Some Journal Pages

I have been working in my various journals from time to time.  Most of my journal pages are a work in progress.  I'll paint a background, add some collage, some doodles, and some text...not necessarily in that order.

This one was my April entry in The Sketchbook Challenge. The theme was Branching Out/ Out on a Limb.

The background is painted, I added magazine page cutouts, various doodles, and stamping.

This one still might not be finished.  The background is painted.  The portrait is actually a photo of me, printed on a book page, and drawn over with marker.  The drawn tree resembles the one in the small collaged picture.  I went over the page with Neocolor II water-soluble crayons and gold marker.  The word "SUNSET"  is written in white-out pen.

I have been working on the next page forever.  It is almost entirely made of found paper collage. It reminds me somewhat of Dorothy arriving in the Land of Oz. 

Did I ever show this one?  I made it last fall during the 21 Secrets of Journaling Online class.  The background has notes to myself written on paper and torn up, then painted over.  I wrote about all the ways I waste time instead of getting something constructive done...like art projects.  The face was done with a long paintbrush with rapid strokes and no pre-drawing.

I don't think I have ever shown this one.  I did it right after making the above page.  The background has gesso applied thickly, then painted with acrylics.  The face and hair are painted with no pre-drawing.  My husband would call this one "the surly bitch with fire in her eye."  He heard that line in some TV show or movie decades ago and quotes it often.  Maybe I should add that line as the text for this page!

It's so much fun to make these.  Rarely do I know what will end up on the page when I begin.   I just do a little of this, and a little of that, until I get an idea or until I like the way it looks.  It's a great way to try out new ideas or techniques.

Have you tried art journaling yet?