pair of swallows journal page

phew! My art journaling really slowed down a bit last week when family was visiting. My son Dallas, who turns 27 on Friday, arrived on Tuesday. My sister Kathy arrived on Thursday. My mom got a new puppy over the weekend and my art journal project pretty much melted into my table while we went swimming in the pool! I did a bit here and a bit there and finally pulled through and finished it up today. That felt good.

Julie Balzer, who is organizing  this journal project, published a post last week which I so loved and helped me to not fret about stepping back and taking time away from art journaling every day. Read her post here. I think the sub title for her sign up for August should be "Stop the madness!" It is a really great post! Anyway, the time with my family was grand, even though we missed Liz, Dallas' fiance'. Their wedding is October 1st! Just today booked plane tickets for Steven and me to fly to CT for this occasion. We'll stay with my sister and we'll all attend Dallas and Liz's wedding in Northampton, MA together. It will be here before we know it!

Back to my latest spread - here is a brief pictorial process:

The beautiful print of the swallows came in my most recent mail art envelope from Joanna. Thank you, Joanna!! I love so much of what you have sent me it is uncanny! 

I added that print to my journal right away.

I thought the texture of paint would go well. 

I squeezed gesso on and brushed it over the page.

I opened my spray bottle of Adirondack color wash (espresso) dipped a brush in and applied it on top of the paint, which was not completely dry everywhere.

I also spritzed plain water on top of the color wash to blend it with the white gesso, see how that looked when dry below -click on the photo for details.

I like how the color wash soaked in darker where there wasn't any paint.

I took my charcoal pencil and started writing.

Julie said recently, and I quote, 

"In my opinion, virtually every journal page should have journaling. Don't let the words get in the way. Let them flow and if it's stupid or grammatically incorrect, who cares?! Just write." 

Read more: http://balzerdesigns.typepad.com/balzer_designs

This is a whole new concept for me. Only since starting this project have I really started to add words, as in journaling to my art. So I am trying it . . . . Below, you'll see how after I did the writing, I took the same charcoal pencil and outlined the edge of the page plus outlined the birds. I started using charoal pencils when taking one of mary green's classes and I so love the look.

A scan of the final spread, below -click for detail.

All of the writing on the process of my art journal is here -it starts with the current post, scroll down. Learn more about this project here: Art Journal Every day.