Let Them Grow - An Art Journal Page

This journal page came from the feelings I'm having about my daughter. She is 15, almost 16, and the whole dating thing is coming into play. We have been pretty clear with her, no dating until she's 16. Well she's met a really nice boy, nothing too serious yet, and he has been aaking her out. It's so hard being a Mom of teenagers. So hard. I want her to grow and have fun, but I also want to protect her. So here is the journal page I did last night reflecting my feelings.

I took photos periodically througout the stages of layering my page that I think is cool to see. Enjoy!

Playing with Golden Fluid Acrylics and kinda made a mess. It's pretty ugly but I keep going.

Decide I want to cover up the fluid acrylics some but want some of the blue and orange showing through. So I cover with gesso and add vintage wallpaper. At this point I still don't know where I'm going with the page.

I add some vintage shorthand paper. Thinking about my daughter growing up I think of a flower. So I start building a flower base with paint and washi tape.

I added stenciling with various circle stencils and texture tools. I cut out petals for the flower from vintage wallpaper. I did not want the wallpaper to stand out, I just wanted it as a background for the petals. So I used Derwent Inktense pencils to draw sketchy marks around the petals.

I added water to the pencil marks on the petals to spread out the color. I then used the pencil again while the petal was still wet and made the outline more vibrant. I also added some white dots in center of flower and some washi tape on top and bottom of page.

And then here's the final page. I added more white and black outlines and scribbles. I also added some ink in pink and orange to the petals. I then stitched a few lines with my sewing machine to add texture.

Journaling reads: "You have to let them grow and bloom."

I hope you have enjoyed the progression and story behind the page. What are you doing today? I hope you find some time to be creative. I am really getting out of my creative slump and enjoying playing in my studio.

Until later,

Cindy

Comments

[creativechaos]

I love this page! It's amazing how layering just brings it alive....

[Jeanne]

Such a pretty journal page Cindy. Love the bright happy colors you used. Can't believe your daughter is almost 16 though. Time sure flies by, doesn't it?
xo
jeanne

[Cindy]

This turned out so beautiful! You did a lovely job. I like the way that you ware not sure where it was going and then it just fell into place. Gotta love those fluid acrylics! :)

[Juanita]

Love this page and how you shared that you didn't know where it was going. I have trouble pushing through those first few marks on the page, and I love the layered look but struggle trying to achieve it without actually doing the layers - duh. So excited to see you burst right through those doubts and create beautiful, meaningful pages of art!