Friday, May 27, 2011

Catching Up With the 'Ole Altered Journal

It's been so long since I've worked in my altered journal, the big old Reader's Digest Anthology that has been my big journal of everything for the past three years. I finally sat down this week to scan some of the pages I did back in January, as well as create a page for the beer fest we went to last weekend since I collected some seriously great paper goodies while we were there.

I also, much to my chagrin, finally finished up a page I sketched out while Joe and I were on our honeymoon (nearly three years ago). I'm now officially 280 pages into the 536 page book. To be fair though, I have ripped probably 20 pages out and glued others together to keep the binding from exploding.

Being as how it's been a good long time since I shared anything from this journal and I'm working in my pagan art journal with only paint and ink rather then collage, I'd share some of the pages I've done in 2011.

(click on any of these to see them larger on Flickr.)

Christmas Cheer
Inspired by time with the lovely and siblings over Christmas; I'm the one grinning like a dork. Includes some wrapping paper, stamps and bits of cards people sent me.

The Sketchbook Project
Celebrating my participation in and completion of the 2011 Sketchbook Project and my theme 'Nightmares'. What is the Fear in Your Heart?

The Affected Eye
This one was done back when I had a relapse of my eye issue back at the end of March, beginning of April. I had just gotten home from the doctor and was emotionally overwhelmed, exhausted and looked to my journal for comfort. I put no real thought into this; just grabbed my charcoal sticks and various acrylic paints and let myself go. No brushes, no sketching. Highly therapeutic, a bit ugly and not sure what the hell I squiggled on there.

Top of the Hops
My tribute to the fabulous beer festival. No real explanation needed I think. Watercolor, pen and various goodies.

You know I couldn't leave you without showing you what took me nearly three years to go ahead and color right? ;-) Here is the page I sketched out on our honeymoon:

Just Married
That's right. Just married and riding a gods-damned unicorn! The image on the right is a postcard from a place we visited on our honeymoon. I chopped two pages down to just strip and glued it in between them then reinforced the flimsy tabs with bits of a card.

This book has gone on various travels and adventures with me and holds all sorts of memories, ideas and quirky tidbits I've encountered over the years. Now that I'm past the halfway point in it, I'm actually worried I'll fill it up soon. How weird is that?

18 comments:

  1. So fantastic Danni. The nightmare page is haunting but beautiful in it's way. My favorite though is the image of you and your hubby riding a unicorn. :) I especially love the details of his kilt and your knee high white boots.

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  2. What a fabulous book. I can't imagine filling up than many pages in such a short amount of time. Wow! Thanks for sharing.

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  3. Love, love, love it! The eye, so evocative... the unicorn riding newlyweds, so funny & joyful!

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  4. Once you fill it up, you can start a new one! No need to worry about it. :)

    And is your husband wearing a kilt there? Is he Scottish?

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  5. Yup, that's a kilt. He's a mix of Scottish, Irish and Polish so sort-of. And, he looks damn fine in a kilt. ;-)

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  6. Oh I love this! Your work is just beautiufl. Making an altered journal has been on my list of things I want to do for ages. You may have just lit the spark to get me moving!

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  7. All fantastic! I love your beer festival page, and your eye page definitely evokes the feeling you must have been going through at the time.

    I'm so glad you're back journalling again, it'll spur me on with mine! (Hopefully!!)

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  8. Danni, this is fabulous! I love your huge smile, so NOT a dork! ;-)

    I love the way you capture such thoughts, mood and emotion into your altered art journal.

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  9. Ok, so I have never seen an "altered journal" before. Am I seeing what I think I am seeing? You have taken a regular printed book and are doing drawings and journaling right over the printed pages?

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  10. That is sooo cool! I love the idea of using an old book and just drawing over the words. How creative is that?? You. rock.

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  11. This makes me want to work on my journal!

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  12. These are such fabulous fabulous journal pages! So colorful and meaningful. I especially love your newlywed page! Thank you for sharing!!! :)

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  13. Sophiadawn, that's exactly what you're seeing. People can create art or altered journals in any book that they feel comfortable working in. Some like to work in sketchbooks or moleskine books but a bunch of folks (including myself) really enjoy taking old books we find at garage sales, freebie bins, etc and giving them a new life as our journals.

    I like to draw right over the text most of the time, but occasionally block things out with white paint before coloring so they'll stand out. Others will sometimes paint over the entire page and start with a blank canvas. It all depends on how you're most comfortable working. :)

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  14. what fabulous journal pages. I am so gonna do an altered journal like that. I have lots of ideas, thanks for inspiring me. I love your pages espescially your last one. Hugs Sara

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  15. Best. Post. EVER!!! I absolutely loved browsing through your journal Danni. I think the fact that you had so many pages stored up and shared them all at once helped give us a great 'feel' for the whole project. So many emotions and memories gathered up so beautifully! I don't know which is my favourite; the eye is very striking, especially knowing the trouble you've had, and I love the beer one. I think, though, I'll have to go with the honeymoon spread. As you said yourself, just married and riding a unicorn - brilliant!!!

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  16. Beautiful!!! I've always wanted to try doing an altered journal....I even bought a book to use....but because I don't know what I'm doing....I can't get myself started. I really LOVE your journal....

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  17. I want those boots! And the unicorn!

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  18. You are so amazing girl.

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