Artist’s Journal Workshop: Creating Your Life in Words and Pictures

By Cathy Johnson

This is a beautiful book. It is in the vein of recording the moments of your life with illustrations, and Cathy Johnson makes the distinction of using an “artist’s journal” rather than an art journal. It is a personal journal kept by you as an artist, but don’t think you need to be an accomplished artist because that is not what she is saying at all. This is merely a book for recording your life, elevating the everyday aspects that contribute towards the whole of our lives, whether that be the way the light catches a flower in the garden, our shopping lists and numbers we collect, to the way our child looks when they are sleeping. All ideas and experiments welcome!

Cathy’s use of pen and paint is stunning. Her pen work is beautiful. There are also other artist’s pages scattered throughout the book.

There are boxes of “tips” and ideas to try, but mostly this book is just fill of inspiration that makes you want to begin recording your own life. There are no step by step projects, but she does go through all sorts of potential materials at the start of the book with a commentary on how to get the most out of your art supplies.

The book has 5 chapters. Chapter one is devoted to the basics including potential supplies and you figuring out what sort of journal you want to keep and what the purpose will be. Chapter 2 is about testing out different supplies and experiments you can do in the pages to see what your supplies can do and work out what supplies call to you. It also covers some design and composition ideas.

One of the most genius common-sense things I got out of this book is the experiment she did with an artist grade watercolour set and a student set, and the difference it makes prewetting your palette. The colours, no matter what set was used were so much more vibrant with just a quick spray of water a minute before you are ready to get started.

Chapter 3 looks at the different potential journals you can have including daily journals, travel journals, memory journals, nature journal, dream and imagination journals, and reportage journals. Chapter 4 covers making journaling a habit and ideas for integrating journaling into your daily life. This chapter asks a lot of questions of you to get to the heart of what you want your journaling experience to be. This chapter includes ideas for different spread layouts and how you can begin.

Chapter 5 is titled ‘Pulling it all Together’ and it does!! She considers questions of style, favourite techniques and subjects of the featured artists and herself, and also recognising what doesn’t work for you. It also contains ideas for going forward and new things to try.

There is also a good resource spread in the book, with featured artist information, books and classes you may want to look at.

The book is really well written and is very clear, the information is very fulsome, and complete.

As well as Cathy’s work which I loved, (her portraits of her husband are beautiful), I was particularly inspired by the work of these artists that were featured in her book:

• Ellen Burkett
• Roz Stendahl
• Fred Crowley
• Lapin
• Pam Johnson Brickell
• Danny Gregory
• Pat Southern-Pearce (Check out her palette knife set which really EXCITED me)
• Hannah Hinchman
• Catriona Andrews

I really recommend this book, it has something to inspire beginners to more experienced painters and good ideas for sparking your creativity and developing your skills.

Experimental Painting: Inspirational Approaches for Mixed Media Art

By Lisa Cyr

Lisa’s writing is an art form in itself. Her use of words is a wonder that led me to reading random sentences aloud just to hear them spoken.

“Ideas ignite from within, prompted and propelled by one’s interests and surroundings. The manifestation comes to the surface only when all the necessary components are available to bring it to fruition. The coalescing of the internal and external spurs an inspired thought to take flight, and it is up to the artist to recognize and make sense of the relationships that begin to unfold once it surfaces.”

“Unveiling a world beyond the picture plane, the dimensional landscape takes on a more expansive, symbolic role in the pictorial realm, making a visceral connection with all who encounter its presence”

The book takes you from the initial stages of creating, the planning and sketching, through to gathering the tools and materials (and good ideas about using found items and altering existing tools), through to the stages of a painting, and a myriad of demonstrations of different techniques and constructions.

The depth of information was incredible. Beyond the actual painting she even discusses the marketing of you work and creating sustainable series of work and creating multiples. In terms of sheer information there is a lot in this book.

You also get to admire and ogle Lisa’s work which is quite frankly stunning. Her storytelling is inspired, and seeing the actual story behind her works, and then how she translates the story to images and symbols to bring it to life was insightful. Down to the way the work is presented and how that adds to the story, she gave me much to think about.

She does not show you step by step how to create one of her works, because this is not what the book is about, it isn’t learning to paint like Lisa. You can see the level of work she has put in to produce the images she does and that comes about through your own practice and dedication, not something you see shown in a book and reproduce. But there is so much more in the book that will help you tell and illustrate your own stories.

Her use of texture, and where and why she used it was illuminating and I had several “lightbulb” moments. She goes into creating textures a wee bit and some of her techniques seem so linear and obvious I was left wondering how I had never made the jump myself. Her work is truly representative of the term mixed-media in a way that I have never seen so completely in single pieces before. The combinations of materials, and the range she uses will inspire you.

Sometimes the writing was almost overwhelming, particularly at night sometimes after the children were put to bed, the words (as much as I also loved them! :)) had me turning to other books because I just wasn’t up to this book all the time.

Overall however, the book was inspiring and educational and I recommend it to people as a glimpse in how to add not only texture to their work but a real depth and combine the two to tell their stories.

