Tale-ing Fragments #11: Expedition log, second entry

Hi everyone,
I'm back with the second entry of the botanical expedition journal, this time I'm sharing a double page spread with a bird theme. Like with the first page, I filmed the process of making these two and you can find the video on my YouTube channel or right here:

I'm still playing with the formats of these videos, trying to figure out the best way to make them interesting and informative for you. This time I focused more on the layering of the pages, skipping some of the basics (like inking of the pages, which was covered in last week's video), and tried to make it short and to the point. The narration is more about the ideas behind the details and less about explaining each action I make, so more about how I decided what to do than about what I'm doing.

So, for example, with the right page I talk more about the logic of layering and what each element adds to the composition and story.

This page continues a lot of the themes that were set in the page I shared last week, like the specimen bags, so I explain what continues last week's page and what's new. I also talk about layering and using different generation stamping to get more interest and character for your project. In this case it's all about getting that faded worn look.

 I do try to have a technique focus in each video, and in this one it's stitch book binding, which I used to make the ‘Nests and Eggs of Familiar Birds’ booklet in the left page.

Some of you might recognize the cover as an ephemera piece from Tim Holtz's Idea-ology line. It fit with the bird theme of these pages and I thought it would be cool to make a small booklet out of it, as if it was a guide book that the journal owner used in his work. I only added a few pages that I found online, just to give the feel of it, but I really love the result.

So far the pages I made are still about setting the scene, so all the information we have is about our guy's work: collecting natural specimens, maybe sending them to a lab or research institution of some sort. Next week we’ll start seeing more hints about him and build his story.

As I mentioned, this form of sharing my work is very new to me and I'm still experimenting with the style of the videos and other elements, sort of an expedition of my own :) 

I'd really love to hear what you think and what you'd like to see, should I cover more pages in each video? Do you like the shorter version or prefer to see the whole process from beginning to end? If you have any questions I'd be happy to hear them too!

I hope you're enjoying this so far and that you'll join me again next week,

Take care and have a wonderful weekend!

xx

Naama

Tale-ing Fragments #10: Challenge the World

Hi everyone,
I'm back with another Tale-ing Fragments collage, I'm really enjoying making these! What was interesting for me in making this one was how many layers I could combine in what ended up being pretty flat. The key and wing are the only elements with noticeable bulk, but there is still a lot of depth thanks to translucent  elements.

This close-up, for example, combines collage paper, stencil, washi tapes, stamping, heat embossing and a tiny film segment. All of these are translucent and create amazing depth just layered over each other. I love how they combine into new images and hint to the story.

I chose one of Tim Holtz's found relatives as the focal point and hero of our tale, and tinted the image. I love this guy, there's such strength and pride in his stance and kindness in his features. He also has great style, doesn't he? He seemed to me like someone ready to take on the world for what he believes in, hence the "challenge the world" title and the 'live your dream with passion' snippet.

Other parts add to his story, the typewriter and 'how to hold a pen' snippet I highlighted with embossing glaze suggest a writer, and goes with the 'tell the story' snippet at the bottom. A journalist? A novelist?

His story includes many elements, calling for freedom and for love, "where there's great love, there are always miracles". The 'she' in the keyhole was completely unplanned, by the way. I was testing different placings for for the keyhole and the opening just framed the word perfectly :)
The key, keyhole and wing balance each other in the composition and work as hints for our hero's story. I leave it to you to decide how, thinking of the different stories these elements can tell is part of the fun don't you think?

You can see the making process of the collage in this video:

This is a focus video showing the whole process of tinting the focal photo (I had to cut it in the collage making video but thought some might be interested in seeing the whole thing):

I'm submitting this collage to the Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge for their "it's a man thing" theme.

Hope you enjoyed this project and found his story interesting 🤎
Take care and see you soon,
xx
Naama

Tale-ing Fragments #9: artist, be you

I think that one of the best things I've learned lately is the importance of play. You know how they say that kids learn about the world through playing? Well, it works for art too :) The more you play the more you understand your medium, material and personal style. It's nothing new, really, we all know the saying "practice makes perfect", right? But I feel there's a difference. I've never really liked "practice makes perfect", for one thing - I rather like imperfections, but more importantly it suggests a specific outcome goal that would make everything better, but what if you find something on the way you like even more? That's why I like "playing" better, it's still trying out stuff, but it gives much more room to follow what ever happy (or not-so-happy) accidents happen along the way. I know it's just words, but let's face it, "practice" sounds like homework, "playing" sounds like fun, and it is!
This collage is one result of my recent playtime. It, and the above "I like playing" monologue, are largely inspired by Tim Holtz's FB live demos. There's something amazingly inspiring about seeing someone doing and sharing what he loves, his enthusiasm and joy is visible and catching. He always says we should play more, and if my Instagram feed is any indication - we do (check out the timholtzdemo hashtag to see how many are playing along!).
I've been making these Tale-ing Fragments for a while now, and they're usually a form of collage, so I decided to try and make one without pre-planing, just play and see what happens. To give myself a start point, I took up Simon Says Stamp Monday challenge blog's theme "It's a man thing", and added my own theme - art. I picked this youth from the Found Relatives pics, doesn't he looks like a dreamer? I think so. I also think he looks a bit sad, like maybe things didn't quite go as he hoped.

That gave me a snippet of his story, so I found some texts that would fit. I usually use a sentence or two, but I like how the texts in this collage tell a story without... well, telling it XD

I used washi tapes, stenciled fabric and stamps in the background and purposely kept most of these elements in subtle coloring so that the colors of "painting" background really pops. It was made with one of my favorite Simon Says stamp stencil and distress crayons. I love how the crayons catch the brushstroke texture from the base, and their colors are so rich!

Most of the coloring in this piece was made with crayons, which amazes me because just a few weeks back I never would have used them like this, they were accent paint for me, but now - oh the possibilities...

This collage resonates things I felt over the years, questioning myself or having to answer to others' questioning. It's relevant to so many aspects of life, but when creating it's almost always there, it's just part of the process I guess. It does take courage to be you, and not only in art, but in the creative process I find that playing really helps, if only because when I call it play I don't take myself too seriously and just have fun. I don't know about you, but I learn and do a lot better when I'm having fun ;)

Hope you're all safe and well, 

xx

Naama

click for the challenge and awesome inspiration🤎