Greetings and thank you for being here. This post is dedicated to recapping the Visual Journal Collective July 2017 meeting that happened at the Minnesota Center for the Book Arts.
Molly Anthony was our guest artist, and she presented on her passion for using found objects in her journals. She loves to dip them in acrylic paint and see where they take her imagination. Every object has a story behind it, and with a writing background, Molly enjoys sharing stories and art on her Instagram account, as well as her blog, The Found Art Walk.
A Little Philosophical Thinking
What's the key to life? Perhaps it's seeing with new eyes. Perhaps it's turning something old, into something new. Or maybe it's listening. Listening to our own inner wisdom and guidance. Listening to that inner call to express ourselves and create. It may also be about finding joy in the little things. Take action! Do something with a sense of play, and most certainly feelings of joy and being in the present moment will come about. And guess what's not in the present moment? Worries about the past and the future. Ahhhhhh. Doesn't that sound wonderful?
Molly's Journals
Molly brought several of her journals where she's made found object marks and beautiful collage pages.
This is what a full journal looks like! Isn't it divine?
I just love those track marks Molly made in her journal (see below).
TIP: Molly claims that you can find the best stuff in the Target parking lot.
If you are too shy to pick up your own found "trash to treasure" objects, Molly has curated special kits that she'll be selling on Etsy.
(Note: Everything has been sanitized before being placed in the Found Object Creativity Kit.)
A small tin is a great way to store and carry your found objects.
Who'd a thought dipping a ball in paint would make such a great dot mark for a journal page? Molly Anthony, that's who! You never know until you try. And by trying, we are really talking about playing around and observing results.
I am pretty sure that plastic hook came from the Target parking lot. I just love how Molly put those shapes together on her page! Molly encouraged us to play with repeating shapes and making patterns when printing the found objects.
Do you see the potential in the objects below? Which ones grab your attention the most?
Don't forget that found wrappers and miscellaneous papers can make excellent collage fodder, too.
Let's get started creating, shall we? First, here are some tips from Molly about using found objects in your art journal, visual journal, or sketchbook.
Step 1:
Collect your objects of interest.
Step 2:
Set up a paint palette. Have a baby wipe, rag, or paper towels on hand. Have your journal open and ready.
Step 3:
Start experimenting and playing with what each object can do!
As you can see from the participant photos above, a weeeee bit of fun was being had!
I loved using this stick (see above photo). It made so many great marks!
Look at the fabulous dots created from this thin Lego brick?!!
These tiny circles are created with a pencil top eraser. (It's purple, in the top of the photo.)
We had some time at the end of our meeting for people to share their journal pages. People shared pages created that evening, or any other time. We love looking at each other's journals. It's sooooo inspiring. It's such a gift to have a group with like minded folks.
Hooray for MCBA!
What I love about all of these journal pages is the FREEDOM that they all express. Even if expressive marks or messy paint is not your normal way of creating, it sure does help to loosen you up for whatever is next on your agenda!
Special thanks to Molly Anthony for being our guest artist at our July 2017 meeting.
And thank you to all of the wonderful participants who allowed me to take photos of their journals! You are such an inspiration. I am grateful to you for showing up and trying something new! (Note: If you'd like me to credit your work with your name, and a link to your site, I am happy to do so. Leave your info in the comments below).
Blessings and Happy Found Object Hunting!
-Briana
