Gothic Arches Renaissance Women

I made these arches for a swap in the Paper Traders Yahoo Group. The topic was Renaissance Women, and we were to use the Gothic Arch template provided. I made a set of these a few years back, so these will go nicely with the others I have.
The photos are not very good, but that is what I have. It makes them look a little crooked, but they are tall and narrow (7 1/2"h x 3 1/2"w)
I sure had fun making them, and may find time to add more to my book.

The end of Art Journal January

Well, here I am getting ready to post something all together different, and realized I never posted the last two pages of my Art Journal January. So I am taking a quick minute to post them. Day 30 and 31. The first of which is a fairly simple page, mostly done with a mixed up background of paint, gesso, and more paint, splatter paints, color mists and a little squishing it around with my fingers. Then I added some simple drawn images from a magazine, and colored them with markers, to make a simple but unique look.

Second is the last page in my journal, which is a fold out page, depicting gel medium transfer images of faces and eyes. I chose to take the opportunity to reflect on my month of journaling with this last page. I entitled it True Vision, with the reminder that I will create from within, with true intent, and with the hopes that I will learn, grow and see what and who I really am through my journaling.
As mentioned above, I started the page with many magazine cutouts of faces and eyes, and did a bunch of gel medium transfers with them, then I cut out a face and eye from a magazine, and adhered it to the top. I stamped the words with alphabet stamps, both on the flap and underneath. Then added my journaling and a bit of gold shimmer powder to the lettering.

I want to thank you all for traveling this journey with me, and hope to do it again next year. :)

Art Journal January Day 27

Ok, I went back and tried out the eraser art page. It turned out better than I expected it to. I had originally intended to do a face of some kind, but just couldn't wrap my head around it. I couldn't sleep the other day, so I got up and started to journal what was in my head, and this is what came out. It is a set of hands holding the light of the sun.
I used a scribbled background of 2B, 4B and 6B charcoal pencils, and then smoothed it with a smudge stick, then I "drew" with my kneaded eraser until I got the outlines I was looking for.
Lastly I added some light yellow and flesh colored watercolor pencils to give it a little more dimension. I wrote the words with my trusty sharpie marker. :)

Art Journal January Day 29

Today's prompt was awesome- I got to get MESSY! I started with a triple layer of acrylic paints, in blue, green and purple.
Then added the swirls with distress crackle paint, then layered on alcohol inks in several colors and colored sharpies in different shades of purple.
Then to top it off, I spritz with three different color mists.
This was absolutely a good time- letting go of lots of the feelings I have been having the last few days, and thinking about how when I was a little girl, I would twirl around in my pretty dresses, til I got dizzy and fell down. I loved to twirl and spin- ah, memories.