From Blurts to Bouquets with efFy wild

In this bonus tutorial, I wanted to walk you through how I use my Sweet Trash™ Journal practice as ‘proof’ against the ravings of my Inner Critic, how I relate to the inner critic as a part of myself that is excellent at some things (balancing the budget, sorting socks), but who has no business taking up space in my creative practice. This tutorial comes to you in three parts. Part One introduces you to the “Sweet Trash™” practice, which is ‘junk journaling’ taken to a whole new level. Part Two takes you through the process of using the ‘blurts’ you might discover via your journaling practice to create ‘bou-quets’, or affirmations that resonate within you. Part three is a spread demonstration in which I take my ‘bouquet’ and turn it into a mixed media art journal spread in my Sweet Trash™ Journal.

supplies used

Journal White Gesso A tool to etch with Lumiere by Jacquard Inks India Ink Stencils Stabilo All Pencil Workable Fixative (Krylon) White fluid acrylic (Golden) Portrait Pink soft body acrylic (Liq-uitex)

Quinacridone Magenta fluid acrylic (Golden) Quinacridone Burnt Orange fluid acrylic (Golden) White paint pen (Uniposca) Faber Castell Pitt Pen (Green)Black pen (Pilot Permaball) Stazon Ink Pad A cute roller stamp (Recollections) Alphabet stamps Handwriting stamp Cute heart stamp (This one’s a Dina Wakley)

Begin by exploring whatever ‘blurts’ you are currently grappling with. These are negative self-talk - statements that block your mojo or make you feel badly about yourself. Some examples are: “I suck at this” or “I will never be as good as....”. Turn those blurts into affirmations that resonate with you. Use ‘You are...’ statements if “I am...’ statements are presently too diffi-cult for you to work with. Keep your statements in the present tense. Rather than “I will”, state “I do.” Rather than “I will be”, state “I am.” Choose a bouquet to work with in your art journal.

Once you’ve established your desired ‘bouquet’ to work with, make some notes about what comes up for you around that statement in terms of colour, symbol, image, etc. I will often Google the ‘key concept’ I’m working with in order to seed my subconscious with symbolism that might come up in my journal. This is fully explained in Part Two.

Once you’ve established the kind of colours and images you might want to work with, gesso a double page spread in your journal, and begin to work with whatever mediums best suit your desired outcome. In my case, I’m working with Lumiere by Jacquard inks. They are shimmery, beautiful colours that are waterproof once they are dry.

Smoosh colour around until you get the impulse to do some-thing else. In my case, I stenciled all over the spread using white gesso.

I wanted to work with one of my one-eyed girls, so I sketched her out using a Stabilo All pencil and then filled her in with white gesso.

Once the gesso was dry, I used a wet paintbrush to activate the Stabilo All pencil and used the delicious inkiness of it to created some depth around the features of the face.

Once I was done, and the spread was completely dry, I added a layer of workable fixative. This ‘fixes’ the Stabilo and prevents it from smearing any further.

Fill in the face, neck and shoulders with some portrait pink cut with white paint. Add highlights to the nose, lips, shoulders, chin, and cheekbones using white paint marker and/or titanium white paint. Use the paint marker to fill in the whites of the eyes, and add eye lights in the pupil.

I added three of these blocks, and then etched some symbols into them. This was more of an aesthetic choice than anything else, but it is also an opportunity to consider what might sym-bolize your most important priorities, your secondary priorities, and those things that are way out there in the outer limits.

Paint! I used Quin Magenta for the lips and shading around the eyes/cheeks. I used Quin Burnt Orange for the hair and garment. I also added some deepest darks using a black pen - pupils, nostrils, opening of the mouth, and gave her a bit of a lash line as well.

Once she feels ‘present’, add your bouquet. In this case, I went with the “You are so loved”, which I stamped in Alpha-bet stamps using Stazon, and scrawled in one of my favourite elongated, swirly handwriting styles using a black paint marker. I also filled in the stamped letters with the paint marker in order to make them really POP.

I added the cute roller stamp as a way to frame my sentiment.

I added three hearts to the side of the sentiment and then glazed (added a transparent layer) the hearts and open spaces in the letters with Quin Magenta paint.

I also glazed over the hair with the magenta to give her do a bit more funk.

ta Da! your turn!

scroll Below for more resources.

suggested resources

the artist’s way By Julia cameronThis book includes many resources, tips, and tricks for working with the inner critic, as well as a complete ‘artist’s recovery

program’ for the blocked creative.

Writing doWn the Bones By natalie golDberg This book began my creative journey in the late 1980’s and set me on the path to becoming a visual artist. For me, most things begin with writing, and then lead to visual expression. If you are an artist or any kind of creative, freewriting, as

taught in this classic, is an excellent way to keep the pump primed.

Facing forWarD ii by yours truly This class is an eight week exploration of painting faces and using affirmations in the art journal, and because you are now a

student of mine via Life Book 2017, you can have it for the alumni pricing of $49. (Regularly priced at $89)

come find me!!

collaborating in:

let’s face it 2017 | ever after 2017

FinD my signature ofFerings and classes, including Book of Days, facing Forward, anD mixeD tape here.

connect With me here:

faceBook | journal52 | youtube |

FinD my blog here.