Gelli journal page

 A page in my Dina Wakley journal. I never felt inspired to work in it until recently, isn’t that weird? I think it was a sense of it being ‘too good’, or of me not being good enough. But I finished my Strathmore journal  (my favourite journal to work in & the first I’ve ever filled)...

...and that seems to have ‘unblocked’ me in terms of working in other journals. Maybe  unconsciously I was just racing to get the Strathmore finished?

 I made this page having taken Stencilgirl’s Soul Mantras online class, so it features lots of Mary Beth Shaw’s collaging and mark making techniques. The patterned paper at the bottom is a torn up gelli print & there’s some juicy red washi tape on there too. 

Im finding art journaling, & particularly collaging, a soothing process to engage with in these difficult times. I’ve been pretty upbeat for the first 6th months of the pandemic but I’m increasingly finding it wearing. Seeing how it’s affecting the daily lives of those I love, who are struggling, is also getting harder. Being able to lose myself in a mindless process a couple of times a week is a blessing. Fingers crossed for better times in the coming months.