Well it’s time for week seven already; not sure how that happened! I haven’t done my page/project for week six yet but I will post photos as soon as each step is finished. I admit, the last two prompts were difficult even on their own! “Behind the Fence” and “Date Night” is an odd combo, and I want to do something worthy of the creative challenge. A few times in the past week I considered adding to one of the first pages I made for my first art journal:
This was it’s progression – from a basic green background (using Dylusions Cut Grass ink spray I got from Paper Pals) and a some painted bubble wrap texture on the top and a tree on the bottom (its orientation was landscape originally), to a pair of trees (and a portrait orientation) which I disliked even more, to a gesso covered background with a house, a fence, a yard, and a two faceless people (haha) in swimwear. I made them that way because of the page it goes with:
This page is on the left in my journal, the people on the right. It says “Five-0 Reasons to Love Me….” with a surfboard for two reasons I think the new Hawaii Five-0 rocks (and Alex O’Loughlin is hot!); and I would like to have my wedding on a beach some place warm (preferably Hawaii, but I’m flexible). Eventually I’ll put a list of 50 reasons to love me, but I’m still trying to decide how I want that part to look. So really, the fence is already there, and date night would go along with the existing concept. But two things. First of all, the fence was an afterthought of decoration and background layering, not an integral part of the page.
Second, and more important, I don’t want to use a pre-determined idea as my response to this week’s prompts; the intention behind this project of drawing two cards a week for 52 weeks (or one year) was to help me achieve my goal of making art every day. So I still have nothing for week six, but I’m thinking on it.
Back to week seven, which starts today: collage background from scraps. This is a fun one; in fact, I already have one almost finished, but I made it a few weeks ago so I’ll be making a new one with some different colors. I find the act of layering a background with smaller pieces of paper very relaxing, almost meditative, so perhaps it will free my subconscious from the dreaded (dare I say it) “artist’s block” and help me finish last week’s as well (hence the “two birds” title).
While we’re on the subject of layering backgrounds with scraps, I find myself wondering how many of you reading this made some sort of resolution/goal or perhaps even edict (a proclamation having the force of law – very intense, very pertinent) to use up your scraps of paper you’ve been hoarding.
This would be a great project to get that ball rolling! Especially if you can find a way to use this prompt for something other than a small art journal page (like say about twenty ATCs for trade night next week? They would all be unique, make great backgrounds, even for a later trade….)
It would also be a great exercise to let go of your control a little and just randomly grab, say, [insert number here, preferably an even one, if not don’t tell me] pieces of paper – and use no more, no less – to fit together. A collage based on reckless abandon…. hmm. Very intimidating, very daring, very….creative?
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