Sunday, February 16, 2014

Journal Your Way by Gwen Diehn

17166373

Since taking the weekend journal-making workshop last month, I have been raiding the library for books that offer more examples and ideas not only for handmade journals but for what to fill their pages with.

(If you are interested, I wrote about the workshop here.)

What appeals to me - and has always appealed to me although I couldn't really say what it was until now - is the layering of papers, colors, words, images, sketches, watercolors, pen and ink drawings, calligraphy, and textures on the pages.

Journal Your Way: Designing & Using Handmade Books offers the best instructions and examples in all of the four or five books I have found on the subject. Not only does author/artist Gwen Diehn give clear instructions on making different journals, she guides the reader through a series of questions to discern what type of journal would best fill his or her needs.

She asked eight people to choose a journaling activity that appealed to them - creating a travel, garden, new project, or learning journal. She then designed a book for each of them to use for three months and presents their reflections on how the journal worked for them and photos of the finished/ongoing project. 

It is fascinating to see the different types of books that Ms. Diehn created for each person. For example, one holds daily watercolor paintings; one incorporates information about different spices and tiny vials containing certain seeds and herbs; and one uses tiny envelopes within its pages to store memorabilia.

The section on The Basics explains the tools and materials needed for creating your own journal. The Page Building Materials and Techniques section is full of great ideas on paper choices, using colored pencils, watercolors, stencils and stamps, and crayons. There is even a quick tutorial in drawing. 

Ms. Diehn then offers instructions for making sixteen different journals from a simple pamphlet type to sewn hardcover books. Although some look quite complicated (the finished products are gorgeous), the instructions offered are clear and one could work up to the more sophisticated journals and covers.

There is a wonderful section on journal keeping past and present with samples from ships' logs to Leonardo da Vinci to Thomas Trevelyon's Miscellany from the 1600s. Photos of present-day journals are rich with images and ideas.

This is a terrific book to have on hand. I love looking at the photos showing how other people have used their journals to document their lives and they have certainly given me ideas for my own artistic journal endeavors.

8 comments:

  1. I'm very interested in this subject and plan to design my own artist's journal one day. I'll have to see if I can find this book--it sounds like an interesting one to look through. Right now, I confine myself to writing in one journal, and painting in a different one, but I think it would be fun to have one book in which you could do both.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Kathy. Although I did for decades, I no longer keep a written "angst" journal. Now I just make a daily note of some of the things accomplished or events that I attended

      I like the idea of just one big gloppy place to make note of quotes, practice what I like to call "pretty printing" (sometimes known as calligraphy), record the progress of a project, and just generally doodle. Oh, my. One can never have too many journals!

      Delete
  2. Sounds like my kind of book. I love art projects that are doable for someone like me who isn't a great artist. (That's why I like collage so much.)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Lark. Yes, I am starting to see the advantages of collage. I like it all - watercolors, sketches, collage, printing. It's all one big crazy process.

      Delete
  3. Hi Belle
    Not sure if someone has mentioned this already and you may have ever seen or read this but its the only one I know of and love the delicate combination of poetry, watercolours and weather comments:The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden.
    I know I have a biography of Ms. Holden somewhere but cant find it, its has a sad ending if I recall, I wont say more.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Tullik. You are so right. The Country Lady is fantastic. It has been a long time since I have looked at it, but perhaps now is the time to get reacquainted. Great suggestion.

      Delete
  4. I'd love to try making a collage-type journals. Well, at least I'd like to rad the book about it. You find the best books...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi, Kat. I like this book because it proves that one doesn't have to be a great artist to put together a creative journal. It's all great fun and she makes it look easy...which of course it is not...but doable.

      Delete