Explore New Ideas Outside the Box ~ Painting the Journal Cover in 4 Steps

Here is the cover of my latest journal I just finished: "Explore New Ideas Outside the Box…." I made it out of watercolor papers and sewed it together. As I've been working on it I have been getting excited about the "Summer Art Journaling 2-day Workshop-Playshop" I'm teaching this summer in Hillsboro Oregon. It will be fun to play with paint and paper and doodle with pen. The journals we will bind in the workshop will be similar to this one.

The cover was one of the last pages to finish. I had gessoed the surface, but it didn't clean and neat any more. I kept changing my mind on what I wanted the cover to look like and there was a lot of pencil and erased lines. Then my pen ran out and I used a thicker one than planned and wasn't happy with how the lettering was going. But I decided to work with it. So I got a bit of rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball and lightly smeared the letters. I let it dry and then began to paint the negative space around the letters with a dirty brush of Quinacridone N.A. Gold and Titanium White. I've used this method before and I like the look of it. The photo below shows the beginning of the painting. I wish I would've taken a scan of the letters before I smudged them, but I was too busy problem solving to think about that. The painted paper you see on the right side is folded over from what is glued onto the other side of the page, the inside cover.

Below is the finished step of painting the background or negative space. It's looking better already.

Now, below you see I've begun to add color. 

And here it is again, the finished cover.

Here below is one of the two-page spreads from the same journal. I incorporated techniques I will be teaching in the Summer Art Journaling 2-day Workshop-Playshop: using painted papers I made for the house, swirls and sun, and tree, "Ribbon" lettering, and tinting and shading with paint.

Valerie Sjodin copyright 2012

I get asked about paints, what paints I use etc. so I have added a "page" to the right sidebar just below my book image with "Notes about Acrylic Paints" for journaling and what we use in my workshops. 

I hope you find it helpful.  

One more thing: I just revamped my website with a whole new look that coordinates better with my blog and current style. You can check it out at www.valeriesjodin.com 

Shalom, a Visual Word Journal, Part 9

Here is the final entry from my Shalom Art Journal. The silhouette of my husband and I was made from a photo taken of our shadows on one of those rare sunny day at the beach during the Pacific Northwest winter. I used it in my demo a few days later. The verse, Isaiah 26:3, has been hanging on our bedroom wall in a beautiful illuminated form since our marriage over 30 years ago. It was given to us by our good friend Ben so it holds even more meaning. It seems quite fitting to include the Scripture here.

Above is the back inside cover with the lower portion being a pocket to hold a copy of the "Shalom Prayer" I've quoted throughout the series. "Beautiful Dreamer" is a sheet of music of painted with a shaving cream marbling technique (we do it in the art journaling class) and given to me by my longtime friend Michelle who was in the evening workshop. The circle stamp was given to me by Liz who generously shared them with us in the morning workshop. It seemed fitting to me, and beautiful, to include the contributions of kindred spirits at the close of this journal about Peace.

Here is more from the Shalom Prayer (click here for a link to the website) 

shared by the Maranatha Community:

LORD,

"This moment may every part of my being be at peace.

Let my heartbeat be in harmony with your heartbeat

let every part of my body be filled with your Spirit.

Father, may I now feel the radiance of your love upon my life.

May I feel the warmth of your fatherly love upon me,

your child, trusting, depending, loving.

Help me to know what joy my response brings to You.

Give me grace in my weakness to cry 'Abba', Father.

Help me to know that beneath me are 

your everlasting arms bearing me up."

"Glory be to you Father.

Glory be to you Lord Jesus Christ.

Glory be to you Holy Spirit.

Amen."

Shalom!

Shalom, a Visual Word Journal, Part 8

"Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon

Where there is doubt, faith

Where there is despair, hope

Where there is darkness, light

There there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek 

to be consoled, as to console;

 to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Amen"

- St. Francis of Assisi

In the facing pages shown above, I took artwork I had previously done, scanned and made copies, then added them as feature elements of the pages after the background was painted. For the original artwork, I designed the letters P-E-A-C-E and painted them on chunky 5" square canvases. The Shalom collage on the page directly above was made a number of years ago and I sometimes make this image into cards. The purple patterned strips were leftovers from another project. It seemed a little stark or lacking, so I cut squares of tissue paper and glued them down to add interest and movement to the pages. The final steps were painting shadows on the elements and writing the timeless Peace Prayer by St. Francis.

Shalom, a Visual Word Journal, Part 7

These pages were really fun to do. The circles, with their wholeness and lack of sharp edges make me happy and remind me of God's presence. As I doodled and painted I listened to worship music while worshiping with my pen and paint, humming and singing along: for me a kind of reveling, visual prayer and play. When I finished the circle decorations I added words from my research on Shalom around the edges. This circle idea is something I always come back to. I's so fun I think I will include the circle in the upcoming summer workshops.

Below I traced my hand and a circle, added personal symbols, the word t-r-u-s-t to the finger nails and glued on the painted paper swirls. Then I tinted everything with fluid acrylic paints, another technique I will show in the summer workshops.

