April showers are here in profusion, making everything wet and muddy. I clean, and the dog, my husband and my toddler just track it right back in. But, the sound of rain at night is so peaceful -and the prospect of spring so thrilling- that it’s all worth it. So, it was appropriate that this art journal be about sounds.

In this art journal the subject was, ” Your Favorite Sound.” What’s your favorite sound and how would you depict it visually? Let me know in the comments or better yet send me a picture or piece of art showing what your favorite sound is!

Step 1.

I painted the entire page black using black gesso. I then added some collage. Bits of a tail, a cut out from one of my abstract watercolor paints and a whole bunch of chipboard holes from the Lace-Ups I had tested and played with earlier in the month. (Yes, I even keep and reuse the holes from our Lace-Ups… Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! LOL!)

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Step 2.

I cut one of the square pocket that came with the art journal in half to fit a test tag I had made in developing our Lace-Up tags. I painted it black.

I  painted the tag with white gesso, and then I dumped some water color painted on my painting surface mat and rubbed the dried tag on the paint. I added words in blue calligraphy pen.

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Step 3.

I added the pocket and the tag to the page. Then, using my white Singo pen I started drawing circles around each of the chipboard hole punches. I was thinking of the ripples that rain drops make when they hit a puddle of water.

I also used black gesso to prime the Totem PopPet Snake and a small and a medium mandala or spider web. I wasn’t sure which ones I would end up using so I placed them on the side page to look at and think about.

  • Tip: If you can’t decide if you want to add a piece you can place it on the page and then take a picture with your phone. Move it around and take a couple more pictures. You can then look at the different placements over the course of a day or two. Seeing it on the phone changes your perspective and taking time to think about it might bring other ideas.

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Step 4.

I tried used silver metal wire to make a spider web with moon stones one it, but the metal didn’t fit through the holes.I tried jump rings and glue too. Neither worded as well. lol. So I decided to use embroidery floss that faded from dark blue, to light blue, to white.

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Step 5.

Finally, I added in the words; writing them in blue outlines with white. I added small white circles around the edge of the page to “frame” and complete the image.

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Here’s the full poem by Langston Hughes…

April Rain Song

Let the rain kiss you
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops
Let the rain sing you a lullaby
The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk
The rain makes running pools in the gutter
The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night
And I love the rain.

 

Here’s a close up of the finished piece.

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