A Real Treat...

Playing in my journal has become quite a habit lately... as have my visits to Dunkin Donuts. My favorite? One chocolate frosted donut and one chocolate glazed donut and if I'm in the mood, a coffee coolatta to top it all off. Mmmmmm. So when I decided on the color palette for this page, I wanted to pay homage to my favorite place to treat myself.

After laying down the pinks, oranges, browns and throwing in a little green for good measure, I added this cute little bear I quickly painted on an old dictionary page. Only problem was, no matter how I painted him into the page... I didn't like how it looked. I changed colors and highlighted various areas but I never got to liking him at all. I told myself I needed to sleep on it and just left it alone for the night.

And while laying in bed that night, I had an idea.... I'd turn him into a balloon! Yes, that was it! And so I let the page evolve around Mr. Balloon Bear and all was right with the world.

The whole page ended up being an actual Dunkin Donuts theme (I had originally just wanted the color palette!). But when the muse calls, I pick up and say, "hello!" Lots of serendipitous things happened along the way and I just went with it.

I figured if it was my fast food breakfast cravings that inspired my color palette, why not let the whole page be inspired by the actual craving. And I was right.... it was so good!

I Believe I Can Fly...

I've been having a blast playing in my new mixed-media journal. In fact, I think I've been having some creative breakthroughs of sorts. Or maybe breakdowns? No... I don't need therapy! It's the walls that are breaking down!

You see... I'm absolutely loving the not knowing part of this journal play. I'm really learning to embrace the mark-making thing.... just for the sake of making marks... in the moment... whatever I feel like... with no end result in mind! In fact, I'm finding that I work better on pages where i create the background first, rather than a character. I like being able to be free with an entire page rather than trying to work around something.

Dots. Raindrops. Circles. Swirls. Paper stuff. Scribbles. Words. Paint. Sometimes I don't even look at the page as a whole, I just look at the very spot I'm working on. My mind changes as I work more... and it's all okay! Add this. Cover that. Paint between. Just play!

And then, KAPOW! The whole piece just takes its own direction, finds it's own theme, and has a story to tell. And the neat thing is... it always relates to me, and yet it always manages to surprise me. Each page requires patience and perseverence. There are lots of times when I do not like certain areas of the page. But I make tiny little tweaks in-between stepping back and noticing. Okay, sometimes I make bit giant tweeks and say, uh-oh... what have I done. But it's all good. Really!

I've become so attuned to knowing what I like, what I don't like, and most importantly... why!! And now that I seem to have found my groove... I can dance on clouds and fly over rainbows!

Faux Enamel Booklace Class... August 27th...

Learn how to make this faux enamel necklace using paints, inks and mediums over real embossed metal! Color coordinate inner pages with stamped images and meaningful words. Everything you need is included in the cost of the class. You’ll leave with a beautiful, personally crafted necklace-turned-conversation-piece.

Class location and RSVP to: Geralyn Gray • Greetings From Geralyn
in the Shoppes At The Arcade 658 Cookman Ave, Suite 2
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
Friday, August 27th from 6pm-8pm
Cost: $85 includes all supplies

Reserve your spot today! Only 10 seats available!
732-502-8099