 Below is another part of the Shalom Prayer (click here for a link to the website) 

shared by the Maranatha Community:

"You knew me at the moment of my creation

and even then you loved me.

You knew me and loved me in my mother's womb.

My nature was known to you.

You called me by my name

You held me in your arms

You embraced me

You breathed upon me

You gave me your life and your love.

You watched over me from my earliest childhood

You were present at all times and in all places

my unseen playmate, schoolmate, workmate

my unseen guest at every meal.

You shared in every encounter

You watched over me silently

even in the long hours of the night.

You shared in every journey

You traveled with me

You were at the beginning of each journey

You were my companion on the way.

Without you I lose my way

my journey has no purpose

I become exhausted on the way.

But You are my Alpha and Omega

You are my way

You are the the way itself, the Way of Life."

Shalom, a Visual Word Journal, Part 6

The hymn "Like a River Glorious" was the prompting of this two page spread. The torn strips of paper are painted tissue paper glued down and layered with matte medium. I drew and wrote the letters with pencil and then went over them with a permanent drawing pen. After the ink dried, I erased the pencil lines and tinted the letters, the upper background and some of the strips of "waves" with fluid acrylic paint. 

"Like a river glorious is God's perfect peace, 

over all victorious in its bright increase.

Perfect yet it floweth fuller ev'ry day

Perfect yet it groweth deeper all the way.

Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blessed,

finding as He promised, perfect peace and rest."

- Frances Ridley Havergal

Here are excerpts from the  Shalom Prayer (click here for a link to the website) 

shared by the Maranatha Community:

LORD,

"May all my storms subside as I accept your real presence.

As I kneel before you I give you my heart and all my emotions

all my deepest feelings that lie hidden within me.

I give you my stillness, but I also give you the turbulence,

the cross currents of my life,

my feelings of failure and rejection.

I give you every relationship, every situation in my life

all my reactions, all my outbursts of joy and of anger

all my moments of elation and despair.

Lord I give you my intellect.

I lay before you all my frail thoughts and ideas,

I give you all my searching and striving,

my grasping after truth.

I give you all my ignorance and confusion.

I give you all my questions and doubts.

I acknowledge you to be truth,

truth in its entirety,

total truth in all its purity,

 the Truth which can set me free

in my body, my mind and my spirit,

free from all the bondage,

free from all the lies and deceit of the world,

free from my own selfishness and pride and greed.

Break the chains which hold me back Lord,

fling open the door of my prison,

that I may pass from the darkness of this world, my world

and walk out into the bright light of your presence."

Shalom, a Visual Word Journal, Part 5

"May the LORD bless you and protect you. 

May the LORD smile on you and be gracious to you.

 May the LORD show you His favor and give you His peace."

Numbers 6:24-26 NLT

Here is another portion of the Shalom Prayer (click here for a link to the website) 

shared by the Maranatha Community:

"Holy Spirit, source of all truth, giver of power

come upon me now as gently as a dove

or like tongues of living fire

as quietly as a summer breeze or as a mighty roaring wind.

Come and dwell within me.

Enable me now to do those things which before were impossible.

Unworthy as I am, Holy Spirit of the living God

give me those gifts which I can use to your honor and glory

That I may show forth your fruit even in my life."

When I finished the page above: starch painting and then stenciling and stamping with a plastic doile, it seemed done. Some things cannot be said in words. The page opposite, shown below, challenged me to replicate the look and feel of the one above. The word "flourish" also a synonym of "shalom" seemed to fit. I used the word as a demo on lettering. The letters are a bit over-the-top, but I think it reflects the extravagance of the word itself which means to grow and develop in a healthy way, to thrive and be successful.

May you flourish under the light of God's love!

Shalom, a Visual Word Journal, Part 4

Happy Easter! He is Risen! Yes, He is risen indeed! 

I love the resurrection story in John 20, with the incredible encounter between Mary Magdalene and Jesus and Jesus appearing to his followers. I imagine the disciples, afraid, hiding behind locked doors, when suddenly Jesus, they followed who had been crucified and buried appears in their midst. I love that he spoke the words "Shalom aleichem" peace, well-being be upon you, as he showed them his wounds. It must've been the best show-n-tell ever! Their sorrow and fear instantly turned to jubilant joy. Their Lord had conquered death and lives! Resurrection! Jesus said again, "Peace be with you." and "As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you." He was passing onto them the Person, Presence and Power that indwelled him. They were to continue the mission of bringing God's Kingdom to earth. Then He breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit." 

Here are two portions of the  Shalom Prayer (click here for a link to the website) shared by the Maranatha Community:

"Lord Jesus, be the Lord of my life.

Be the Lord of my thoughts and feelings, my memories and hopes.

I accept your authority over everything I have been am or will be.

I bow down before you.

As I see you on your cross held down by cruel nails

I see your arms stretched out seeking to embrace the whole world, seeking to embrace me, 

seeking to love, seeking to forgive, seeking to make whole.

I praise you that you died for me."

