Shades of Grey

I'm taking another online class (I know, I'm addicted to online classes, but they're so fun and I learn so much from them). This one is called Shades of Grey, and it's being taught by Pam Carriker. You can see a description of it here (scroll down a bit - it's the third class listed).

If you've read my blog for very long, you'll know that I've been interested in art journaling for over a year, trying several different ways of doing it, not completely happy with any of them. Well, I think I've finally found a way that I really like. What appeals to me so much about this is that it combines doodling with lettering, and I love both. The first journaling I did involved drawing actual objects, which I'm not all that good at. I know enough to know that drawing is a skill that can be learned, and I could learn it if I devoted enough time to it. The problem is, I'd rather quilt than learn to draw.

I've tried other forms of journaling too; mainly painting and collage. The painting is fun, but not exactly portable. Plus it's messy and it takes up space on our dining room table. My DH doesn't complain, but still . . . And somehow, collage just doesn't seem very meaningful to me. I save things, thinking I'll put them in my journal, and I usually don't.

But recently I started playing around with Zentangles, which you can see here (I'll post some pictures of the ones I've done when I have a chance). I really like doing them, and I figured out what it is I like - it's just pattern, and you can do any pattern you want. You aren't trying to make it look like anything - it's just decorative. So this journaling that Pam is teaching in her Shades of Grey class is similar, with the addition of lettering. It can be words you write yourself, like about the day you've had or your feelings or whatever you want to say. Or it can be a quote, or words from a song or a poem, or whatever. I also happen to love quotes, so this seems perfect for me.

And here is my first original page (I did another page first, but I basically copied one of Pam's pages with a few minor changes of my own):



I really like the way it turned out. We're using Pitt Artist Brush pens in shades of grey for this class, but I will probably add color to some of my pages too. And I'm using a Moleskine Sketchbook, which is great. I may also make my own books in the future, since I have the Bind-It-All.

As always, you can click on the page to see it larger.