Colour Swatch Mini Album

I really need to come up with more creative titles for my art journal mini albums...

Hey Newsletter Subscribers! You might recognize this little guy from that "sneak peek" video attached to the last newsletter.

So...I made this swatch...

This is the photo I used to make the swatch that started this whole thing. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do with these junk pages - they are made out of flyers! - but I knew I wanted to keep it simple, and try something new. I had an extra photo left over from my One Little Word 2017 album, and I thought it might be a fun jumping off point. I have never made a swatch based on a photo, or used a colour swatch as inspiration for an album, so this was kind of a big deal in my progression as an artist. I am wanting to branch out, do commissions, get some more things going, and this is a good first step.

AND JUST WAIT TILL YOU GET TO PAGE FOUR OMG!

Look! It's the same photo again! I feel like a food blogger...

I wasn't a fan of this page for the first many steps, and then I added a word and I kind of love it now.

Coming up...page four...

It's MEEEE! And look at how cute I am, I mean really.

I love painting faces, I really do. Even if they aren't exact, or perfect or whatever. I love it so much. This was a fun exercise, and I think I did my cute face justice. Also, I need more purple in my life. 

To be honest, I forgot to add anything extra to this page, and I am totally okay with it.

Um hello. I like to paint big messy flowers. Definitely a "comfort zone" page for me!

Gemini - The Twins - is an easy constellation for me to spot. I knew I wanted to paint a galaxy on this page, like I have been seeing on the Get Messy IG account. But I also knew that I didn't just want it to be a galaxy. I was thinking of sisters, and twins, and feeling a connection with someone who is completely different from you, and so I got to these conjoined twins. That braid was so fresh in my brain, and I am so proud with how this page turned out. It makes me want to practice my galaxies!

I took inspiration from Dallas LaRose's latest collection for the llama on the left. I have never tried a technique like this before, and it was a challenge let me tell you!

I feel like that eye on the right is Dallas giving me the side eye for using her art! But it's also my inner eye, reminding me that it's good to challenge myself in art, but it's also good to stick with what I know! I am really connected to the imagery of eyes...I think a lot of artists are. I am excited to explore this further.

Oh Leia...

I copied this image from a sticker that my sister gifted me at Christmas. I think Leia is such a unique combination of strength and femininity. We don't often see her associated with her softer side - as a woman and mother - but I think that's a huge and important part of her identity.

This book was about experimenting and trying new things, and connecting to my artist's vision. It can be hard for me, because I put a lot of pressure on myself. But I think that projects like this take some of that pressure off, and just let me play around and re-discover what I love and what I'm good at. And it was so much fun too!

Soooooo...not only is this my favourite binding technique for mini books, it is impossible to describe in a proper how-to. Like, with steps and stuff.

I can tell you that I use embroidery floss and any old needle. And I stitch the pages directly on to the fabric covers. And that's about it! No help at all for replicating it!!

I started writing this post ages ago, and then got knocked flat on my ass thanks to a week-long migraine. I clearly survived, and am now so grateful that I can now share this post with you. It's not all sunshine and roses over here all the time, and I appreciate you sticking around.

PSA: I'm getting a newsletter out next week, so if you want to subscribe, now is the time! You can expect such awesome things as:

- random recipes

- video sneak peeks

- current favourite podcasts...

- and more!

You can subscribe here. Like...literally click here.

FURTHER READING
If you're interested in listening to the same things I had in my ears when I was building this album, check out this Spotify Playlist!
Please check out Dallas' website here...her stuff is majorly awesome!