This week’s Colour Me Positive prompt was all about the beneficial elements of art. The accompanying quotation was from Thomas Merton: “Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time”. The additional prompt was to use a bird somewhere on the art journal page. That is one of those arts and crafts cliches that turns out to be so true: the impulse to lob a bird onto things is pretty compelling.
I was out with my art journalling MeetUp group this weekend and was wondering what to do in my art journal with my limited travel supplies. The opposing page was last week’s challenge page and the colour scheme of it made me think of a peacock so I started to doodle a peacock onto my art journal page using a fountain pen filled with waterproof black ink. Peacock. Bird. Bingo.
Once I got home, I decided to “paint” the peacock using my Dylusion spray inks. As I have mentioned before, those inks and I have a love-hate relationship. I love the vibrant colours and the way I can manipulate the saturation of them but I hate that they are difficult to control and I really hate that they reactivate. As such, I was inspired by Carrie Lynn Cordero to start using them like vibrant watercolours. I snagged my set of Dylusion spray inks from a thrift store for absolute buttons so, as such, I don’t feel I need to be that precious about using them up. My colouring of the peacock got messy. This was partly because, as previously moaned about, I struggle to control this particular medium and always seem to make a mess with it and also partly because my cats decided that they would try to nibble my paint brushes and spill a water pot just as I was working on this page. A messy, splodgy, inky peacock was the result.
A Pict in PA 
I love your “messy” peacock. It’s the splatters, blotches and blended color that makes this beautiful peacock come to life. Beautiful art!
Thanks, Sharon. What was definitely less beautiful was cleaning the ink of my cats’ paws.
Lol 😻
Your peacock has character and life. I lvoe the patterns you put into your drawing and the way he seems to be caught in a wind storm.
Thank you very much, Kit. I like the windstorm idea. The shape of the tail was completely determined by the dimensions of the paper. That was just how I had to lay down the long sweeping lines. Serendipity then.
Serendipity: The best way to make art!
But he’s quirky and full of life – a wonderful peacock. I think the cats were helping you 🙂
Ha ha! Thank you – but I’m not telling the cats that or they will want to “help” all the time.
Oh but I love this messy, loose colored peacock. I also love her pose. You perfectly captured that angle of her head conveying the message that she is shy about her beauty. Also, thank you for the mention again, Laura. Maybe you could try the dylusions inks over a gessoed page. The inks glide smoothy.
Thanks, Carrie Lynn. I’m glad you approve since I pinched the idea from you.
Love your peacock! Beautiful colors!
Thank you very much. I love peacock colours. I drift towards them even in the clothes I wear.
Love your “messy” peacock !!! love the colours too !
Thank you very much. Those inks do pack a punch. If only I could get them to behave.
Supercool peacock! Love him!!
Thanks!
it was encouraging to read how you overcame stuff around using pastels- I have some that are rarely used cos I dont know how to start
Thank you very much. I think the best thing to do is just to start. Play around with no expectations so that you get used to the feel of the material and what you can achieve with it. In my case, I learned I was incapable of producing finicky details with the pastels so that immediately led to my decision to not even attempt a more realistic face.
Like the spontaneity of this one! Did you use watercolor? Or ink?
It’s ink. I actually used Dylusions spray inks which I find are a bit of a pain to work with, not least because they reactivate, but I used them with a loaded wet brush so that I balanced control and lack of control.
Sounds like paradoxical fun… or maybe Zen balancing control and lack of control? Good job!
I’m a control freak in every aspect of my life so I’m trying to use art journaling to free myself up a bit and be less controlling. I’m nowhere near being able to do that with my other art but I’m getting there with my art journal.
Glad to hear it!! I love art journaling for the same reasons – one can let one’s hair down so to speak! On the topic have you seen the book “How to make a journal of your life” by Dan Price? I reread that when I need a dose of “relax and doodle dam*it”- actually I’ve a list of several books at the bottom of my website that I use for this purpose! So, I can relate! Lol! 🙂 Keep up your relaxed good work!
Thanks for the recommendation. I will have to check that out.
Beautiful peacock! I love the colors.
Thank you very much!