Layers

I should know this about myself by now -- I do not do my best work in a hurry. This is true in all aspects of my life. If I rush through dinner preparations, the meal is lackluster. On the other hand, if I follow every step mindfully, the results can really be spectacular. The same thing is true of my art. I find that if I try to finish a journal page all at once, it ends up flat and dull.  It takes layers of color and texture to convey a sense of meaning.

That is why I love Julie Fei-Fan Balzer's "30 Days in Your Journal" online course. Julie's style is wonderfully forgiving -- anything goes, just try to spend a little time every day on your art (but no guilt if you can't!) By eliminating the pressure to "finish" anything at one sitting, the ideas you journal about can percolate over time, and you can make serendipitous connections that would have eluded you otherwise. I am behind in the assignments -- my trip to Houston kept me from my studio -- but that's the beauty of this class:  it's self-paced!

Here's my current page:

I guess you can tell my favorite colors!

As if this wasn't enough, I am simultaneously taking Jane Davies' online "Text and Image" class.  Jane is the queen of layers, and her painterly style is so inspiring.   When I work on my assignments, I go into the "zone" and time just doesn't exist anymore... I don't want this class to end!