Making a Splash

I spent Valentine's Day with THE Journal Fodder Junkies! 

Right here in my small town of Galax, Virginia! David Modler and Eric Scott - conducting two separate workshops this weekend at Chestnut Creek School of the Arts. 

I could have spent the entire day just looking through their journals. Volumes and volumes of ideas, inspiration, and creativity! These gentlemen are so creative and full of artistic energy! I came away with so much that I went straight down to my basement studio with a cup of tea just to sit and savor the experience, the emotions, the tremendous creative energy of today.  I want to hold onto it while it's still tangible and solid, this feeling of being filled with excitement, enthusiasm, energy and inspiration - spending the day with like minded people and creating page after page of images and colors and words. Today reignited my passion for art journaling - visual journaling. I have a whole new grasp on what it means to practice Visual Journaling. No more simply making a pretty page, I want to be free to just express what is in me. To spill onto the page whatever is inspiring me or speaking to me that day - enjoying the process more than the product. I want to explore and record my findings. I want to play with my materials - like I did today. Just spreading everything out and playing with colors and techniques - experimenting, feeling all the textures of papers and stencils, and fodder - the stuff we collect and feed into our journals. 

Is this not the most beautiful thing you have ever seen?! These two pictures of tables filled, covered, brimming with energy and excitement - the tools of our trade!