Get up. Get dressed. Paint.: Distressed heart

It’s been a tough week and I find myself feeling down in the dumps, distressed, lost.  My thoughts trying to get a grasp on things without much luck.  This page transformed into something totally different than how I wanted. Partially because of the week I had but mainly because I was trying to mimic another artist’s journal page and rarely is that a successful undertaking.  Yet it reflects exactly how I'm presently feeling. Distressed heart is fitting figuratively and artistically. 

Hearts cut out from white card stock with glass bead gel haphazardly added. 

Heart after painted and distressed. You get a glimpse of where I used Tim Holtz new Distress Oxide ink in wilted violet on the edges of the page.

Decorative napkin decou-paged to journal  with messily embossed butterfly.

 Bits of the background peeking through the layers: tissue paper base painted over with distress paints, stamped over with Tim Holtz mesh background stamp then modeling paste pushed through a stencil.

Using Tim Holtz Linen background stamp to diffuse the brightness of the hearts and distress oxide ink in wilted violet to diffuse some of the white.

Coordinating postcard made for a swap.  It is easier to see the Tim Holtz new Distress Oxide ink in wilted violet around the edges of the card.

While this page took a disappointing turn,  it is exactly as it is meant to be, a reflection of the healing my heart needs from the daily stressors of teaching.

What are your art journal pages telling you?  Are they a reflection of how you feel as you create them or are you one of those fortunate artists who can change the course of their feelings as you create them on paper?   It's something to think about and I would love to read your insights.

Creating in my Listen to My Heart Art Journal using dylusions 8" x 8" creative journal while working on my painting and layering techniques.