Trying something new

I have finished my photography course and now have time to give rein to all my other art projects. I try to do something everyday, but I still feel as if I am indulging myself and should be carrying out a domestic task so I try to do something worthy round the house or garden before allowing myself an art session.

I have been fascinated by the collages, art journals, art cards and so on which abound on flickr and numerous blogs, so determined to have a go myself. This little picture is made in a cheap 6"x4" photography frame with the glass removed. I covered the whole thing, frame and backing with torn news print and layered it with gesso, acrylic colour washes and neocrayon. The collage consist of some leaves I have collected from the garden, magazine and paper bits. The little girl comes from the suzie que flickr free download pages. Flourishes were added with felt paints and a bit of stamping ink. I wasn't sure it worked until I photographed it, but looking at this it I am quite pleased. I pressed the leaves by ironing them between cartridge paper and them leaving them under a weight for a couple of days. Traditionally pressing flowers takes several weeks, but this seems to have worked - only time will tell if they last. I have a nice selection to use.

Other things in my life

Now I am coming to the end of my second Open College of the Arts course I am thinking whether I want to start another one straight away. I feel I have gained a grounding in photography and perhaps can make my own way for a while. I also want to explore my other creative skills. The internet via flickr and blogs are a constant source of inspiration so at the moment I have many avenues to explore. I have started to keep an "Art Journal" which is really a sketch book-come-art diary, but with more completed works than a sketch book alone. There seem to be thousand of Art Journal keepers across the net. I have found it a great way to be able to experiment with ideas and by doing it in various books I am not left with umpteen pieces of art work to store. Also with a freestanding piece of work there is the question of whether it is worthy of framing and hanging whereas that never arises when it is in a book. Often in a journal the artwork is combined with words. some people use theirs as a diary to record their lives, others as a means of expressions. So I shall see, I haven't got to decide about OCA yet - just follow the flow.