ART Unraveled Artist Retreat - Expressive Journaling

Visual Expressive Journaling: Part I

Date: Saturday, August 23, 2003
Time: 9am - 4pm
Instructor: Julianna Coles
Cost: $120

Learn to improve different mixed media techniques with Juliana Coles' Unique Expressive Visual Journaling Process. Scared of paint? Don't know how to get words into your art journal pages? We will explore many tools for self expression as we integrate writing exercises with mixed media assignments in the safe container of an intimate book of self expression: your visual journal. A Visual Journal can be a Blank Journal, altered book, antique scrapbook, your real baby book, a sketchbook, scroll, record album covers sewn together, a beautiful book handbound by you, a notebook-anything you want it to be. For this class you will need your openness and willingness to explore your rich interior through art and words. Please bring your Visual Journal. It can be any size or shape (I usually like to have at least two - a small and a larger one) with any kind of paper. It can be new or something you are already working on. IN THIS CLASS, OUR FOCUS IS ON PROCESS NOT PRODUCT.

Each student will be required to bring a "Mystery Box". The size of the box is up to you. Some suggestions are collage items, an old paintbrush that is all glued together, that orange paint you hate, stickers from when you were 14, artist tools and supplies you no longer use or never liked, torn up pieces of your artwork that didn't work out (no recognizable artwork, please), books to cut up, magazines, sticks, markers, 2 inch pencils - you get the picture - sort of a grab bag in a box. We will be using these mystery boxes as part of our mixed media explorations. What, and how much to bring, is up to you. Don't worry about trying to include nice things - we're looking for garbage items. We already have our own nice supplies - we want our cast-offs to make us really think!

SUGGESTED supply list: Please bring your favorite supplies as well as collage items (use copies of things that are precious to you) and some magazines. Bring different kinds of things in your favorite colors. I LIKE black and white acrylic, cheap craft paints in light blue and butter cream, brush markers in orange and hot pink, yellow, black and red permanent markers, some colored pencils, a regular pencil, a sharpener, all kinds of tape, even a little stapler, India ink, walnut ink, red watercolor, a few water color crayons, my rubber stamp letters, poetry books to cut up, gold stamp pads, and I never travel without masking tape.... just make sure you have some wet items and some dry items.

You WILL need: Your book, 3-5 large glue sticks such as UHU, scissors, some brushes for your paints, a rag or two and a jar for water.

NO PRIOR EXPERIENCE NECESSARY. FOR ALL LEVELS. Journals are made by students of this workshop.