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A couple of months ago the theme for Expressive Art Journaling class was “Art Journaling Your Archetype”. Creating an archetype in your art journal can represent certain traits needed at a certain time, either in one’s self or in others. This theme presents a challenge with creating a character that you admire and helps you to tell your personal story or a cultural story that can represent a socio-cultural challenge as resulting from current events. Artist Karen Bigham has created an archetypal character as a result of her perspective of current events. This work is done with insight, reflection, and time to understand the larger picture. Art journaling is a very personal practice so opinions about subject matter are very personal as this is a personal journey and the artist has the right to express his or herself for self care. Read her story and see her work below. The Author of Life A journal spread by Karen Bigham  This two page journal spread was inspired by two things. First was an article I read in the New Yorker about an old movie featuring an actress with a closely shaved head portraying Joan of Arc. The article compared both the performance and the appearance of the actress to Emma Gonzalez of the Parkland, FL school shooting, who has become a strong voice for gun control. That same week I saw an ad in the Sunday newspaper, which happened to be Easter. It was a striking full page ad that was visually stunning with lots of white space. It featured one of my favorite Bible verses….one that happened to be the same one I chose for my daughter’s adoption announcement 16 years ago. Then I noticed the ad was placed by Hobby Lobby, a family owned company that takes quite conservative positions about things like whether their insurance should cover birth control (they believe it should not). I strongly disagree with the opinions of the company’s owners. However, I saved the entire ad for its stark beauty and Easter message. The spread came together as I contemplated the irony of this ad juxtaposed with images of Joan of Arc and Emma Gonzalez. 
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Expressive Art Journaling: Thursday April 5th 1-3:30 pm @ Harris House, New Smyrna Beach, Fl.3/29/2018  Good Day Creatives, As Easter and April Fool's Day arrived on the same day, I again think of archetypes and metaphors and how we use them and can use them in our art journal to create a visual story. What about the classic Fool for April's Fool Day? Have you ever been a fool in love? A fool for anything? Create a page around any imagery, archetype, or issue that needs to be expressed! According to Wikipedia's information on Carl Jung's definition of archetypes includes archetypal figures: great mother, father, child, devil, god, wise old man, wise old woman, the trickster, the hero, the maiden and the archetypal motifs: shadow. Alphanose Mucha's Painting above is a beautiful interpretation of the fool. Feel free to bring any copies of beautiful imagery in if it inspires you! Maybe the fool is only a part time character as we all can all change hats and have days when we are wise and days when we act like a fool!  For this next art journal workshop, how can you turn a magazine or printed image you bring to class (or one you find in our magazines) into a classic archetype that fits you? This is only a suggested art journal prompt and feel free to choose another or work intuitively on your page by starting with color, images, and see what story evolves intuitively. Vintage images are all over the internet! Free to just drag to your desktop and print! Bring any imagery you find online or in magazines to class or simply leaf through our magazines. To register for this workshop click here atlanticcenterforthearts.org/event-or-exhibition/2849/  Greetings Creatives~ This week's expressive art journal prompt is one I have used many times in my art journal. Do you have a poem, quote. or lyrics that you would like to create a page spread around? How do both words and visuals lift our mood? What words mean a lot to us when we hear them? For this Thursday, you may bring any inspiring quotes, lyrics, or poetry you would like to add to your art journal. Print them on computer or practice handwriting again! What? Yes use your own handwriting or print words. Or, you are free to create a page around whatever prompt you need. Anyway, come join me for this fun and intuitive class! You are not required to bring anything although, words, scrap papers, old greeting cards surely help create a more meaningful page spread! Click here for details and to register atlanticcenterforthearts.org/event-or-exhibition/expressive-art-journaling-9/ Also, click link under photo to read about February's artist of the month Sonja Jean Craig and her page spread in art journaling!  February's featured artist is Sonja Jean Craig. She has attended many Expressive Art Journaling workshops and has agreed to share her lovely art journal page spread with us!  "My heart sang the day I was guided to create these pages. Its song was one that asked me to get off of the page. To observe my belief systems and limits. Then to push past them. I did this by using pliable metal objects on the piece. Wanting to express in 3D instead of the two dimensional constructs of staying on the page, without making it too cumbersome for the ‘book’. This piece is a nice example of many techniques that Laura shows us. We created stencils. We created a paste that fit through stencils. Later painting them. This also took me off the page with some texture.. Adding some painting techniques like sprayed water colors and incorporating collage skills the journal entry came to life. I see this now and reflect on my continuing journey of self discovery. Stretching the limits. Patiently climbing and descending stairs. Moving between shadows and the light that creates them. I am so grateful for this creative outlet that helps me to feel and document my journey in a personal way. " Sonja Jean Craig
 For this Thursday's expressive art journaling workshop, ask yourself what are your earliest memories of joy? Was it a particular activity that brought you joy? A hug, time with a loved one, time in nature? With this journal prompt in mind, you might want to try to create a journal page spread around it as a reminder of rekindling our joy!
