The Rest Of The Story

Here are the rest of the photos I wanted to include yesterday: the second group of zines from my ebay win and closeups of the beginnings of my new dolls. I also included closeups of the zines I've been digging into lately. I was up way past my bedtime last night oohing and ahhing over these.

I've been getting so many ideas from just these first two that I'm rapidly filling up my notebook. A few highlights that especially caught my eye include different methods for art journaling. This is something I've been wanting to do: start an art journal. It's similar to a regular journal, but you include your art. Some people just do sketches or make experimental pages of art techniques they are curious about. Others add words right along with their images. It's up to you how you want to do it. I will probably use a little of both. Some days I feel more like writing, others I just want to play with the art.

I have a plethora of notebooks, sketchbooks, all waiting to be filled, so that's no problem. And while there are no "rules" for creating art journals, I found it interesting to see how some of these artists approach theirs. Another great resource for this is just to visit their blogs. A lot of my favorite artists that I truly admire are listed on the sidebar. Check out their blogs. They are all very talented and that is the type of art that I aspire to one day.

Some ideas to get started in an art journal that I picked up: 1. Cut out large phrases from magazines that say something to you. Glue them randomly into your journal ahead of time. Then, create whatever comes to your mind when you see them on the page. 2. Draw three to five rectangles in a line on your page. Write around them, draw around them, paint around them, whatever strikes you. Collage onto the page. 3. Create a glaze out of oil pastels. Lay it down rather heavily on the page. Then, take a soft cotton rag or paper towel and rub most of it off. You can use it over written text to kill the start whiteness of a page. It will be a soft transparent wash of color. Cool! 4. Look at how the light affects various colors. Try to replicate the effects you like in your collages.

These are just a few of the pointers that I came across. LOVE IT! I'm new to a lot of this, so it's very informative for me when artists share little tips. I write them down in my little art notebook under "techniques" and can refer to them when I want to try something new.

I was so inspired by these little zines that I joined an egroup on Yahoo groups of zine makers that host zine swaps. Still waiting for the info on it, but it looks like a good group to learn from. I'm itching to try my hand at a little zine. Stay tuned...

These zines were all vintage ones from years ago that the artist Lesley Riley was purging from her studio. I am so excited to get these. So many of the artists whose blogs I follow are doing a purge right now. Paring down their studios to either make room for more art or to get rid of supplies they no longer need. I should do more of that. I seem to be perpetually in the hunting and gathering stage. But, soon I'll run out of room and will need to do the same type of thing. I am definitely a hoarder of art supplies; a terrible vice UNTIL you run across something that you are so glad you kept! My problem is finding it. I know I have some things, I just can't seem to put my hands on them... a little organizing would help. That's my task today. Put the stuff where it belongs so I can put my hands on it when I need it. So, I'm off to do just that!