To accurately review Mmarte watercolors, I did a quick sketch (using a fine-point Sharpie pen) and then painted over it using the paints and brushes in the watercolor set.
(I gave the set a five-star review. Except that the set doesn’t include enough shades of purple, these are fun watercolor supplies.)
Here’s the result. (Keep in mind that I did this hastily.)
What I like best is how cheerful and informal this is. Rushing through this, I couldn’t let perfectionism get in my way.
After all, I was just testing the paints; I didn’t plan to keep this piece.
Now, this watercolor sketch is going up on my wall to brighten my day, and remind me of happy visits to Disney World… past and future!
This one focused on the word “Expedition,” which I’d planned to use – as a bold, text word from a travel brochure – but abandoned that bit of paper part-way through this process.
Nevertheless, that word is the entry below the word “Journey” on the right page of this two-page art journaling collage.
Over that page is the Hogwarts train from Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. That’s among our favorite attractions at that park… though we didn’t go there nearly as often as we visited Walt Disney World.
Next to that is a bit of shell – mother-of-pearl – from a recent stroll along nearby Fortunes Rocks Beach, Kennebunkport, Maine. (The Yes!Paste I use as collage glue seemed to hold the shell securely. A little bit goes a very long way.)
The feather on the facing page is also from there, adding creative continuity aligned with the previous art journaling collages in this series.
The stairway is about travel but – more importantly – internal transformation… rising above where we’ve been in the past. And, again, I highlighted that with another “Journey” word at the top of that stairway.
Finally the vintage-looking bits came from a few resources.
Finally, the little map is from a tiny, 366-page book, Draupnir vintage collage ephemera. (It may be the vintage image source that amuses me the most.)
I intend to review all of those resources, separately… as soon as I have time.
I like this collage. It’s about travel – time and space – as well as rising above… finding where our next adventures will take us.
When I sit down (or work at my standing desk), I like all of my art journaling supplies tidy and well-organized.
If I have to interrupt my creative flow to search for a particular brush, or paint, or adhesive, or collage element, it can take far too long to get back “in flow.”
Here’s what’s on my desk as I gather inspiration for my next art journaling collage.
My art journaling collage supplies, by the numbers.
My art journaling collage supplies (see the numbers in the photo, above)
Here are the art journaling supplies I’m using in late 2022:
1) A container of bits of paper, often leftovers from previous collage art. I’ve saved them because I love the colors or subjects of those images. They’re too wonderful to throw away; I’m likely to use those bits in later collages.
2) Currently, those are pieces of a failed mixed-media painting. I’d created it on canvas. Then, about halfway through the work, I realized I didn’t like it. It was the wrong background and the wrong scale for my torn-paper art.
So, I’d cut up the canvas and now the pieces are sitting in front of me, in case there’s a way to use them – whole or further cut/torn – in a future work.
3) Vintage paper and stickers that look like vintage paper elements. In my current art journal, I’m phasing from art that’s very vintage, to partially vintage, and – eventually – all contemporary elements. That’s to convey a sense of time.
Well, maybe. I’m not sure… yet. This kind of art evolves. When I’m art journaling, I don’t always start with a clear vision of what I’m creating.
4) Sponge brushes for applying adhesive to my collage elements. I look for sponge brushes with a lot of support inside the sponge part. I use those same brushes for painting, too, and I’m scrupulous about washing them to get at least four or five days’ work out of them.
5) A very damp, folded paper towel. Every time I pick up a collage element that has adhesive on it, my fingers get sticky. The damp paper towel makes it easy to keep my fingers clean as I place each element in the artwork. No more unintended sticky spots on my collages!
6) Yes! Paste, which replaced the gel painting medium I used in my art journaling collages in the 1990s and early 2000s. (Thanks to Nancy Hansen Connolly and Milan Merhar for recommending Yes!Paste. It’s pricey, but – in actual use – is worth every cent, and it lasts a long time.)
This paste is easy to work with, rarely causes the paper to buckle, is repositionable, and easy to clean up.
It actually holds somewhat heavy (non-paper) items on my mixed-media works, too. (For example, the feather in my art journaling page of 5 Nov 2022.)
So, yes, I’m sort of a cheerleader for Yes! Paste. It’s made art journaling collages and mixed media art so much easier for me!
7) I’m currently working with a series of 30-page blank journals. They’re designed as travel journals, but – for me – they’re perfect for daily art journaling collages. And, at a price of around US$1.25 per journal, I’m comfortable being impulsive with them; if one turns out badly, it’s not as if I’ve ruined a fancy, leather-bound journal.
