“If you build it, he will come.” Field of Dreams
Most of us remember it as: “If you build it, they will come.” And this is the answer to where ideas come from. They come from beginning.
I’ve shared a couple of times about how happy and honored I am to be on the Creative Team for Tangie Baxter’s Art Journal Emporium. I contribute a monthly tutorial on mobile art - creating art using a smartphone or tablet. Here the creations for this month’s tutorial, Wild Motion and Ultimate Distortion. But, I have to be honest, most of the time I have no idea what I’m going to create or write about next.
This month, I actually started writing the tutorial before these pieces were created. The ideas for each next step came from the pictures themselves. I even tossed out some ideas along the way. Which means I started without any ideas at all, but had so many ideas along the way that I actually ended up with more ideas than I needed.
So where do ideas come from? They come from beginning. I don’t mean this in any kind of mystical or abstract vague way. I mean this in the most practical of ways. Strike out. Snap a picture. Make a mark. Glue something down. Tear, staple, scribble, doodle - start anywhere with anything you have at your fingertips. Then, add the next thing. And the next thing. Destroy the first thing. Subtract something. Cover over the bits you don’t like and keep going. In the beginning it may feel like you’re pushing a big rock up a mountain, but, eventually, the artwork itself will take over. Thank goodness! Otherwise I would probably never make anything.
Before I started creating on my own, I would look at a piece of art or a journal page created by another artist and I would think to myself, “How did they come up with that?” I thought they knew exactly what they wanted to create before they started and that they also knew every step to take along the way to get there.
What I’ve learned is that there are very few, if any, artists who create that way. This is one of the myths of creation: that you have to know exactly what you want to make and how to make it before you’re allowed to begin. In fact the opposite is true for me. I have to begin before I can know what I want to make.
Yes, there are formulas, workflows, and patterns that I’ve discovered, developed and learned along the way. But, anything you learn from someone else will eventually have to become yours. Your bag of techniques and your comfort with different materials will expand over time. And it helps to have a community to play with.
But, the beauty of it, at least for me, is knowing that I don’t have to know what I’m doing. Even if I have no idea how to begin, all I have to do is begin and the ideas will come. Trust. And begin.
So happy beginnings to you! I hope to see you in the Art Journal Emporium.
For more information on the Art Journal Emporium visit Art Journal Emporium - Tangie Baxter & CO.
[posted by Kirsten]
Back in the early days of digital scrapbooking, when layout artists were fewer and farther between, I spent a fair amount of time in the galleries commenting and fawning over scores of gorgeous layouts.
There were a handful of layout artists that I could recognize by sight; their unique look stood out from the crowd, for though the craft was new to us all, they had solidified their signature style early on and were nailing it, each and every time. And me? I felt like I was flailing about, green with envy!
Because, while I tried out all the new trends and tons of different types of layouts, I still wasn't creating like those rock stars I'd seen in the galleries. Where was my style?! It seemed like no matter what I did, this illusive concept was just beyond my grasp.
During my months of "searching," I would occasionally pop back into the galleries for inspiration… and low and behold, what did I find? Many of those same layout artists, creating their same signature pages over and again, flawlessly. And then I began to realize… that’s never going to be me.
I am a fly by the seat of my pants kinda gal. I love to play and try new things. Their brand of consistency isn’t who I am... and I am just going to have to be a-okay with that. At that moment, I began to embrace the possibility that maybe having a personal style just wasn’t in the cards for me (or perhaps not having a style was my style?). And with that acceptance, everything became easier.
Without the self-imposed pressure of searching for a certain way to create art, I was free to just be myself and get comfortable doing what I love. I created and created without concern for the final product, without worrying if anyone would recognize the work as mine, with regard for the process rather than the product. I felt liberated, at last!
For those of you who are already gurus whose style comes naturally: more power to you! If you love what you’re creating, then do you! But, if you’re anything like I was, and you’re out there right now on the road to discovering your "true style,” beware… Try not to get caught up in the muck and mire; save yourself some time and just get to work making art that you love. Because while there are great things about having style, it is certainly not a requirement for creating beautiful things.
And you know what? Just like all the good things in life: when you stop looking for style, it just may find you. Over the years, because I was drawn to certain supplies and techniques, I do think I eventually fell into a sort-of style of my own. But, to this day I try not to get too tied down. I like to keep my options open, to try new things and experiment with new designs. I hope you will be able to do the same!
These days I go where my mood takes me. Perhaps I get down and dirty with some paint, washi tape, and art journaling supplies; or maybe keep things all digi, clean and simple with a template, a great photo, and a handful of elements; I've even been known to use my digital art supplies to create some fun projects off the page. Today my "style" knows no bounds.