The Complete Guide to Altered Imagery: Mixed-Media Techniques for Collage, Altered Books, Artist Journals, and More

By Karen Michel

I have had this book sitting on my wishlist for a while, but I was very on the fence. When I saw it at the library I was quite excited, and now I have read it, I will need to grab it at some stage for my own bookshelf. The book is split into 4 chapters covering altering actual photos, printer/scanner images, other found imagery and prints. There is also an artist gallery with selected featured artists.

I really liked this book, and there were lots of ideas that really excited me, with good images and clear explanations of techniques. She also includes useful tips for further extension of ideas.

I had never seen many of the techniques and it was interesting to see how to get similar effects as some photo apps with photos. Increasingly I am putting more photos on to some of my art journal pages and using more images so it was interesting to see the techniques here, that I will also be able to experiment with.

I particularly loved many of the techniques she shared on altering and integrating found images into your work. Karen’s journal pages are stunning with her layers of paint and gesso and juicy yumminess, and full of meaning.

Spreads of her journals are given with clear guidance, however the spreads are not shown so you can recreate her pages but rather so that you can create your own pages and go off in other directions. I was particularly inspired by her bird images and the use of found imagery.

The print making section also greatly inspired me. I particularly want to try her gum dichromate printing process, which coincides with an exhibition I saw recently that really intrigued me. She also went over lino printing, mono prints (many of the ideas would work with gelatin printing that is currently exciting a lot of people). The ways she pushed monoprinting was exciting and filled me with ideas for how to take it further. I also really love the monoprinting effect.

The artist gallery was filled with images, artist’s profiles and artist’s tips. Some of the artists that really inspired me were:

• Monica Riffe
• Michelle Ward
• Lynne Perrella
• Juliana Coles
• Carlo Thertus
• Anne Grgich

This are no “project-based” works with step by step directions, so if that is what you are looking for than this book is not for you. The images are also altered a lot, and I have read a comment alluding to the destruction and vandalism of images, so if you are looking for new scrapbooking formats, then this book is probably also not for you.

It is about utilising images, some of which you won’t ever put into an album, to give the images new meanings, or to emphasise the meaning you want to convey with the image. It is not about preserving images for family histories, so if that is what you primarily want to do, this is not the book for you either.

The book also uses a lot of paint (which I personally love), and is not primarily about collage, which is another complaint I have seen. So if you are looking for a straight collage book, then this is also possibly not the book for you. :)

I would really recommend this book, I really loved it. There are a lot of techniques in this book, and the work inspires you to push your use of imagery to new directions.

Collage Playground: A Fresh Approach to Creating Mixed-Media Art
by Kimberly Santiago

This is a good introduction to collage. I may have found it more useful if I came from a scrapbook background, but I am primarily a painter and so that has influenced how I viewed the book.

Kimberly‘s writing style is friendly and conversational and really easy to read. I liked her emphasis on playing. Which was evident throughout the book. Having fun, trying new things. There is a good basic introduction to art supplies that would be helpful in collage. Then Kimberly went through some projects to create collage elements. There were a couple of sections I found interesting in here. Particularly the weaving sparked a few ideas for me.

Kimberly then takes you through numerous projects, illustrating different ideas that she is highlighting. While there are some other media, the primary media is collage, which I guess is only natural in a collage book. Some examples were stepped through, and some weren’t, but all the explanations were clear. Most of her examples were geared towards finished works and canvases, but there was plenty I saw that could be translated to an art journal. Her use of fusible webbing as an adhesive is genius!

I wonder if it is my particular painter-bias, but I did feel that many of the projects felt a bit busy and paint by numbers (and there is nothing at all wrong with that, if that is what you are looking for), and I didn’t get a clear sense of story telling through the works created (which is something I was looking for). I was left thinking that I would have taken things further and the projects felt a bit unfinished to me.

I do want to stress that I felt there was a strong scrapbooking/craft influence and I think it will be wonderful for you if that is your style or preference.

New Creative Collage Techniques: How to Make Original Art Using Paper, Color and Texture by Nita Leland

Wow!!

This book is filled to the brim with techniques and information.

Not all the techniques or work spoke to me equally, but there were some techniques I had never heard of before, or seen before in any of the myriad of art books or art workshops I have taken and I was incredibly inspired.

The techniques are all well described and there are plenty of photos and tips to take the techniques in different directions.  This book also introduced me to some collage artists that really excited me in where how they are doing collage, which completely reframed the possibilities of collage for me.

Especially these artists:

• Bob Kilvert (If you know of a better link then feel free to let me know!  :))
• Cody F Miller
• Aki Sogabe

The 60 “projects” are not all projects of step by step recreate what you see, and in that most of the projects are almost prompts.  From using bought and found papers to making your own, the variety of work is stunning, and I imagine there is something that will speak to most people.

There were some techniques that I had never seen before, such as making crystalline papers and making your own paper, and I was really excited throughout the book, even if the specific technique or finished piece did not necessarily call out to me.