8) A Speedball Deluxe Soft Rubber Brayer, used with wax paper, to smooth the elements as I paste them in place. My brayer has a 3.5″ wide roller, and it’s just the right size for my torn-paper collages.
9) Miscellaneous papers:
Torn-paper elements – words and illustrations – selected ahead of time because they sort of “sing” to me. Sometimes I use them. Sometimes I don’t.
Junk mail, to go under the collage elements as I smear Yes! Paste on the back of them with a sponge brush. I keep turning and folding each page of those sale flyers and mailers, to get the most from them before putting them into the recycling bin.
Wax paper, to go on top of the collage element but under the brayer, so the element is smooth on the paper (and well-adhered) without making a mess.
A few extra magazines and tourist brochures/booklets, for images and words to use as I work. (Tip: Tourist booklets often have the best, most upbeat words for this kind of work. I keep a huge bag of them by my desk, and pick up more every time we’re near a tourist visitors’ center.)
So, those are the art journaling supplies that I work with. It’s how I’ve created my collages for over 20 years, and it’s a system that’s worked well for me.
(My real name is Eibhlin, pronounced “Eileen.” I’d adopted the “Aisling D’Art” pen name in the 1990s, when few women were online, and it seemed prudent to protect my privacy. Then, when the Aisling name became associated with the art journaling movement, I kept using it.)
Earlier this week, I decided it’s time to resume daily art journaling. So, I created this collage:
The next day, trying to work on another mixed media collage, I realized that the art/studio side of my home office was a mess.
Okay, maybe not a total mess, but I needed to create order and space to then create my art “in flow.”
That led to rearranging everything in my home office.
Three times. Over two days. I’m not kidding. (It had to be “just so.”)
And now, more daily art journaling collages?
Today, I decided it’s time to resume this project. Get back in the habit of daily art journaling collages.
(Yes, it really is a habit. In some ways, an effortless one, but – right now – it’s essential to carve out time and mental space for it.)
Here’s what resulted. I think it’s a good art journaling example, and expresses where I’m at, right now.
The Journey – An Art Journaling Collage
This started with the word “play.” It’s on the page from an 1853 dictionary, on the right side of this two-page spread.
Note: The dictionary was coverless and in rough shape when I found it at a flea market. Giving that book’s pages fresh life in art seemed right.
Next, I took the word “Plan” and pasted it just above the dictionary entry for “play.”
Meaning: I need to plan to play.
Not “planning” in an excruciating, controlled way, but just create an opening in my daily schedule… for play.
After that, there’s the torn image of a set of chairs at a table. I wanted the image split, like someone had pushed back from the table. Making a different choice.
So, the word “escape” made sense in this collage, as well.
The photo is my own, taken at a pond in Maine. Over it, the feather came from a walk along Fortunes Rocks Beach, near Kennebunkport, Maine.
The finishing elements were the blossom and the word “Journey,” which inspired the title of this art journaling piece.
Art journaling supplies used in this mixed media collage (Links will take you to Amazon.)
A page from an 1853 dictionary. There’s something wonderful about old books, whether they’re originals or digital copies.
Bits of paper – photos and words – mostly from travel and tourism brochures & booklets. They’re among my favorite resources for collage art.
A feather found nearby, at Fortunes Rocks Beach (Maine). After using this, I got “pink eye” from rubbing my eye, and learned to sanitize feathers in the future.)
Yes! paste, used in all of my recent collages. It’s now one of my favorite art supplies.
It’s solidly made with high-quality parts. It weighs over 60 pounds.
It’s also large. Larger than my past desks. Since I’ll use this for working on art journals and collages, that extra space is glorious. I can spread out ALL of my art supplies, so they’re within easy reach, and I never feel crowded.
Likewise, the surface of the desk – slightly textured so it holds items nicely – is very even, despite the fact that it comes in two pieces. Those two pieces fit together flawlessly, and don’t splay, even when I lean on the desk to reach something at the far corner of it.
The surface is easy to wipe clean, too. Absolutely perfect!
My husband spent an hour assembling this desk. The instructions are well illustrated, and outlined with step-by-step directions. Work slowly and logically and you’ll be fine.
Tip: When connecting the long, horizontal rod that’s central to the motorized height adjuster, insert the hex-shaped end of the rod (at the non-motor end), first. Then, turn that rod gently so the other end meshes with its counterpart next to the motor.
The infinitely variable height of the desk surface is impressive. At its highest point, it’s almost shoulder height, and I’m 5’7″.
