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Kyra is starting a new Art Journal Challenge on her blog, exciting !! For this first week, she asked us to chose one of the awesome artists featured in Connie’s summer project 30 Journals 30 Days and to create a page based on this artist. Not this easy, indeed.

I did it ! I took some time to spread some LOVE in my Art Journal before going to sleep yesterday night… I had kind of a block, didn’t know what to do even if I knew who I wanted to chose.

This project really pimped me all July long. I discovered a lot of new artists, and some really inspired me. Karin Baltimole is one of them.

I decided to get the idea of her Target Practice paintings, I used as a base a “gingerbread” shape bought at a craft store, at the kids section. Then I covered it with oil pastels that I covered with a thin layer of black acrylic paint that I scrapped with a palette knife.
I just let it go, without knowing what will come next. And it felt good.

I’m not so satisfied with the result but I am learning to detach myself from my pages.

Here are some close-ups:

Mom & Me

My mum was alone to raise me. And I think she really did a great job, it was not easy; after all.
We have a kind of “fusionnal” relationship but we both know that the other needs some space. I miss her so much since we’re living in Canada; she went to visit us during five weeks this summer and I never thought it will go so fast.
It was her birthday on July 4th, so I wanted to create something meaningful just for her. Something she can look at and think of me. Even if I’m far away geographically. Something that would remind her how much I love her and she’ll always be in my heart, every seconds of every minutes of every day.

The canvas was, I think, 16×20, but I’m not that sure about it, but it was quite big (it had to fit her luggage ;)).

I changed it slightly while she was here, before offering it to her. Because the character reprensenting me didn’t have a mouth or a nose, and during 3 weeks she was telling me it was the only thing she didn’t like about my Girls, she didn’t understand why they only have eyes (but I DO know why they don’t) so I added it subtly.

This finished and final one is the third I tried. The two I started before just wasn’t what I was expected. It took me something like a year to really succeed in the idea and design (I don’t know why, maybe i was too attached too it, I put too much pressure on this, so I was blocked).
I wanted it colourful.
I wanted the image to speak for itself.

And when I gave it to her on her birthday, she really liked it, and told me she’ll hang it on her bedroom wall so only her could see it, because it’s between her and me.

Here are some close-ups, click to enlarge:

It’s absolutely not perfect, but I like it as it is 🙂

This week, Jamie prompts us about our Creativity. As always, it’s the perfect timing for me as I am introspecting a lot about it lately.

I wish to dig into my Creativity.
I wish to let the juicy creative flow comes out of my Soul via my Hands.
I wish to inspire people with my artwork.
I wish it could speak to people’s Soul, that they feel loved and listened to and understood, and that they realize that they are not alone.

I am still in awe about the reaction regarding my videos and the interview I wrote for Connie’s 31st day of 30 Journals 30 Days project (that I deeply miss…). I can’t believe all the love I am receiving, all the nice comments people write me here and there. I would never thought it would happen. Never.

My husband encourages me to go further and to sell my artwork. I have to figure out how to create prints (and where to buy the clear bags to put them in when I send them etc). I still wonder if people would actually buy to have something I made. I experience for years a huge fear of failure, yes.

Today, I hope you’ll wish along with me because I’m nurturing a big project I can’t wait to release but that first needs to be loved and to take shape before, and it is something really important to me…

I really had fun making the cover of this sketchbook !

I purposely staid vague about what will be INSIDE the sketchbook, but if you know my art, you can easily identify it as mine (or… I hope so).

I kept it quite simple, it does not contain too many layers, just quite a few.

Oh I have a question for you: as you may notice when watching the video, I had hard times with my Faber Castell Pitt Pens: they refused to cooperate and to work properly on my textured surface. Do you have any suggestion about waterproof pens that would also work on non-smooth surface ?

I think the video will speak for itself 😉

Here is the video, I hope you’ll enjoy !:

Click to enlarge

I was SO happy when Connie announced that everyone can now join her “30 Journals 30 Days” project.
Everyday, from July 1st to July 30rd, she gathered interviews of Art Journalers from all over the World. Some were beginners, other started a few months ago, and some do Art Journaling for years. This is what makes this project rich as it is. So many stories shared, so many different style, so many different reasons why people journal. It was something I was waiting for everyday this month.

I know I wasn’t the only one that was not-so-secretly wishing to be a part of this project 😉

SO if you want to join, you can ! Connie explains it all in her blogpost (linked earlier in this post). You can see the blogpost with all the links here:  30 Journals 30 Days: YOU.

• How long have you been Art Journaling ?

I started my first journal on July 13rd 2008, so a little more than 2 years ago. But when I started it, I didn’t think it was going to be very “arty” as my intention was to build a Creative Journal (I didn’t know about “Art Journals” at that time, and there is a slim but existing difference between the two).



• How has Art Journaling impacted, changed, or enhanced your life ?

