This week I created another mixed media composition in my She Created a Life She Loves Journal. This page (process below) was inspired by the very familiar song. Ironically, it’s not a song that I particularly love. But these words on this page have deep meaning to me.
One of the first things I did after I filed for a life-saving divorce is enroll in our local college’s music program. I’ve been a singer all of my life, and a worship leader most of my adult life. I have always wanted professional voice lessons, but was never allowed. My first step in rebuilding my new life was to finally get those voice lessons, to restore my voice and my confidence that I’d lost.
During that time period, my 2 youngest sons and I attended a Christian event with an inspirational speaker and music. His Eye is on the Sparrow was one of the songs we sang and these words, I Sing because I’m happy; I Sing because I’m free; were big, bold and colorful on the screen. My heart was touched, as I felt not only God’s love and care for every detail of my upended life, but also that He was restoring Song to me in a powerful way. He was restoring Happy. He was restoring Freedom.
A big step to Creating a Life I Love. ❤️
Here’s a walk through my process of creating this page. The making process will be posted in video format in my next post.
I chose an antique music page in my journal as the base for this composition. When I started, I knew only 2 things. I wanted a colorful but muted watercolor background, and I wanted these words from the song, in pink.
I rarely prep my pages, but I knew this old music page wouldn’t hold up to the watercolor, so I coated the page with clear Gesso before starting.
The watercolor background was “painted” with Distress Watercolor Pencils in the colors Worn Lipstick, Faded Jeans, and Dusty Concord. I spattered over it with Worn Lipstick Distress Paint.
While it was drying, I began the hunt through my stash for Alpha dies and/or stamps for the wording, that would fit well in the space, and wanting the “because I’m” to be smaller. I found both of those words in the Everyday Expressions stamp set from Stampabilities/Hobby Lobby. The alphas in Tim Holtz’ Vault World Travel die set were the perfect size for the rest of the words. Bigger, but still fitting well in the space.
I stamped the words “because I’m” twice onto a scrap of tea dyed paper with Black Soot Archival Ink, then tore each out, and inked the edges with Worn Lipstick Distress Ink. I painted a strip of Bristol Smooth card with the Worn Lipstick Distress Paint, then die cut the letters for I Sing Happy I Sing Free.
I decided on a couple images to add to the page. I stamped a flower cluster from Momenta, and butterflies from Bo Bunny Butterfly Kisses onto Mixed Media paper with the Black Soot Archival Ink. After letting the ink dry well, I water colored the images with the same 3 Distress Watercolor Pencils as the background, plus Peeled Paint for the leaves and stems, and Fossilized Amber for the flower centers. I stamped a music quotation, “Music washes away from the Soul the dust of Everyday Life” , from Musical Notes Labels 20 stamp set by JustRiteStampers/Spellbinders, on a remaining piece of the painted Bristol Smooth, with the same Archival Ink.
More mulling. I kept thinking of other things I wanted to do on the background. Stenciling. Heat embossing. Nothing seemed to fit right. So I pulled out a strip of Music fabric, leftover from a fabric bracelet class I taught, and pleated it, stitching down the center. I cut another strip in half lengthwise and tied it in a bow. Then glued both on the edge of the page.
After gluing all the other elements in place, I still felt it needed something. I traced around the edge of each of the die cut letters with a black Micron Pen, to help them stand out better. Still one more touch needed. I tore the title off a hymn page for It Is Well With My Soul, painted/dyed the strip with coffee, and after it dried I inked the edges with the Worn Lipstick Distress Ink, glued it on, and inked the edges of the page itself with the same ink. Finished!
For me, the process of creating an art composition, even on “ just” a page in a journal, is usually not just a sit-down-and-do-it thing. It begins with a spark of inspiration, then goes back and forth between thinking time and trying things, then discarding that idea and trying something else. Then thinking about the next element, and repeating the process.
I hope you enjoyed this brief description of a process that took a couple of days, with far more thinking and auditioning time, than actually making and adhering the final components. But this time was spent meditating on the deeply personal meaning of this page. It was happy and healing time well spent.
If this page inspires you to design a music page with meaning to you, please share pictures of yours in my online communities or tag me. Links and hashtag below.
Enjoy the creative journey!
Living Coram Deo & freely whole
SDG!
~ Liberty
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