We are truly living in troubled times. A time where the state of mankind and the future of Democracy is being questioned. The Country is divided by those who believe that their life will be better off by undoing years of legislation brought about by past administrations and by those who believe that America, with all its faults, is already the best Country in the world and only needs tweaking. I didn't realize how much the division of our Country was impacting my life until I found myself being an activist instead of spending time doing what I love most...making art.
With that said…I decided to start a new journal. I bought an 8" x 5" "hand-book" watercolor journal a while back with the intention of using it for urban sketching but when I saw Deb Weiers' wonderful illustrations that juxtapositions clean hardline graphics with grungy, I changed my mind. You see…I was once a graphic illustrator early in my career and of late have wrestled with blurring hardline art with the energy created by scribbles, splashes and dribbles of paint. If I had accidentally dripped paint on a graphic illustration…I would have immediately set out to remove it!
To begin my journal, I decided to set some rules for delivery: The pages were to be used in a landscape format and the painting to utilize both pages. Also, the spread would have a bold horizontal line of some sort, have collaged material and decorative lettering. The materials used would be Faber Castell India Ink Big brush pens, pencil, fine permanent ink black pen (Uniball Vision), Uni-ball Signo white pen and watercolor. Just a note: The Big Brush pens do not bleed through the paper as they are made with india ink and not alcohol ink. I also learned that if you are quick, you can move the ink around with a wet brush. This worked great when blending small areas like faces.
Now…at first I didn't intend this to be a journal of my political take on the events of the Trump Administration but my first page kind of set the tone when the word "PEACE" appeared and then I wrote "went underground." What was my subconscious mind trying to tell me? Maybe, that I should record/preserve the events as I interpret them and happen to see them unfold? To record for future generations the events as they occur and where no history book will take the time to tell the tale? Whatever the reason, I found it exhilarating to just run with it and see where it takes me.
Besides the art that you see on these pages, I am creating a separate page of text to explain the event portrayed on each page. The page of text will then be inserted into a clear plastic envelope (came with the journal) that appears at the back of the journal. The journal will be a time capsule of sorts that will hopefully be found by an interested person long after I have exited this earth.
Can you think of other ways to create a time capsule like this? Maybe a time capsule of your child's life or a time capsule of the many places that you have visited or lived? I hope that you are inspired by my journal just as I have been inspired by Deb Weiers wonderful works of art. Why not give it a try and tell your story?
Until next time….
Hugs,
Ginny
