Don’t let art become complicated. Sometimes I just wash ink all over my art journal pages as a background, grab a basic stencil, cut out a picture from a magazine that expresses what I want to say and find some words to paste on.
Simple.
Satisfying.
In 1/2 hour i am done.
Saturday at my art desk. Just me and my fluffy art assistant Sebastian who kept climbing into my lap, drinking my paintbrush washing water and padding his claws on my thighs. Love him.
Planted. Fully. Completely. My art journalling was inspired by immersing myself in Jeremiah 17:7&8 for the morning.
“Blessed is the woman who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.
They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
So here I am, grafted in. Beautiful Bible verse that blessed me. Filling my bucket so I can face this new year, 2016 square on, full and running over. 
Just for a little bit of fun, I thought I’d take my art journaling style and transpose it into a card.
The background is a page from a vintage copy of Gone With the Wind which is part of my ephemera vintage paper pack in my Madeit store. Stamp is by Unity Stamp Company design by Donna Downey (Windows to the Soul-Large).
Sometimes the picture and colours speaks louder to me than i could ever use individual words to communicate. So I left my words off this art journal page and let the page speak for itself, just leaving the white stencilled arty words as background. This art journal page is all about her.
I decided to have a crack at painting a girl. When i started painting her all I knew was that she was going to have long, dark flowing hair that would make her skin look radiant as it cascaded down, framing her face as a silhouette.
Then I decided part of her wanted to run away so I gave that part of her butterfly wings.
I stamped a butterfly background in black archival ink, then cut out lots of butterflies from printables.
As I stood back a little I realised the colourful butterflies distracted the eye from the focus which is the woman. So I painted alight coat of white paint over the butterflies to push them back into the background again.
And then I fixed a butterfly in her hair… I so enjoyed working on this art journal page, so relaxing to be painting. See my other woman with butterflies in her hair here.
I started the day well, Sunday brunch at Ruby’s in Paddington, good conversation, a fun atmosphere and gathering to bless a friend before her special wedding day later this month.
And here is some art journaling to share with you as I listen to the rain on the roof. Isn’t this great weather for reading a book tucked up under the doona.
The words ‘I will rise’ is from lyrics to a song I love… a perfect reminder that even when I am knocked down I will rise up again.
Today I had a great day. My husband brought me coffee first thing in the morning, I had the privilege to preach at my church a sermon celebrating women, I got to eat lunch with friends, spend a few hours editing my manuscript and completed the second edit YAY! and I sat my art desk with my art journal and continued the theme of celebrating being a woman. Here’s my step by step pictures starting with my finished picture. Paint is still a bit wet…. enjoy.
She art.
I created her without a face so imagination can add its own expression depending on moods and experiences.
My Sunday was a gift to me. Finally got some Me time. Not much. Not enough. But some, and that bit was a blessing.
rockmelon recycled 