art journaling

It is interesting when people start talking about art journaling, because I don't know what "qualifies" as art journaling. For me, it is whenever I am expressing something with my art, and usually it has not started with a specific idea but just develops as I go. Some things I consider art journaling when maybe someone else might not. Sometimes it's just whatever and I call it art journaling because it's therapeutic. Who knows. Funny, you can do the same thing on a canvas, so is it painting or art journaling?  I'm not an "artist" I am a crafter who loves paint. I haven't taken an art class for 50 years or so. I do watch videos and follow tutorials sometimes. But I don't have to be an artist to love painting and stamping and stenciling and whatever else I do.

A few pages I've been doing. I will get back to doing Cat Hand's motivations when she gets going. I got the cover done for my Book of Color but I still keep adding to it! When I think it is ALL THE WAY DONE I will post the picture.

Many times a page is expressing something, sometimes it is just a combination of things. This has a lot of bubble wrap painting on it, and those particular words were just in my head at the time. It seems like a mishmash of stuff but I love how they all combine and are pleasing, at least to MY eyes; which is the whole point, because if no one else in the whole world likes it, it is still my expression. I could always add to this if I wanted. There are no "rules" for this stuff. 

Sometimes I do pages when I am feeling "not enough" or unbrave or when I feel like giving up. I enjoy splashing paint around. And this is a stamp set that I got, I don't remember where, but it is an encouragement one, so I encouraged myself. 

I have also done cards with this set, it is a good one.

This one is done with a stencil from Carolyn Dube and Stencil Girl. It just caught my eye and I loved the freedom expressed in it. More bubble wrap, and stencils, and the underneath was sharpie ghosting. 

So there you are. I've been doing a lot of painting lately, like trying to keep my mind off of everything else.