First some pages. Then some words.
page spread 15
page spread 16
Now is time for a bit of a wrap up, since clearly, the month has ended. However, the work in the journal continues, mostly because it feels incomplete but also because I am enjoying it so much.
My character this year, who is named Dorothy, but called Dodo, is very ordinary with very ordinary circumstances. Without going into detail, she is just in a place in her life where she is going a great deal of care taking and so things are regularly chaotic and unstructured as she manages the needs of the person she cares for. However, her journal is a place that she goes to center and calm herself.
What was so fun for me, was not envisioning some complicated scenario, which I'm apparently not very good at, but rather living in the mental and emotional space of this woman and doing art from that place. I found it very easy to slip into the mindset of my character and work from there. Because her journal was a retreat, I didn't worry about the details of her life, because in creating, she let go of that worry. What was so unexpectedly enjoyable for me was how that felt. I thought I would really struggle with the simplicity she needed, but in fact, the magic of it was that by going to that mindset, I actually came away much calmer and happier each day.
Dodo works with simple shapes and lines, and that was a bit of a push for me. Well, I mean I thought it would be a push, because I don't tend to go for simplicity, but limiting myself to a small set of paints, and one pen, I was very happy with how it forced me to consider using these things. I ended up adding some photographs, and each one had a story, although it doesn't show in the journal itself.
Although I have scanned them as page spreads, when working, Dodo considered only one page at a time. Each was a little composition. Usually she would simply take a piece of paper and cover the side she wasn't working on. Each day she might only squeeze out one or two color choices and add those. Or work on just the lines. She might work several times for a couple minutes in one day, or for a longer time another day. Often the journal stayed open as she would glance at it over the course of the day until she figured out what she wanted to do.
Anyway, that's the beginning of my round up. I will continue to post my pages now that my scanner is working again and as I have time.
Thanks to all who participated. It's been a joy to see what other people are creating.
Simplicity in art is often difficult to achieve...I think your fake journal is terrific! I love the pen sketched bits added to the paint. So glad you shared this...
Posted by: Dianne | 05/14/2013 at 12:14 PM