal, that we've gathered a lot already! Really, the more I think about it, the more excited I get. Here's the thing; I love traveling to Europe and especially loved Italy, but planning the trip and all it entails is not my favorite part. Being there and soaking it up is, and I've loved traveling to such places with my family, but, I am thrilled to be traveling with a small intimate group that wants to do what I do: make art, see the sights, experience the culture, take classes,  (with my family I have to find a way to squeeze in the travel journal making, this trip it's on the schedule!). Our group will be staying in a former palace that is now a convent B&B. Heavenly. 

The main project we'll be working on in our class time together is creating a travel journal. We'll be using the vintage marble covered books to hand bind our own travel journal and we'll be working on our books throughout the week. We'll also be making a small folding map made with our own hand carved stamps, illustrated icons, and watercolors. 

We'll be exploring calligraphy and writing with dip pen and ink also...

Because our larger travel journal might be too large to take on our adventures away from home, we'll be making our own version of marbled paper day journal that has a secret storage space for ephemera collecting while out and about. (Oh, to be with people that like to collect paper tokens while on the trip!- not something I get to do much of with my family of four.) We'll cover how to find it, and incorporating it into our travel journals of course! 

I am very excited about our day trip to a marble paper making company. I know it will be wildly inspiring for the pattern loving maker in me. I'm already planning on doing some shopping there, naturally! More journal fodder, right?!? 

There are other planned activities, like a wine tasting, Italian cooking class, visiting the gothic cathedral (if you watched this last season of Amazing Race, one of the last stops on the trip was right at the gorgeous Duomo! You can bet I rewound and watched over and over). We'll explore the Etruscan city, shop the weekly markets, visit a salvage hardware store full of treasures (which we can incorporate in our large travel journal if desired), visit a vineyard, and so much more. But although there will be lots of adventures, it will all be done in a slow travel, leisurely, enjoyable, soak it up pace. Nappers are welcome too, we've got a week to indulge ourselves! 

You'll go home full of creative inspiration, a beautiful one of a kind travel journal, and the ability to make them for every future trip, photos, artwork made, treasures found, great memories and new friends. If you've been on the fence, you've got until the end of July to jump in and join us! I can't wait to be enjoying Italy with those of you that are coming along on the adventure...it's going to be oh-so-goooood!

For more info and photos, visit the class page here. Feel free to ask me any questions!

 

recent art journaling pages

Some art journaling pages I worked on this month. A lot of various techniques and demo pages that I tried to pull together a bit afterwards. Well, actually, I don't really try to pull it together into a pretty page, I just try to fill up the page before calling it done. If there's somewhere that's open or empty, with space to try something else, I do that. It leads to messy and somewhat crazy pages, but the fun is the same, and really, it's all about the fun doing it! 

garden roses again?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last week I was mentioning how the roses picked from the garden were inspiring me. Well, I meant to show you how they continued to show up in whatever I was working on, previously my Project Life, this time my art journal. 

When I went to gather them, I had no idea that they would make such an impact on my creative play. I love that about creative inspiration; you never know where it's going to come from or how strongly it will inspire. You just have to be open to letting it. 

That not-knowingness is one of my favorite things about the creative process too. I don't know how that inspiration is going to present itself in what I'm making...or how it might be different in different mediums. Clearly in the art journal, it was the watercolored roses, but also the color palette.

I love art. I love making. 

Oh, and I wanted to thank Julie Balzer for the sweet shout out on her blog. If you want to see some other blogs that are inspiring, check out her list of current blog crushes. Julie loves art, loves making, and is full of creative inspiration, check her out! 

monday art journaling

Hello, and happy Monday! Took a little time to play in my art journal late last night, and was clearly thinking of the new week that was about to start. I like the hope for the week that Monday brings with it. Maybe this week is the week I'll find all that extra time and wrap everything up, haha. Monday's usually feel like that anyway, a time to re-boot. 

Here are a few other journal pages as well:

Black. That's different for me. I did the page writing and coloring in first, then carefully painted black ink all around it. It was a fun, slow exercise one night. 

Yowza! This spread is a hot mess. It happens. Maybe I'll "fix" these pages, maybe I won't. Time will tell. 

Even hot mess pages have elements I find pleasing. Looking at this photo here, I'm wanting to go make those blue spots into whales. 

Testing out new stamp pads from Studio Calico. Love the creative names, and am quite happy with the ink as well. 

Can't wait to spend time coloring this one in...not sure if I'll use pens or paints...maybe both.

Ok, back to Monday, before it's over...hope you're enjoying a fresh start to the week! 

 

page play from this weekend's class

I thought it might be fun to see some of the art that I started in class, as demos usually, for lettering, journal pages, and collage fodder all. 