At its lowest, it might be ideal as a desk for children. In-between, I think this desk is what many of us have been looking for. It can be the “perfect height” – or at least close to it – whether you use this desk in your office, workshop, or studio.
I wish I’d found this years ago. I’d have spent far less time hunched over a too-short desk, and – at the other end of the spectrum – I wouldn’t have had to find the right assortment of chair cushions when a desk was too tall.
For me, this is a “Goldilocks” desk. Not too tall, not too short… just right! 🙂
Find it here at Amazon: Adjustable height desk/table (And yes, if you see my review there… I know that’s not a great look for me. I’ll probably make another video when I have more time.)
This week, I tested a set of 120 colored pencils, sent to me by Kalour (via Amazon).
My initial impression was, “Wow! That’s a LOT of pencils in one small container.”
I almost expected them to be skinny, tiny pencils.
They weren’t. They’re full-sized, and come pre-sharpened.
The range of colors is impressive. Warm colors, cool colors, brights, muted tones, lights, darks… everything.
The leads are firm but not super-hard like some cheap brands. I’d rank these in the middle: somewhat hard but soft enough to give good coverage and blend well.
I tested them by coloring pages from two of my own coloring books.
Then, one from one of my hippie-style coloring books:
As you can see, these colors are vivid and – even though I was coloring in front of the TV (watching the U.S. season finale of “Big Brother” 2022) – the pages turned out pretty well.
While I love-love-love Prismacolor’s soft leads, this Kalour set – especially for the price – is the perfect addition to my collection of coloring pencils.
Oh, I won’t keep storing them in the round, tube-style container. They’re a little difficult to manage in such a small space.
Instead, I’ll put them in a clear plastic box or two or three. (After all, there are 120 full-sized pencils in this set, and I’ll probably group them by color.)
I’m giving this set four stars (out of five). It’s a good, high-quality set for a remarkably low price, especially for 120 pencils. Recommended!
Sometimes, plans go awry. This collage… Well, it was intended as an 8″ x 10″ work, so the support I started with was 8.5″ x 11″.
But, as I kept working, it grew.
The collage elements include images leftover from a piece I worked on, yesterday.
The woman at the top of the art is Sharon Stone. Her comment about roles for women – that they’re aren’t any between ages 40 and 60 – resonated with me. Ageism continues to thrive, as do labels, especially for women. That 40-to-60 age can be especially troublesome.
(I see the recent raves about how great/young Selma Hayek looks in a swimsuit, at age 53, and wonder, “Yes, she looks great, but are we defining ‘beauty’ as ‘looks like she’s 30’? and why is her age part of the headline? Why not say ‘Selma Hayek Has Style’ and leave it at that?”)
So, the “you’re READY” phrase and “She’s back” are about rebellion against compartmentalization – by age, race, gender, and so on.
The elevator buttons reference rising up.
The image of the woman at the lower left is deliberately torn, as all of us try to navigate a challenging time. Right now (January 2021), I think so many people are confused and somewhat overwhelmed, compartmentalizing is even easier.
It’s a way to put people into categories instead of finding time to understand them as individuals.
What’s resulting is a fractured society, defined by labels that can separate us.
And then there’s how the collage spilled off the lower edge of the support. In a way, that’s part of the artistic message, as well. It was unintended, but… well, many of us are “playing it by ear” right now. If the results aren’t tidy, at least they’re authentic.
Materials: torn images from magazines, Yes paste, and a poster board support.
The photo shows my worktable, with cotton swabs for applying small bits of adhesive, my Speedball brayer for smoothing each piece as its applied, the collage itself (on a kitchen cutting board I like for collage work), and my reading glasses for seeing details.
Some related art journaling and collage articles you may enjoy:
(My real name is Eibhlin, pronounced “Eileen.” I’d adopted the “Aisling D’Art” pen name in the 1990s, when few women were online, and it seemed prudent to protect my privacy. Then, when the Aisling name became associated with the art journaling movement, I kept using it.)
As I was creating this collage, the word “resilient” seemed to leap off the page. It’s definitely the theme for this, though I won’t pretend I understand the significance of everything in this mixed media piece. (I work intuitively. If a collage element seems to make visual sense, I use it.)
At the moment, we’re in our sixth week of interrupted sleep.* We live in an apartment, and – overhead – our new neighbors are waking us most nights. We’re still trying to resolve this with the property managers, but my optimism is starting to fade. Moving may be our only option.
So, that’s where the word “perseverance” comes in. (The word is deliberately broken. Because that’s how it can feel when you persist… but you persevere, anyway.)
