Cathartic Art - An Art Journal step by step.

Howdy Bloggers, Lisa here with a Friday Mixed Media update.

I've had some me time this week, unfortunately due to a shoulder issue, and so I've been taking it easy.

On top of a little home therapy and physio, I allowed myself time to create.

This piece is a dedicated HeART piece that goes out to my dad.

Taken from our family in 1972, in the prime of his life, 29 years old,

 the youngest Head Lighthouse keeper in Australia.

When I started this piece, I didn't really know where it was heading, 

it just evolved into the work below.

I started with a smear of DWM Black Gesso across a double page using a palette knife,

 inside a Ranger Dylusions Square Journal.

Using a DWM Bee Hive honeycomb stencil and a babywipe, I wiped off some paint

while also imprinting the stencil image across the page. Drying time,

then a few pieces of ripped gelli plate tissue paper in tangerine and lemon was adhered with matt medium.

After more drying time, I took to the page with my thin black pen and drew a few branches and leaves

and filled them in with Inktense water colour pencils

(inspired by the incredibly beautiful details in Del Kathryn Bartons work).

 Then I needed to add some colour. I started with a little Golden Neon Pink, some DWM magenta, and some DWM turquoise, again using a spatula and the beehive stencil to reinforce the pattern. Next a little DWM Gesso, to tone it all down a little (yes, very unlike me). 

Then a few marks onto the page.

1. Red dashes in Prismacolour pencils.

2. Inked circles in black using a Darkroom Door background stamp.

3. Random lines right across the page, from one side to the other using a fudeball black pen.

4. A few random mini flowers among the leaves with inktense pencils and graphic pen.

5. DWM "Stop Thinking, Just Create " from the splatter girl stamp set.

 At this point, I felt I needed to pump up the contrasting black element,

to reinforce the honeycomb pattern and provide a journal spot opportunity.

The "LEFT" letters I cut from a random magazine clipping.

I also felt that the lighthouse needed a lift so, after detailing it with my fudeball black pen,

I added radiant beams with an old circular stencil from Studio Calico (*i think) and Colourblast Sunshine texture paste. 

*****COLOURBLAST PASTES when used in your journal,

 MUST be covered with Dorlands wax medium to avoid the pages sticking together. Unfortunately I closed this book before sealing (with 2 days drying time open) and have returned to a torn page , which I now have to fix and seal. 

"Since your life was stolen from you and you left.

I know that you didn't want to leave. 

But the reality of life took over.

I am forever missing you."

 Thanks for dropping by the blog today.

I hope I have inspired you to bust open your art journal and
 create something Cathartic or possibly something starting with a black base.
 Have a super creative weekend,
 I'll be back next week with a new Scrapping Clearly Mixed Media blog update.

Lisa xx