Looking for a way to keep things fresh and fun? Check out the piece I wrote back in January called Stretching Your Stash: 1 Kit, 4 Pages where I used a single kit from Tangie's ah-mazing stash (Bountiful / Bountiful {Mixed-Media Papers}) to create four separate pages using four separate styles.
Is style important to your creative process? Leave us a comment below and tell us about your experience!
To find out more about the Art Journal Emporium or the Art Journal Caravan, visit http://shoptangiebaxter.com.
[posted by Karli-Marie]
Hello, Katrina here again to share with you one of my cut and paste journal pages using one of the February collage sheets.
This month’s theme FIGMENT could not be more perfect for me as I am known in my family and among my friends for having a rather vivid imagination! A trait I am very proud of too!
The main reason I journal is to play with my imagination in my own little world, where anything is possible. So when you give me 3 rather handsome seahorses all in a line, what else could I see but 3 very dapper seahorses all in a line!! So the journal page was born!
To begin with I needed a background. Now if you are anything like me and love to play with paints and inks, you will have, shall we say 1 or 2 or possibly even 3 different products to use. The number of things I have is much higher than that but we will quickly skip over that!!! So this year I am trying to actually use these products rather than just looking lovingly at them. With this in mind I dug out some bottles of inks I had and used them to build up my background.
To build up my background I -
- laid down some inks onto the page using some cut and dry sponge, I used Yellows and blues and blended them into each other.
- Using several different stencils I added more coloured ink, keeping to the same colour palette as I had used in the background.
- I kept adding colour and pattern until I was happy.
Now it was time to add my dapper seahorses! I printed out the collage sheet and cut out the seahorses.
- Before I glued the seahorses down, I stamped a couple of times using a circle stamp, I didn’t re-ink my stamp the second time and so just got a ghost impression just above the middle seahorse.
- I then glued my seahorses onto the page and used my crayons to blend them into the background.
- I liked the way the stamped circles looked so I used a homemade stencil ( I had cut circles using my circle dies from some plastic packaging in different sizes ) to draw through with my crayons to add some more of the circles above the seahorses heads.
Now to dress the seahorses up! I am lucky to be the proud owner of a Silhouette Cameo, an electronic cutting machine. Every project I do on it amazes me and this one was no exception. These shapes are so small the chain on the fob watches are almost as thin as a human hair! Amazing!
You could of course use die cuts or other images from digital kits you have at home. Or you could simply draw them on, as I did their monocles.
So there you have it, the finished page. I have dressed up my dapper seahorses and added the word magic from the same collage sheet.
I then used die cut letters for the lettering and highlighted them using a white pencil.
I hope you enjoyed my project today and will have some fun yourself with this month’s collage sheets and your imagination, you never know where you will end up!
The Collage Workshop is included in the Art Journal Emporium and then available for sale in the TB&CO Shop the following month.
Previous Collage Sheet Workshops can be found here: Collage Sheets by Tangie.
For more information on the Art Journal Emporium visit Art Journal Emporium - Tangie Baxter & CO.
[posted by Katrina Rollings]
Here's a different approach to Art Journal Pockets:
Download the Apple Juxtaposer App
Tap : Start New Session, the screen will come up and have two sections:
Background and Top Image.
Select Background and add the Blank drawing from your images (your photo images).
Select Top Image and add paper choices on head wrap and blouse, I used Rebecca Mcmeen's Kendra kit.
Using the tools in the app cut out head wrap and blouse to fit blank drawing.
Next tap: Add/Replace Image.
This is where the real fun begins.
Simply choose what elements you like and embellish the page. Use a lot or a little.
Next using the art app of your choice add some color to the eyes, lips and cheeks.
Credits: Tangie Baxter's Mint To Be Kit, Rebecca McMeen's Em, Kendra and Tansy Kits.
Now I would love to see what you guys come up with.
For more information on Art Journal Pockets visit Art Journal Pockets- Tangie Baxter & CO..
[posted by Kimberly]
Good day fellow art lovers! Glenda here to share some real beauties I’ve discovered in the Art Journal Emporium this week...
Let’s start with this stunning piece created by Jeanet for the AJE Art Journal Caravan Itinerary No. 5. Jeanet has artfully combined her own drawing with goods from February’s Grab Bag - lovely!
Credits: TB & CO’s February Grab Bag (Tangie Bundle No. 18, Rebecca Bundle No.18)
Our next delightful gem is a vibrant piece created by Annalies de Zeeuw. The bright, rich colors and clearly determined bird seem to shout “Believe” - and we do!
Credits include: TB & CO’s February Grab Bag (Tangie Bundle No. 18, Rebecca Bundle No.18)
And echoing how so many of us have been feeling lately, here is a charming piece by Rosie Funnel. Her absolutely enchanting “head above water” page is a response to the AJE February Challenge.
