Where Do You Keep Your Heart? - A Mixed Media Art Journal Page

Hello everyone!  Today it is my turn to create a mixed media tutorial for the STAMPlorations' blog and as it's also the day before Valentine's Day, I wanted to make something pertinent to the holiday so I asked myself the question: "Where Do You Keep Your Heart?" and answered it here in my art journal.

For me, my Art Journal is a very personal space and I keep it like a diary.  This is where I use art as a healing tool and my journal is kept as a safe place to go to play with my stuff.  I never worry about making a  mistake or even about making something "pretty"; I just play with my stuff and see what appears.  Sometimes, as in this case, I ask myself a question and I answer it in my Art Journal - and today's question is "Where Do You Keep Your Heart?"  HOME... inside and out! Smile. Now follow along with me in this photo-heavy tutorial as I detail my Art Journaling process for you.  

I started by adding water colour paint as a wash to my journal pages and using the ARTplorations "Where Troubles Melt" mask and white gesso to create my background:

I always use some painter's tape on the back of a mask so it doesn't move around when I am pouncing on the white gesso for which I use a makeup sponge triangle... my very favorite paint applicator for stencils and masks.

To get a crisp, clean edge when I lift my mask I try to keep my daubing motions straight up and down, but I don't stress if my edges are blurry as this is only the background. 

I continue moving my mask around the page, turning it up and down and all around and daubing white gesso over top until my inner artist yells STOP!

Now I have a happy, softly coloured background to use as a starting place to create my journal page.

Because I already knew that I was going to create a house and garden in this layout, before I added my elements I created a large sun image using the brand new ARTplorations "Just Flow" stencil  and some Golden Iridescent Gold paint.  I was not too worried about perfection as (again) it was only the background.

Next I began stamping and colouring all the images I wanted to use on this spread.  I only use StazOn inks or Archival inks as they are both waterproof.  (Very important when glueing down your images and adding paint afterwards.)

 

I love stamping on dictionary paper as it adds another layer of  interest without me having to do any work.

 

Now for something different I cut out a simple paper house shape and used the same ARTplorations "Just Flow" stencil and some distress inks to create a background to fill in with some Zentangle patterns.

Once I had all my bits and pieces ready I assemble my page, moving things around until I like the layout and then (this is important...) GLUE THEM DOWN... otherwise you will just keep moving things around your page for days and days and days... Smile.

And once everything is glued down I go back in with  my pens and coloured pencils and add doodles and lines and shading and most importantly the words and journaling!

before details and journaling is added...

After journaling and details are added

Well that's it for this month's tutorial!  I hope you enjoyed my little Art Journal lesson and that it maybe inspired you to go ask the question (and answer it in Art) "Where Do I Keep My Heart?"  And please do share your mixed media creations with us in this month's Mixed Media Challenge where it is Always Anything Goes Except a Card (and you  must use a stencil - any stencil)

  Prizes:

- $10 gift certificate to the winner voted by the Mixed Media team

- $5 gift certificate each to the 2 top picks

- If there are 25 or more entries: 1 random winner of any 2 standard size stencils

Lynne Mizera, Mixed Media Artist

for the STAMPlorations Mixed Media Design Team

  

STAMPlorations products used on the project:

WHERE TROUBLES MELT

JUST FLOW

TRENDY BIRDS

The BIRDS And The BLOOMS

Other products Used on this Project:
Inks: StayzOn-black, midnight blue, brown; Archival-black
Paints: Golden Iridescent Gold acrylic paint; Peerless Watercolur Paints
Coloured Pencils: Prismacolor Scholar
Adhesives: ModPodge - Matte
Other: Black Sharpie Fine Point marker