I had my own Nova Paints and Copic marker charts with me so students could see colors they might want to purchase in the future if they liked the medium when trying my samples. (There is a giveaway for Copic markers going on over here, btw).

I bet most people would throw away these scraps that were used for various reasons. I never can. I see such potential. And hey, if the potential doesn't work out, I can always throw them away then! 

Lots of papers from Gelli plate mono printing and stenciling. I've since started doodling or collaging on them and they are evolving: 

 I'll use them to collage on some of my pages. 

There is never enough time, ever, in class to show all I hope to, but I try to show as many of the different ways I art journal as possible. . Here are some pages that were white when the day started:

I do find it challenging to have pages come together when used for demo-ing lots of different techniques. It's a bit more forced and often times busier than it would be if I weren't trying to show lots of methods I use. I usually like to keep playing on them once the class is over and I'm home. Here's an example of a spread at the end of class:

This week I've added a bit more to the right side page in full spread picture above and it now looks like this:

At the end of class above, today, below. Not huge changes, but moving toward a more complete page with each addition. 

I've even started collaging on older, previously started pages with the collage fodder from class:

Just looking at these photos has me itching to get back to playing in my art journal! Going to do just that tonight after first getting some more work done and then going to my son's baseball game. (I guess there is never ever enough time at home either!) Hope those of you that were in class have had a little time to art journal this week! And of course, those that couldn't join us as well! (Oh, and for those that have asked: I'm sorry, I don't have any extra kits left, we were a sold out class.)

final class prep ongoing

Finishing up all the kits and class prep for this weekend's classes. Looking forward to getting to enjoy all the prep tomorrow and Sunday. Two full days of creating is the really fun part! 

A student requested I have some vintage wallpaper packs available for purchase (which I've still got to finish up), in the meantime, I pulled out some of my treasured vintage ledger and music papers for an additional option. Papers from the 1800's sure are pretty, I had forgotten how much. 

And for the first time ever, I put together some original art scrap collage packs:

Just bits and pieces from various art I've made. I thought Sunday's art journaling students might like to use some PG collage fodder. I'm hoping to have one or two handmade journals too, a few small original art pieces, and a few other goodies...

Never enough time for all the ideas...back to racing the clock I go...

Looking forward to seeing old friends and new in class. Hope those of you that aren't able to join us have a great weekend, and get to spend some time making art too! 

 

sometimes i can't resist

As I'm going through my old journals culling content for the e-course, I find myself adding to some of the pages. I've never ever gone back through old journals before and altered them. It's kind of fun actually. 

Often when I teach, I demo in my current journal. What ends up happening is a crazy page full of all different things from background techniques to mark making tools, but nothing consistent or pretty or finished. Which is fine. My goal with my journals is not to have pretty page after pretty page, but to have fun experimenting and exploring. 

But yesterday, I found myself wanting to try to make the hot messes a little more cohesive, a little less of an example page and more of a messy journal page. Because they were there. Because I never usually go back. Because some of them really were very ugly. 

The one above wasn't so much a sample page as it was unfinished, not colored in. It's funny to go back and play with a new perspective on something you started long ago. At times, I found myself pondering what it was I was even demonstrating way back when. It's all there, on the page somewhere. 

In the end, some resulting pages were more pleasing than others. All ended up being pretty darn busy, with all that they had going on already, and all I added to them. I don't love any of them. Let's just say I wouldn't want them published anywhere other than here. Of course, I could have gessoed right over them if I wanted to, but that would have defeated my purpose; taking away the challenge of merging all the layers together in a more pleasing fashion. And it wouldn't have been nearly as much fun. I had fun working on all of them, and that's what really matters! 

 

helping or hindering

While talking with a friend yesterday it hit me (in a different way then the usual), how we often don't harness our brains to our own benefit. From my experience, it seems more the norm to let negative thoughts run free and expand vs. positive ones. I have a good, creative imagination, just like the friend I was talking to, and as she fretted and worried about "what if" on the phone, elaborating on a negative possible scenario with great detail, I realized that we often make that "what if" a negative imagining vs. a positive one. I definitely am one that needs to get out of the habit of less than helpful thinking. Especially playing those less than helpful thoughts on a looping soundtrack in my mind. Imagine if the voice in one's head was a positive cheerleader vs. everything from a nervous nellie to a party pooper? I think it'd surely have a positive results. I'm going to work on recognizing which thoughts are helping and which are hindering and going to be more mindful of choosing the helpful ones. Recognizing what's positive and negative is the first step. Then I can work on breaking and replacing bad habits . Hmmmm...that's what's on my mind today, just thought I'd share the story behind the journal page.

This is a better thought for me to think:

xo

 

a few more pages or parts of pages

Happy Saturday!!!! 

recent art journaling & teaching updates

Hey there, Happy Valentine's Day!!! Hope you've got plans to spend it exactly as you want to! For me most of the time it means home with no plans ;). 

