art journal – Page 2 – Mixy's Art Blog

some of what fell down the back of the sofa in my mind

In July 2020 I began this enormous sketchbook, with a new double page spread every week. I posted a few flip throughs in the first year, and although the project is still merrily trotting along at a spread a week, I fell out of the habit of posting updates.

Today I set myself the task to root about behind the metaphorical sofa in my mind and show you some of what’s been going on in my world of art making. Beginning with a flip through of the enormous sketchbook.

This brings us to page 73, although in real time I’ve already clocked up >100 pages, so I’ve more to show you yet. *Watch this space!*

On top of this, it’s been a reeeallly long time since I posted a studio musings newsletter, apologies for radio silence, this is on the list to be revived in the next few days!

You’ll get an email to confirm you signed up and are human. Sorry, only humans (and their cats) can join. Check your spam folder cos sometimes the good stuff gets swept in there by mistake. Also check with your cat.

Slow Art Journaling

Two art journals filled up gradually over two years. Here’s how they turned out….

I chose these two big sketchbooks because I just couldn’t resist the cherry red & magenta pink covers!

Over the next couple of years, one or both of these books sat perpetually open on my art desk, and whenever I had extra paint to use up, or new pens to try out, these pages began to take shape.

This is where I’d scribble notes to myself, idly doodle in between times, while I waited for a zoom call to begin, and during online classes.

I’d see a face in the doodles and gradually these new characters began to show up.

As the pages got heavy with collage and paint, I tore out and tore up and glued back with wild abandon.

There are no rules in these books, there’s no upside down, no right and wrong.

Page by Page

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september news

exclusive youtube preview & the story of this art journal.

Today’s the day my September newsletter flies out!

Get an exclusive preview of my latest art journal flip through + the story of how this book evolved.
Sign up below if you haven’t already 🙂

half a year of doodles

For a little over a year I’ve been adding a weekly spread to this ginormous sketchbook. This is what’s happened…

Here is the latest flip through of my Book of Days 🙂

find out all about the project here

The next flip through will exclusively preview to my newsletter subscribers.
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giant sketchbook anniversary!

For a little over a year I’ve been adding a weekly spread to this ginormous sketchbook.

Because of the ginormity of this book (600 pages!) it’s going to span the course of a few years to come, and I’m excited about that. To see what appears in these pages is as much of a surprise to me as it is anyone else.

You can see a flip through of the first pages and a second update from early 2021 here on my youtube channel

Since then more creatures and people have shown up on the pages.

They populate the spaces in between the thought scribbles, color swatches and the occasional off-cuts of the projects that happen along the way.

The latest flip through catches us up with from January to July of this year, it’s exclusively previewing this weekend to my newsletter subscribers.
Sign up below if you haven’t already 🙂

collage season

We’ve all agreed that time isn’t real, right? because I’m fully embracing that in my reality now.

All that to say, World Collage Day was in May. I posted some photos of my collages in June, I’m writing this in ~~July~~ August, and you could be reading it any time after I hit publish 😉

In my world, I’m somewhere in Collage Season.

Step one: make space on the floor, spread out all the bits so see what you have to play with.

Starting out with a bundle of collage images – mostly cut out from magazines and book pages + a few abstract patterned papers – kindly supplied by the Arizona Collage Collective + some from my own collection, I began with some swapping of heads.

Gradually these newly imagined characters formed together in groups, in turn finding their home in the pages of my Book of Days

I’ll be posting a flip through of the latest pages in this book where you can see this, and the rest of the collages. For an exclusive preview you’ll need to get my next newsletter.

thoughts from the pause

Since last summer I’ve made a new 2 page spread in my ‘Book of Days’ every week. It’s become a mishmash of notes from podcasts, quotes and song lyrics, accompanied by sketches …

It’s been a few weeks since I began reorganising my studio space and I’m still in the “where did I put that” aftermath.

This has meant a pause in creating time, and in turn caused me to take a pause from online doings. And this, naturally, is also part of the global pause/chaos. How are you doing, are you still afloat?

One thing that has not paused is my ‘Book of Days’, this ginormous book of doodles, which is keeping me grounded throughout.

Quite literally – at 600 pages this thing weighs a ton! but also in the sense that it’s a consistent element accompanying a slow plod through winter.

Since last summer I’ve made a new 2 page spread every week. (sometimes I go ‘back in time’ to add extra doodles and details to earlier pages.)

