Preacher Man
11×14 encaustic painting on 2″ cradled claybord

While sitting in church looking to the front at the man speaking, I closed my eyes. My brain produced a vivid display behind my lids, a negative of same view. I quickly recorded a rough sketch in my handy dandy notebook, noting the colors and form. This encaustic painting, Preacher Man, is the telling of that moment. When I began the painting, I did not mean for the figure to represent the man behind my eyelids, but rather just capture the negative form created from that moment, but as the process of layering and painting played out, I found the man telling a story of a field ripe for harvest.

Well, I’m telling you to open your eyes and take a good look at what’s right in front of you. These Samaritan fields are ripe. It’s harvest time! John 4:35 -The Message

We are using Journal Fodder 365 as our guide for a year long exploration in art journaling. While I will share techniques, ideas and supplies when we gather, this book will be our guide. And a bonus from the book are the (totally optional) weekly writing prompts.

Want to join the fun? Here’s what you do:

1. Buy the book.
2. Read through Chapter 1 in May and do the writing prompts if you would like.
3. Gather up your supplies (listed in the book).
4. Come join the gang June 2 .
5. We will continue to meet the 1st Sunday of the month.

Chapter One
Date: Sun, June 2, 2013
Time: 2-5pm
Location: Bridgeport, 404 E. 18th St., Kansas City, MO 64108

What about the Joy Journal Project assignments?

• The 12 assignments will remain on my sidebar for easy access.
• They will also remain free.
• The facebook group will also remain open and active.

Have questions? Contact me.

Years ago, I checked out this book from the library:

The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery by Karen Michel

I enjoyed it immensely, so much so that I am still using techniques and ideas from the book. It is also on my lengthy Amazon wish list to one day add to my personal library.

Inspired by the book, for today’s assignment we will be altering a photograph. The photo must be printed on real photo paper for optimal results. The photo I chose is a beautiful butterfly. My daughter took the photo at Powell Gardens several years ago during their annual butterfly event.

And I am going to cheat a bit for today’s demo. With finals next week, I have found my time to be at a premium. The background I will be using was created at our last Joy Journal Project gathering in April. I felt the page was interesting, but lacked a focal point. The altered photo makes a perfect focal point and completes the page for me.

Using techniques used in past assignments, please create a collage background that will be a lovely backdrop for your photo. You can create the background at any point, before, during or after the photo alteration is complete.

To begin, I trimmed my photo so that it would fit nicely on my page.

Then I soaked the photo for a moment in water to soften the emulsion.

After retrieving from the water, pat the photo dry and using fine grit sandpaper, lightly sand the edges of the photo and any other areas you may want to add texture. Using an awl or similar pointy tool, scratch into the surface of the photo in any pattern you find pleasing. I wanted to accent the wings, so I made some lines around the body.

Continue to add pattern and texture as you see fit. When you are done, dip the photo back into the water to wash away the little emulsion goobers left on the photo. Pat dry with a paper towel.

Now to add color. Here I am using a wet paintbrush to pull pigment off my watersoluble crayon. I “painted” the tip of the crayon and the added the wash of color onto the photo. Other ways to add color include using felt-tip markers and fluid acrylic paint.

After adding a stain of color, I am blending it into the photo with a damp paper towel. This will get rid of any harsh lines that you may not want. I continued to play with this photo, scratching and painting, until I felt it was done.

Then I decided to adhere it to the back of some old journal paper. I used gel medium to attach the photo, then also used the gel medium to glue the piece onto my journal page.

To make the photo and the already completed journal page more cohesive, I added more color with my watercolor crayons. Please feel free to use any tools and supplies when creating your own page. You should have an arsenal of techniques built up by now. Unleash them on your page.

The page seemed to speak to me about my spiritual journey this past year. To finish the page, I added two words.

What did your page speak to you? Did you find joy unfolding? Please share you experience.

