Help [ME] Ronda

Create Daily: Repetition

The design principle of unity is the harmony of the elements of a piece of art that helps all the elements function together.  In other words it's the visual linking of the elements.  A great way to achieve a sense of unity is repetition.  Any design element can be repeated -- line, color, shape, texture, direction, etc -- to create harmony.  Repetition in odd numbers is very pleasing and is often used in good designs. 

Can you spot the repetition of elements in the above art journal page? There are three circles on the vine, all in blue that help bring this page together.  The textured background is scattered around the page with three main areas.  Hand drawn flowers also adorn the page creating that sense of unity. 

Do you see the repetition in this layout?  The quatrefoil stencil is repeated on the background using three colors (pulled from the photo) to give it that dynamic pop.  Stamped dates/numbers are repeated alongside the photo as well as creating the repetition of black around the page.  There are five sequins on the page and that circle shape is repeated in the flair and splatters. 

This piece just scream repetition. The grid rub-ons are repeated on the background as well as on some of the smaller canvases. Color is repeated throughout this piece.  Take for example the aqua blue, you can find it on the top 4x4 panel, the dress form canvas, and the metal heart, drawing your eye around the canvas.  Butterflies, tags, numbers, gears, flowers, texture, shape, etc are all repeated creating unity in the piece. 

When working with multiple canvases, i tend to use three.  Lots of repetition here as well.  Nature is repeated in all three canvases as well as color. Yes the canvases are three different colors but the colors are repeated in the other canvases. The red in the top canvas is pulled into the middle canvas in three repeating circles.  The yellows and reds from the top two canvases are repeated in the butterflies on the bottom canvas.  And the blue from the bottom canvas is found in the leaf on the top canvas, another repeating element.  There is lots more repetition in this piece, can you spot it all?

Last month, i did a blog post about layouts using grids.  it's an easy way to repeat elements.  This is a variation of a gridded layout using repetition of circles.  Colors, shapes, and words are all repeated here.  Stamps are another way to include repetition into your creations.  Take a look at this post over at CreateMixedMedia, that shares a step-out from my book Art of Layers, to see how to incorporate repetition of stamps. 

Have you created something this week?  Anything goes...an art journal page, doodle, scrapbook page, card...just something creative.  Share a link at the bottom of this post with the inLinkz button.  Just leave a link to a specific blog post or image on flickr, rather than a general url. This way we can see your stellar creation.

Introduction to Art Journaling

So pleased to introduce you to a new class, Introduction to Art Journaling. 

Introduction to Art Journaling is a class to get you started in the wonderful world of art journaling. In this course I share with you basic supplies, creating texture without adding bulk, how to begin with both wet & dry backgrounds, and how to journal daily. With almost two hours of videos broken down into 5 different sections, I want to give you the confidence to jump into art journaling. I have included a great resource list with journaling prompts, a supply list, and an awesome image collection to use in your journal. Click here to purchase this class for only $19.95. 

Word Up #72: CRAZY

Word up over at OLW.  Denise's word this go around.  It's a perfect word for Denise, she is lovingly crazy and so much fun.  i hold her dearly in my heart.  it's  seemingly a good word for me this time too.  But then again OLW words always seem just right.  I find myself really taking this words in deep and they always seem to fit that moment in my life perfectly. 

today's OLW reminded me that i control the craziness in my life.  You know the feeling, that life is out of control, that you are running here and there and soon you forget that you actually build your schedule.  You control the craziness.  So here i am thinking about this deeply, realizing that i do this to myself.  i took out my date/calendar journal and reworked some things.  i feel better already.

This art journal page started with some gesso on the background.  I scratched in some words into the gesso, pushed some punched shapes into the gesso, and let it dry.  i painted the background with some grey paint and slowly built up the layers of color with paint, fabric, and a leftover tag.  I painted on the word craziness and added some subtitles above & below it.  Around the page is my journaling, pouring my thoughts & feelings into the page.

