pages – Mixy's Art Blog

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.

Hi – I’m Mixy!

I’m a mixed media & textile artist from London, UK.

I love to share what I’m making, and I hope it brings some inspiration to your creative time.

You can see what I’m making on this blog, and in these places too

Insta @mixygregory
MadebyMixy.com

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Every week I create something.

Some weeks I create more.

In fact – most days I create loads – but in terms of the tangible, the painty reality, every week of this year I am creating at least one something: One page of One book of One year

I’m over half way in now, and I’m detecting more and more patterns all the time, every one a metaphor for the unfolding times in which they’re made:

Some weeks start on the first day and incrementally develop a little at a time.
Some weeks are a flurry of fervour, forced into focus in a short few days: blurting out in totality at the start, or squished up against the finishing hours.

They all reflect some underlying aspects, some current cares and the modality of the moment:
Words and feelings ooze in and out.. You might not hear them, but we both know they are there.

Weaving in the elements: internal and external.

There’s what rests on the surface, and there’s so much more.

The surface reflects to you what you project out.
For everyone it’s something personal and new.

Each page, each week, each is contained within a season of interest with the cast of supporting characters who meander about and around my days. These recent weeks have been populated by some images that I printed more than I needed for a project I’ve since finished. Smiling, familiar faces from within the framework that structures these times. Left over faces smile out of these times.

Here from the perspective of a photo I see all that I’d like to do to ‘finish’ the image. But that week has passed so it’s another that I’ll leave as it is, almost ready, a little soft in the middle and a bit raw in places. It’s all ok.
Time pushes on, I’m over the other side of this one now.