Here's my desk as I left it last night:
Yes, that's another ribbon and circle drawing in my Studio Book. I can't seem to get enough of them. They are so relaxing and it's interesting to see how even such a simple concept can be executed in so many different ways.
I did the drawing as a little relaxing celebration, because I just finished a very long term work, namely the prepping of my second altered atlas! I'm so happy it's finally ready for use. It took so long and it became a bit of drag really. But now it's ready to go as soon as my In Between Book is filled up which should be within the next two weeks. Here's how my next journal looks now:
I have called it The Moon Journal and not the Second Altered Atlas, even though that is what it is. ;-) I've named it after the images on the cover which come from inside the atlas. When prepping an existing book for a journal I take out about half the pages and this family atlas had some wonderful images and maps in it.
The front cover has an image of a view of the Earth as seen from the Moon's surface. I decorated the black sky with metallic pencils.
The back has a map of the Moon on it where I colored in the sections with the same pencils. The pictures are bordered with duct tape and then the tape is decorated with paint markers and a glaze pen. The markers in themselves write well on the duct tape, but the color does come of when it's scratched so I decided to cover the whole thing in sticky back plastic. That way the journal is fully protected.
On the back there's also a quote from the song "Orange Moon" by Erykah Badu, which is such a sweet little song and it seemed to fit the theme of my journal cover perfectly.
I enjoyed working on the cover, but the really big job of course was the inside of the journal. About 70 spreads were left after I took out half the paper and all needed to be covered in gesso first and then given some color with acrylic paint. I chose simple craft paints this time.
Most of the spreads were done with baby wipes (a technique I think I first saw done by Traci Bunkers and that leaves your hands very dirty indeed), but some also have been done with a brush or with credit cards or a combination of all three. Not one spread looks the same. Here's a sample of the inside of the Moon Journal.
I'm happy with it and I look forward to journaling in it, but for now just the idea of having ever to prep another book this way makes me want to run and hide. It's. A. Lot. Of. Work. ;-) It will be worth it though, I remember how much I enjoyed using the Altered Atlas and I'm sure I will love this baby too.
I hope you enjoyed this peek in my next journal and I hope you are all having an artsy Wednesday!