Finding My Soul

Hello Lovely Readers!

This week we're all be inspired by this gorgeous new art journal spread created by Sanda.

Sanda's ideas are just perfect for any season - incorporating organic forms and texture mediums, you're bound to end up with a gorgeous artwork. ;)

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“And into the forest, I go, to lose my mind and find my soul”

- John Muir

Hi guys,

I’m back today with a nature-inspired art journal page that I created around this beautiful John Muir’s quote. These words spoke to me and touched me on so many levels and made me think of what’s really important and meaningful in our life…

I started my art journal page by collaging recycled tea bags on watercolour paper using Finnabair's Soft Matte Gel. I absolutely love using this gel, not only for its matte finish but also because it has the perfect consistency for collaging delicate papers.

When this was dry, I added a layer of Heavy White Gesso with a brush and made some marks into the wet gesso with a colour shaper.

Patience not being one of my strengths LOL, I dried the page with a heating tool and then, I applied another coat of gesso, this time using a palette knife. Dried this layer just a bit and then added bits of gold leaf to the wet spots. 

After drying everything thoroughly again, I began adding colour with Art Alchemy Impasto paints. Can you tell I love these paints?:)

For my first layer, I mixed Raspberry Pink, Lemon Peel and a bit of Snow White for a lovely coral tint.

As I was painting, I diluted the paint with water in a spray bottle, leaving the paint run on the page and create drips. I soften the colour by dabbing it with a baby wipe and a paper towel.

When my page was dry, I sponged Jade Impasto paint through Finnabair’s 'Harlequin' stencil and then distressed the paint by spritzing water and lifting paint with kitchen paper.

When this was dry, I applied yet another coat of Heavy White Gesso using a palette knife – this will add a very nice, organic texture to your work.

Off camera, I made a few gelli prints on deli paper, using some gorgeous seed pods and leaves (collected from one of my trips into the parks and gardens around London) and Impasto paint (Cobalt and Pitch Black). I collaged all the gelli prints using Soft Matte Gel.

TIP: You can create fabulous gelli prints with Impasto paints as long as you dilute the paint with a bit of water.

Next, I did a bit of background stamping using a few Finnabair clear stamps, black Archival ink and Jade, Green Apple and Snow White Impasto paints.

I also doodled a bit using some diluted Pitch Black Impasto paint in a precision bottle.

At this point, I decided to add more of that coral tint, so I mixed it again, applied it with a brush in a few places and then, removed some of the paint through Finn’s 'Honeycomb' stencil using a baby wipe.

I continued painting, using Green Apple, Jade and Snow White Impasto paints.

When everything was dry, I doodled more leafy branches using gel pens in black and white and added some stitching with my sewing machine off camera.

For my focal point, I chose a pressed twig and a chipboard frame I painted using Finn’s Art Extravagance Graphite Texture Paste, and Rust and Patina Pastes.

Here is my video where you can watch my creative process and see the products I used.

Enjoy and have fun!

I hope you’ve got inspired by this project and you are ready to try some of these techniques in your artwork.

Have a lovely day, my friends, 

Sanda xoxo

Products used: