One of my most popular post here on the Art Slam is Tools Art Journalers Should Have in Their Arsenal. I am most often asked what tools someone needs to start art jouranling. The reason I started the Art Slam was to walk people thourgh the process of beginning their own journals. It can seem intimidating when you only see the finished journal. My art journals are not perfect by any means, but they are uniquely me.

One of my favorite adhesives (the other is Duck Tape Runner) to use in my journals and on my canvases is Modge Podge. Modge Podge is an all-in-one glue, sealer and finish. It can be used on wood, fabric and just about any porous material. I like it because it dries clear, is non-toxic, it is a great value and comes in a variety of formulas and finishes. Personally, I prefer the Matte finish.

This year, I introduced spray inks to my art journaling arsenal. Adirondack Color Wash inks by Ranger are insanely awesome. The color is so rich and a little bit goes a long way. Be warned, it stains. So, I wear rubber gloves and cover up the area I am working in. I also like using Ranger’s UTEE (Ultra Thick Embossing Enamel). It is a dimensional medium that I use to add texture to certain areas of my journal pages.

Recently, I learned about Zentangle, extra fancy doodling using textures and shapes. These are going to add all kinds of new dimension and interest to my artwork. Most of the tangles look best using a black pen. My favorite is Prismacolor Premier fine line markers.

Art journaling really is not about the stuff you use. I keep it pretty basic using paint, inks, pens and colored pencils. I find my images from magazines and I use my own photography as inspiration for my pages. I love using prompts to help me get started creating an art journal page. You can find quite a few here by visiting the Art Journaling tab in the menu above. There is lots of scope for the imagination.

To start 2010 off, I will be offering online art journaling classes. My goal is to open registration in December for a January class. Make sure you sign up for my newsletter so you will be among the first to hear the details.

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I don’t know that I create magic every time I step into my workspace, but I do know it is my intention. Right now, I have three canvases in progress ready to accept another layer. This is typical of how I work, in layers. The canvases have been in this state for about five days. Sort of in a stage of flux…waiting.  Actually, the blue one was painted a couple of months ago and recently received its second layer five days ago. I go through waves where I work on lots of things at one time, then nothing. I can stand in front of multiple pieces, with a paintbrush in my hand, ready to do something and nothing comes. And, that is okay.

Working in layers is very similar to unraveling in layers. You can not get to the essence of who you are without removing the layers of who you are not. To arrive at the final stage of one of my works of art, I work in layers, adding a little at a time until it feels right. Notice I said feel and not looks right. If I don’t like the direction a piece is going, I will paint over all of it and start again…by adding another layer. What I originally started with is not gone, it has simply been given a new layer. If you work with the certain materials, in this case, Mod Podge for your art, you can scrub away  bits and pieces of the current layer to reveal what is underneath and return to the essence of what was always there in the beginning.

These things are all over my house. Even though he has containers to put them in, I find them either as little balls or transformed dragons stuffed between couch cushions, under the television and even stuffed in his rainboots. He tells me, “Mom, I love them. Bakugan are so cool. They are awesome.”

If you have a little person between the ages of 6 and 11, you better get hip to these transforming creatures. There is an entire website and television show devoted to them. And, in case you did not know, they are really cool, according to my boy child.

This year, I made a commitment to myself to be a more eco-friendly artist. Part of that commitment was to not purchase anything new unless I absolutely needed it. I love pretty paper. LOVE IT, but I have not purchased any new decorative paper in well over three years. Honestly, I don’t need it. I still have a small stash of scrapbook papers I sometimes use in my art journals. As of late, acrylic paint or watercolors have been my chosen medium for my backgrounds.

I also do not purchase new sketchbooks when I start a new  journal. I like to repurpose previously used journals or books from discount bookstores. Altering books is a lot easier than it seems, plus the finished product has just the look and feel I like in a good art journal. Often times, we get too caught up in the things we use instead of being caught up in the process of making art. It should be enjoyable and not about whose product you are using or the latest trends. Honestly, no one really cares whose stuff you are using. It is the main reason I love art journaling. I don’t have to keep track of every single scrap of paper or embellishment I use in my art. That gets real old real quick.

One of the many benefits of working digitally is you can use the same elements repeatedly. If you have a  favorite piece of digital paper you like, you simply open up the file and use it again. There is no mess and no waste. How is that for using eco-friendly art supplies? Digital scrapbooking or collage is also a forgiving medium. You can move things around until it is just like you want it. You can change the colors of your elements and you can start over if you like.

Use what you have on hand to art journal. Art journals are meant to be perfectly imperfect. They are a place to experiment and explore. So, explore with what you have and enjoy the process.

I know I have said before how much I enjoy strumming my guitar. It makes me smile to think about the first time I held it and wondered if it was too big for me. I wondered if my fingertips would ever not be so sore. I wondered if I would be able to actually play a tune that people could make sense of. I am happy to report the guitar fits me nicely, my fingertips have recovered and I can play music that people enjoy. I am so glad to have this instrument in my life.

I was looking through my Flickr photostream and noticed the colors I shoot most often. One of them is red. I love the fire and vibrance of red in food, flora and clothing. It constantly inspires me.

