After completing the doodle quiltie I went back to the Soul Journey Journal.  I decided I wanted to continue with this journal even though the project itself is finished, my journal is not nor, of course, is my journey.

I started this spread not having a clue what I wanted to do or express but determined to stick to my arting every day this month, so I applied torn text etc to the pages adding a layer of gesso over this.  I then collaged and wrote random numbers as per one of the spreads we did with Caspiana – still not knowing where I was going.  Next a wash of colour which I really didn’t like so another was added after that.  I then decided I wanted some texture so dry painted some acrylic paint onto the pages and closed them to create uniform splodges on each page.  Left to dry overnight, hated it and covered with another two washes of colour.  Again for texture I added some paper weaving using electrical tape to fix it in place which I then sanded and added yet another wash of colour.   Whilst waiting for this to dry I was flicking through an old Wemoon Diary and saw a painting entitled “In Gaia’s Garden” – ta da – yeah that’s it.  So that became the theme of this spread.  I actually love the title and feel of it so much I may well do a whole altered book or art journal on that theme.  I was sifting through my collage materials wondering how I wanted to visualise the title and found a picture of a leaping cat, so I proceeded to make a stencil from that and a moon – the text underneath I had found already – all the bits came together…the visual of the cat leaping over the moon to me totally communicates the legend underneath.   Finally I added the text at the top of the right page – Gaia’s Garden speaks to me of possibilities, things seen and unseen, things known and unknown – so much to explore and experience.

I have been using a Khadi paper book for this journal and would recommend – it takes so much punishment and is holding up brilliantly.