Love OLW?  We are looking to expand our team!  We are currently looking for a few mixed media/art journalers as well as a couple scrapbook artists (traditional/hybrid/digital).  To apply, play along with this word up by linking your CRAZY creations to the blog post over at OLW.  Then drop me an email at HelpMe@RondaPalazzari.com with your name, blog/web address, and any other online galleries links. Please put OLW DT TRY-OUT in the subject line.  Remember OLW is about celebrating words so make sure your entries really highlight the word up.  Deadline to apply is July 14th.

The Travel Journal

In addition to my Art on the Go kit, i wanted to bring along supplies to build an Art Journal on the Go.  Last year i did a little art journal mini album for our stay in Doha using a small moleskin journal.  i really love that little journal and wanted to do something similar but different.  So this time around i am thinking i will create more of a travel art journal plus a "project life" style album using a Simple Stories Snap album.  The latter will be completed when i get home after sorting through tons of vacation photos and collecting daily ephemera.  I plan to use the art journal pages in that album as well but needed a way to keep it organized on this trip so i made it into a little ring binder.  The pages are 4 x 6 and could easily be cut down to 3 x 4.  I really like this idea of combining these two pieces. 

So let's take a look at the supplies found in this little kit.  All of this kit plus the kit before pack down into two little travel totes.  These totes i picked up years (1998 ish?) ago through Creative Memories.  They are similar to this one i found on their site only less decorative, a simple black bag. 

1. Tags, chipboard cover, & watercolor paper.  I like the idea of tags as a way to create on the go.  The chipboard album is a Maya Road album that i pulled apart for the two pages as my cover.  Like i said, the watercolor paper is cut to 4x6 and could be cut down further to 3x4. 
2. Stencils & small tags.  Lots of TCW stencils in 6x6, including my new ones.  I love the 6x6 as a travel size.  I love smaller tags too. Easy way to add that little something to a larger tag or art journal page.
3. Instax Camera.  I love this Fuji camera with the vertical photos.  I usually save it for special occasions as the film isn't cheap and roughly works out to about a $1 a print.  However i think it adds something special to my albums.  I brought along extra film so i can take a few shots daily. 
4. AC/Dear Lizzy Stamp & embellishments.  The stamp is a date stamps + words.  I love these little stamps and packed multiple.  The baggy is full of little embellishments including wood, buttons, and flair...most of them travel themed.
5. Small white coin envelopes.  simple way to store little ephemeral bits & pieces plus fun to decorate.
6. AC/Amy Tangerine Stamp & Glitz roller stamps.  i love this interchangeable date stamp from Amy Tan.  It's great to keep track of the days.  The glitz rollers have been my favorite for a while so i was happy they brought them back.  I have a number one & a camera one in my stash. 
7. 7 gypsies label stickers, AC/Amy Tangerine Transparent Stickers, Map punched shapes, & baggie.  The label stickers are oldies but goodies.  in fact i am thinking of purchasing some more.  I thought the vellum stickers were an easy travel alphabet to carry with me.  The star burst punched shapes i cut out of an old atlas.  I love this shape & idea of using maps in my art journal.  The plastic baggy is to collect ephemera along the way.
8. Ranger black ink, thin acrylic blocks, & Cocoa Daisy stamps.  I love archival ink.  it's waterproof and i can get a really clean image.  I really like the thin Tim Holtz acrylic blocks, easy to grab, easy to take traveling.  The Cocoa Daisy stamps are travel related, a giant world map, travel words, and a camera stamp.  
9. iPhone 4s.  It's an easy way for me to document moments using the camera & instagram.  i also have apps like Postagram that allows me to create postcards for mailing. 
10. adhesive & matte medium.  I love this adhesive from 3M.  i brought along some replacement cartridges as well.  The little squeeze tube of matte medium is so useful to have on a trip.  I also have a collage gluestick that isn't pictured. 
11. Canon 60D camera and lens. Not Pictured.  The camera is a must as well as my favorite 24-70mm lens.  I wouldn't go anywhere without it. I had to use it to photograph this pic!

 

 

Weekend Creativity

Into the art journal.  i had some time recently to create some pages in my art journal.  i should say this art journal for i think i have 5 or 6 going at once.  it's amazing how this takes the stress out of me.  Here are a few pages i created, taking strolls out of my comfort zone. 

