"Finding me" series - art journal collage page

"Finding me" series. Collage "I Love Roses" *Photo more roses *Buy roses * Teach painting roses * Buy Rose bushes for my garden * Gift roses * Write rose painting tutorial * Decorate with Roses * Paint more roses * Rose design.  (One not included * Rose fashion.) Artist: Jillian Crider - includes 2 of my paintings (lower left), and 3 of my photos (circles on right). Watercolor pencils. Ink pens lettering.

Ink pen hand lettering. Watercolour pencil washes and lettering (I love Roses).

This journey, this adventure, starts today ...

Sometimes life changes are SO massive - things that were so familiar or treasured are gone. Changes so great that, with surprise, you realise that you no longer know who you are, what you feel, what you need, and even how to live your life ...

So you need to embark on a journey of discovery to find yourself, to re-invent yourself, and to find new treasures to love, so that you are are once again comfortable in your own skin. This journey, this adventure starts this day ...

"Nature's Beautiful Gift" White Swan watercolour/watercolor ACEO.

This swan painting was done for a special reason. ACEO watercolour/watercolor - 2.5x3.5" "Nature's Beautiful Gift" It's not from one of my photos, but from the image gallery on WetCanvas. Hope you all enjoy seeing it anyway.
Artist: Jillian Crider - artistjillian

Collage - Photo rescue - "King(s) of the Castle"

I love to 'rescue' and reuse old papers and particularly old photos. Remembering that photos from the 20s and 30s were still a new thing, with snapshots being taken of almost anything around.
I was amazed at the size of this haystack, and saw the 3 workers on top of the hay on the horses' dray. So anonymous, and all probably long forgotten. But with smiles all round it bought forward childhood memories of yelling out "I'm king of the Castle" ("and you're the Dirty Rascal") whenever you managed to grab a spot upon something higher than anyone else. Be it sandcastle, woodpile or haystack!
So these three amigos are thus joined together in this collage, with their crowns firmly over their heads!
Base is an old botany book from around the same time (20s-30s), red stripes in watercolor/watercolour. The photo, still on black album paper, enlarged photo of the 3 workers on transparency, backed with white gesso. Crowns on cream cardstock with torn edge, and papers from a very old ledger and washi tape. Pencil and ink added.
It's funny sometimes how images come to you and you manage to piece them together to become so much more.
~Jillian