I have been keeping diaries since 1992, I was something like 7 or 8 years old when I received my first diary as a birthday present; you know, the colourful one with a tiny key. I have bunch of them, filled with thoughts on everyday life and more “profound” sometimes. I glued pictures, items etc so it was more visual. I am an over-thinker, I think so much that it often causes me insomnia (I wish I could have Dumbledore’s Pensieve, trust me !) so pulling words out of my head onto the paper is an effective relief.
I never thought I was an artist, never. I was bad at school in the art class, even if it was a subject I liked and was interested in.
I never was able to draw a face, and still today: the faces I draw are everything but realistic. I take it as a “personal style” and not as a “weakness” thanks to my Journal.

In two years of art journaling, I gained self-confidence. About myself, about who I am, about who I want to become, even about my body.
It helped me setting goals. And it’s the first tool I use on my Healing Path. In my life, Art Journaling goes hand in hand with my Spirituality.

Thanks to Art Journaling, I am becoming an even better ME.

Last Summer, I signed up at Emily Carr (which is Vancouver’s institute of art + design) for a class about acrylic paint (like a 101 class) and learned they have what they call a certificate program: you pay a “entrance” fee, each class seperately when you take it, and you have 3 years to complete a list of precise classes + 48 hours of any other one(s), you have marked and at the end, if you passed everything, you get the certificate. It’s a BIG deal for me.

And Art Journaling helps me to create bounds with wonderful people like anything else did.



• What are a few of your favorite Art Journaling materials ?

I love gesso as it allow me to build great textures, acrylic paint is my “must have”. I discovered Caran D’ache watersoluble crayons (Neocolor II) and I am in love with them ! My palette knives are also a tool I use frequently.



• Who are some of your favorite Art Journalers ?

I love Teesha Moore work, it’s so precise and her style is recognizable between thousands.
Lisa Sonora Beam speaks to my Soul, as if her journaling process was making echo somewhere in me (and I deeply suggest her book, if you don’t already have it).
I wish I could hang out with Samantha Kira and journal outside or in a café together. Her videos on YouTube were more than helpful and I love her weekly vlog.
Connie because she makes it simple and intuitive and that’s how I dream to journal: by stopping to overthink it and just enjoying the process.
All began for me thanks to Suzi Blu‘s YouTube channel two years ago.
Donna Downey for the freedom her art journaling inspires me (and I can’t stop but hearing her saying “oooooh this makes me happy” in a giddy voice :D)
I am discovering a lot of awesome Art Journalers, it’s like a big family from all over the World, too many to name them all without unpurposely forgetting someone.



• What kind words of encouragement would you say to an Art Journal newbie ?

I would like to say that we are ALL artists; it’s just that often, we have a wrong idea of what being an artist really means.
Your journal is YOUR place, you can draw and write whatever you want. You don’t have to eldulcorate your feelings in it. You don’t have to feel this guilt. There is no “right” or “wrong” way of doing it; for example I love putting the date (even when it takes me longer to do and it’s spread on several days) on every pages, so later I can remember it and see the evolution.
No need to buy expensive art supply, but you can if you want. The rule is simple: there is absolutely no rule in keeping an art journal. If you’re affraid of the critique, keep it to yourself or chose wisely with whom you want to share.

The hardest part ? STARTING IT. But I warn you: nothing we’ll be the same after you’d entered the Art Journaling world…

• Where can we contact you…give us some link LOVE !!

I am revamping my blog and am building a kind of website to “gather it all”: inner-voices.net for the soon-to-be website.
https://inner-voices.net/blog for the english-speaking version of the blog. https://inner-voices.net/fr for the french-speaking version of the blog.
Twitter: @NolwennP
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/InnerVoices.net
My YouTube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/NolwennBC
FlickR: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nolwennp/

• Short Bio.

I am a young woman born and raised in France during more than 23 years before becoming an expatriate with a husband and two young daughters, in Vancouver (Canada). I’ll turn 25 next September and for me, this is huge and I’m very excited about it.

I was a very creative child but put it aside during teenagehood. I am an avid journaler, I’ve written diaries since I’m 7 or so and writing is really something I need to free my Soul.

I discovered Creative Journaling in 2008 when I was suggested a book by Anne-Marie Jobin (art-therapist from Québec, who is a huge journaler and help people through combining drawing & writing. It’s slightly different that pure “art journaling” as it’s a powerful healing tool, where the “art” part has no aim to be pretty or elaborate.

Art Journaling helped me discovering I am an artist, and I have messages to tell through it; so I also started painting outside the journal and fell into the Mixed Media universe.

I also want to help people through art, even if I still don’t know exactly how at the moment. I know the Power of gratitude and try to help and inspire people thanks to it (that’s why I started my weekly ritual called Gratitude Friday, where I invite people to join and share what they are thankful for each week. A lot of people come to me saying it helps them seeing the bright side of their life and that is changes everything. I am nurturing some projects in this way 🙂

• Videos Starring Me: