The Fox - When You Can't Find What You're Looking For

First I collaged bits of "Journal Starters" images leftover from other projects. I wish that I had remembered to take step by step photos beginning with this step. The image of the rooster inspired the creation of a fox. Next I added layers of paint and colored pencil. 

I named this journal page "When You Can't Find What You're Looking For".

Stairway to Heaven - She Flew Instead of Climbing

The alternate prompt for Journal 52 week 3 is "Your favorite song/lyrics". One of my favorite songs is "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin. I chose a stairway from Journal Starters: Sampler Volume 1 and collaged it in my handmade journal. I cut away some of the windows and replaced them with sky.

Jill Marie Shulse came over yesterday and we journaled together.  Journaling with a friend always makes the experience richer.

I added the song title and other information.

I chose to add my own interpretation "She wasn't able to climb anymore, so she flew instead."

I drew and added the butterfly but was stuck on what to do next. I spent the rest of the afternoon with Jill collaging with left over "Journal Starters" images from other projects.

The page didn't seem "Arty" enough for me. I came up with the idea this morning of loosely painting the image of a butterfly over the page. A loose interpretation of the sun and another butterfly cut out of paper and it is done!

Rooster Totem

I have been going through papers in preparation for taxes. It is one of my goals to use some of the collage images that I have collected. Yesterday I glued these down in a manner pleasing to me. I also created several other collaged pages.

I have 150%+ size copies of money that was also incorporated. More information on this here: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/usage-money-images-advertising-64067.html

For some reason I was drawn to study the rooster totem today.

I had already started drawing in the rooster comb and wattle before I remembered to take the process photograph above.

I chose a "Journal Starters" image for a reference photo. Then I drew the outline of the rooster. I applied a wash of paint to the background excluding the rooster. Next I blocked in the colors of the rooster with Golden fluid acrylics. The tail in the "Journal Starters" photo was a similar color to the background wash that I painted. I chose a brighter aqua colored pencil to make the tail stand out more. I also intensified some of the other colors with colored pencil. I am happy with the vibrancy I created.

Finally I journaled some words of wisdom from Rooster found here happywishingwell.com including "Rooster invites you to assert yourself with aplomb".