Under The Sea

A little about my journal and my influences:

I didn't mean for my journal to be larger than life, but it just turned out that way. It contains many pages and I'm hoping it gives my fellow journalists plenty of choice about where they would like to place their art (not contain it), and a chance to create with maximum space. I have not yet contributed to my journal, I think I had cold feet and felt that I needed more time to think about how I was going to approach my contribution, but that is not the only reason, it's that I get to look upon in amazement at the work that will have been dreamt about and manifested by my fellow AASG RR7 members when it arrives at it's final destination. I really am looking forward to that excitement. Not only do I look forward to the excitement that will exist in my journal coming back to me, but I am also doing a 'dancing on the ceiling' jig just like Fred Astaire in the 1951 film 'Royal Wedding', at the thought of my first assignment in Lisa Jones' 'Book Page Art', I am loving how thick the pages are in her journal, it is very well thought out. I love her personal touches and the resources part of the book, I wished I would have thought of something like that. Although I am a little scared about how to start off, what I have learnt is that there are no mistakes in art, a quote by Miss Jane Davenport, I love her wonderful mixed media work, every day I find inspiration in her encouragement of others beginning and continuing their art journey. There are others, one such as Irianna Kanellopoulou who uses clay media to express or interpret her observations and perceptions in her immediate and surrounding environments, her art says a lot without her having to be vocal about it, it tells it's own story. Lastly, Andy Goldsworthy, who creates his limitless sculptures from earth: branches, twigs, rocks, stones, water, ice, snow, grass, soil, fibers. At the end of creating each of his amazing designs, he allows the earth to break the piece down and consume it, as though never existing at all, but only for a moment in time. 

How my journal came together:

I worked with a friend to create my journal, I really needed the help, as I had minimal journal making experience, I wanted the big guns, so my friend Nicole Judson Elmes deserves credit for this as well. I wanted it to appear ancient looking, and I wanted it to smell good, so the pages have been dyed with coffee and tea...yum! It is an A4 size with plenty of pages throughout, other's working in the journal can choose to do one or more pages if they want to. I wanted it to be big, but within the rules, so I decided on A4 size. The pages with the grungy frames are printed on beautiful parchment paper, the graph paper Nicole designed herself. We decided on a 4" double layered curved spine, to add strength. The inside covers were going have printed paper, but we decided on muslin for a better effect. We had to wait for the spine fabric to dry before adding in the signatures. There are around 256 pages, making it around 16 signatures. I decided on having plenty of pages/signatures so that when it came home, it wasn't the end, I want the dreaming up to continue as much as it can, I'm sure there are creatures under the sea that haven't been discovered yet, perhaps someone could design their own creature that has not yet been uncovered by humanity just yet............Happy creating.......