Acceptance Silhouettes - #WOIW

Hello Real Internet Friends :)

Today I am tackling TWO challenges with one art journal page! YAY! Two for the prince of one. A useful thing for me with the list of things I have joined in and agreed to do..LOL.

I was thinking about the Word of Inspiration Wednesday challenge over at Kraafters Kommunity which this week is 'Acceptance'. That word has several different layers of meaning, but the one that comes to me first is being accepted as yourself in a group of other people. This is something I have struggled with my whole life. I am often a bit 'different' seeming from others I encounter in my daily life. I care about things that others don't. I think more creatively. My sense of humor is strange. I am fascinated by things that others think are weird. In addition to these...I can be intolerant and maybe even a bit bossy. Also, I have a hard time trusting people or believing others don't have alternative motives for what they do. As a result of this..I am quite isolated. I don't go to parties or hang out or go to coffee or shopping with my 'besties'.

The exception to this rule is how I interact with others on the Internet. I feel comfortable here in cyberspace. It is easy to meet people without pressure. Amazingly there are whole communities of people out there that enjoy the same things I do and think the same way as me! So when I decided to make my page...what I wanted was to represent the whole world of friends 'out there' whom I love. A circle of quirky and colorful, bright and bold, supportive and loving, interconnected, FRIENDS.
Luckily my idea of what I wanted to make happened to also fit the prompt for week #4 of Journal52... Silhouettes. Especially since the week #5 prompt is out!


To begin my page I drew a horizon line and then a group of people standing facing away with their hands connected. This is on a cold pressed watercolor paper size 7 1/2" X 15". I sketched in pencil and then traced over with a black paint marker.


Next, I wanted to add my title in bold fat letters. First I drew some lines with a ruler, and then lightly added letters with a pencil. Then I went back over the letters and made them fatter and more stylised before tracing them with a black paint marker.


Now to add color. I wanted it bold and bright like my Internet friends. I started with Inktense blocks by Derwent because they are water reactive...but permanent when dry. This is a perfect feature of these babies if you plan to add more wet media over the top. I sprayed my page with my water mister and then just went in randomly with colors.


Next,I wanted more color and pattern. I got out some stencils and some Dylusions sprays by Ranger. I started with purple grape because sadly my set of Inktense blocks don't have purple (hello Derwent what were you thinking????) I then added some sunshine yellow and squeezed orange and a bit of teal.


Now I wanted to add back in some white for more interest. I made a puddle of white acrylic paint and spattered it with a brush. Then I used a circles stamp in the same puddle to stamp some larger blotches.


Now for the POP. I went in with black gesso and painted over the negative space around my people and letters. I think it has an amazing effect.


To finish up I used some stamps with acrylic paint. Some splattering. And some black and white pens to add detail and journaling. 


I hope you enjoyed my project and feel inspired to make your own :)
<3 Shel


Comments

  1. I think we are kindred spirits! Love your page and the story behind it.

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    1. Thank you Nanette :) I am glad the page rang true with you,

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  2. I think we are kindred spirits! Love your page and the story behind it.

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  3. Oh, Shel, you hit a nail here. Why do we have a hard time accepting who we are??? So many of us struggle with this and I too, am sooo glad for our kraafters kommunity. We all share a kindred spirit there. Great interpretation of this word!!! And any time you want to have coffee, just let me know... I love driving to Fountain Hills

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    1. Thank you Sylvia. If I am ever going to be in your area I will let you know and we can get some coffee :)

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  4. Shel, this is a stunning page. Love the friends all holding hands and the black is a masterstroke. Love what you shared. Being part of an online community together is just great - good for support, inspiration, encouragement and just plain friendship - and best of all we can be who we are :)

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    1. Thank you Susan. I agree that online communities are where it is at :)

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  5. Your BIG, bright letters are great! To me, they stylize the BIG and important notion of ACCEPTANCE. Your on line friends, with joined hands, are facing away from the viewer. Very clever. Did you mention being creative? I would not have thought of having my friends facing away from the viewer in a million years. Very creative!

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  6. This is a fabulous page, Shel, and I love how it all came together - concept, text, design and execution. Wonderful!

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  7. Gorgeous page, Shel. I especially like the photo where you added the black - a definite 'pop'!
    I think a lot of us feel as you do in a crowd. The great thing about blogland is that we look for the things we have in common. There is none of the judgement in terms of how we look, what we sound like, where we're from. We bond, instead, over a shared passion.

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  8. Oh Shel - that is so cool and so adequately represents how so many of us feel! I LOVE THIS PAGE!!!!!!!

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  9. Thank you so much Heather. Your check is in the mail LOL!

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  10. Love your page. I'm so glad you have an awesome community to hang out with. Cyn

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  11. Amazing page Shel! You even drew your own silhouette! I would have probably spent an hour looking for one on Google not even considering doing my own! I can very much identify with the sentiment behind it as well.

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    1. Thank you Zsuzsa :) It maybe would have been a good idea to get a printed one lol

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  12. your process has given me some inspiration for working on my journal. I had forgotten how powerful black can be. Thanks

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  13. Your page is beautiful! Thanks for sharing your process!

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    1. Thank you Michelle :) I enjoy the sharing..when I remember to take the photos.

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