Nature Themed Art Journal Page
As I've been sharing, I've really been into my Art Journal and Nature Journal lately.
Of course, my main passion and creative expression is jewelry making, but expressing your creativity in a way that's not your usual medium can inspire you in different ways and even bring more creativity into your main medium as well.
Let's take a look in my art journal at my latest page.
I finished this page last night. I had the idea percolating for a couple of days. I had been wanting to try some watercolor techniques.
Also I started reading Art Journal Art Journey by Nichole Rae and wanted to make a list for a page as she does in her art journals. I'm also drawn to her use of her own photos in her art journal pages, so I knew I wanted to include some photos of my own.
We had visited C & O Canal in Williamsport, Maryland a couple months ago and I took tons of photos, especially of the dragonflies. This year more than ever before I have seen so many dragonflies everywhere and at the canal there were tons of them.
The other photo on the page is from a boat trip we took up the canal.
More than just a reflection of this trip, though, my art journal page is about my feelings about being in nature. So while the photos are from this trip, the emotions I am expressing are about nature in general.
How I made my page:
I made the background using a salt technique with watercolor using both yellow and green watercolors.
I made a word association list for the page about nature. I simply typed whatever came to mind in that moment. (Since then more words have come to mind of course, but this is what happened in that particular moment.)
I have an old dictionary and I made a copy of the page with "nature" on it.
I cut my photos into circles. I have circle templates that I used.
Once the watercolor background was dry, I attached the dictionary page and the word association list.
To make the painted circles around the photos, I made the two sizes of circles on scrap paper using my circle templates and put them on the page and painted around them. I used acrylic paint.
And then I added the photos.
What I got out of making this page:
1. Watercolors are fun! I used to use watercolor more often until I discovered acrylic and never went back to watercolors. It is so much fun to experiment with watercolors.
2. Inspiration. I am so inspired to make a piece of jewelry inspired by this page now. Spending the time thinking about and working on the page makes me want to create the same emotions and feelings for a piece of jewelry.
3. Patience. I had to wait for that background to dry before I could continue.
Have you done any art journaling?
If not, maybe you would like to try. You can doodle or write poetry or try just making a word association list if painting makes you freeze. (You can use the prompt nature and just see what comes up!)
Let me know if you do try!
{Note: The link above to the art journal book I mentioned is an affiliate link, which means if you click on it and purchase the book, I get a tiny percentage. You do not pay any extra and it helps me. I love this book, so I have not been influenced by the fact that I am affiliate for Amazon to suggest it for you.}
By the way:
I did make a necklace inspired by this page! You’ll find the necklace here and a tutorial to make a mixed media bead that I used in the necklace here.
Nature Jewelry Workshop
I’d like to invite you to check out & sign up for my Nature Jewelry Workshop.
It combines my 2 favorite things - nature and jewelry!
You’ll get a creativity booster, jewelry making lessons and jewelry projects - all nature related.
Learn more and sign up here: Nature Jewelry Workshop