You can either:

• leave a comment with a link to your blog post -OR-
• join the facebook group to share photos and stories

Hurray!! The Joy Journal Project will reach its one year mark this May. Our last official Joy Journal Project meeting will be May 5. But the majority (me included) has voted and we want to continue gathering each month. So I have a plan including this book:

This fabulous book appropriately subtitled, Daily Doses of Inspiration for the art addict, is designed as a year long adventure in journaling.
While I will continue to share techniques, ideas and supplies, this book will be our guide. And a bonus from the book are the weekly writing prompts. I know some of you will really appreciate the extra things that we can do throughout the month that will get our minds deeper into each assignment.

Here’s what you do:

1. Buy the book.
2. Read through Chapter 1 in May and do the writing prompts if you would like.
3. Gather up your supplies. There will be little extra you will need from the supplies we’ve used this past year.
4. Come join the gang June 2 at Bridgeport in the Kansas City Crossroads.
5. We will continue to meet the 1st Sunday of the month.

What about the Joy Journal Project assignments?

• The soon-to-be 12 assignments will remain on my sidebar for easy access.
• They will also remain free.
• The facebook group will also remain open and active as some Joy Journalers are just beginning.

Have questions?

Contact me.

Let’s start with a layer of collage. I am forever attracted to origami paper, so I chose to use my bits and scraps of origami for my collage layer. Use whatever papers you have been collecting or are drawn to today. We will be painting over the layer, so this collage does not have to “tell a story.”

Using your gel medium or similar glue, paint the back of your collage papers and then adhere to your journal page. I use an old magazine or catalog as a gluing surface to apply my glue. When the page gets to messy, just flip to the next page.

When you adhere your collage papers, be sure they are securely attached. Use an old plastic card to remove any air that may be trapped under the paper. Working from the center to the edges, scrape the card across the paper. If you notice any loose corners, add a dab of glue to attach them securely.

Yummy, I love origami paper. Here’s my page covered in papers. But don’t get too attached, because next…

cover your collage with a light coat of gesso. I left hints of color. If you feel you’ve applied too much, wipe some away with a damp paper towel.

After the gesso dries (you can speed up the drying time with a hair dryer), sand your page with a bit of sandpaper. (Yes, I forgot to add that to the supply list. It’s okay to skip this step, but if you have some on hand, use it.) The sanding allows some of the edges of your collage papers to stand out a bit more. This adds more depth and texture to the page. As you can see from my page, the effect is not huge, but sometimes the little things make all the difference.

Find a dark color of paint for high contrast and begin mark making on the page. I used a small lid to make the circles, my fingers to makes the dots. I also scraped the lid across the page in a few spots to add more lines.

Next add some more contrasting paint with a brush. Paint it on without over thinking. Where does your brush want to land? Here I felt that I added to much, so I subdued some of the Payne’s Grey with a dab of gesso.

Find an earthy tone of paint now. Have a damp paper towel handy. First paint a bit of the earthy color on, then rub off as much as you would like with the paper towel.

And now it is time to add your poem, quote, or saying. As my page developed, the poem I planned on using seemed wrong, so I used the words that seemed more fitting for how the page was developing. You can use a dark pen, white pen, marker, pencil, whatever you would like to add the words to the page.

Continue to add details with paint, markers, etc. Here I used a paint pen and then added some more collage for the flower petals that were drawn with pencil.

If you feel done with the page, get up and walk away. Take a few minutes away from your work area before returning. When you come back to your page, look again. Do you feel led to add any more details?

I do hope you’ll share your page by leaving a comment with a link to the image, or by sharing in our facebook group.