Wanted to thank those that are joining me for the live art journaling class next month at Studio Crescendoh...Sunday's Art of the Page class has one spot left! Saturday, the Love of Lettering class a few more open, so there's time on that one if you're considering it. Both are going to be fun days with lots of demos and doing included, I'm looking forward to them.

As for the e-course, it is a long, slow, simmer. I'm thinking of it like a delicious, hearty, slow cooked month of meals that I'm making, and that just takes this girl lots of time apparently. Regular life goes on all the while, and of course, all my fun techinical challenges and learning opportunities (you see what I did there?) add to the snails pace that seems to be the norm right now. I keep thinking (and still do) that one of these days, most of the challenges and difficulties will be behind me and the pace will pick up and suddenly, the feast will be ready! I just want to keep you updated to keep frustrations at bay, I'm experiencing enough of them, I don't want you to have to as well ;). 

In the meantime, here are some journal pages either done, or added to recently:

xoxo!

 

my art journaling from the weekend

The art play this weekend was all about journaling. So much fun to sit at a table and journal with others that love it like I do. Carol's post about sitting at the same table cracks me up (totally true too, the howling and exclaiming- but add some "give me that right now!" to the outbursts as well). Those Moss sisters are so clever with their words and telling of tales, aren't they?

I drew the ink bottle above after seeing Mary Ann's drawing of her ink bottle. Had to stop on the spot and draw mine. That's the type of stuff that wouldn't happen were I sitting home alone. I like blowing where the breeze takes me when journaling. I am not one with a master plan.

Clearly, no master plan here, just whatever was in front of me or in the forefront of my mind got added to the mix. Neither of these pages are finished, they'll be added to as time goes on.

We did lots of discussing dip pens and nibs and other lettering pens. And by discussing, I mean trying out of (clearly). You know I love my pens and letters!

And of course, brushes and colors too...

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, we were totally inspired by  the artwork of Mark Hearld (link to his books in yesterday's post too)...

Sometimes we directly "copied" (left page), or attempted to, and sometimes were just inspired by (right page).  

The page on the left was inspired by the artwork of Emily McDowell. I recently discovered her work and love it!

Yowza! A portrait artist I am not (poor Carol), but that doesn't stop me from throroughly enjoying our games of timed sketching. Mary Ann put on a mean face, and Carol tried to be tricky and show her teeth, but the joke was on them, because it gets hard to hold a pose like that, ha! I love their renditions:

(Although, I really think Mary Ann was thinking about Nic Cage when drawing Carol.)

One last journaling page, from this morning. A quote I need to reflect on A LOT.  My first thought was, "so many interests, so little time"...the second thought I had was "I really need to hire help to clean the house!" ;)

(off to edit more class videos- won't be before end of February for those waiting!xo) 

some recent art journaling

 

Just some mostly recently done pages, or some actually still being played on (not finished in other words). Wanted to give you an e-course update too. I've taken a break from the creating of the ecourse over the holiday and been spending time with my family since my daughter is home from school. When she returns to school, I'll return to pushing hard on making headway so that we can have it up and running soon. We're going for quality and a content rich, thorough class, and frankly, these things take time...I promise it will be worth the wait! Happy New Year's Eve!! xo

 

art journaling e-course and thank you!

If you missed the news in the last post, I'll share my big news again: a pam garrison art journaling e-course is really, truly in the works and on it's way!! In no small part due to Mary Ann agreeing to produce my first venture into the online class world. I know it's going to be as excellent as I've always hoped it would be thanks to her expertise, and I can stop worrying about all the very-unexciting-and overwhelming-to-me technical aspects required, and put all my energy into creating the content! Such a relief! We'll keep you updated of course, for now we don't have any details to share, still all in the works and all. But I wanted to thank all of you that have asked for the course over all these years, or left comments on her post or mine, or emailed to share in the enthusiasm of our venture...thank you!!! I really really am grateful for you, and your interest in one of my great creative loves; art journaling! Here are just a few behind the scenes shots, just to prove it's really truly happening. I have a hard time believing it fully myself, it's been on the back burner for so long.

 

More to come...!!!

 

recent journal pages

This was the quote delivered to my inbox via TUT, notes from the universe. I don't know if you've heard of it, or Mike Dooley, but I like the positive messages sent daily, some more than others, like this one here. 

I like writing with dip pen and ink in my journal because it forces me to slow down and pay attention to what I'm writing. In case you are wondering, this is the nib I was using, pictured in the top photo. I know I like to know those kinds of things, being the lover of all lettering tools that I am. 

Been on a quote in my journal kick these days. But I also like to just write random thoughts on pages, and pages with no writing at all too. Anything goes in my art journals!