It’s become a mishmash of notes from podcasts, quotes and song lyrics, accompanied by sketches of people, places, memories & dreams, with patterns to fill the in between bits. There are swatches from new paints and pens acquired, even the paints I used when I was painting some furniture last year. It’s a visual dumping ground, an abstract diary documenting these discombobulated times.

It will, all going well, be with me for a few years to come.

I’ll show you how it’s coming on, the first pages are here

Book of Days: 16 pages in 16 weeks.

This flip thru took us to some time around October, and I’ve continued a spread a week ever since.

To catch up to date with the latest pages, be sure to see my next newsletter, it’s out tomorrow 🙂

There’s a place to sign up at the tail of this post.

100 days & beyond…

as one project ends another begins. see the full flip through of my 100 day project + where to see what I’m making now!

The 2020 #100dayproject
junk journal

Last week saw the last day of the 100 day project which has kept me busy since early April.

Every day for 3½ months I added more to this little junk journal: more doodles, collage, patterns and thoughts. Even these little paper animals who live tucked right in the middle at page 50!

Beginning just a week or two into the covid lockdown, this project and the daily ritual of posting on IG really helped me by providing an anchor to the reality of the day, one single constant amid the overwhelm, and kept me from drifting off in the confusion.

For a long while I was quite set on the idea of carrying on beyond the 100 days, especially as I’d overshot in the making of the junk journal and still have lots of *prepped pages.

But as the 100th day loomed I was already getting giddy on ideas for what’s coming next. It’s a much bigger project, and something that will keep me busy for much more than 100 days this time!

*so there will be a junk journal part two at some point in the future!

For now, here’s the full flip through of the 100 page book.

^{Junk Journaling: April – July 2020}

In other news, my monthly-ish newsletter has resumed!

After a short hiatus, my spring/summer studio musings went out last week {Sign up below & I’ll send it to you!}

The next one goes out in August: where you’ll be first to see the latest about my gigantic new project + how I’m getting on with some new mixed media techniques I’m about to dive into. 😀

Summer to Summer

here’s what (almost) a year of doodles looks like, page by page.

Just about a year ago I began this art journal.

It’s a monster of a thing at around 100 pages.

I bought two of these books because I was bewitched by the delightfully bright covers, this one in magenta, another in cherry red.

It took almost a year to doodle my way through this book from cover to cover.

I took a while to get used to the pages.

At first I was at odds with the paper which didn’t take ink and watercolor well.

Gessoing or collaging more ink friendly paper to the pages was bulking it up too much to be manageable.

Over the months I found the best solution was to tear out some pages and recycle them into other projects.

Some of these pages went on to become part of the junk journal I’m using for this year’s 100 day project.

I like the idea that this book seeded a brand new book, allowing ideas to overflow between the two.

Finally I reached the point at which the book felt done, ready to set aside to focus my attention on other things. There’s always an overlap with my art journals – I began playing with the second of these books earlier this year – so maybe we can expect a flip through of that one next spring!

Meanwhile, here’s what (almost) a year of doodles looks like, page by page.

3/4 of a junk journal

To celebrate 3/4 thru the 2020 #100dayproject, here’s a quick whizz through the next 25 pages in this ever evolving junk journal.

The 2020 #100dayproject
is 3/4 done!

To celebrate the 3/4 point, here’s the next 25 page skip through the pages in this ever evolving junk journal.

You can see the first 25 pages here & part two here 🙂

I am having the most fun making this!

This daily exercise has stretched my creative muscles & become the scaffolding of my days these last few weeks.

The project began a week or two into lockdown, and it’s been the one consistent part to my days while everything else is in flux.

I come and go to this book through the day – adding a bit and leaving it while the paint dries to get on with something else.

I wind down in the evening by adding bits of collage here and there, shuffling through my stash of painted papers to find just the right bit for just the right space.

It’s like a meditation of sorts.

And as day 100 looms I’m thinking I’ll likely carry this on past that point. In such wildly uncertain times it’s wonderful to have something to anchor my attention to. Let’s see!

Meanwhile, I’ll be back with Part four in a few weeks time 🙂

So join me, will you?

I’m @mixygregory over on Instagram, and for the course of these 100 (or so) days I’m posting daily updates with the tags

#100daysbymixy and/or #100pagesbymixy

(because being consistent was never my strongest skill.)