Mindful Art Studio

Art journaling and mindful creation from the heart

Fluid Art Journaling Pages

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fluid art class, fluid art journaling, intuitive art journaling, art journaling video

 

Dear Wonderful, Creative You:

This week I had the pleasure of spending some time with you on Facebook Live to create some fluid art journal pages. I wanted to show you how I used mark making and layered paint to create intuitive images on this fluid art journaling spread. I love this process because everything I’ve done here in this video is simple. I’ve used “x” shapes and lines that look like roots, as well as some more layers of messy paint.

Working intuitively with high flow acrylic paints is a soothing experience for me, and an adventurous one. I know it does the same for a lot of my students. Here’s the 5 minute speedy version and my commentary about the process. You’ll find the supply list below the video.

 

 

Resources for Fluid Art Journaling:

Moleskine Watercolor journal
Golden High flow acrylic paint, White
Golden High flow acrylic paint, Indigo
Golden High flow acrylic paint, Teal
Golden High flow acrylic paint, Nickel Azo Yellow
Micron pen in Sepia
White Posca paint pen

 

Want play more with high flow paints?

If you loved this fluid art journaling process, you will LOVE my class, Fluid Art. We make mini masterpieces in the most playful, low pressure way that helps you weave this gorgeous art practice into your life, and into little accordion fold journals. You can take a peek  at a video here: Fluid Art E-Course

Here’s a gorgeous piece of work by one of my students, Cheryl Razmus:

fluid art class student work, fluid art class, fluid art journaling

Creatively Yours,

Amy

 

 

 

Intuitive Art Journaling

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intuitive art journaling, intuitive art, intuitive painting, fluid art

 

Dear Wonderful, Creative You:

Intuitive art journaling is one of my favorite ways to work through feelings, let go of stress, and play with art. It’s a journey that started for me in graduate school, as I learned to use my journal not just to write, but to process my feelings through a combination of words and images. I find that I can breathe again after I get things out when I’m stressed or confused. There’s often a sense of adventure when I’m open to the mystery of what can unfold on the page instead of trying to manufacture and control the images. For me working intuitively is like a mindful prayer. It’s contemplative. It’s present. And for those reasons it’s both grounding and inspirational.

In today’s video, I’ll show you how one intuitive art journaling page unfolded. You’ll see how I combine writing about my feelings with an open-ended painting process. Sometimes it’s important to just focus on something simple, like color; that was my focus with this page.

 

 

5 Tips for Making an Intuitive Art Journal Page

  1. Start by writing about your feelings.
  2. Cover your writing with a color that feels good to you. Dry your paint.
  3. Make shapes in a contrasting color, and let them vary a bit in tone and size.
  4. Collage with scraps or tiny pieces of your own art.
  5. Stand back frequently to see what your work might want or need and follow your instincts, even if the idea seems “weird,” those are usually the best!

 

Fluid Art Journaling Supplies: 

High flow acrylic paints

Strathmore Watercolor Art Journal

Strathmore mixed media board, cut to 2 inch squares

Art brushes

Water

Paint rag/ paper towels

Parchment paper or wax paper for protecting other pages from paint run off

 

Intuitive Art Journaling with High Flow Paints

If you are looking for more guidance on how to use high flow acrylic paints in an intuitive, playful way in your journal, Fluid Art can help you find artistic joy with these playful, addictive paints. Learn more about Fluid Art here.

 

I’d love to know how your intuitive process unfolds in your journal. Will you share about it in the comments?

Creatively Yours,

Amy

 

 

*The links in this post are affiliate links. That means that if you choose to click a link and purchase something, at no extra cost to you, you’ll support the work of Mindful Art Studio to empower the artist in all of us. Thank you!

 

*Mindful Art Studio and Amy Maricle provide information on using art and art journaling for personal enrichment. This is not art therapy. To learn more about art therapy, and find an art therapist in your area who can help you with mental health concerns by working through art, visit: https://arttherapy.org

Even If You Think You’re Not Creative

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if you think you're not creative

Dear Wonderful, Creative You:

Our creative lives are made up of lots of little acts of creativity – the way you arrange the flowers, the card you made for your mother, the silly poem you wrote with your nephew, or the art journal page you worked on while waiting to pick up your daughter. Your time spent reading this post about art is creative. It’s all a part of your creative life, and whether you own it or deny it, you are an innately creative human being.

I’ve got a great little exercise I’d like to share with you, it comes from my new class, The Small Creative Acts E-course. Take out your journal or a sheet of paper and when you get to the questions, pause the video to give yourself at least 5 – 10 minutes to write about your answers. Really let your mind wander. I’d love to hear about what you discover in the comments.

 

What did you discover? Who are the makers in your family? When I did this exercise, I was astounded to realize how many makers there are. And now looking at the family I’ve created for myself with my husband, it is FULL of makers. Frequently at Christmas, I’m thrilled to notice that we exchange so many handmade items: bread, candles, cutting boards, scarves, and tiny paintings. There are makers in your family, you just need to take some time to look. Think about the immense creativity of things like being a good story teller, creating technology that makes our lives easier, and putting together a delicious meal with whatever you find in the cupboard.

If you want to start really living your creative life, I’ve created The Small Creative Acts E-course to help you do it. With 1-hour 15 minutes of video instruction and a 22-page workbook, I’ll help you to appreciate your creativity, visualize your creative dreams, and make more art. You can get playful and creative with your art supplies in ways you never thought you would, and commit to your art practice. You’ll have lifetime access to class material and your private FB group.

 

Small creative acts, you think you're not creative

I would love to have you in class! You can register here right now.

 

Creatively Yours,

Amy