For others facing challenges right now, this collage may have its own meaning.
Whatever you’re hoping will improve in this new year (2021), I hope that the words resilient and perseverance resonate with you.
You’re not alone. We’ll all get through this, together.
Resilient is approximately 8″ x 10″ on poster board. Materials: torn magazine pages, Yes paste, and lines drawn with a gold metallic marker.
*2022 update: Looking back at some of the collages from that time, I can see that I wasn’t at my best. I’m sharing these collages anyway. After all, this site – started in 1998 – has always been about authenticity and art.
(My real name is Eibhlin, pronounced “Eileen.” I’d adopted the “Aisling D’Art” pen name in the 1990s, when few women were online, and it seemed prudent to protect my privacy. Then, when the Aisling name became associated with the art journaling movement, I kept using it.)
A dog in a bow tie, in swimming pool? That’s where this collage began.
I photographed this collage as I finished it, early this morning (low light). The deep teal colors in the photo aren’t as vivid in the real piece.
Mostly, I absolutely LOVE how my collages are moving in a “fine art” direction, and couldn’t wait to share it. The finished piece is 12″ x 12.5″.
This collage started as a jest, responding to Robert Presti’s joke’s about puppies in my art. (Bob is a childhood friend.)
Then, as I collected elements that appealed to me, the collage took on a fresh depth. I decided to make it a comment about disrupting the staid boardrooms and others’ expectations.
But, looking at it later, I realized that – at this time (late 2020) – many of us are living with disruptions.
Some are more convenient that others.
Some disruptions are pushing us to make decisions we’d tried to avoid.
And others are blink-blink confusing… like, “Wow, how did this happen?”
(2023 note: I was going through a lot of this since we were un-invited to the annual family Christmas gathering. I didn’t talk about it at the time, but – for context – it’s the backstory of my art following that crushing discovery.)
Disrupted is approximately 12″ x 12″ on poster board.
Materials
I’m thrilled with Yes paste as an adhesive. After applying it and gluing the paper down, I smooth the work with a brayer, with a protective layer of wax paper between.
Some bubbles and texture remain in the work, because I like it to show at least some process. The vertical line is actually gold, applied with a pen that has a felt-like tip, so the line is deliciously smooth.
Note: The cotton swabs (at the left edge of the photo) are on my desk because I use them to roll on really bold, shiny glitter – but there’s no glitter in this collage. (My current favorite “glitter out loud” product is Ceramcoat Glitter Explosion.)
Magazines I use most often, right now: Town & Country (American edition), Vanity Fair, Wired, and – for the puppies – ads in AARP’s magazines and other junk mail.
What does this torn-paper collage mean…? I have no idea. My creative process is intuitive.
(And yes, this photo is blurry. I took the picture, hand-held and in low-light conditions. For now, it’s “good enough,” at least until I decide whether to do more with this piece. Then I’ll scan or re-photograph it.)
Here’s how I work on art journaling collages, and similar, stand-alone collages like this:
First, I gather pieces. I see which make visual sense, together. I don’t go looking for logic. Not intellectually, anyway.
The process is entirely visual.
Then I assemble the collage elements – loosely and without adhesive – and see if they still work.
This one is still a work in progress.
I have no idea how “peace of mind” relates to kale, some New England gardens and front doors, the colors of the Paris sky, and the cast of The Lion King.
But there it is. And, stepping back from it, I can see a symmetry in the design that echoes the costuming of the Lion King cast.
I’m not 100% pleased with the balance… yet.
It needs something… maybe.
Or it might be “creative ennui.” I seem to go through that with some pieces, and – a few days later – decide that the piece is actually fine, as-is.
I’m posting this anyway, because I want to represent the process authentically as I go along.
And, at some point, I may realize what this piece means. Until then, you may see things in it that make sense to you. Or not.
I’m pleased with the visual logic of this, and – sometimes – that’s all I’m aiming for.
Besides, it’s the holiday season and I have a lot of projects to complete before Christmas! This is my favorite time of year, but it can also be the most hectic. And personally rewarding, too, since it’s a time to gather with friends and family. Happy holidays!
For more (far better) collages, see my Gallery pages, and visit my fine art website, Eibhlin.com. (My actual, legal name is Eibhlin, pronounced “Eileen.”)
Manage Cookie Consent
We use cookies to optimize our website and our service.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
I’m giving this set four stars (out of five). It’s a good, high-quality set for a remarkably low price, especially for 120 pencils. Recommended!
