Try this mixed media trick!

As you've seen already this month, there are lots of different kinds of art journaling, for different purposes. Some people make backgrounds using paint and sprays to use as a sort of diary later. Other people do more visual journaling, reflecting what they are feeling by using particular imagery, such as magazine cut outs, sketches and such. Each type of art journal has its own beauty and its own challenges.

My art journal is not so much about the technique, or the journaling itself, but rather, it's about the process. It's not necessarily like an artist's journal, where each page is a trial of a different technique, colour or product, but it is more about just using what I have, putting things down in layers, painting on them and releasing emotion in the process. 

The layering of the papers onto the page (and I always start my process this way), and then putting down the Distress Paint on top was very relaxing, almost therapeutic. It released tensions, just working through the process. But once in a while, when you stop that process and try to restart, it's sometimes difficult to get going again. I found it hard to get this page finished because I stopped mid-process. What did I do?

I used a pretty common mixed-media trick, if you will. What I love about art journaling, and you can try this at home...if you aren't happy with what you've got, you can put down another layer of paint, or gesso, and start again. Sometimes you'll see parts of you older work peaking through, like the circle and rectangle rub-ons you can see in the bottom right corner of my page just coming through the white gesso. Or the star rub-on up near the top left corner. Art journaling quite often is layers showing through layers of other media. And that's the beauty of it.

So next time you are afraid to try art journaling, remember this: Never be afraid to cover up your work and start over, because you may just love what you find peeking out from underneath the new layers and give your art journal page new depth.

Make sure that you link us up to your art journal pages in the comments so that we can give some love on your pages too! Hope you will stay tuned for more mixed media fun in the coming weeks ahead!

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