Crafter's Workshop Blog Post!

Here is a blog post I did for The Crafter's Workshop and their One Stencil Four Ways Series. Check out their blog to see more creativity from other designers. (This post was originally written a few months ago when I was in the midst of moving my family of six to a brand new state. BTW: We survived!)

Lately I have been all about the quick and easy as time in my studio has been few and far between due to everyday family life being extra busy and stressful. During these times I find myself distracted away from creating but I am learning that I need to make the time. Here is a technique I used recently in my art journal:

I like to create faces, like, alot. My art journal is filled with them and it is always interesting to me what comes out onto the page. Sometimes I love it and sometimes I don't. Those that I don't like will either stay that way or I will decide to rework them. I don't pressure myself one way or the other.

With this one I had ready rubbed out most of her face. I felt too controlled and tight when I had first worked on it. The colors were becoming muddy and I had lost alot of white space. It also seemed stagnant and tired.

What came to my rescue was the Pinwheel stencil from The Crafter's Workshop. So full of energy and movement! Also, I am a sucker for patterns with a radiating direction. I slapped that lovely down on the page and decided this lady was going to be full of light and energy!

After the white paint dried I went in with a pencil and started the face. What I thought would be a face full of optimism and hope came out, to me, saddened, worried or stressed. Instead of changing it I just let it be. It was exactly how I had been feeling and my pencil told the truth I didn't even recognize in myself. And that's a reason why art journals are awesome.

 I took a black Stabilo-All pencil and loosely went over my pencil lines. The extra black color is divine.

Then it was time for a wet brush. The Stabilo-All is water-soluble and by dragging the color around with a wet brush it makes awesome shadows.

Here is the final page with color added with acrylic paints and journaling in black pen. Even though my subject matter is somber I like the juxtaposition with the energetic radial pattern the stencil provides. Seems like my journal is telling me that even with all the stress and franticness my days are filled with I am still capable of shining bright and I need to push through to the end. Yep, art journals are awesome and so is this pinwheel stencil. Happy creating!