HEARTBREAK - An Art Journal Page | Krisy Podolak

Art Journalling can be a way of keeping a diary if your not a writer.  I am not really a writer. I much prefer to "make" visual things.  If you've read Elizabeth Gilberts "Big Magic", you will know she talks about being creative as a range of different things but all "creative" things release something from the soul that may or may not appeal to everyone and more often than not won't. I have a feeling that the Art Journal page I am sharing today may be one of those things that divides us but I don't care.  Make of it what you like and feel free to leave me your thoughts I'd love to hear them.

This layout I have titled "Heartbreak"  I am fortunate enough not to have experienced this recently however I am sure at some point EVERYONE had had this feeling show up on their doorstep.  I have reconnected with an old friend recently who has recently experienced heart break but has found her new self amongst all the mess that it causes.  This page could be seen as a mess, it could be seen as creative or it could very well be seen as rubbish to some but that's what an Art Journal is all about.  Its thoughts, emotions and stories that you interpret and read your own way.  This is my interpretation of "Heartbreak" especially my dear friends.

Love is full of lumps and bumps.  It can be messy. And almost always after it ends its a freaking huge mess.  There is always good memories and bad associated with the whole process.  When you look back on it after you have had time to heal and you are happy again -  you are left with memories and feelings that are very different to what you experienced at the time.  You get stronger, you learn, you move one, you let go, you even  hate a little less or even a little more.  At the end of the day there is a lot that goes into love and ending it.

I wanted this page to be a reflection of that Love breakdown process.  First, I had to create love - for me this is a whole lot of layers.  To start I used home made texture paste (there will soon be a process video up on the Popleopod YouTube channel on how to make it) and torn book pages to create a life and story.  Then I added love over the top - Texture paste through the Flutterbys Heart stencil. That was my base finished. I then created the "Heartbreak" mess over the top.  I used the New Flutter Colour paint in Red and Orange both applied with a brush and drizzled straight from the bottle. This stuff is such a great consistancy and has great coverage in just one coat.

Over the top of the background I added some doodles with sharpie pen to represent all the realisations after the fact.  I added some black drawing ink to represent the darkness that threatens to take over and some Splatter of Gold Colour Shine to reflect the light at the end of the tunnel.  As this page is my interpretation of my darling friend, I added some glitter gold texture paste to one of the hearts...She has a heart of gold which I wanted to depict on my page.  I added the words - "Heartbreak: what is it exactly?"that I cut from a magazine.  Heartbreak can be interepreted differently as can my page.

That's it.  Thats my share for today.  What do you think?  Is it art? or just a Mess trying to pass as Art?

You can watch me put it together in a process video on my YouTube Channel Popleopod.  Don't forget to let me know what you think.