Memory Recall, 6×6 encaustic painting on Encausticbord

My mentor and friend, Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch, is such a source of inspiration for me, not just in the encaustic realm for which she is known, but also in the spiritual realm. Upon her suggestion last year, I checked out the book, The Artist’s Rule: nurturing your creative soul with monastic wisdom by Christine Valters Paintner. This book is designed as a twelve week journey, or a year long journey. Anyway, there are twelve chapters. I purchased this book last fall. I’ve only made it to chapter two. Perhaps I’m dwelling too long, perhaps not, but I am allowing truth and lesson to soak in like a drip hose on dry ground, slowly but steadily. I am also finding such synchronicity to the timing of each lesson learned.

At this time, I am in the process of discovering rediscovering my inner monk.

The inner monk seeks God as the source of all being, searches for a mystical connection to the Divine Source, longs for what is most essential in life, and cultivates this through a commitment to spiritual practice. The monk is nourished through silence and a commitment to see everything as sacred.

Italics added by moi for this is my child’s heart. As a little girl, I was so amazed by the little details of nature. I really didn’t want to hurt or disturb anything, but rather would study in fascination. While as an adult I would say that I love nature and am inspired by it, I had let that feeling of sacredness evaporate to a memory rather than an ever-present reality. Well, joy of joys, it is back, the sacred view of all that surrounds me. I rejoice for this. With it comes greater compassion and grace, and that magical, mystical view of the mystery of life itself.

I’ve found LIFE to be a good theme already for this year. Life-giving changes…

Discipline

Yes, discipline is a change. Discipline has been my desire for some time, moving towards it in slow strides. With a new school schedule this year, discipline arrived and just in time. I’ve been using my google calendar to block my time so that I can plan without over committing my time. The priorities fit in first with room to breath, and then the extras. Figuring out my true priorities was the first step.

And then I wanted to push myself further. As a practice in discipline, I gave up some things for Lent which I really enjoy. I really like this push because it is hard. I’m learning where my real weaknesses lie, what I do to comfort myself, and that sometimes I can be a big whiny baby.

But why?

So why on earth would I want to be more disciplined? Sounds boring and rigid, and really, what’s the point? Well, without discipline, I tend to be lazy. I easily waste time. I pander to my desires and become quite complacent, and when I am complacent, I have a really hard time hearing God. And I want to hear God.

So to me, discipline has become a way to declutter my brain from complacency, and to be better attuned to the voice and direction of God. The extra push with Lenten sacrifice is really to test myself. How greatly do I desire what I say I desire? Am I willing to put an effort forth to maintain this relationship? I’m finding the answer to be yes.

And in my prioritizing and my sacrifice, I am finding that God is meeting me with abundant grace. He is reuniting me with my real, genuine heart afresh. He is teaching me how to take care of myself in a new way.

It’s like drinking water

Without the water, I really can’t function creatively. I have to be intentional about drinking water, making sure I drink enough and bring it with me when I’m on the run. Every single time I forget, I regret it. Seriously, my brain just shuts down to the point that any problem solving becomes difficult. Without the discipline, I really can’t attune to God very well. I have to be intentional, plan ahead, prioritize and sacrifice. And when I become lax on the discipline, I regret it.

So I bloom

In the soil of discipline, of self care, of living from the heart Jesus gave me, and drinking plenty of water.

Doesn’t that feel wonderful? Quieting is easier for some than for others. If you found difficult to quiet your mind or body, this may be a good practice for you. Quieting is really a learned thing, as is not quieting. But the practice is so beneficial to our mental and physical health, I highly recommend adding a few moments of quieting practice each day. Quieting not only reduces stress levels, but also helps us in returning to “ourselves” from stress or agitation.

Our assignment today will be a reflection of the tension and relaxation felt during our time of quieting. Since our experiences are so unique, please remember that your journal page will probably look nothing like mine. To begin, I will share with you my thought process during my quiet time. The tension that I released during my quieting moment was related to my busy schedule of late. I have set up my calendar in blocks of time corresponding to projects and due dates. While I understand that life happens and I have allowed for a great deal of flexibility in my schedule, I have found when something interrupts my goals for the moment, I am allowing tension to enter my body.

