This is the last page, done this morning, in the journal I started when Tony went to Waikato Hospital on the 19th of January. Life is not normal in the sense of being the same as it was – seemingly simple things like a hot shower still exhaust Tony – but life is slowly settling into a new normal. We’re very fortunate and very grateful.
Today Tony was super tired and went back to bed about 11.30 (healing after two major surgeries is hard work). I decided to get out my Gelli Plate, some Golden Fluid Acrylics, stencils, old lace and some texture plates. Oh, and a random pile of paper. Hours later, here’s just a few of the papers I now have tucked away for card making, collaging, art journaling and other fun stuff. And there’s a wee supply on it’s way to an arty/crafty friend!
When I saw the art calendar challenge 2014 at The Kathryn Wheel blog I knew I had to join in; you can find all the details by following the link. I love Kathryn’s examples and we share a name, so how could I resist! I am working on loose sheets, 2 A4 pages at a time, and will bind them at the end of the year. I’m finding my work is increasingly detailed and fussy, which is not really me at all, but I’m enjoying it so who cares…
For these pages I used Dylusions ink spray and a Donna Downey stencil, then gesso and Tim Holtz Distress Paints with one of Michelle Ward’s stencils. I used archival ink to stamp some text here and there, and to add a fine black border round the outside edge of the pages. I used the Dylusions again,with two Tim Holtz stencils, the bubbles and the stars. I cut a bunch of 1.5×1.5 squares, edged them with black archival ink, wiped gesso across the centres, and wrote in the dates with a Stabilo pen. I stamped the month and year with black Archival and some old Memory Makers foam stamps, then added some details with a White Signo pen.
This year I am organising an art journal round robin, so spent last night and this morning starting to decorate the cover. This involved gesso, Dylusions inks, stencils and gold heavy body acrylic. Then today I have been preparing a couple of pages in another journal and, guess what? Yes, I used mainly the same supplies… I’m consistent if nothing else! I find a page that has paint, gesso and a bit of texture is often enough to get me writing, and then all kinds of thoughts spill out onto the page.
I’ve been working back over some starter layers in my art journal today. I’ve got a lot on my mind at the moment, not all of it positive; despite that I know how fortunate I am, how fortunate we are. Really, life is good…
This page started with layers of gesso, fluid acrylics, Dylusions spray ink and stencils. Today I added more ink, and lettering which I sprayed lightly with water to let it run. Finally, I journaled with a white chalk pen so that it’s not readable.
Cath Sheard Art 