January 7, 2024

Week 1: Laying the Foundations – Sketchbook or Art Journal as Artistic Discovery

Focus: Introduction to art journaling, self-reflection, and creative play through mark making and washes. Put something down to start working against. Loosen Up. Play with Abstraction. Can you be CREATIVE? Will you let yourself?

• Objective: Understand art journaling as a tool for exploration, not perfection.

• Where do we start? Where do we get our ideas? ( we will revisit this throughout.)

• Activities:

  • Free Paint / Reflect / Make notes about where you want to go, what you want to do

  • Guided free-writing and mark-making exercises to overcome the blank page.

• Reflection Prompt: "What excites me about making art?”

                                                    "How do my marks reflect my current state of mind?

• Beginning With Ourselves: “An extended personal metaphor for my art." Think about this over the next few weeks.

 

Fun Stuff On Offer: Differences between gouache, acrylic and watercolour; finishing a page; ideas for journal structure’;  Background / focus / top layer
Strategies for getting started, taking risks. Starting without a plan!

 

Here are some inspiring  journaling links we talked about  - all dramatically different!
(Sometimes instagram links will open if you're signed into instagram on the device you're on. Otherwise, just look them up)

​Sue Johnston is a very inspiring British designer working in mixed media collage. Check her out on instagram at SueJohnsonStudio!

Gareth Jones' traditional plein art journal

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And here are some pics to inspire you.  Why a grid? A “Little and Often”, grid kinda proves the point of why.

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