For awhile, months actually...I've been working on an art journal. Mostly I've been enjoying preparing each page to be a background for an image. It's been a fun, slow process. (And I do mean s-l-o-w...I expect it will take years to fill the book's almost 100 page spreads and I'm loving that pace.)
Rather than starting with a blank journal, I'm altering a 12x12" book. That square format is my favorite and it makes for these great panoramic spreads. This girl is the first thing I've actually draw/painted in the book and I really like how she turned out.
The thing about art journaling I can't figure out is - what to write! Journals, by their nature (in my opinion) are a place to record your mostly private thoughts and feelings. Writing things down not only for the sake of memory, but also to help work things out. Whereas art is meant to be shown. I can't quite figure out the intersection of private & public for this journal. I want to be able to show it to people, but I don't want to share my musings. And if I don't actually write in my journal, it's not all that useful to me.
That's why I haven't written anything in the "bubble" I left for text. I did write something beside the girl, but you'll noticed I blurred it out.
If you keep an art journal, what do you think? How do you decide what to write or what to show?
~ k