Since we all have different types of paper in our journals, I am going to give you some options. Pick the one that will work best for you paper type.

• Thick, bumpy paper like watercolor or mixed media paper: Paint your pages with brush that is wet with water. Then fill a brush with watercolor paint of your choice and tap the brush above your page. This will leave dots of color that spread as they absorb into the wet page. 
• Thinner paper that does not absorb water well, more of a drawing paper consistency: Using fluid acrylic paint, dip a damp brush into your paint and then tap the brush above your page. This will leaves random dots of color across your page.
• Heavier, but slick paper that is less absorbent: You get to choose the method. Another option would be to tap your brush full of watercolor over a dry page.

Try a few colors if you’d like.

I am painting the page with a wash of water.

And tapping my brush full of orange watercolor paint onto the wet page.

The page on the left was not painted with water. See how the dots of paint do not diffuse on the dry page. Both are nice. Try what you like best, or what will work better with your paper.

Next using a water soluble pen, write about the tension and release that you experienced earlier. If this does not seem to flow, write about what is floating or swirling in your mind right now. Don’t worry about censorship. We will be making the words mostly illegible. If you are not sure if your pen is water soluble, write with it on a piece of scratch paper and wipe a wet brush over the ink. Does the ink bleed or run? Then it is water soluble. Here I am using a Flair pen, but have found that many of my gel pens are also water soluble.

Is this too much writing for you? Write with big letters. Write in phrases or word chunks instead of sentences. Use your own style.

Now dip a brush in a light wash of watercolor paint and paint over your words. They will smear and fade. That is okay.

Here I used a very light blue wash over my orange words.

Using either collage or drawing with a waterproof pen or marker, begin to tell your story of the moment. (For a refresher on collage, review assignment #2.) What tension was your body or mind holding onto when you began your quieting? As you relaxed and allowed the tension to release and your mind to clear, what was different about your perspective?

Yes, I’m still practicing my drawing. After drawing representations of my calendar and clock, I did some very fast sketches of my family that I think turned out hilarious.

Let the coloring begin! Add color using our toolbox of techniques we’ve been using. What is your favorite technique? Some options:

• fluid acrylic paint
• more collage
• watercolor
• water-soluble crayons
• oil pastels

I’m stuck in a water-soluble crayon phase, so I used my crayons followed by my wet brush with a bit of gesso mixed in here and there to add both translucent and opaque splashes of color. Choose whatever color grabs you at the moment. No over-thinking allowed.

Intuitively add your color. Pull from the feelings of our quieting session at the start of the assignment. Is there a contrast in how your body or mind felt? Can you represent this with color?

Are you at a stopping point? Take a little break, get a drink or snack, take a walk (unless you’re in class with me) or move around. Then come back to your page and continue added little details.

Here I’ve added detail with various gel pens. The little white rectangles at the top represent my relational circuits. The goal is to keep them on.

If you had a great time with zentangling in January, feel free to experiment some more with new patterns and tangles. Here’s a link to that wonderful zentangle website. Are there any words that would help you remember today’s story of you any clearer? And when you feel done, give yourself permission to come back and add details at a later time if something comes to mind.

While working through this, my mind resolved a lot of little issues about my schedule. Better.

Today’s assignment is all about working through the present moment. Perhaps you were relaxed when you started this assignment so had little tension to deal with. If so, give this a try again when you feel an underlying restlessness or you find yourself holding tension in your body. Even if you do not have time for a complete journal page, little doodles after your quieting moment can help you tell your story and bring resolution or calm.

I look forward hearing about your experience. Please connect by:

• leaving a comment with a link to your blog post -OR-
• joining the facebook group to share photos and stories

So she created an easy to follow instruction guide for me.

It works! Thank you, dotter!

I also wanted to share with you Regina’s step by step process for the last Joy Journal Project assignment:

Go here → Comforted in Sorrow

Oh my. Blessings.