'The Blue Divide' Art Journal Page by Elisa Ablett

Hi Soul Sisters, 

Elisa here from the design team for Art and Soul Studio with my latest project which I based around this month's soulful project quote.

 the link to the facebook album is here for your entries - July Soulfull

there is a $75 voucher to the store up for grabs so get your entries in.

Here is my project, a very personal mixed media art journal page inspired by the quote and featuring products from Art and Soul Studio Store.

To me it symbolises the swirls of thoughts through our brains, the struggle between anxiety and panic and happy cheerful thoughts. How something so beautiful as your brain can be a little dented and scratched, so to speak .... 

Here is a close up of the thoughts, words cut from an old book.

I wanted to show you how I achieved my page using some of the materials from the store.

Step 1 - Using a new Mixed Media Journal from X-press It, it has beautiful 300gsm aqua paper! draw a face silhouette with a waterproof black marker, add a circle and line down your page where you want to showcase the line drawn between your thoughts in your head... (more symbolism)

https://artandsoulstudio.com.au/index.php?route=product/product&path=226&product_id=18645

Step 2 - Grab your desired colours of acrylic paint - I used Vicki Boutin Mixed Media Acrylic Paint available from the store on the link below. The colours are glorious! and it spreads like margarine.

Using a palette knife or silicone spatula spread the three colours inside the circle on your page and let dry.

http://artandsoulstudio.com.au/index.php?route=product/product&path=649&product_id=19229

Step 3 - Using an old sheet of music paper and a sheet of patterned paper (Abstract Art by Kaisercraft - Basecoast 4 collection) tear small strips of the papers and use to build the silhoutte's clothing on the lower half of the page plus also part of the background on the right.

I also used the patterned paper and using a new bohemian flower die from the store, I diecut my flowers and put them aside for later.

Cherry Lynn Designs - Mehndi Botanicals 4

http://artandsoulstudio.com.au/index.php?route=product/product&path=631_713&product_id=20611

Step 4 - Using a paint brush add a small wash of gesso over the top of your patterned and glued paper to dull the colours a little. Then grab your favourite watercolour inks and spray bottle and a paintbrush add colour to your silhoutte page on the right side. I used the FABULOUS ecoline inks available in store individually or in packs of 6 or 10 colours. - 

Ecoline Watercolour Inks - Pack 10

Step 5 - Use a large paintbrush and water as well to add a wash affect over the top of your inks.

Last steps - Once your page has dried and you have added all the colour inks you want, using a versafine inkpad which is archival, stamp around your circle and line to create depth on your page. 

Also add your title, either handwrite or use stamps as I have using the same black versafine inkpad.

To finish - add your die cut flowers, eyes that i ripped from a magazine and some important words from an old book to represent the war our brain sometimes has when we are anxious, sad and confused and stressed.

Add some finishing touches like colour to the lips or outline your flowers to give them more depth.

And you are finished!!

Hope you have enjoyed my project and the tutorial, the quote immediately 'spoke' to me and I wanted to create a page that symbolised the real struggle that a lot of people go through with the warring thoughts in their minds. Art is Therapy.....

Make sure you leave me some love and head on over to the store to check out the amazing products the store is stocking to help you on your artistic journey...

Elisa xx