Art Journal Every Day

Art Journal Every Day: March Ends & April Begins

from the Balzer Designs Blog: Art Journal Every Day #artjournal #artjournaleveryday

If you're new to Art Journal Every Day, there is a short introduction here.  All of the previous posts can be found archived here.  Remember, it's just ten minutes of nourishing your creative self every day!  No need to finish anything or even like it. If you've done some art journaling this week, use the hashtag #artjournaleveryday so that we can all take a peek.  Even if you're not on social media, you can see everything (from twitter, pinterest, instagram, and facebook) that uses that hashtag here. 

Today I'm sharing pages from the end of March and the beginning of April.  I was thinking about why I hated so many of the pages in my previous art journal, but liked these ones?  Was I having a style crisis?  Is it the journal itself?  And then I realized: it's the timing.  My Father died in December.  It makes sense that my pages from that time period felt dark and heavy and icky.  After all, art is an expression of how you feel, isn't it?  I can see the literal lightening of my mood in these pages from the end of March and beginning of April.

1-PalePinkWithStamps-wm
1-PalePinkWithStamps-wm
Lots of hand carved stamps on this page!

1-detail2-wm
One of the exercises I always teach in my lettering classes is about taking a letter (like an "a") and imagining all the different ways it could look.  Some days my imagination is better than other days!

2-RedFlowers-wm
There's a hole in this page.

2-detail1-wm
2-detail1-wm
Because I create my journals from the leftover "junque" in my studio, I end up with lots of cool cut outs in my art journal.

I really love these loose and kind of abstract florals.

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2-detail3-wm
April is beginning to bloom.  Literally.

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And here's that hole from the other side:

3-detail1-wm
And a close-up of that face with attitude!

3-detail3-wm

I had painted this page gray (probably part of my mood at the time) but ended up sparking it up with brighter colors and I'm glad that I did.  In art, as in life, you need the darks to see the lights!

Thanks for stopping by!

Julie Fei-Fan Balzer

Based outside of Boston, Julie Fei-Fan Balzer is a painter, printmaker, and collage artist who constructs vibrant compositions. Her artwork investigates the interplay of identity and perception, inviting viewers to take a longer look. Julie works in layers, both physically and metaphorically, exploring what is visible and what is concealed. Passionate about connecting with and inspiring other artists, she shares her expertise through in-person workshops and her online classroom at MyArtPractice.com. Julie's achievements include high-profile clients, multiple publications - including her book, “Carve Stamp Play” - and exhibits in New York City and throughout Massachusetts. She is a graduate of Brown University.

14 thoughts on “Art Journal Every Day: March Ends & April Begins

  • I am just loving your new faces. They are soft and interesting! Yes, I so agree, if we do not deal with the dark we will not get to see the light. Thanks for sharing. You share many insightful comments and awarenesses.
    On another note, I just love your Podcasts with your mom. So inspiring, so enlightening. I so look forward to them and the discussions. Thank you for all that you do to add light to your audience.

    Reply
  • I am just loving your new faces. They are soft and interesting! Yes, I so agree, if we do not deal with the dark we will not get to see the light. Thanks for sharing. You share many insightful comments and awarenesses.
    On another note, I just love your Podcasts with your mom. So inspiring, so enlightening. I so look forward to them and the discussions. Thank you for all that you do to add light to your audience.

    Reply
  • I am just loving your new faces. They are soft and interesting! Yes, I so agree, if we do not deal with the dark we will not get to see the light. Thanks for sharing. You share many insightful comments and awarenesses.
    On another note, I just love your Podcasts with your mom. So inspiring, so enlightening. I so look forward to them and the discussions. Thank you for all that you do to add light to your audience.

    Reply
  • I am just loving your new faces. They are soft and interesting! Yes, I so agree, if we do not deal with the dark we will not get to see the light. Thanks for sharing. You share many insightful comments and awarenesses.
    On another note, I just love your Podcasts with your mom. So inspiring, so enlightening. I so look forward to them and the discussions. Thank you for all that you do to add light to your audience.

    Reply
  • I am just loving your new faces. They are soft and interesting! Yes, I so agree, if we do not deal with the dark we will not get to see the light. Thanks for sharing. You share many insightful comments and awarenesses.
    On another note, I just love your Podcasts with your mom. So inspiring, so enlightening. I so look forward to them and the discussions. Thank you for all that you do to add light to your audience.

    Reply
  • I am just loving your new faces. They are soft and interesting! Yes, I so agree, if we do not deal with the dark we will not get to see the light. Thanks for sharing. You share many insightful comments and awarenesses.
    On another note, I just love your Podcasts with your mom. So inspiring, so enlightening. I so look forward to them and the discussions. Thank you for all that you do to add light to your audience.

    Reply
  • I am just loving your new faces. They are soft and interesting! Yes, I so agree, if we do not deal with the dark we will not get to see the light. Thanks for sharing. You share many insightful comments and awarenesses.
    On another note, I just love your Podcasts with your mom. So inspiring, so enlightening. I so look forward to them and the discussions. Thank you for all that you do to add light to your audience.

    Reply
  • I always look forward every week to watching your vlog and reading about your art journaling! Good vibes!

    Reply
  • I always look forward every week to watching your vlog and reading about your art journaling! Good vibes!

    Reply
  • I always look forward every week to watching your vlog and reading about your art journaling! Good vibes!

    Reply
  • I always look forward every week to watching your vlog and reading about your art journaling! Good vibes!

    Reply
  • I always look forward every week to watching your vlog and reading about your art journaling! Good vibes!

    Reply
  • I always look forward every week to watching your vlog and reading about your art journaling! Good vibes!

    Reply
  • I always look forward every week to watching your vlog and reading about your art journaling! Good vibes!

    Reply

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