I am honored to be the featured artist in Documented Life Project this week! The theme is Hometown inspiration: “There is no place like home”. This, if any, is suitable for me and for my art journal! I had a stay-at-home mother and we did not travel much as a family. Probably because of that, I have always loved being at home. When I worked away from home, I missed it all the time. Nowadays, especially every morning when I wake up, I am extremely grateful to be able to work from home!
Let’s create an art journal page to celebrate home!
1) Background – Outside from Home
How do your surroundings look like when you are not at home?
Bring those things to the background of your page!
I thought about the situations when arriving home is most appealing. The house, and the living room couch, looks the most welcoming after walking the dogs on a bad weather.
Being a dog owner and living in Finland, I have been in the middle of snow storms, pouring rain and everything between.
2) Focal Point – Inside Your Home
Pick some of the items from your home which represent your love for home!
I wanted to express the experience of staying inside, feeling happy, warm and safe from the blowing winds. A couch and house plants are good symbols for that.
3) Location, Location!
Create the page where you feel most at home!
We, visual people, are often very easily affected by the environment where we create. To make sure that the page would express of a warm and comfortable place, I created the page by sitting on the living room couch.
4) Start by Drawing Freely
Draw and doodle on the page. Don’t worry too much about the end result!
5) Add Color (+ 3 new ideas)
To make sure that your page expresses an experience and is not only a static illustration, add few new thoughts and ideas when coloring the page.
1st: For me, the first idea was the green color. Namely, living in Finland is not only enduring snow and rain. Now in summer, we have daylight almost through the night. Actually, if you read this on 20th June, we Finnish will be celebrating Midsummer, one of our biggest holidays.
This photo was taken just a week ago when walking the dogs 11 pm in the evening.
2nd: My second new idea was that home is not only a house or an apartment. It is a mental state. When I feel at home, my cup gets filled, I become peaceful and energetic at the same time.
The combination of peace and energy looks yellow to me. So I made sure that the focal point has a lot of yellow. I also cut a yellow heart and glued it to the page with a gel medium.
3rd: Where ever we go, we always carry a piece of home with us. My third idea was to add some red spots to the background to express that.
Boosted Expression
When you bring new ideas and thoughts on the theme while you are creating, you are not only making the page look more lively and expressive. You are also allowing your thoughts to move forward with creating.
Supplies Used
A black drawing pen (Micron 0.8 mm), colored pencils, a piece of scrap paper and some gel medium were the only supplies used on this page.
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This is beautiful but strange in that it seems like coming home to me also. I think that is the best part of art – when I can experience a similar emotional reaction that was intended by it’s creator. The progression of colors seems to insure those feelings and the little dabs of red in the background seem like memories in the distance. The red dots in the yellow seem like a celebration! This is a really great art journal page and lesson for those wishing to make a statement without using words.
beautiful post paivi — I am mesmerized by your journal page
I have been following you for a while now. I just love your work and you are such an inspiration….I am so glad I will be watching you again today on the Documented Life Project and will be anxious to do your lesson…thank you so much for sharing with all of us.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Thank you, Paivi for being our Featured Artist. What a treat! I love your art piece and the explanation of what the elements mean to you. I love the photos of your surroundings and how different it is from what I am experiencing. Sunshine 24/7 would be so different! I have never experienced that. I live where it is warm all year and I compare that to the picture of your snow banks and swirling snow. Your art is so beautiful and the colors invite the viewer to spend time inside your art. I love that!
Hi Paivi, new acolyte here – spent most of last weekend drooling over your work. You inspired me to dig out my beloved Polychromos pencils. Love this latest piece and I agree with Mary W – it does feel like home.
Have you seen the lovely round tarot deck, Songs for the Journey Home? That was drawn with coloured pencils and seeing this made me think of them.
Bx
I love your thoughts about home and your art journal page. Loved the simplicity of the technique and the gorgeous colour. The final page is so interesting. Can’t wait to try this.
This is such a fabulously inspiring page and I love the story that it tells. Thank you so much for sharing!
This was such an amazing read and a beautiful art journal page. I learned so much about your homeland and it has made me all the more excited to visit there one day! I love that you shared with us and am so grateful that you said yes to our Featured Artist post!
Paivi..this was one of the most inspiring posts I have seen..Im not sure if it was your telling of it in such a heartwarming way..or the symbolic nature of your choices…or your simple idea for a gorgeous outcome..either way..I sat down at my computer today..in somewhat of an “off” mood.(its very rare for me)..and I have been transformed into a spirit of joy and gratitude..for the small things, and for the connection you have encouraged between home, heart and art..thank you so much..! 🙂
This is amazing and beautiful.
The most amazing art journey I have taken how you think through and represent your journey. Love your work.
I love your art. It just makes me feel good when I look at it. I try to do something similar sometimes, but it never quite works out with the effect I have in my head. I have pinned a lot of your pictures on Pinterest. I hope a lot of people see it and subscribe to your very interesting newsletter. Thank you for sharing your talent.
Paivi, You and your art are amazing. I follow your posts and love your work. This one about home is lovely and so good for the soul. Thank you.
Have been following your blog since I saw your lesson in 21 Secrets. When I am down or uninspired, I go to your web site and look through the archives of your posts. Your style is a little different from mine but I always find something that inspires me. You are one of the few artists who I like to listen to what you have to say. So much of your attitude fits with mine but is expressed so much better. Keep up the good work. I will continue to watch and learn.
I too discovered paivi in 21 secrets and have been a fan ever since I am now taking her inspirational drawing class I absolutely her way of thinking and discovering different elements —
Wonderful wisdom in your words. Your artful coloring seems magical. Thank you.
Hello Pavi, I follow your blog and work from a few months, you never disappointed me, your work is always beautiful, colorful, this time you talk about how color and art is all when you live in a place where winter is long and no much color on it.
That’s it. Amazing how Art and bring us what we need and what we look for.
Thanks for sharing your art and words.
WOW! This is truly amazing! Your work is very inspiring and I enjoyed “seeing” your space in the world! Thanks so much for sharing your talents with our followers and it was so nice to have you as a guest artist. Thanks again!
I am very inspired by your art-work! Your approach is unique and interesting; lines and color metaphorically weave your story, wonderful.
Wow, I have never seen anything quite like this before and it’s AMAZING! Thank you for showing the process that achieved this art journal page. Even though you showed it very clearly I still don’t have a clue how you managed it! Bravo!!
Now taking your inspiration class, and this blog post is certainly inspirational. Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful talent.
I love the idea to express an experience not just a static illustration!
one of my favourite things to do is art journal. through art journalling i get to express and create. i also get to ‘meet’ some amazing people and artist….today is no exception!! Paivi your page is amazing!! you are so inspiring and how you made such a beautiful page out of what started a page of scribbles….AMAZING!!!!! i am so happy to have ‘met’ you through DLP!!!
Beautiful page!
I love being home too.
Home is where the heart is.
TFS!