Amber Gibbs - Art Journals, Collage Art & Mixed Media Adventures

Art Journal page - Watercolor pencil Flowers

I am a technique junkie. I really love to try new ideas and see what happens. And so when I saw this tutorial on how to use watercolor pencils, I had to try it.  I've had a set of watercolor pencils sitting around my art studio forever. And when I say forever, I mean like at least 10 years. I've never been happy with the results I got from them. But then I tried this tutorial and wow.

Here's what I did:
- created a background of old map images
- took a piece of parchment or freezer paper, crumpled it up, and splotched on gesso over the map background
- Following the tutorial, I drew the flower image on a separate piece of paper
- I used too much water and my colors got a little murky, so I went back over the flower with pen and ink to make it pop more
- pasted the flower image to the page and started to journal.

I find that drawing on a separate piece of paper often relieves my drawing anxiety, because if I don't like it, it doesn't become something in my journal that I have to cover up or something I am embarassed about every time I see.

Art Journal page - Dreaming

Sometimes I feel like my art is half sugar/spice/everything nice and the other half snips/snails/puppy dog tails. At times everything is pretty and beautiful (like this page) and then other times, the darker side is out there (like the collages I posted the other day).

I'm pleased tho with how this came out. I've been trying to incorporate my doodles into my art journal and this is the first time I feel like I did it successfully. (Both the female face and the bird are my doodles.)

Deceived by Her Bulbs Collage

Another fun collage.

Collage - Theater Animals

I am currently stuck on a mixed media painting. And so I set it aside and just threw together some simple collages. I find these really relaxing and a good way to get my mind off my current art hurdle.

Cool Art Journaling Book

Wide Open: Creativity Notebook & Card Set: Inspiration & Techniques for Art Journaling on the Edge
by Randi Feuerhelm-watts

First . . . this is a deck of cards, not a book. I wasn't really crazy about that idea - a deck of cards for me conjures up perky sayings on cards. But then I saw this deck of cards at Artfest and fell in love. And after I bought it, I really understood why the author chose this format. On the front of each card, is an image from her art journals and on the back is a thought provoking story. Mixed into her stories, she has a lot of creative techniques. And since it's in a card format, you can pull out the cards that inspire you most or have techniques you want to try and lay them out on your work table (instead of trying to balance a huge book somewhere).

The author focuses on drawing and photography techniques (in a mixed media format), but don't let that scare you. You don't have to be a card carrying member of the "I can draw" club to use the ideas and techniques. And even if you throw out all the drawing and photography, you will still find a lot of mixed media ideas in this card deck.

Among the Flowers Painting

I'm experimenting with new styles and different techniques. The flowers were created on acrylic papers with pen and ink. The woman was painted with acrylic paint. The background is a mixture of acrylic paint, ink, and image transfers.

Art journal page - Contemplation

I created this page when we had some anxiety about Baby. We'd been told the doctor saw something funny on the ultrasound. My doctor said it was probably just a fuzzy ultrasound. But we still worried and worried and worried. I intended to write out my feelings on the orange lines, but nothing came. I couldn't bring myself to put my fears on the paper. So I left it blank and now I look at it and I don't need anything written there to remind me of what I felt. I will probably remember it in clarity when I look at this journal page 10 years from now.

We had another ultrasound and Baby is fine. We were both so relieved and happy.

The Big News

I'm pregnant!That is the big news. And also why I've moved my blog over here and am making changes to other things as well. I'm due in mid-September and we're having a little girl.

In the last 6 months, I've been working on many graphic design projects that have kept me busy. Not to mention, I was so exhausted in my first trimester. I think it was the effects of the pregnancy kicking in combined with giving up coffee. I had to give up coffee as it made me sick, but the lack of caffeine left me a lump. I closed Queen of Tart's Stamps on-line store during that time, because I just couldn't do it all. Now I am realizing that I certainly won't be able to do it all with a baby. So I am closing Queen of Tarts.

I am selling some of my inventory in my Etsy store. Most of the items there are at a significant discount. I'll have this open until baby is born.

And some of my inventory went to my good friend Sara at Manto Fev. Manto Fev has a wonderful selection of collage/mixed media art supplies, so head over that way for your ephemera needs.

Strawberry Passion Bird

Available on Etsy

Madame Bird

Available on Etsy