Here is the advent calender style self portrait page from my journal. I embellished an idea I read about in Linda Woods' and Karen Dinino's book Visual Chronicles, the no fear guide to creating art journals,creative manifestos and altered books, in which they spoke of creating a self portrait from symbols that represent you. It was Christmas time and I love those little doors in advent calenders. I used a slide mount as a template and created a grid of little doors and windows on a piece of watercolor paper that had been created for another project that just didn't work. I found a bunch of images or symbols that represent me.
I had my students do this in my visual journaling class and they loved it as much as I did. You gotta try it. I still have a few windows and doors to fill-up. I know I'll do this again in another journal as this one is almost full!!!
This eye is the remnant paint from my palette as I was playing with oils. When I was a kid my friend Mary's parents had a drawing of a Geisha in pen and ink on newspaper in their home. I enjoyed looking at that that piece then and continue to love the look of artwork done on such a common surface. I must do more oils on newspaper.
