On my art table: Wisdom

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“Turn your wounds into wisdom” – Oprah Winfrey

Wisdom, they say, comes from living. All of our experiences, good and bad, teach us various lessons. By mining the lessons from our experiences, we claim them, own them, and make them a part of us. This treasure trove of life lessons can sustain us through the darkest times.

I created this spread with ample room to add in the most important life lessons I’ve learnt so far in my life (not all of them are pictured here). And at the end of the year, I plan to add in all the lessons that 2016 teaches me.

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On my art table: Animal guides

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Yesterday I told you about my struggle to draw a mandala. Today, I want to show you my first ever unicorn and phoenix drawings. Unlike the mandala, which made me cry buckets of tears, these were fairly straightforward. I got them right on my first practice run, and then I just took a deep breath and drew them out on the page.

Sure, the unicorn could use some more work – his mane looks like it’s stuck on to his body! – but for a first try, I’m pretty happy with him! And I’m totally in love with this phoenix! In fact, I recently reimagined her in another piece – you can take a look see on my instagram feed, and while you’re at it, do follow me there too!

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On my art table: The angel

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This angel was among the first few paintings that I did this year. Around the 10th of January, I think. As I read the words I chose for this spread, I’m struck by just how prophetic they’ve been!

Tune into your highest, elder self, and allow that being to lead your desires, intentions, and actions.

I’ve been led down new paths, found some completely unexpected teachers and guides, and embarked on an inner journey that I didn’t even know I needed to excavate, examine, and transform. And as I work on that inner journey, I’m realizing that as much as it is healing me, it is also a story that needs to be shared.

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My debut eBook: Art Journaling 101 – yours for free!

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I’m so excited to share my debut eBook with you – Art Journaling 101.

It’s the guide I wish I had when I started art journaling!

Art Journaling 101 is designed especially with the beginner in mind. The eBook is geared towards those who have or prefer to work with  limited supplies – or are suffering from art supply overwhelm and want to simplify their stash, if only for a while!

What the Art Journaling ebook is about:

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{Z} Let’s Zentangle!

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A Zentangle tile that was gifted to me recently

Yes, it’s a real thing! The Zentangle® method was created by Rick Roberts and Maria Thomas and is an easy-to-learn, relaxing, and fun way to create beautiful images by drawing structured patterns. It increases focus and creativity, provides artistic satisfaction, and an increased sense of personal well being. And all you need to get started is paper, pencil and a black pen.

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{U} Upcycling: re-purposing thrash into art

Stamps. Stencils. Ink pads. Die-cuts. Distress paints. Silk glaze. Crackle paint. Dylusion spray inks. Color bloom ink spray. Washi tape. Collage sheets…

The world of supplies is huge and crazy. There are tons of art products in the market, with more introduced almost every day. With so many beautiful supplies to choose from, things can get a bit overwhelming. Not to mention hard on the pocket.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/66464892/knit-hand-carved-rubber-stamp-for

DIY stamp Image courtesy

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{R} Rule of thirds: A brief introduction to composition

Rule of three: An odd number of hearts makes for a more effective spread than if there were 2 or 4.

Rule of three: An odd number of hearts makes for a more effective spread than if there were 2 or 4.

Composition – or how various elements are placed in a work of art – is key to the success of all visual arts. Being a photography enthusiast, I have an innate understanding of some of these rules {such as the rule of thirds}, but when it comes to art, I’ve had to be a little more deliberate about composition. More often than not, however, art journal spreads are not planned – we often wing it! And that’s when we stumble upon problems of achieving balance and white space, depth and an overall pleasing composition.

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{Q} Quill and ink: incorporating the written word in your art journal

Let’s switch our focus from art to writing today. We’ve covered a fair bit on the art aspect of art journals. But the other part of an art journal, is the journal, by which I mean writing.

There are many ways in which you can incorporate the written word in your spreads to give them even more meaning. You can start with a layer of writing – pen down your thoughts, confusion, doubt, gratitude – anything on the page and then cover it with paints and mediums. That’s certainly one way to go about it – and it is something that I do very often.

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{B} Best books for art journaling

I believe that you can learn anything and everything from books. So it should come as no surprise that I have quite a collection of art books. Here are a few of my absolute favouries that I am sure will help you on your art journaling journey.
The Journal Junkies Workshop: Visual Ammunition for the Art Addict by Eric Scott and David Modler

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