Book of Days : Collage spread

Book of Days 2019 is being taught as a collaborative this year. This month, all our teachers presented a lesson using collage elements. Our guest artist for February is Tangie Baxter and our bonus emerging teacher is Lynn Wilson.
I used to do collage a lot - my first online art journal teacher was the wonderful Kelly Kilmer and I filled my Full Tilt Boogie journal with collaged pages. The memory of these 2 in particular informed the spread below and in turn my latest spread

Now I still like to include collage elements but mostly they are part of backgrounds, embellishments (love serviettes) or under a paint over collage technique. When I saw Effy's lesson, I was reminded of this spread I did a couple of years ago :

That inspired my initial gatherings of a magazine face and an old calendar page for floral focal

Lynn Wilson shared some of her techniques for art journaling in an altered book and began by highlighting words. I often do that too - I love locating found words in backgrounds or applying dictionary/large print book words. This was my first layer - paint avoiding the words, my face and I was drawn to a different calendar flower to surround her. Click on any photo to see it larger.

I just kept adding layers to my background using some things from my stash including gelli printed tracing paper (which cuts and tears easily and gives a bit of a wrinkly texture when glued) as well as gelli printed micropore tape. Needed to include a butterfly as one of my important symbols

and decided she needed to hold something so added the heart. I coloured her top with a faber-castell pitt pen to tone with the background and couldn't help adding pen detailing to her face so she is altered. 

I love how white doodles light up the page. I needed some larger word/s, and in the end this was easily solved with some new washi tape ♥

Most of my art journal pages evolve organically and I never know how they will turn out. I really enjoy the process and keep working until the spread feels done - it's not done until I love it. A few final doodles in the centre of the flower and ♥

You can sign up to BOD2019 HERE.