It’s a whirlwind. Already. For those of you following along at home, and on You Tube – you may have noticed that there was one week without a SPARK video. Down with a long lingering cold turned sinus infection, I was out for the count. As September slowly starts to unspool with back to school and the discussion of Fall’s arrival… I am super busy in the studio!
What does that have to do with the theme for the month, you ask? Well, to start, it’s a loose theme – “florals”. You can go design inspired, realistic, summer flowers, fall flowers, patterns… any floral inspiration hits the mark. And secondly – I have some multitasking to do…. I have work to prep for shows, gallery submissions, etc. I WANT to chill in my studio and work on my Hawaii travel journal – after the fact, but deeply satisfying. So those are some florals you might see. We have a bit of travel planned – so there may be floral ideas drawn in from that…. and I have heaps of bead projects one the bead table – maybe even something there will sneak in this month.
I have added a few different types of things to the Pinterest page – but there is no limit this month!
Go! Take it to the page! Bloom! Paint! Collage! Enjoy!
And I have added more resources and images on Pinterest! Check it out!
Are you a subscriber on You Tube? I would love to have you… and this theme will unfold during the month of September. My monthly theme inspired my filmed art journal pages. And anyone is welcome to use the theme and journal along !
Keys to me are tangible potential. The magic and mystery of what could be unlocked; the revelations or mysteries contained from unworthy eyes.
In my intro art journaling class ” Sparking Creativity” we used Keys as one of our motifs: unlocking and opening up to the new process of art journaling. Using the art journal as a safe container to work through emotions and challenges.
I wanted to share some of my mythical key inspiration with you this month – as I again use this image to inspire my pages this month.
Janus: Roman god of doors and gateways. Janus wore two faces – looking in 2 directions and looking backwards and forwards in time. He was a gatekeeper, and a god of beginnings. (January is named after Janus.) He is depicted with keys and a staff. He was said to represent wisdom, could grant success and new opportunities.
Lord Ganesh in the Hindu spiritual path is the great elephant god, the mover of obstacles and for this reason very often associated with keys. Commonly locks or keys can be found with a Ganesh design on it to symbolically representing the unlocking of a path or knowledge. Ganesh is associated with wisdom and spiritual knowledge, making him not only a prime example of key symbolism but also a deity, like so many others, associated with journeying.
Hecate is a Greek goddess associated with was the goddess of magic, witchcraft, the night, moon, crossroads. She is often called The Queen of the Witches, and The Keeper of Keys. She holds the keys that allow passage into the spiritual realm. She is a great protector and is associated with keys, and dogs among other things. Trivia is the Roman equivalent of the Greek Hecate, goddess of the three-way crossroads.
But some of the most fascinating and even gruesome keys are linked with folk tales and modern retelling, constantly morphing and yet connected at heart. The Grimm’s told the tale of the Fitcher’s Bird ( also read the tale here) Charles Perrault used Bluebeard as his nefarious character in his version. To Angela Carter it is the Bloody Chamber. They all have in common: a secret room, off limits. Keys and curiosity! Leading to trouble… sometimes with eggs, often with blood stains. Take a read for yourself – they are amazing tales!
“The wife holds the key” illustration by Walter Crane.
Are you a subscriber on You Tube? I would love to have you… and this theme will unfold during the month of April. My monthly theme inspired my filmed art journal pages. And anyone is welcome to use the theme and journal along !
Please stay tuned on my You Tube channel for these art journal pages as they unfold during the month of April!
It started out as just me and the page in my art journal. It was an escape – a place to go play, express myself, collage, splash paint around… and be both distracted and soothed in the midst of a global pandemic. My art journal became a place where I could vent, but also a place I could go to elevate my mood, or take simple joy in art materials, color, image, text…
And then I decided to share it…
Well, my friend Patti (who became my co-facilitator for class) encouraged me to create an online class. We would meet via Zoom. I could film video tutorials – but we wanted an element of camaraderie too – a social interaction we were missing during “Safer at home” times. And thus “Art journaling with Jenny: sparking creativity” was born.
The first session was a learning process – for me – and also hugely satisfying. It surpassed my wildest dreams. Here are some student testimonials:
Jenny’s Art Journal class was amazing! The presentation of techniques and pace of the class gave me time to absorb, learn, play and ultimately complete gorgeous journal pages – something I wasn’t sure I could do. The safe space created by Jenny, as well as the camaraderie and community with my classmates grew as we journeyed together allowed me to open up, experiment and go places I hadn’t even imagined. And finally, as a frontline healthcare worker, “taking it to the page” gave me a healthy release that kept, and continues to keep, me balanced, focused and feeling hopeful. No kidding. Ten thousand thumbs up! Amy T
Jenny Davies-Reazor took me on an adventure into art play and art journaling in her “Art Journaling: Sparking Creativity” online workshop! It was eye opening for me as I had never done anything like this in my own artistic journey. It was also very cathartic. She is very organized and willing to share everything she knows and truly gives a lot of herself and her time. Not only did I enjoy learning new ways to play with art materials, I would get so engrossed in the process of creating that time would slip away unnoticed. Jenny is fun, knowledgeable, and is also willing to experiment in front of her students. It lead to some happy accidents, which was encouraging for me.I am looking forward to her next class! Patti P.
Are you looking for community, camaraderie, inspiration and fun? Look no further, you’ve found all that and more. Jenny’s class is informative: you learn different techniques, she walks you through her creative process and you’re introduced to new materials to play with and create. You become part of a very supportive group of people: you can choose to share what you’re working on or just soak in the process that your fellow participants are working through. This class was amazing. I can’t say enough about it. I would give it all the “stars”. Nikki T
Here’s a firsthand look at MY pages – and the “Hows” and “Whys” behind the class:
As I mentioned – the lessons are NOT drawing heavy, but instead utilize collage, and image transfer techniques. The materials list is provided after enrollment and includes links for online ordering… Each lesson is themed around a symbol or motif and its relevant meaning/folklore/mythology. My style of teaching encourages you to explore. I teach you the technique and show you possible applications. This isn’t the type of class where everyone ends up with a copy of the teacher’s piece… Its you, in your journal… with your preferences and experiences, and choices!
Interested? Here are the details…
Cost: $70 includes a packet of images ready to use in image transfers. ( send via USPS)
Duration: 6 weeks of class. Access to videos – no expiration.
Access to private class Facebook group: intended for sharing images of pages, discussion of techniques, etc.
Each lesson includes:
Monday – weekly email with inspirational PDF, links to private video tutorials.
Wednesday – FB live demo (recorded for any who miss it live)
And the “Spark” Zoom calls – introduction, mid point check in, finale call. 3 calls spaced over the 6 weeks. (Optional and recorded!)
Sparking Creativity will be available late Spring 2022 as an on demand class! Sign up for my newsletter to stay in touch!
To enroll:
Send an email to me at Jen.davies.reazor@gmail.com with the subject line “Spark sign ups”. Let me know you are interested.
I will invoice you via PayPal. Then you will receive your supply list – via email – and can order anything you might need.
Join the FB group!
You can also email me to ask any questions! Feel free to check out some other art journal videos on my You Tube channel~ Until then, stay safe, and thanks for reading to the end. 😉
Jenny Davies-Reazor 