Stay True

I LOVE stenciling. It's one of my go-to techniques when I start a page, when I get stuck or when I just need a final finishing touch. I recently taught a stencil technique class (share that with you at a slightly later date) and worked my demo straight into my current altered art journal. This is what I ended up with by the end of the night : 

Though there had been no plan, I immediately saw a face shape on the left page and sketched her with my black Stabilo All watersoluble pencil

I knew I wanted to hide that bold writing with some darker stenciling with the intention of adding a lovely mandala stencil over the top 

At this point I am loving her, but the spread still needed a couple of days before I was led to add some words

and some more gold stencils for the finish

So happy with the final result. 

A Year of Rumi : fan your flame

Last weekend I had a wonderful Girls' gathering away at the beach sandwiched between 2 extra busy weeks at work. Finally I've had time to complete another art journal spread. It's been almost a month since I shared my previous page in my altered art journal, repeating a prompt from Effy's A Year of Rumi online class. Our Rumi quote for July inspired a fan shape in Effy's original art page and in my own art card HERE

I loved the fan and decided it would be lovely to have one also in my art journal along with a face. I was also inspired to use Turquoise and Red together again and thus my background began : 

She has really taken her time in emerging in sometimes difficult ways....

Red glaze finally made me happy with the fan

But that was a much easier fix than her face....got her eye position far too low to begin with but didn't realise until I stepped back to work out why she didn't feel right {a lot of courage to share this!}

Quite a lot of reworking to get the eye to here....but she still doesn't have the right expression for the fan - not flirtatious enough 

I lowered her upper lid and added the extra white pen details. Also had to rework her hairline a little bit before I was happy

Finally I'm calling her done

Find out more about the "A Year with Rumi" class with Effy Wild HERE. You can also enjoy this class by joining Effy's Patreon account and paying monthly. 

Inspired by....

Online art classes for 2020 have begun to be advertised. I always feel a bit overwhelmed trying to decide if I want to do none or all of them! If you want to get a taste for what Life Book 2020 is all about, you can join the FREE Creativity and Wellbeing summit which this year runs 16-30 September. Sign up HERE. 

Enjoy Free Access to 30 Inspiring Interviews and 30 Art + Wellness activities!
Learn how creativity can support your wellness and happiness in life!

I've never done "Let's Face It" but it looks really good - read all about it HERE.

Registrations open 14 October, and REALLY Early Bird special of US$99 ends November 30. If you follow that link you can also go on a blog hop to win a free place.
Alisa Burke also has a new online Art Journal class which begins September 23rd. I am ALWAYS inspired by her work.

Find out more HERE - early bird registration US$35 until it launches. 

What's inspiring you? Any FREE classes you know about that I might not? Please share!