Credits: TB & CO’s February Grab Bag (Tangie Bundle No. 18, Rebecca Bundle No.18) and Tangie Baxter’s font TangieAJFaskingriddles.
I hope you have enjoyed today’s Gallery Gems... Special thanks go out to Jeanet, Annalies and Rosie for sharing their beautiful work with us! Please be sure to leave them some love!
Check out this year’s Art Journal Caravan. It’s back - Yay! - and better than ever! See you there!
Art Journal Emporium information.
Art Journal Caravan information.
Grab Bags are only available for a limited time once a month and are priced on a sliding scale, so act fast for the best deal! For more information visit TB&CO Grab Bags.
[posted by Glenda Mulac]
I just love this month’s grab bag. Tangie Baxter’s seahorses just begged to be ridden by Rebecca McMeen’s art doll under the turquoise blue sea. But first of all some digital work dressing Illy and replacing her hair with Tangie’s jellyfish (all those tentacles just looked like the hair on an underwater girl). Then make the seahorse big enough for Illy and some close digital work to make her look like she is standing on the seahorse.
Printed Illy on seahorse and cut it out.
Prepped the background paper with a pale turquoise blue watercolor. Painted bubble wrap with a dark blue acrylic paint and stamped all over the page (bubbles). Glued Illy on the seahorse onto the page using gel medium. Added some metallic paint to some of the “bubbles” and silver Wink of Stella® to the hair and seahorse. Finally added some seaweed to the bottom of the page.
Grab Bags are only available for a limited time once a month and are priced on a sliding scale, so act fast for the best deal! For more information visit TB&CO Grab Bags.
To find out more about the Art Journal Emporium or the Art Journal Caravan, visit http://shoptangiebaxter.com.
[posted by Jan Nicholas]
Let Love Lead February 11 2016, 0 Comments
As Valentine’s Day approaches, love has been heavy on my mind… particularly the role that love plays in our daily lives.
During my time in the Peace Corps my co-workers and I took a character strength assessment as part of a training we attended together. What are character strengths, you ask? According to the VIA Institute, they are the personality characteristics that make you authentic, unique and feel engaged. *
Character strengths are part of the exploding world of positive psychology. The basic premise is that we all have strengths and weaknesses, but rather than focusing on fixing our weaknesses (which so many of us do), what if we took that energy and focused on our strengths instead? The idea intrigued me, and the results of my assessment definitely took me by surprise.
Although I’m not a lovey-dovey person by nature, in fact I often see myself as more cerebral than emotional, yet one of my top character strengths was love.
The character strength of love is defined as: “You value close relations with others, in particular those in which sharing and caring are reciprocated. The people to whom you feel most close are the same people who feel most close to you.”
The more I thought about it, the more it made sense to me. I do value my relationships above other aspects of my life; while I am close to only a handful of people, they are precious to me; those relationships that I do hold dear are strongly reciprocal. But the more I thought about it, the more broadly I began to see this definition of love.
Wasn’t it love that led many of my creative endeavors? Wasn’t it love I felt whenever I penned a page? Hasn’t love been quietly guiding many of my life’s adventures? Truly, love is at the forefront of my life more than I ever imagined!
[Credits: Tangie Bundle No. 15]
With this knowledge in hand, I began to consciously shift my mindset. “Let love lead,” became a favorite mantra of mine. Whenever I’m faced with a difficult decision or I am at a crossroads, this saying inevitably helps me decide which path to take.
Now, I know I’m making this sound super easy, when in reality the transition from leading with your brain to leading with your heart can be a rocky road. But, giving in to the power of love is a decision you will not regret. It has filled my life with unmeasurable joy and peace and allowed my creativity to manifest in ways I never dreamed.
This Valentine’s Day I encourage you to take a deeper look at the role of love in your life. You might be pleasantly surprised at the hidden treasures you might find.
[posted by Karli-Marie]
Imagination is more important than knowledge.
-A.Einstein
Dave, Sammy and I have been talking about this for a long time and decided that the time is finally right! We are ecstatic to announce that our entire family will be teaching this new online workshop for kids and the young at heart! We've been doing Summer camp for kids in our Studio for a few years now and Tangie owned her own preschool for 4 years!
This workshop will focus on the heart of what art journaling truly is and we hope to inspire a lifelong passion with art journaling in your child!
A few of the ideas we'll explore: Imaginary creatures, Sweets & Treats, Sammy's dolls in watercolor & collage, Robots & Not so scary Monsters, Scribble Flowers, Collage in all its wide variety, basic watercolor techniques, doodling and tangles, plus so much more!
Anyone who says you can't see a thought simply doesn't know art.
