Documented Life Project - Week 13

Here is the second page I forgot to post awhile back:

March Theme
Making Your Mark (Doodles & Mark Making)
March 28
Art Challenge:  Make a Custom Element
Journal Prompt:  "Ride the energy of your own unique spirit." - Gabrielle Roth

Documented Life Project - Week 12

I'm not really working on this project much anymore, but I did finish a couple of pages awhile back and forgot to post them, so here is the first one.

March Theme
Making Your Mark (Doodles & Mark Making)
March 21
Art Challenge:  As a Focal Point
Journal Prompt:  Coming into Focus

I added a little something to the second one, so I'll post it as soon as it's dry.

Documented Life Project - Weeks 10 & 11

March Theme
Making Your Mark (Doodles & Mark Making)
March 7
Art Challenge:  As A Layer Element
Journal Prompt:  Surviving the Elements

I was actually able to finish TWO page spreads yesterday, because I had forgotten that I had worked on a background several weeks ago that was almost done. All I had to do to complete it was to add a few more marks and figure out a focal point. An advertisement in a magazine provided what I was looking for.

March Theme
Making Your Mark (Doodles & Mark Making)
March 14
Art Challenge:  Borders
Journal Prompt:  "Borderline feels like I'm going to lose my mind."

One of the nice things about an acrylic paint background is that if you don't like it you can always cover it up. This page started with dark red and blue paints that were applied with an old credit card; it was very dark and quite ugly. I decided to cover it with gesso, which ended up covering more than I intended. I applied the yellows and pinks with a brush and a brayer. I added marks, the images from a catalog, the writing and the borders and am quite satisfied with the result. The borders are from a couple of sheets that I gelli printed, tore down to size and sewed together on my sewing machine.

Update on Challenges

I am participating in two challenges this year:  the Back to the Classics reading challenge, and the Documented Life Project (an art journaling challenge).

I'm doing well with my reading challenge; today, I finished my 7th of 12 books. I'm feeling really good about this challenge, both because I'm on schedule and because I'm reading books I'm enjoying.

The Documented Life Project, however, not so much. I completed 8 out of the first 9 challenges, but since we're up to challenge number 22 this week, you can see that I'm really far behind.

This is what I wrote on my blog when I decided to participate in the challenge:  "I probably won't be able to participate every week because I'll be doing some traveling this year.  I imagine that other things will probably get in the way as well, but I plan to do what I can."

I really thought I would be further along than this by now. Oh well, I'm not giving up; I'm going to try to work on a page spread today.

Documented Life Project - Week 9

February Theme
Layers You Will Love!
February 28
Art Challenge: Using at Least Five Layers
Journal Prompt: Give Me a High Five
Layer 1 - book pages
Layer 2 - gesso
Layer 3 - modeling paste
Layer 4 - acrylic paint
Layer 5 - rubber stamps, collage, marks
Layer 5 could also be layers 5, 6, and 7. Layers 1, 2, and 4 cover the whole spread, while layers 3 and 5 are over parts.

Documented Life Project - Week 8

February Theme
Layers You Will Love!
February 21
Art Challenge:  Repeating Elements
Journal Prompt:  It's Worth Repeating
I used a round gelli plate repeatedly for my background. I also repeated several elements on the page: the flower image, dictionary definitions, outlines, and writing.

Documented Life Project - Week 5

January Theme
The Blank Page and How to Face It!
January 31
Art Challenge:  Under Paper (paper on your work table that gets all inky while you work)
Journal Prompt:  What Lies Beneath?
I'm still behind - counting today's prompt, I have 2 more page spreads to be caught up.
I started by gluing a number of pieces of under paper to my background. It looked pretty chaotic, so I covered it with a light coat of gesso, hoping to knock back the colors a bit and make it more cohesive.  But it covered more than I intended, so I added some acrylic paints to make my background.  The under paper ended up only providing texture to the background, but at least I liked it.  I searched for quotes using "beneath" as my search term, and this is what I ended up with.  The bird and branches are made from under paper as well.  I had no idea where I was going with it when I started the page, but I'm happy with the way it turned out.

Documented Life Project - Week 4

January Theme
The Blank Page and How to Face It!
January 24
Art Challenge:  Writing
Journal Prompt:  Words with Friends
I'm trying to get caught up. I just have week 5 to do, but week 7's prompt will be issued tomorrow!

Documented Life Project - Week 6

February Theme - Layers You Will Love!
February 7
Art Challenge: When Not To Stop
Journal Prompt: "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough!" (Ooh)

I am a few weeks behind. This page started out to be my Words with Friends page (week 4), but as I worked on it, I found that I kept adding more and more layers and realized that it would work better for the Don't Stop Til You Get Enough page (I guess that's one of the advantages to being behind!).

Documented Life Project - Week 3

January Theme - The Blank Page and How to Face It!
January 17 Art Challenge:  The Color Wheel
Journal Prompt:  "I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way . . . “    - Georgia O’Keeffe

I'm a little late with this - but I have the excuse that I was traveling when the prompt was announced (more about that later) and then I came down with a cold.  It's really amazing how little energy I have when I have a cold, but I'm starting to feel better now.  I got a pretty good night's sleep last night which really helped.

Documented Life Project - Week 2

January Theme - The Blank Page and How to Face It!
January 10 Art Challenge: Gesso
Journal Prompt: “The beginning is always today.” -Mary Shelley

Documented Life Project - Week 1

January Theme - The Blank Page and How To Face It
Art Challenge - Book Paper
Journal Prompt - Be Your Own Goal Keeper

Documented Life Project 2015 and My Word for the Year

I've decided to participate in the Documented Life Project this year.  I probably won't be able to participate every week because I'll be doing some traveling this year.  I imagine that other things will probably get in the way as well, but I plan to do what I can.  I don't have my journal yet; I've ordered it and it should arrive early next week.  Each month will have a theme, and each week there will be an art related challenge as well as a journal prompt.  January's theme is "the blank page and how to face it."  The first art challenge is book paper and the first journal prompt is "be your own goal keeper."  I already have an idea of what I want to do for my first challenge, so I am anxious to get my journal!

I've also chosen my word for this year:  ORIGINAL.  I want to do more original design in my fiber arts, so I am hoping that by choosing original for my word this year, it will focus my intention.  And since that is one of my goals, I will incorporate my word into my journal page.  I've only chosen a word once before, and it didn't really do much for me, but I'm going to try it again.  I have high hopes for the year.

Happy New Year everyone!