Art journaling for Scrap Matrix

Good morning lovely creatives

I'm here today to show you a couple of Art Journaling pages created for Scrap Matrix and their current challenge.

I LOVE this month's topic......

I'm a bit of a house fan, they are just too cute.

And what better way to pass the time during this isolation time then to create with colour!!

Let's start with this one....

Totally inspired by the fabulous Jen Hall at Painty Hands.

She has been doing regular live creating classes and she is also all about colour so I've been playing along wherever possible.

I encourage you to check her out!

The quote reads:

"In the rush to return to normal use this time to consider which parts of normal are worth returning to."

Here's the products that I used to create with:

I began with my Dina Wakley Art Journal and added white gesso.

I then dug out some papers I created during a Gel Print Session.

I tore up a few into random pieces.

You could use scraps for this or collage paper.

I adhered with Gel Medium.

I then went to town with my awesome NEW Dylusions paints!!!'
I used the following colours - 'Crushed Grape', 'Sour Appletini', 'Strawberry Dacquiri', 'Tropical Sangria', 'Lemon Drop', 'Vibrant Turquoise'.
GORGEOUSSSS!!!!

I just love the new packaging and size and some of the colours are just so bright.

They make my heart sing.

Once all covered I added some 'Snowflake'  PaperArtsy paint and then added Dylusions Crushed Grape over the top and then using a dot stencil like this one, I rubbed a baby wipe through to remove some of the paint.

Next I added some washi tape - just a few torn strips here and there

Ok next step is to stamp randomly in the background.

Paper Artsy mini stamps are just perfect for this.

No need to use an acrylic block, you want the stamping to be a bit messy.

Now time to make some marks with paints. I again used the Dylusions NEW paints, I used the same colours as earlier and just went to town making marks and patterns.

Once this is complete, it's time to sketch a picture over this page with a pencil.

I went with the house theme and added some trees and clouds.

I love this part, and got so engrossed that I forgot to take a photo.

I mixed Dina Wakley 'Night' paint and Dylusions 'After Midnight' paint and then painted around my drawn shapes.

This fills in the background and leaves all that glorious colour as the shapes.

I feel this technique really suits this theme this month as so much of what we do outside of the home is cancelled, and home has become our safe space, our haven.

The world outside of home does feel a little bleak and dark at the moment.

Now it's time to add a few details around the edges of the shapes.

I used a white posca pen and a black pen to add windows, doors etc.

I also added in some flowers by adding dots of paint.

Finally a few flicks of white paint finish it off.

Oh whoops, don't forget to add in your quote.

I simply wrote it out onto paper and then cut it into sections and adhered it with Gel Medium.

I'm definitely going to reassess and make some changes to our lives when things return to normal.
What an opportunity we have to reset, reflect and re-prioritise.

Don't you just love those gorgeous colours against the deep blue background.
Stunning!!

Ok, are you ready for another Art Journal page??
I can't just stop there, especially when its about houses.

So this one, definitely inspired by that incredible moodboard.....

Aaaah all those houses and all that colour.
My heart. My heart.

So let's take a look...
Begin with gesso.
This time I used my smaller Dylusions Art Journal.

I recently ordered in the gorgeous Carabelle house stamps by Kate Crane called 'Our Street'.
I stamped them onto smooth bazzill cardstock and then cut them out.
I then coloured them in Art by Marlene Watercolours.

I cut them out and then using the stamp, I stamped them into my art journal.
Note these are just a guide - I will eventually cover these up with the ones I cut out.
So the face that they didn't stamp perfectly does not matter.

I then hand drew some houses behind these images.
Ok time to add colour.
I wanted this page extra bright so I grabbed my Neon paint by DecoArt in 'Electric Blue' and painted the skyline. The neons are just beautiful but they are very transparent so I mixed a little 'Ocean' by Dina Wakley as these are nice and thick.
Once dry I added 'Knockout Blue' by DecoArt and whilst wet I rubbed a baby wipe through a dotty stencil to remove some of the paint.

I then began to paint in the houses.
For these I used the NEW Dylusions paints as some of the new colours are so bright.
I used  'Crushed Grape', 'Sour Appletini', 'Strawberry Dacquiri', 'Tropical Sangria', 'Lemon Drop', 'Vibrant Turquoise'.

I then decided I needed some clouds.
Seth Apter's mini stamp by Paper Artsy was sitting on my desk and I knew immediately I could turn it into a cloud so I added some Dina Wakley 'Turquoise' paint to the smooth cardstock by PaperArtsy.

I then stamped it on and cut it out to resemble a cloud.

I then outlined my houses with paint pens and finally added all my stamped images using Gel Medium.
I added a few details to the windows, roofs and doors.

That step pulled it all together.

The final step was to add in the quote.
It reads:
"We will NOT go back to normal. Normal never was.
Our pre-Corona existence was not normal, 
Other than that we normalised greed, inequity, exhaustion, depletion, extraction, disconnection and hate.
We should not long to return.
We are being given the opportunity to stitch a new garment.
One that fits all humanity and nature."

I love it.

Thanks so much for stopping by.
I'm so excited to see all your entries this month.
Hopefully there's houses galore!

Here's that moodboard if you need more inspiration.....

See you over at Scrap Matrix Shares!

Stay safe
Tam
xx