Keith Haring inspired Art Journal Page

Hello crafters!  Things have been crazy around here!  I am finally moving into my new craft room and purging as I go.  I'll show you guys some photos soon!  Before the big move I had been working in my Dylusions art journal constantly!  The girls had their ballet recital and I did a lot of backstage volunteering which made for some great journal time!

I was playing with some distress paints and created a background using a glazing medium, closing the pages and brayering it together.  I opened the pages before they dried and got a fun bright, ink blot effect.  This isn't the same page as the final journal page, but one using the same technique.

The bright colors and fluid movement of the distress paints for some reason reminded me of Keith Haring paintings.  Keith Haring was a pop and graffiti artist and activist in the 1980's.  His easily identifiable works and paintings formed an art language of sorts to help raise awareness about AIDS, apartheid and nuclear threats.  

With that said, here's my Haring inspired page!

I initially stressed about making my little men, which I eventually started calling my, "Haringlings."  But then I decided to relax.  As Dyan Reaveley said at Ranger U, "Life is hard enough; your art shouldn't be."  I sketched them in pencil first then painted them in with gesso.  Each one kind of developed its own little personality: 

 Stayin' Alive Haringling

 Walk like an Egyption Haringling.

 Snoopy Dance Haringling.

YMCA Haringling

    Hip Hop Haringling

Well, that's about it, crafters!  Let me know what you think in the comments!  Stop back by for some craft room updates and art journaling!

Art Journal Page: Smiling Face

I have a confession; For those that know me, I'm a die-hard dork and I love me some good sci-fi/paranormal  shows.  A trekkie, I am not, but anything else from Stargate to Warehouse 13 makes Sara a happy girl.  Last month I dived down the rabbit hole and started watching, "The Vampire Diaries."  It's like, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," but with more teenage angsty stuff, if that's possible.  I can't tear myself away from it.  Who will Elena choose this week?  Stephen or Damon???  Must. Watch. More. Episodes. 

But I will say I've been busy in my Dylusions Art Journal while I've been watching episodes!  I LOVE this journal!  I did a video of it over at Craft Test Dummies YouTube Channel you can check it out!  Today I'm just going to share a fun page I completed.  I am trying to take Dyan's approach to journaling and not feel obligated to go in order. 

 


This page has a lot on it.  I started with a mixed distress paint background, added some distress ink, dylusions sprays & masks and stamps.  I cut the girls face out of a  magazine and unfortunately glued it in poorly.  She got super wrinkled but she was also super stuck down.  I decided to just go with it and let her wrinkly self be.  I kept adding more and more layers and doodles until it was ready for the quote.  I think I've decided this art journal will be dedicated to some of my favorite quotes I've been collecting over the years in another journal I've had since high school. 

Well that's it for today, crafters!  Stay tuned to some more fun projects and art journal pages!