There is good information on different mediums and substrates.  As well as information on how they can be used.  A lot of it was really useful information such as different uses, preparation and additional useful comments.  There is also really good information on the elements and principles of design, and colour theory information. Sometimes (especially if you are self-taught I imagine!  :)), you can be a bit gung-ho about things, and that is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is also useful to see a complete and thorough explanation of some things, and to gain a bit more knowledge.

I really recommend to this book to not only collage artists but to everyone as a good overall grounding and information that can be utilised for all mediums.

I have been thinking about doing book reviews for ages, I own that many art books, it is insane.  But I have put it off, because some are better than others and I did not want to say things that may offend people after they have invested so much of themselves in writing their book, because after any review is only a reflection of the person reviewing the book.  What I don’t love, may be what you do love.  I have been hesitant.  Also I have read plenty of reviews that aren’t really reviews I don’t think.  Just giving a bland description of the book that actually tells the reader very little.  So I wanted to be more useful than that.  :)

What I have decided on is a section of what I liked about the book and a section on what I didn’t like as much, and then any final comments that I feel like making!!  :)

The Collage Workbook: How to Get Started and Stay Inspired

by Randel Plowman

In the last wee while I have have read quite a few collage books, a new direction perhaps!  :)

What I liked about the book:

This was a good solid book and there was a lot to like about it.  I preface the review with the fact that I am a painter more than a collager so that is my bias.

There is excellent design and composition information at the front end of the book which is a really useful reference.  I found it really interesting and it was very clearly written and illustrated.

There were 50 prompts to explore as well, and he provides examples of where he went with the prompt.  Many of the prompts I thought were really good and prompts that would be easily translatable to an art journal or an art piece and there were quite a few that I want to explore further.

He also provides some images at the back you can scan and use if you wish, and digital downloads of the images are available at a website he provides.

I think the book is really good in terms of the prompts provided, and would be a good book for many mediums.

What I didn’t like quite so much:
The book did not really explore any new techniques or push the idea of collage to new levels, which may be understandable when all the work featured was his own so would be of the same general style.  It did feel very suited to beginners to collage rather than those wanting to take collage to new level or explore new avenues.

Last thoughts:

I found it a really good introduction book for beginners to collage, and it was not intimidating at all. He gives a good overview on the materials you require and getting started.  I am glad it was the first one I read, and I recommend it for the prompts if you are a prompty person and there were quite a few new prompts that I hadn’t seen before and you could taken them in all sorts of directions to inspire your work.

At the end of the day, the by-line of the book is how to get started and stay inspired and I think the book achieves both those objectives.  :)

It is now Friday and life has been so FULL! And I am grateful, it is productive full, panic-y full, am I enough full, and blessing filled full as well. All of it I am grateful for. But a lot of it is preparational stuff, getting backgrounds ready, paintings half finished. Committing to online shops, and still needing to list. Committing to stalls, and still needing to produce goods. And starting this post a few days before day and then not finishing it. :)

Exciting and everyday intermingled, because laundry still needs to be done, floors washed and vacuumed, children packed off to school and kindy and picked up, and friends popping in, and life is crazy busy and full. And good.

And because nothing is finished, or at a stage to be photographed, I thought about doing my first book review. And I chose to do the book that started everything for me.

Wreck this Journal by Keri Smith.

I read about this, and ordered it. Fell in love with it, and bought it for everyone I knew as their Christmas present in 2009. My son who was 6, loved it and I got him one too. And that summer we wrecked our journals. I don’t know where his is, but this morning I went and looked for mine and found it, and as I was taking photos I realised I still had plenty to finish. So I will start doing that again. For fun.

I have always been a book person. To intentionally destroy a book was challenging, but I found as I played with materials and art supplies, that that was where my heart was pulling me. I was so tired and ill and not well, and working through this book gave me a diversion and a chance to breath and reflect.

The first day...ready to mail to myself!

In amongst the craziness like throwing the book of a 100 foot cliff (though I started to climb it, my beloved (who ridiculed the book playfully at every opportunity) said that given my tendency to clumsiness he would climb the cliff and throw it) an where upon it broke in two. I think he was worried about my reaction as I went to pick up the pieces, but wrecked it was as the title said to do, and I made a new binding for it using my old paint rag.

I look through it now, and I see both how far I have come creatively and artistically, and also remember the madness that Sebastian and I shared as we did wreck those journals.

There are pages I want to paint over and do over, and my first face, that I really want to blank out.

Ugh!! First face.

I can’t recommend this book enough. For exploring your own creativity. In any form, painting, drawing or writing or sculptural or knitting. Just exploring. Creating. Having fun, and playing.

My first completed page!!

Learning washable markers actually wash out!!

Made using my hair!! tweezers and buckets of patience!

Second completed face...

Family!

Looking through this now, I see how it sparked ideas for me. And how taking that time to do something for yourself, that is not about completing projects or paintings or anything else but playing could spark more ideas. Refilling the well. Exploring. That is what I would recommend the book for. Using this book I discovered that I loved paint. Loved. And just create. And this book gave me permission to just explore all of that with no pressure.