Celestial Journal

First spread

 

Last October, I made an 8” x 8” art journal to play with a cosmos theme using black Strathmore Mixed Media paper. This is thick paper (184 lbs.) so each signature has only two folios for a total of nine signatures. I began it the same month I made it and worked on the spreads slowly.

Outside of Journal

2nd spread

 

As a child witnessing humankind walking on the moon, I’ve long been fascinated with space travel, science-fiction, and astronomy. That interested has waxed and waned throughout my life but when I started to try photographing the moon with various cameras, my interested waxed again. Last December, my annual holiday card had a celestial theme also, using black cards, white paint, and a small round gel plate.

3rd spread

4th spread

5th spread

This paper is quite different than the usual watercolor paper I am used to. Experimenting with various paints, water soluble crayons, ink, collage, stamps, and stencils, I learned what I can and cannot do within the page spreads.