I have a challenge for you.

First, pick a color. Now, for the rest of the week, go around and shoot everything you see in that color. What I like about this concept is the inspiration it has for future projects or series of work. So, go ahead, get to shooting and please share a link to your color inspiration in the comments.

I have obviously lost my mind, but I decided to give it a try and participate in NaBloPoMo, also known as National Blog Posting Month. The goal is to post every day for a month. Consider me officially having started yesterday. Funny thing is, when I started blogging about seven or eight years ago, I used to post almost daily. Over the years, I have gotten out of the habit of writing and making art daily, so this will be an interesting experiment to say the least.

Now, my plan is to share something interesting each day. Today, I share with you one of my latest digital pages. This one is featured on the Wacom PenScrappers site. If you have not visited the site yet, you must. I attended a webinar recently to learn some new tips for using my Bamboo Craft and it constantly amazes me when I learn how to do something new with Photoshop. I love that program. Speaking of, I am working on the lesson plans for my first two online classes. Both will be art journal focused with one specifically for those who want to try their hand at digital. If all goes as planned, I will be posting  registration details some time in December. Art is so awesome!

I am thrilled to share Brandi Reynolds with the Art Slam community. Brandi authors the blog, Joy Rebel and her spirit more than shines through with her art, photographs and writing. I hope you enjoy learning more about her, her rebellious missions and how to find and nurture your authentic voice.

Brandi, I see that you have been published in the latest issue of Artful Blogging. Tell me what that was like learning your blog was going to be featured? I was thrilled of course!  This is the first time I’ve put my blog ‘out there’ for any kind of publication and I am so grateful to have it featured in such a great magazine as well as with so many wonderful bloggers.

What is a Joy Rebel and what made you start the rebellion in the first place? It’s kind of a long story…lol.  A joy rebel is someone who is authentically themselves.  Last year around christmas I was in a time of transition.  A friend of mine had just died of cancer.  I had stalled creatively.  I didn’t feel like sharing anymore on my blog.  After some quiet time, contemplation and yelling at god about my friend dying, I realized that I was still holding back in some ways creatively.  With the loss of my friend, I also realized that I was blessed with abundant life and I had a choice in how I wanted to live it.  I wanted to live in joy.  However, my idea of being joyful meant being always light, cheery, wearing flowy clothes, listening to meditation music-some serious preconceived notions.  And I like wearing black, alternative rock, jackson pollock art…in other words, I didn’t think ‘joy’ and what spoke to me could mesh.  I really took a good hard look at that idea and decided that didn’t have to be true for me.  Hence the term ‘rebel’-I needed to rebel against stagnant ideas and break free to experience and express what I believe is a core of joy.  I also believe that core of joy is within each of us and it’s only when we allow ourselves to be authentic that we connect with it.

How did you find your most authentic blogging voice? Trial and error…the same way I do everything else…lol.  I have been blogging for almost five years.  I’ve learned many different art forms from jewelry to painting to photography.  I’ve tried many different writing styles.  Ultimately, I realized that if I can’t get the words to flow, then I’m not being authentic.  Often when that happens, it means I’m just not ready to express whatever it is I’m trying to express and I walk away from the computer for awhile and try again later.

Who and what inspires you to create and why? Nature inspires me.  Alot.  Especially trees.  Growing roots has been an important journey for me (I moved around a lot as a kid and young adult) and I have often looked to how trees grow for inspiration and comfort. I read a lot and I can get inspired by a word or phrase I read on the page.  And my favorite form of inspiration: the genre of kids movies.  There can be quite a bit of beautiful art and positive messages within the stories of kids movies and cartoons.  My faves are surf’s up and Shrek.

I see you have a Flickr group for participants of Mission Monday. Can you tell me more about that? Well, first of all, mission mondays are on a short hiatus as I am slogging through my busy time of year at work.  However, mission mondays are my way of experimenting with ways to have fun and connect with joy in my life and inviting others to play along.  Often this involves the use of a camera as that is my favorite creative expression (not always though).  Anyone can participate in any mission and if it is a mission that involves a camera, I absolutely love seeing how people interpret and express each mission.  For example, one mission was to photograph order in nature and contemplate how order helps us connect with joy in our own lives.  It’s so cool to get a little glimpse into other’s lives by seeing what order they saw around them.

What is your idea of a perfect day? Mmmm…my husband getting up to walk the dogs and letting me sleep in.  Then lots of time stretching, reading, yawning and easing into my morning.  A cozy breakfast with my husband and then time to cuddle on the couch watching movies with the dogs.  Maybe a long lunch with friends, a walk in nature with my camera then creating a home cooked meal with my husband.  An evening of laughter-watching movies or comedy routines or again filled with friends, sharing stories.  It’s simple things that I love the most and feeling a sense of connection to others and the world around me.

What advice would you give to someone who is trying to find their authentic voice? Practice, practice, practice.  I think many of us have had our authentic voices buried under years other’s opinions and it takes awhile to unearth it.  Know that you’ll stumble occasionally and maybe struggle (though maybe not!) but we all have that steady true voice within us and it will emerge and express if we open up to it.