Scrap Paper Collage
I made a greeting card from the paper scraps that I have. I make my own papers that I use for collage art. And even the tiniest scraps are saved in a container that I call “The Treasure Box” with capital letters.
These scraps have practically no monetary value but still I treat them as they would cost a million. I have put a lot of time in creating each little scrap.
The scraps also have another property that I am fond of. They look ugly as individual scraps but are beautiful when they are combined together.
Many things in life are like that. Nothing particular when examined separately but spectacular and successful when they are seen in the big picture.
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Self-Sufficiency in Art Journaling
I love the word “self-sufficiency”. I don’t know if it sounds as wonderful to native English speakers but it reminds me that I am sufficient, I am enough, nothing more is needed.
I am often asked: what materials do you use, what should I shop first when beginning art journaling? In the beginning it is all about the equipment, I understand. But this has happened for me: the more I create, the more I begin to value self-sufficiency. It means that I use what I have. I only buy when I have run out of the material. When making a page I try to find creative ways to use even the tiniest pieces of papers. It makes me happy. I feel independent and powerful.
It is great to have supplies that work for you and shopping them can be a joy too. Still, it is also true that you can make your best adverts, the greatest shop. Only you can create images that you are naturally drawn to. By examining what you like and why, you will first find your own style, and then your own happiness. Self-suffieciency is not always the absolute but in art journaling you really are enough!
Dancing with Imagination – Mermaid Illustration
The reason why I have been practising by drawing millions of circles, again and again, is this: I want to express myself through illustration. I want to put my imagination into work and make my toughts and dreams visible.
And I have more dreams. You might remember that I painted icons when I was a child. It led me to dream about painting new kind of icons: images that are not connected to any particular religion but which have the similar uplifting effect.
Now I have understood that I want to dance with the imagination, go beyond, not only religion, but also reality. I want to illustrate imaginitive stories, fairy tales, and use them to uplift myself and hopefully others too.
I have found this through art journaling. I have made many ugly pages before I have realized: I can take any direction I want with my art, with my thinking.
I want to cherish the power of imagination and welcome you to do so too!
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Realistic Composition from Photos
I am fascinated by photographs. I take a lot of photos and examine composition in them. I find it interesting that some objects show only partly in the photos. This little detail gives realistic look for illustrations too.
Half Cut Elements, Fuzzy Background
As you can guess I have more peonies than roses in my garden but in greeting cards, I have to admit, roses look great. In this card, I applied my photographic studies. It includes not only half cut elements but also the fuzzy background to add dimension and depth. To create an imaginary world that looks like it really exists – that’s my dream!
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