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

Inspiration File - Awesome Scrapbooking Paper

Scrapbooking paper is so pretty these days that I don't know how anyone cuts it up to use it.

Birds the Word  Urban Rhapsody Paper (K & Co)

Shimmer Glitter Black & White Floral 12x12 Midnight Kiss Paper (Heidi Grace)

Giardino-Garden 12x12 Al Fresco Paper (Tinkering Ink)

Inspire 12x12 Infuse Collection Paper (Basic Grey)

Art Snapshots

Happy Easter Sunday!

I decided to feature some clips and images of some of my art work today. From stuff I created years ago to more recent items.

A recent flower ink. I did this over an acrylic mess background, in pen and ink. Then added a bit more color with acrylic paint.

This is a really old digital collage. I think I briefly sold this as a card on ebay.

Some vintage dress sketches. I really loved these but no one else seemed to like them.

A photo of a gingko tree taken in my college days and then with a lot of photoshop work.

Art Journal - My Voice

I started this entry a while ago - it was inspired by a visit to a blog where the artist blogger (who shall remain nameless) had some new art up. Now, this artist has been creating art in the style of someone else for a while. I kept track of her art, because she was really good and I hoped she'd develop her own voice. But when I visited, she had a new style - which was almost exactly like another artist's unique style. It made me so depressed and sad. I yearned for this artist to find her own voice.

And that got me to thinking about where I was as an artist. Was I any different than this woman? Was I truly striving to find my own artistic voice? So I created this page - think of it as a "goal" page.

The flower drawing is mine. As usual, I did it on cardstock and pasted it into my journal. I highly encourage anyone who struggles with drawing to draw on scrap paper - from the back of computer paper to store bags, to anything that feels non-precious. For me, 50% of what I draw I hate. Ok, maybe more like 70%. But what I love, I cut out and save, and paste in my art journal. Sometimes I only like part of it, so I only use that part.

Art Journal - Astonished to Find

A very simple entry. 

I've been doing some mixed media work with paint  in the last few days, while the baby naps. But I didn't finish anything and I might just go back to this small format for now. I can actually get a page finished in the Moleskine size.

Speaking of Moleskines, check out this blog about a Moleskine swap between 5 artists!

Art Journal - Orange Mess

I really went to town with the rub-ons in this entry. It was rather soothing. There is something to be said for not hoarding art supplies. Just use them NOW.

This art journal entry was actually a disaster saved. I had done a collage and then I decided to put white ink over it to unify it. But what I forgot was that the face was an inkjet printout (from one of my face paintings). When I went to scrub off some of the white ink, I also scrubbed off her face.

And it looked like this:

I saved her face by inking it back in:

And then I decided more coverup was necessary and that resulted in this:

It's still kind of a mess, but it is at least an interesting mess.

Art Journal - After A Month

I can't believe it's been a month or so since I last posted. My apologies for the lack o'blog. I had a crazy February with the baby and trying very very hard to keep up on my work stuff.

I did not find much time to art journal, but I do have these two entries to share with you.

I created this girl out of two doodles - the body was a man who just didn't have the right head. And the girl's head was a separate doodle. I used some scrapbooking rub-ons, my new addiction. There is something so much like childhood art supplies in rub-ons.

And another entry.