Happiness in a Dark Moment - The Story of an Art Journal Spread

Most of my art journal spreads are filled over more than one day and many shorter or longer arting "sessions" (have never tried to count them, but I mean MANY :). The one I finished this morning survived many stages, some of what would never let me see the end result even in my most wild imagination :D

So I decided to show at least some glimpses of my process hoping to inspire you to art through your inner darkness and chaos, to be devoted to your thoughts and feelings at a particular moment and never stop, until you KNOW deap down, you have to.

It was the morning of the Equinox day. I woke up early and started with a cuppa and 1 whole hour of arting. I felt pretty satisfied with the result. I knew, it's far from being finished, but I also seemed to know, what was the idea wanting to materialize on that spread, and to see the way it was starting to do it.

Than I sat down on the compy, checked my FB wall and discovered my tribe in a deep crisis and one artist/teacher throwing buckets of poop on the tribe Mama (sleeping) and her right hand ... It was extremely confusing and saddening to me and many of the tribe ...

I was returning to my spread again and again ... And it was becoming all black and red and messy no matter, how much I was trying to get love and balance into it ...

Than I stepped away from it and went to the post office to get a parcel, I knew sitting there for a couple of days already. As I came back and opened it, there was a book I had wanted very much, but could not order by myself, so a dear artist/internet friend did it for me and sent it from the UK. And she had added some gorgeous goodies to use in my art. I was so happy and thankful, but just couldn't feel it because of the dark emotions stirred by the awful situation in the tribe ...

So I started to cut off and glue down pieces of one of the beautiful new tissues to cheer up my spread and my mood ... But it didn't change much ...

It needed one really good nights sleep, many sessions, 2 layers (even 3 in the center) of the beautiful tissue and some white, gold and yellow acrylic paint to start expressing more of the happiness I new sleeping in me.

 

Some more tissue paper, ink stampagge, acrylic paint started to cover spot by spot of the dark mess and a heart, a crown and a butterfly joined the scene to hold together both sides of the spread ...

And I knew, it was all about my dear friend in the UK and my appreciation for her being her, being my friend and the way she acted in this critical situation for our whole tribe, its leader and everyone of us ...

And I had found THE WORDS deep down in my heart and written them on the spread with graphite, as there was a moment, that made me breathless and my heart just jump up and down like a happy puppy:
THIS FRAGILE (and anatomically impossible:) SPIRIT MADE HER ENTRANCE

My hands didn't have to do much: just to add a little bit of graphite, ink, water and white acrylic.
Now, I just can't stop looking at the spread again and again beholding the miracle ...

Wording: Love IS all, that IS

Update: To see even more creative spaces and to share yours, jump over to Our creative spaces