July 28th, 2010
by Rhomany
For those of you who didn’t already know, my interview for Connie’s 30 Journals, 30 Days project is up on Dirty Footprints Studio.
And for those who are desperate to know about the Top Sekrit Project that’s been kicking around on artjournaling.ning.com, and want to be the first wave in the loop, I strongly suggest you go watch Blade’s Ustream channel tomorrow night over at The Artistic Biker Show.
Unfortunately I won’t be there for the big announcement. I’ll be Holland. Important papers to sign with the bigwigs don’tcha know 
I’m now officially on holiday for a week. Catsitter is organised, travel arrangements are made, just have to pick up my Euros from the post office and do some packing.
I’ll try posting pictures and maybe some video while I’m away. Might even get a blog post or two in. Depends on the wi-fi service.
Have fun kids 
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June 21st, 2010
by Rhomany
This took about 3 hours or so to complete altogether. I was listening to an audiobook as I wrote so just switched my brain off and let the pen do all the work.
Black outlines all done in a waterproof Uniball Eye and filled in with black Pitt pen. Coloured in Whispers markers and Uniball poster paint markers.
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June 20th, 2010
by Rhomany
After a hectic few weeks working non stop to create the 8 gallery pieces, I’ve been having a few days downtime to relax and refill the well.
When I’m working on paintings I don’t paint in my art journal, I return to my illustrative roots and just pen & paper.
Today, inspired by Eden at Draw Doodle & Decorate, I’ve been playing with my markers, doodles and a poem. this is my work in progress.
Doodles inspired by Eden
Listen to the mustn’ts, child,
Listen to the don’ts.
Listen to the shouldn’ts
The impossibles
The won’ts.
Listen to the never haves,
Then listen close to me.
Anything can happen child.
Anything can be.
~ Shel Silverstein
Also, Happy Father’s Day to Papa Gnome.
The uncontrollable cow lick is just one of many things I inherited from him.
Me & Papa Gnome, circa 1983 ish
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June 11th, 2010
by Rhomany
Well, it’s been a bit of a busy week round here. Amongst other things I’m finishing off the pieces for the gallery for next week, working on 2 top sekrit projects simultaneously and attempting to get travel arrangements made for a very much needed weekend away in July.
Speaking of which, I’ve been looking for a perfect little travel journal to take with me. I normally go with a pocket Moleskine, but I’ve been disappointed in the Moleskine quality the last few times I bought one, so I wanted to try something new. It needs to be something tiny I can fit in my pocket but chunky enough paper to take watercolour and ink.
Then earlier this weekend this little cutie arrived on my doorstep. Here’s Crowe ‘modelling’ it for us.
It comes from the bookshelves of Roz Stendhal, bookbinder extraordinaire. I did her a little techie favour, she wanted to thank me, this book needed a new home, the book made it’s way to me.
It’s beautifully made. The back is all linen bookcloth and the front is this funky watercolour style paper you see in the picture. Inside it’s made of torn edge Gutenberg paper, which I’ve never used, but it’s a lovely buff colour with little black bits like poppy seeds and feels really rough,but takes media smoothly – I’ve already opened it to the back page and tested all my paints and pens on it as usual! It works really well with my ink pen even though it looks like the texture is rough.
I’m thinking it’s going to be perfect for my little jaunt and I can’t wait to use it. I plan on working mostly in pen & ink with watercolours while I’m away so that I can travel light and this will do the job nicely. Plus, it’s so tiny it’ll fit in any pocket alongside my miniature watercolour set.
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May 27th, 2010
by Rhomany
I’m having an unusually busy week this week. I just spent 2 days double checking the accounts and submitting my tax return (Yay! Finally done!) and now I’ve had to switch gear to my other brain and get on with finishing a commission and some art pieces for a local gallery.
There’s been no art journaling this week with all this activity going on and it’s likely to remain that way for the weekend as there’s still lots to do and I’m teaching on Saturday and Monday, so I thought I’d drag one out from the vaults.
'Love' 8x12 art journal page © 2003 Klair Scattergood
This page is from November 2003 when I was obsessed with monochromatic collages. I was trying to get a feel for the different tones and hues of one colour and the emotions particular colours evoke. It’s a stock page creation technique I fall back on a lot and I find it very therapeutic as I’m less attached to the outcome than the process itself. I did nothing to this page other than paint it red and then add snippets from magazines in red or that fit the theme of Love. I add a George Sands quote (I was very into Moulin Rouge at the time:-
"The greatest thing you’ll ever learn, is just to love and be loved in return."
You can see some more examples here in blue (fantasy,2006) and orange (peace, 2008).
- Pick a colour, any colour. Pick two if you want. But no more than two.
- Pick a one word theme, whether it goes with that colour or not.
- Pull out magazine cuttings, patterned papers, paints, crayons etc all in that colour and get busy with the gluestick. Overlap as many images and words into the page as you possibly can.
- Add words or a quote that fits the theme of your overall design when you’re done.
- If you have trouble picking ‘randomly’ then close your eyes and pull a coloured pencil out of the pot.
- If you get stuck with themes, write down words you like the sound of, would like to explore or that mean something to you. Enlist the other half, the kids, your mum, even the next door neighbour to tell you 3 random words off the top of their heads and add them to the list.
- Never put a colour or word back in the pot. Even if you just did that colour and theme combination yesterday, the chances are you’ll do it differently today.
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