I have been keeping an art journal since I was 18. Back then I was in art school and it was my sketchbook, a requirement for all of my art classes from day one. I resisted at first, it seemed like such a frivolous task. But, I soon realized that it was key to fleshing out the best ideas. Flash forward 15 years and I noticed the best graphic designers in the business still kept sketchbooks. But the best of the best not only used them for developing current projects, they were constantly keeping a daily journal of ideas and inspiration. They were constantly playing in art.

Visual language takes time to develop. It takes practice. And one of the most efficient ways to do that is to keep an art journal. It is a safe way to create freely without judgement. Explore what you like and don’t like about colors and form. 

I am not gonna lie….I fall off the art Journaling wagon all the time. It is an ebb and flow kind of thing. But, when I am in the creative groove of keeping my journal, my work is better. My creative flow is better. And I remember why I love being an artist.

It is easy to make the leap from art journal to painting or graphic design. But how do you translate ideas to fiber art. And freeform fiber art is not planned…so how does art journaling fit into my work. It last weeks video, I share with you some of my private art journal pages and the art it helped me make.

Here is the replay:

Here are all the show notes for this Live Cast:

Here is a link to last weeks live cast and the piece I am working on based on thar Journal Sketch

Here are the vlogmas posts where I made those kitchen towels

Here is the piece I made

From this Journal page

And Here is the rattle I made inspired by my zentangle doodle

This is the link to the Beyond The Basics Series class: Weaving Lace and Open Space here.

It include this rope technique that would be a great way to mimic the worry dool I put in my journal loom

Find the rest of the Classes in the Beyond The Basics Series Here. 

The Art Journal Membership and Classes is in the works, Sign up here to get updates about when this will go live and how to sign up.

The Taos Retreat will be in September of 2020. Registration opens at the end of the year. here are the websites of the other teachers:

Jane Thornley

Debra Lambert

Ilisha Helfman

Faith Welsh–Snow Lion Studios in Taos, MN 

Here are the journaling tools I used in this video:

My current journal is this sketchbook

My next journal is this mixed media sketchbook

I love washi tape

I Love this pen and this pen

I love this portable watercolor palette

Here is the instagram account of the weavers in my guild that make those journal looms

Here are the other Journal Looms I found online

I like these chibi needles for small weavings

As well as this weaving needle

I like this this glue stick and this glue pen

***Some of these links are affiliate links. What this means is I receive a small commission when you make a purchase through my affiliate link. this helps me off set the cost of running this blog and providing free content to help you make art. Just know I would never recommend anything I do not personally use of love.