Project Description: Mixed Media Art Journaling is more than a sketchbook; it’s a way to experiment with techniques, materials, explore visual ideas and themes. All bound in a wonderful portable record of a mixed media journey. Use an old art textbook with the pages lightly gessoed so the words just barely show or a traditional mixed media art journal. Using the latter has thicker pages that can stand wet and dry mediums.

Steps to Make This:

1. Start with a photo of an oak tree at dusk; its branches are winter bare giving a wonderful silhouette against the evening sky. Print the photo on the Computer Grafix sheet, then cut it into quarters.
2. Paint the pages with a very light coat of acrylic paint and place the cut-out photo on the top left page using the photo as a color guide. For more texture use Grafix inking palette to roll smooth layers of black printers’ ink.
3. Then roll the ink onto bubble wrap and print that across the bottom of the pages (photo 1).
4. Now to create a monoprint that echoed the stark lines in the photo. Roll half a sheet of the Grafix Monoprint plate with black ink, then using a rag and Q-tip, removed some of the ink to create a print on the top right page (photos 3).
5. Lastly, create a simple stamp out of Styrofoam sheeting cut in the shape of an oak leaf that is stamped in both black and white and made some connecting lines with a white paint pen. This gives the illustration of this oak tree dreaming of spring. (photo 4)