My Current Journal

Although most of the books I make go into the hands of others, this is the visual journal I am currently carrying and working in.  

The covers and spine are hand painted canvas.  I chose the dark earthy colors I love, and stitched 2 centipedes in waxed linen across the surface. 

Attached to a page-marker are some items that each have symbolic meaning.  The small face charm represents a playful childlike spirit, the key opens the mind to possibilities, and the metal tag with "Imagine" stamped on it reminds me to look beyond the obvious.

Much of the paper for the inside of this journal was pre-painted before being cut into pages and bound.  I used concentrated inks and put sea-salt on the wet pages to create the interesting textures as they dried.

I find a blank surface intimidating to work on, so I usually paint or alter the pages of a book prior to working in it. 

On the inner cover, you can see the back side of the centipede stitching.  I like the structure of this stitch and chose it as a place to write my name in the book. 

The title page has two important messages:  "Silence your inner critic" and "Take time to wonder."  

The page in view is the result of a drawing exercise called "Picasso Dogs" from the book Drawing Lab by Carla Sonheim.  I had so much fun with this technique that I introduced it to one of my drawing classes. 

Since this journal is in the early stages, I have only completed a few pages.  So many possibilities await!

Remember your childlike playful spirit, open your mind and look beyond the obvious.