-W. Reynolds
What you receive in this workshop:
- Access to our secure classroom for your family (only one workshop needs to be purchased per household)
- 30 Videos by Sammy, Dave and Tangie Baxter creating 30 Art Journal Projects (The focus of this workshop will focus on watercolor and collage, using supplies you can usually find at home).
- 30 Downloadable, Printable PDF files that match the lessons with supplies used, sample of finished project and journal prompts to use while creating art journal pages from the videos. (Watching the videos will be required for the "how to" portion").
- These videos will be released each Tuesday (except during spring break, classroom will have posting schedule).
- Several Bonus Collage Sheets to print and use (optional)
- Lifetime Access for your child to work at his/her own pace.
The journal prompts will be thought provoking but appropriate for children (or the young at heart). This class is perfect for children ages 4-14 (But truly why not 4-104?!).
We hope you will join us for another exciting adventure here at TB&CO!
Hello lovelies. It’s beginning to feel like spring in my little part of the world. The days have gotten warmer, robin’s have suddenly appeared and the birds have begun to sing. Spring surely seems to be heading this way. Susan here with another week of Art Journal Emporium goodness.
First up is a wonderful page by Sian. Love the colors and quote.
Sian’s Credits: February’s TB&CO Grab Bag #18 along with Quickity Split's Workshop collection.
Our next bit of goodness is by Rese. Lover her mixed media creation using paint, vintage papers and fabric scraps.
Rese's Credits: AJC January Itinerary No. 3 & 4, water colors, vintage papers and fabric scraps.
Next is Catherine’s super quirky page. I just adore her gal made from scribbles.
Catherine’s Credits: AJC January Itinerary No. No. 4 and Neo Color II’s.
William is closing out this week’s highlights with a colorful fun page. I love his “wild” man.
William’s Credits: February’s TB&CO Grab Bag #18 along with February AJE 2016 Collage sheets (part of the AJE February Goodies, available at TB&CO as a Collage Sheet Workshop in March).
Many Thanks to Sian, Rese, Catherine and William for sharing their amazing creations with us at the Art Journal Emporium. Don’t forget to leave them some love!
Art Journal Emporium information.
Art Journal Caravan information.
Grab Bags are only available for a limited time once a month and are priced on a sliding scale, so act fast for the best deal! For more information visit TB&CO Grab Bags.
The newest Art Journal Pocket Challenge is under way as well and you can play for free.
Lastly, something fun and wonderful is about to take place at TB& CO...The whole Baxter family is going to be teaching a workshop: Art Journaling for Kids (and the young at heart)!
[Posted by: Susan Mccarley]
The monthly Grab Bag is an eclectic collection in harmonizing colors that includes an assortment of ephemera from Tangie Baxter, an art doll plus oodles more from Rebecca McMeen and stunningly designed papers. The pieces of this collection can be used in both digital and mixed media formats. TB&CO Grab Bag #18 {February 2016} is only available for a limited time and is priced on a sliding scale, so act fast for the best deal!
Following are some examples of the creative things you can do with the bits and pieces included in the TB&CO Grab Bag #18 {February 2016}.
The first digital example “Illusions” illustrates a simple use of a background page and a couple of pieces of ephemera that can be quickly put together and look like you spent all day designing.
Only 4 layers: Rebecca_Illy_Paper 1, Rebecca_Illy_Vintagebirdvignette2, Tangie_Figment_Sketches3, And Rebecca_Illy_Illusions
The next digital example ”Imagine” mimics the Glue Book (a type of journal created by gluing down on a page whatever paper inspiration falls into your hands).
14 layers placed so that the page is fully covered with some overlapping: Rebecca_Illy_Papers 1-6, Tangie_Figment_Paper11, Tangie_Figment_Ephemera14, Tangie_Figment_Tornpapers4, Tangie_Figment_Splatter_Newsprint3, Tangie_Figment_Wordart3, Tangie_Figment_Washi2-3, Rebecca_Illy_Circles5.
The next digital example “Figment” is complex using lots of layers (like mixed media), blending and placing so that the end result is pleasing. Then creating a unique art doll using elements from Rebecca’s Illy collection.
Art doll created using Rebecca_Illy head, dress, arms and the butterly for wings on the art doll. Layered Tangie_Figment ephemera, washi, paint splatter, swirly and word art on Tangie_Figment_Paper Also used a Gesso overlay layer from Tangie_QuickitySplitsWorshop to unify the page. Placed the art doll and shadowed.
I hope you enjoy these examples and are inspired to acquire the monthly Grab Bag to design your own unique art.
BTW - over in the Art Journal Emporium you can participate in monthly Grab Bag challenges. There are two winners every month. Just upload your digital or mixed-media entry by the end of the month.
For more information visit TB&CO Grab Bags.
For more information on the Art Journal Emporium visit Art Journal Emporium - Tangie Baxter & CO.
[posted by Jan Nicholas]
