Details

Within each piece I make, there are scores of unintentional mini compositions. I love looking for the most interesting bits and studying how the layers, colors, and textures meet one another.

Each of the photos above is a snap of a small detail of a larger art journal page. All are mixed media — a combination of acrylic, oil pastel, wax crayon, tempura paint, graphite, and paint marker. Some have collage elements, too.

By studying what catches my eye the most, I learn more about my own style and gain inspiration for further art exploration.

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Page 55

I bought this small notebook in York, PA when visiting my dad’s gallery shows a few months ago. I wish I remembered the name of the bookmaker. The creator is JoAnne Schiavone. The pages are made of maps and heavyweight paper, perfect for mixed media play; and at about 5”x7”, there’s no apprehension about filling the whole space.

I’ve been trying to get back to that place of childlike expression. Kids are so uninhibited by norms and expectations, or even a sense of what is or isn’t impossible – making them the most creative of us all.

Blind contour drawing has always fascinated me. The practice of seeing something, not interpreting it; of focusing on the product, not the outcome. It’s hard to get out of your own way. Art, to me, is the freedom of doing just that.. and the scribbles and mark-making I’ve been practicing in this book are meant to encourage my own play and child-like exploration.

Collage, acrylic, and oil pastel.

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