I love quotes, song lyrics, and words that make me think. I am a hard rock kind of girl, and I was listening to Bad Company’s song of the same title, and I thought about what this lyric means to me. I think it has to do with what I do with my life, the path I follow, perhaps as an artist, and that it begins with the rising sun, the start of each new day. Pretty simple, don’t you think? So let’s play!

Items Needed:

• DecoArt Media Mediums and Specialty Products - Modeling Paste - White (DMM21-71)
• DecoArt Media Mediums and Specialty Products - Gesso - White (DMM18-71)
• DecoArt Media Mediums and Specialty Products - Clear Matte Medium (DMM20-71)
• 5 By 8 Art Journal
• Texture Rubber Stamp
• Die Cutting Machine
• Collage Images
• Assorted Brushes

Instructions:

Lay strip of masking tape down center of journal pages to keep paints from seeping through to the underlying pages. Coat pages with white Gesso and let dry.

Cut half sun shape from paper to use as a stencil. Spread layer of white modeling paste through stencil and let dry.

Lay down unevenly torn strips of joint tape.

On a palette, mix Primary Magenta, Cadmium Orange Hue, Dairylide Yellow, and Titanium White until you like the color. Paint over both pages and let dry.

Add details to the sun flares with thin lines of Liquid Glass and add dots randomly in the openings in the joint tape, as shown. This dries clear and dimensional and is very easy to use. Let dry.

Cover the sun image with the positive part of the paper stencil made previously. Use a makeup sponge to mix white Tinting Base with Primary Magenta and apply to both pages, leaving some of the background color showing through.

Keep the sun image covered while dabbing the mix of Cerulean Blue with the white Tinting Base, again leaving some of the background colors showing through.

Use sponge to dab Primary Yellow over both pages.

Use sponge to dab mix of Cadmium Orange Hue with the white Tinting Base over the page, as before.

Brush a coat of Patina Green Antiquing Cream over the page background; let dry.

Use a damp paper towel to remove some of the Patina Green Antiquing Cream to reveal the colors underneath.

Brush a coat of Raw Umber Antiquing Cream of the page background, let dry.

Again, use a damp paper towel to remove the Raw Umber Antiquing Cream to reveal the colors underneath and add detail to the textured layers and the sun.

Use a black archival ink and a texture stamp to add interest to the background.   

Adhere die cut phrases (or use your handwriting) to the book pages, as shown.   

Brush a coat of Ultra-Matte Varnish of the pages. This will “fix” the layers beneath.

Apply Gold Rush Metallic Lustre with your finger to the high spots on the joint tape and Liquid Glass dots made previously.

Apply Champagne Ice Metallic Lustre with your finger to the sun’s details.

Use Matte Medium to adhere butterfly collage images to the pages, let dry. I did a little black pen work on each butterfly to bring out some additional details.  

Apply Liquid Glass Clear over each butterfly.

After the Liquid Glass dries, it creates this beautiful glossy, raised effect.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the process of the layers coming to life in my art journal, and how the products can be used to highlight, or even tone down colors, your choice.

Remember, your art journal is for you to have fun, to experiment with new and different products, and to see how well they work together. I am hopeful that I have inspired you to play with your mixed media products in your art journal and learn from the experience. Thanks so much for stopping by!