Reverb 10 - Day 18: TRY

December 18 – Try What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it? (Author: Kaileen Elise)

This year, I continued to work on my art journaling, but I didn't get far. I got blocked pretty quickly, which was disappointing for me. I think about it all the time. I look at blogs with Art Journaling, buy the "Art Journaling" magazine, buy the stuff to DO art journaling (magazines, paint, ephemera, paper). Finally, I found someone who gave tips and templates to start a newcomer.  I think I tried to start out in the doctorate level with Teesha Moore's style.  Of course, I love her style - it is so eclectic and busy and fascinating and bright.  It is exactly the kind of thing that attracted me to art journaling. Her videos are extremely helpful for learning her techniques and ideas. I also love the 16 page journals she makes.

I found Kelly Kilmer's online class A Life Made by Hand . Kelly's work is equally intriguing and colorful. She offers a class to get people started which is fantastic.    This class provides templates, ideas, examples, videos, and prompts for writing.  I love the idea of the templates to give some experience with trying out new things. I haven't done it yet, even though I paid for the class some time ago. I know my work won't look like hers, either, but she can help me make work that looks like my own and lead me through some ideas about how to compose, which is a weakness for me, I think.

In 2011, I want to try to finish the classes that I joined with Kelly Kilmer. I want to continue this practice of artful expression. It feels really important - soulfully important for balance, for self expression, for color, for everything.  I want to take a couple of live art classes and try going to the little store that is not far from my house called Art on a Lark. I'm a little shy, I think, about working where other people can see what I'm doing, but I have to get over that. I want to continue to learn and to grow my skills in these artful endeavors.