This page is quite unusual for me.  I was trying on a different style to see what it was like.  I admit it was kind of scary to let go and a wee bit out of my comfort zone.  The colors are a bit darker than usual but still colorful.  I think it's still me in a different way.  There are things i really like and things i am not sure if i would do again.  I think though it's important to stretch ourselves to see what happens.  I think the sentiment really captures that feeling. 

Lots of words covered up with a light gesso wash.  I highlighted some random words that really make no sense together but just stood out to me.  I really like the color combination on this page and must remember to use it again.  Some hand carved stamps adorn this page as well as some doodles.

This page began as doodled hearts.  I added the words underneath and started layering in colors using waterproof pens.  I sprayed some Maya mists on top and added some splatters.  This is a different kind of art journal page for me, one that ties my doodling and color together.  I really enjoyed it and see myself creating more like this.

Happy Weekend

Create Daily: Map it

Ever since i was a little girl i have always been fascinated by maps.  From that child's perspective, they take you places.  Far off places.  Exotic places.  Places you never think you will go but often dream of seeing.  i do travel a lot now to far-off exotic lands but never really did so until i was 27 years old.  i haven't stopped since then.  So it's no wonder maps appear in my work.  i bring home collections of maps of the places i've been to use in some way.  i buy old atlases in used book shops and antique stores.  i love old travel guides with illustrations and street map books are my favorite. 

You can see the stencil layers in this old atlas turned art journal.  I completely adore it as an art journal but also rip out some pages to use in other projects. 

Can you see the street map collaged on this art journal page?  How about the stenciled covered atlas page running down the left side?

This page was out of an old atlas as well and served as the basis of this art journal page.  I love both the text at the bottom as well as the street map.

Sometimes i just punch small pieces of maps to use on layouts & art journals.  I have a little stack of these in a dish near my desk waiting begging to be used. 

Here's another punched map, this time i used the punched pieces as well as the leftovers. 

And this art piece is filled with layers of stencils and color over the atlas page.  I just love seeing it peek through the background.

So look around yourself for some discarded maps, old atlases, and street maps and put them to use.  Pick them up as you go traveling and bring them back to be used in your art journal, mini albums, or scrapbook pages. 

Have you created something this week?  Anything goes...an art journal page, doodle, scrapbook page, card...just something creative.  Share a link at the bottom of this post with the inLinkz button.  Just leave a link to a specific blog post or image on flickr, rather than a general url. This way we can see your stellar creation.

Create Daily: Collage it

In this week's installment of create daily, i want to take a look at collage art.  There is something special about different bits and pieces coming together in one cohesive piece.  You know i already love layers so this kind of art is a given for me.  One of the great ways to get started is using leftovers.

When creating, i always take the leftover spray inks and paints and splash them on my art journals.  It's an easy way to start a background and to not let those wet mediums go to waste. 

After teaching classes a couple of weekends ago, i had lots of leftovers -- random laser images, collage backgrounds, painted backgrounds, patterned paper scraps, book pages, ledger pages, and fabric patterned tissue. 

I started by layering on random bits & pieces of the book pages.  Some of the pages i ripped and glued using matte medium. Some of the pages i punched and glued using matte medium.  Next i used matte medium over the book pages and added the tissue paper.  Are you seeing how much i love fluid matte medium?

After adding a few more laser printed pieces, i started layering in some color using acrylic paints.  i brushed and finger painted the paint on in layers.

I added a few final touches of a painted papers, laser printed images, stamped images, doodles, and painted title.  i have quite a stack of leftovers that i am keeping for later.  I cannot wait to see how they come together on different pages. 

Have you created something this week?  Anything goes...an art journal page, doodle, scrapbook page, card...just something creative.  Share a link at the bottom of this post with the inLinkz button.  Just leave a link to a specific blog post or image on flickr, rather than a general url. This way we can see your stellar creation.

