Journal Pages

I've returned from my trip to Holland to visit my dad and stepmom. While there I gathered inspiration for future artwork. I love the small European towns and fishing villages and was able to spend a day driving around with a cousin, enjoying the uncommonly beautiful weather. We sat in outdoor cafes, walked around an old village, did some shopping and took photographs. I have chosen a photograph and begun a watercolour of the village of Elburg which will be the subject of my next blog. However, in this blog, I thought you might be interested in how I finished some of the pages in the journal I blogged about earlier. While still at home, I prepared the pages of the journal by painting them and gluing in some pictures and pockets and leaving room for journaling and adding things I collected during my stay.



This a detail from the page above. It is a pocket I placed
on a page and in it is a tab with a photograph of my
dad as a boy on one side and a photograph of my dad
today on the other.



This page also has a heart shaped pocket on it with a tab in it
containing a photo of my parents when they were dating and
also a photo of our immigration to Canada.



I use maps and glued in things I have collected like sugar packets, coasters,
napkins, candy wrappers etc.

 I also wrote some of the things that I observed while I was there and some of my feelings about what I observed which I am busy writing up on another sheet of paper which I will place in an envelope inside the journal to keep a little more private. I will continue to keep this journal each time I visit my dad and it will be a wonderful, if not realistic memory of this time with him.
I wasn't sure journaling would be my thing but once I got started, it was rather addictive. I have also started separate journals for each of my grandchildren. In them I draw sketches of them at different stages in life. I mark their special events such as baptism, dedication, first teeth, birthdays and write my own feelings about those events. My plan is to give this to them when they are older in hopes that they will know how special they are to me.
Journals can be very personal and something you don't share with anyone but yourself or they can be special gifts to give to someone.