Strength

The full page

A close-up

Lord, grant me the strength of the plant that pushes up between the paving slabs and blossoms in the most unlikely of places. 

There are times where it feels like there is very little soil to grow in; where it feels like a struggle to push on through. Those are the times where you have to remind yourself of those flowers that come up through cracks in the concrete or between bricks in a wall. 

I want that resilience. 

That determination to blossom no matter what.

But it's not in me.

I need help.

(And yes, I am well aware that I actually wrote 'most unlikeliest'. Duh! An oops moment that I am having to live with...)

In the style of...

I bought Art Journal Freedom by Dina Wakley on Friday. I'd been trying to reserve it at the library for a while but not getting anywhere. Then it turned up in the book shop we frequent more or less weekly and I was able to look at it. It didn't take long to decide that it would be an invaluable addition to my library. Books are expensive here in Australia, so I like to consider carefully which to buy.

So here is a page inspired by Dina Wakley. So much white space! So not my normal style. But I like it!

The page started with gesso and a scraping of acrylic. Then I sprayed some watercolour ink, dripped some acrylic ink, and drew circles with water-soluble graphite. A bit of stamping, a collaged silhouette, and some journalling along the drips. Done!

I'm looking forward to trying out some more of the exercises in the next few weeks.