Art Journal 2020: Life

For my entry this time I chose to focus on Seneca's philosophy on life, and being present. The choice of colours was deliberate to bring a more joyful spin to the art and the text.
  

Figure 1: Leaves stencilled and outlined

Materials:
1. Art journal
2. Textured paste
3. Stencil of your choice (I used leaves)
4. Pallet knife
5. Sharpie Ultra Fine marker
6. Gel medium (gloss or matt)
7. Chameleon alcohol based markers (see each step fo the colours)
8. Sanding paper/block medium/fine

Step 1:
* Paint the pages with gel medium to seal them.
* Use the textured paste and pallet knife to stencil the leaves onto the pages. Let dry.
* Gently sand the leaves to remove any sharp points or unevenness.
* Use the Sharpie to outline the leaves to make them stand out.

Figure 2: Coloured leaves and green markers

Step 2:
* Colour each leaf green.
I used GR4 (evergreen) on the left-hand leaf, and GR3 (grass green) on the right-hand leaf.
The small tip works best for the small surfaces of the leaves.
Chameleon alcohol markers dry quickly so there is no need to wait before continuing.

Figure 3: Coloured pages

Step 3:
* Colour the rest of the pages with bright colours. Avoid using dark colours since it will obscure the text.
I used YL2 (summer sun), YO3 (warm sunset), PK5 (fuchsia), BL3 (sky blue), and YG3 (spring meadow).
* You can use the Chameleon Blender to blend the edges where the colours meet, or you can use the lighter toned pen to blend. The gel medium prevents the ink from being absorbed into the paper, making blending possible even after the ink has dried.

Figure 4: The end result

Step 4:
* Use the Sharpie to add the text to the two pages.
* Sign your name and add the date when you are done.

On the left: "Why, indeed, is it necessary to summon trouble - which must be endured soon enough when it has once arrived, or to anticipate trouble and ruin the present through fear of the future? It is indeed foolish to be unhappy now because you may be unhappy at some future time."  ~ Seneca letters XXIV, 1

On the right: "... teach me something with which to face these troubles. Bring it to pass that I shall cease trying to escape from death, and that life may cease to escape from me. Give me courage to meet hardships; make me calm in the face of the unavoidable. Relax the straitened limits of the time which is allotted me. Show me that the good in life does not depend upon life's length, but upon the use we make of it..."  ~ Seneca letters XLIX, 10

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In April I will again be taking part in the A to Z blog challenge, so there will be more creative posts coming your way.

Until then, when we will make everyday a creative day.
💜 Linzé