Friday, April 8, 2016

MORE WANDERLUST 2016 WORD PROMPT ART JOURNAL PAGES

I love art journaling!  

Yet I have to admit that I was petrified of trying it in the beginning because:
  • I didn't think I could do it.
  • I thought of art journaling as regular journaling; lots of writing where all of my private thoughts and feelings could be exposed for the whole world to see.
  • I didn't have anything valuable to say that people would really be interested in seeing.  After all, I am just a normal person; not complicated or all the "deep" with unbounded knowledge to share.
But I have found that art journaling really is so much fun and nothing like I had envisioned it to be.  It is a wonderful form of self expression.  It can be "deep" and thought provoking or it can just be whimsical and fun ... because it is YOUR ART and therefore it can be whatever you want it to be.  

Once you get past those roadblocks, a whole new creative adventure awaits!

Through Wanderlust 2016's biweekly word prompt journal (as a part of their yearlong online classes), I am discovering things about myself and where my art takes me that have really been eye opening.



A recent word prompt was "My Past".  Just reading those words made me so reflective of my life's story; where I came from, who helped mold me along the way, my life today and where I'm heading on this journey called "life".

So these two art journal pages were created to tell my story in pictures.  From my actual birth announcement to just this past week at my first grandson's first flag football game; my life has been rich and full of blessings.

I decided to create puzzle pieces out of my photographs as if my life where a big jigsaw puzzle with all of the pieces interconnecting and fitting perfectly together once arranged.


The background was created using DecoArt Media gesso first as a base.  Then I added cardstock with time pieces on it to emphasize the passage of time along with some floral napkins on the outsides to give these pages a sweet, feminine quality.  I covered the pages with DecoArt Media Matte Medium to seal them and then added DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide to give them an aged, sepia tone.  I added DecoArt Media Fluid Acrylics Paynes Grey around the edges to sort of frame the pages.  

The first page begins with my birth certificate and the puzzle pieces wind around from my 1st birthday picture, a spring day with my older brother when I was barely 2, Kindergarten Western Day to cherished family photographs.


The second page begins as a Junior in high school where I was on the dance team and met my future husband.  We dated and married and were blessed with two beautiful children.  They brought so much joy to our lives and now that joy has been multiplied with four beautiful grandchildren.

I am a firm believer in "everything happens for a reason" and I know that the people who have been placed in my life's path have also been placed there for a reason.  God is so good and I trust Him completely as I continue on this wonderful journey.

If you don't art journal, I encourage you to give it a try.  It's a wonderful way to explore your own creativity and maybe even allow yourself to open up a whole lot of wonderful memories.

Have a great week and thanks for stopping by!


11 comments:

  1. Gonna take a sentimental journey - and OH WOW... how I did love it Candy. This is SPLENDID. I was just spellbound. Such a tremendous treat - Wow. You were SUCH A LITTLE DOLL. Love seeing the picture of you and hubby when you met and then the gorgeous wedding picture. And for sure all the wonderful pictures of your families. SUPER SUPER SUPER FABULOUS - thanks so so so much for sharing. Oh and lest I forget entirely out of my excitement over the photos... your background was stunning - love the colors and the time theme. WHAT A TREAT THIS WAS... LOVE it. Thanks bunches. Xj.

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  2. What a wonderful art journal spread, Candy! Love the puzzle pieces and seeing all the photos! You were a cheerleader? Awesome!

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  3. how wonderful to capture your life's journey in such a fabulous way Candy. They are an amazing keepsake for the family and in particular grandchildren. They become keepsakes to treasure and to hand down to future generations. Thank You for sharing..it's certainly something i plan to achieve, particularly as you can tell a bit of your life's story within the photographs......... if you chose..otherwise its a slideshow on the tv screen, which is not quite the same

    Best wishes
    Annie x

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  4. This looks amazing and lot of cute photo's in one spread. The colors, it all works beautifully well together!!

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  5. Fabulous pages Candy! Love your poses! heehee Very heartfelt spread~so happy you are enjoying the journey!
    hugs,Jackie

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  6. This looks fantastic Candy - especially must have taken an age to sort and select all your lovely photos. Thank-you for sharing these personal moments with all of us. Nicola x

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  7. As someone who is trying to put together a family album, I can see the benefit of doing this journal spread, what a fantastic way to preserve so many wonderful memories Candy - and the lovely part is that words are not really necessary, as the pictures speak for themselves! Love this. Anne xx

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  8. Awesome journaling pages love how you cut the photos into puzzle shapes .

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  9. A wonderful idea and I liked to see all your photos! So nice to learn something about the artist as a private person!

    oxo Susi

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  10. Oh, Candy, I cannot tell you how much I loved taking this little walk through your years with you! Thank you SO much for sharing this! This is just what I needed in these days of uncertainty and concern for the future. Love it! Hugs!

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  11. I've fallen off the wagon of the journal prompts. Love what you did with this one.

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