This journal page was inspired by the quote
Creativity requires the Courage to let go of Certainty
I think this is never more evident than in the layering process in art so I made this page with layers, letting go of each by adding the next. It’s so easy to get attached to a layer that’s been added, especially when it’s full of colour and serendipitous texture.
Here are some snaps of my process:
First off I applied colours I love to the page. No need for gesso as I’m using acrylic paints which also seal the page. I apply the paint with a roller (brayer) to avoid thinking too much about how the paint is going down. This leads to many ‘happy accidents’ and although I love the page as it is I let go (taking a quick photo helps with this 😉 ) and add paper cut outs to the page which I then paint over. Removing the cutouts (photo 2 in the gallery above) shows hows depth is already building in the background. I repeat the procedure and take another photo because next is the hard part. I paint in black gesso over new stencils that I cut from laminated drawings of a toddler and parent’s arms. Finally I add doodles in white posca pen using the very fine tip of 0.7 mm.
In this page the focus is on the process of letting go and not being precious about outcomes which I think is really important for developing as an artist. I wouldn’t think this page is perfect visually although it does have a sort of joyful feel but I did remind myself to be more careful about putting paint through stencils in case of blobbing happening under the stencil.
Here is a video of the process in case you would like to watch while dropping off to sleep ….
I hope this has inspired you to enjoy the layering process of making art without worrying too much about the outcome. Hugs, Ceri xx