Please bring any old cards, paper or fabric ephemera or memorabilia that might end up in your art journal. If you don't have any, come anyway as we have collage materials, art supplies, and art journals. Also, please know that this is simply an art journal prompt and you are free to use your own prompt or follow your intuition and see what is created by pure exploration of materials. Either way, registration is here atlanticcenterforthearts.org/event-or-exhibition/expressive-art-journaling-7/ Welcome Creative Friends! This month's artist is Pam Crawford Palmer. Pam is a wonderful artist working in different mediums that include her art journal! She started classes in 2017 and continues to work in her art journal. (READ HER ARTICLE AND SEE ARTWORK BELOW) She has since returned back to work so we will miss her in our Thursday classes but so glad she continues her creative practice! Next Art Journal class this Thursday click line below for more information or to register atlanticcenterforthearts.org/event-or-exhibition/expressive-art-journaling-6/ Words and Art by Pam Crawford Palmer Here are two of my favorite journal pages.... Journaling for me is such a great way to clear my mind and to explore my art in a way that is so free spirited.... I am learning to just go where my mind, heart and hand take me. I love to paint backgrounds ahead of time and then revisit when the mood strikes....what are the images that show themselves? Or in the case of the yoga pages, (done over several short sittings) what are my thoughts and feelings about the subject? Perhaps one day I can transfer this flow to canvas but if not no stress as this is for me and I love it and it fits in a drawer...lol Pam  
Welcome to 2018! This page spread above is about birds as a metaphor for watching, observing, reflecting. More on that later. With this new year upon us perhaps goals, resolutions, and new beginnings are on your mind. Perhaps a life event is happening. For me, this is the time to dive in to my dreams, visions, and of course organization. As a mother, artist, art teacher, art therapist I need self-care to reflect and play in my art journal. The art journal is a safe container for experimenting with new media, new experiments, writing, collaging, stamping, printing! OH the sky is the limit! As Dr. Suess said, " Oh the places you will go" and in this case I mean when you journey into art journaling! Like a Vision Board, an art journal can be a Vision Journal if you so choose! The pages can represent your moods, your days, or be themed. I have art journal prompts to hand out in class if you need a prompt! So, we have a marketing glitch on the Atlantic Center for the Arts website calendar. Everybody is out of the office for the holidays and the workshop on January 11th was accidentally omitted. January 6th Peggy will be back in the office. So send an email to Peggy to reserve your space for class. So, if you would like to join me for Expressive Art Journaling Thursday January 11, at the Harris House Gallery 1-3:30 Pm in 214 S Riverside Dr, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168 ****Bring any scraps of papers, old greeting cards you saved or magazine imagery that intuitively speaks to you. If you don't have any of those elements, come anyways, as we always have supplies and magazines with imagery. Also, feel free to bring snack, lunch, etc. Please email pimbert@atlanticcenterforthearts.org Feel free to email me with any questions or just to share that you are coming! bohnlaura1@gmail.com
 Artist Spotlight: Colleen Shannon Greetings Creative Souls, I am so fortunate to receive such lovely emails from artists who continue their play and work in their art journals since they first began in class. Colleen Shannon is one of those wonderful artists who works in a variety of mediums including her art journal. The wonderful aspect of art journaling that I find so freeing is its portability and range of media choices to explore within the pages. Here, Colleen explains how the art journal is a great media choice for when on the go, and traveling. After the article is link to sign up for December's art journal class and link to Colleen's website. Traveling with my art journal by Colleen Shannon September of 2017 I bring as little as possible with me when I travel, so I only had my journal, watercolor pencils and fine markers for art supplies. It was just enough to play with. A little backstory... I had been living in pain for about 8 months by denying a much needed hip replacement, to the point of requiring a crutch to walk. In June, after my first grandchild was born, I unexpectedly (and fortunately) had surgery in Chicago for the hip replacement. The surgery was very successful and it ended up being the best decision I could have made! Since the hip area is also home to our creative energy, it was only shortly after the surgery I found myself itching to get out my supplies. It was a wonderful feeling to WANT to be creative again. I hadn’t realized how much the pain had been dragging me down and blocking that creative center. I grabbed by journal and started by doodling. This is the end result of one of the drawings/paintings. She represents transformation/new beginnings. Coincidently, about three weeks after doing that journal entry, Hurricane Irma was threatening Florida. Around that time Laura had asked me if I would contribute to her blog. While listening to the hurricane updates referring to not one, but three hurricanes in the Atlantic, I started flipping through my art journal. As I looked at this doodle painting, I found it interesting that she is standing in water, has water drops on/in her arms and three cylone-ish drawings off to the left. Transformations and new beginnings are not always what we want or expect. It’s now time for me to drive back to Florida. A lot has changed since I left that area at the end of April, some of which is captured in my journal. I look forward to, once again, taking Laura’s classes to continue nurturing my creative side. I hope to see you there. Colleen Shannon September 19, 2017 To learn more about Colleen's work click here http://asacredjourney.com To sign up for December Expressive Art Journaling Class link below http://atlanticcenterforthearts.org/event-or-exhibition/expressive-art-journaling-5/ Thank You! Laura Bohn |
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May 2018
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