 

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Create Daily: Seeing Things

Start here.  Begin playing in your art journal.  On a couple pages i was playing around with maya mists on a wet background, seeing how they flow in the water.  After letting them dry, i picked one to see what shapes had emerged.  When i looked at this particular page i saw some calla lilies forming in my mind.  Do you see them?

Next i penciled in some rough shapes.  I sketched and erase lines as i saw the shapes taking form.  The calla lily is one of my favorite flowers.  Simple, Elegant, Regal.  It's no wonder i saw them emerge from the background.

From pencil to pen.  I filled in my lines and added a few more.  I always use a waterproof pen in my art journals never knowing if i want to add more wet mediums.  After drawing the calla lilies i decided to add in the leaves for they also make the flower so divine.  I used a paint brush & some more lime mist to add in the color. 

Last but certainly not least i added in some journaling.  it isn't an art journal without the words.  I love the way the script adds that finishing touch to my page.  it is the thoughts passing through my mind right at that moment. 

Have you created something this week?  Anything goes...an art journal page, doodle, scrapbook page, card...just something creative.  Share a link at the bottom of this post with the inLinkz button.  Just leave a link to a specific blog post or image on flickr, rather than a general url. This way we can see your stellar creation.

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Digging in

I created this Art Journal for an Art Journaling Basics class at Scrap 2 it, a local scrapbook store.  After making it, i sent it off to the store for people to see what we'd be making in the class.  I have plenty of other art journals in my stash but i found myself missing this one.  I don't know if it was because i created all of it including binding it or because of the size, a 6 x 9 journal.  After teaching last weekend (more details on that later), i was happy to have it in my hands again.  The need to journal daily has been insatiable so i have been working in this journal every day.  Here are a few of the pages:

A collage page of left over bits & pieces.  I have a thing for butterflies so it was easy to include them.  I toned down the patterned paper with gesso and then layered stencil & paint over it.  I love that tiny herringbone stamp and could use it on all my pages.  Believe me it has taken great resistance not to do so. 

I admit i am not a huge pink fan.  it's not a color i usually pull out but that's what i want to do in this journal, challenge myself.  Try things that scare me a little, try new techniques, and go for the unexpected.  I LOVE this page.  this is a pink i can do.  and the green leaves looks so scrumptious against it.  More vintage on the page, this time a cigar label & map index.  I painted on the stem & leaves along with the word.  must remember to do that again. 

Once again i am diggin the pinks on this page, especially with the orange and hints of red.  The ledger came from a day of junktiquing and i actually found quite a few so i scooped them up.  The film strip is from that same day of hunting.  I like the writing on the filmstrip and the journaling starting above the ledger paper. 

and today i know i will be picking up that journal again. 

Create Daily: Art Journals

Do you art journal? Have you thought about trying it out but didn't know where to start? It's a great way to create daily.  It can also be a great way to try out new things, new techniques, new styles.  Here's the thing you also need to remember, you don't have to share any page or the art journal with anyone unless you want to share.  You choose.  So how do you get started?  First thing is to just start.  Keeping up with creating daily in your art journal is easier if you have backgrounds prepped and ready to go.  Start by doing a couple different backgrounds trying out different techniques.  Julie Fei-Fan Balzer has a great blog post on creating backgrounds here and here.  And you know i share lots & lots of techniques here on this blog.  Try them out in an art journal. 

Next, try out different styles that have interested you, even things that scare you.  Note what you like and what you don't like.  Be free and know it's ok to make mistakes.  Remember this is your safe zone.  Give yourself permission to create daily.  Set aside 10 minutes each day.  You may not complete a page but that's ok too.  Don't be yourself up when you don't stick to it.  Just start again. 

Don't forget the journaling part.  it's equally important as the art part.  Writing stimulates creativity, releases your emotions, and is all part of the process.  it doesn't matter if you don't like your handwriting, use it anyway.  it's as unique to you as your finger print. 

Have you created something this week?  Anything goes...doodle, scrapbook page, art journal, card...just something creative.  Share a link at the bottom of this post with the inLinkz button.  Just leave a link to a specific blog post or image on flickr, rather than a general url. This way we can see your stellar creation.