"Fill me now with your stillness, with the reality of your living presence.

Help me now to pray - even without words.

Help me to pray with my breathing,

to breathe in of your love and your peace

to breathe out of my pain and sadness

to breathe in of your cleansing and forgiveness

to breathe out of my guilt and impurity.

So in my breathing may my body be at one with you, 

in harmony with you at ease with you. 

May I be still and know that you are God.

May I be still and know that you are the Lord who brings healing.

Help me to hear your still, small voice Lord Jesus.

May I now hear your words "Peace, be still."

Shalom, a Visual Word Journal, Part 3

These pages were the "ugly duckling" pages of my Shalom journal for awhile. When I started, I glued the ovals down. They were silhouettes from another project made from card stock and I liked how they were painted, but the they looked too heavy and the background washed out. Then I added more quinacridone nickel azo gold  and Transparent red iron oxide fluid acrylic paints along with a bit of quinacridone crimson and ultramarine blue as a tint around the edges of the pages and shapes. I added a stencil of a shadow of myself and wrote The Lord's Prayer with a white gel pen on top. Then I wrote more of the prayer and some of my own words around the shapes with a permanent drawing pen. It was a "art reflects life"  exercise on how much work it takes bring varying elements together in harmony. The words "come unity" and "community" keep rolling around in my head as I wonder what it should look like… Life as it should be… Shalom in the tension of "now and not yet."

Here is another portion of a  Shalom Prayer (click here for a link to the website) 

shared by the Maranatha Community: 

"You are my way

You are the way itself, the Way of Life.

So Lord I lay before you my life,

all my yesterdays, my todays and tomorrows.

I praise and thank you for your presence in my life.

I lift up in gratitude all the goodness and all the joy.

I now offer you all my hurts, my bruises, my rejections,

what I have said, and done, and thought,

all that has brought hurt to you and to others.

Lord pour your cleansing streams of living water all over me.

Make the parched deserts of my being spring to life.

Refresh me. Renew me.

Lord, breath on me afresh now and I will receive your life.

Lord reach out and touch me and I will receive your healing.

Empty me utterly of all the rubbish within me.

This moment, Lord, take away all distractions,

all temptations, all evil thoughts and desires.

Remove from me all my anxiety,

take away every hidden fear.

Help me know that your perfect love casts out all fear.

Bring me now into the deep silence of your presence.

I give you my body and ask that it may become your dwelling place."

Shalom, a Visual Word Journal, Part 2

Salaam is the Arabic equivalent of Shalom. It means to be safe, secure, forgiven and more. It is a personal commitment to the attitude, action, and transcendence of Peace. Its root is translated to mean "one who submits to God".  How ironic that from that region of the world fraught with continual conflict,  the Hebrew word shalom and the Arabic equivalent salaam, speak of peace and well being of every kind, on every level, to the individual and society, peace with God and with others.

The journal page above went through a major transition. I did a demo in a workshop of a gel transfer on top of a Citrasolv transfer of music on the background. Later I decided I didn't want the transfer there and worked to take it off. It ripped the top layer of part of the watercolor paper. It looked ruined. I showed the people in the class, because I think it is good to show when things go wrong and explore the options of what to do about it. I had no idea how it was going to be redeemed, so it went into "time out" for a day or two and then I came back to it. I cut text in strips and glued them down across part of the middle of the page. I cut and tore some random rectangles of blue and aqua painted tissue paper we had painted in class. I cut circles of painted tissue paper and glued them down with matte medium. Afterwards, the page was given a coat of matte medium and allowed to dry. Then I gave nearly the background part of the page a light wash of Titan Buff. It looked better already.  Torn map was glued to the bottom edges. Then I drew sketchy outlines of smaller circles with a micron pen and later painted and tinted the circles with light washes of acrylic color. The page is redeemed, even one of my favorites with the "history" showing through.

Pereq-ha Shalom in Hebrew means "the name of God is Peace." Shalom is found in the manifestation of God's presence spiritually and physically. The related word Shulam means "to be fully paid" implying that peace has its price. For me, this points to Jesus who paid the ultimate price that I may have Peace with God and others.
  

Two years ago I was shown a Shalom Prayer (click here for a link to the website) shared by the Maranatha Community. In 2010 I used it every day for two or three months and revisit it when prayer seems challenging or I feel a bit "dry". It has been so instrumental in helping me press into intimacy with God, truly believing He loves me. Here are the first two sections:

A Shalom Prayer

"I come as myself.

Just as I am.

This moment.

My feelings, my fears

my joys, my sadnesses.

You see me as I really am

You know me through and through

You see all, all that I am

or ever have been.

Every experience in my life is laid before you.

Every image I have seen, each touch, each sensation 

every word I have ever heard or spoken

each word, each idea, each thought which is imprinted in my soul and is known to you.

You know me better than my closest friend

You know me better than I know myself

You know...and because of who I am

and in spite of what I am - You love me.

I am of inestimable value to you

You love me through and through

nothing, nobody can remove me from your love.

Nothing, nobody can separate me from your love 

or your presence."