Lisa’s Gratitude Journal.
Lisa (Leeza) and I met in 2020 and have since connected again in 2021 through our interest for art and art therapy. Lisa offered to contribute a story this month, and shares her journalling process below, capturing the evolution of her art and imagery, while providing some journalling tips. Thank You Lisa!
Lisa’s Story: My Gratitude Garden
Art journaling has become a regular part of my self-care practice. I love how freeing the process of creating in my journal has become. I don’t worry about how messy, imperfect or incomplete it looks – I just layer on acrylic paint, inks, watercolour crayons, collage or whatever I have at hand.
Journal and Workspace
The trick is to have all my supplies in reach so I don’t interrupt my creative flow. Also, I squint my eyes at my page to see areas I need to add images or colour in order to create balance. My gratitude garden is inspired by a technique I learned watching a video on the mixed media art journaling site Everything Art.
Lisa’s Inner Wise Elder Figure 2021
I started by drawing my inner wise elder figure on one side of the page – she watches over and nurtures my gratitude garden. Then I covered the page with all the things I’m grateful for – the words run up the page like vines growing to the sun. Next I added collage images of flowers and painted flowers too! Here’s an amazing tip I learned to prevent my art journal pages from sticking together! After you’re satisfied with your page and all the paint is dry, gently rub Gamblin Cold Wax Medium over the entire page, removing any excess.
Lisa’s Garden of Gratitude 2021
“The rain surrounded the [meadow]... with a whole world of meaning, of secrecy, of rumour. Think of it, all that speech pouring down, selling nothing, judging nobody, drenching the thick mulch of dead leaves, soaking the [flowers], filling the gullies and crannies of the [meadow] with water, washing out the places where men have stripped the hillside... Nobody started it, nobody is going to stop it. It will talk as long as it wants, the rain. As long as it talks I am going to listen.”
That’s it, enjoy your art journaling!!