Acrylic paint in Moleskine sketchbook. The pattern was inspired by the fabric on a couch at Panera. I feel like I’ve been working on this page for ages. I’ve been painting with tiny paint brushes late in bed with the kitty, which has unfortunately resulted in a little smudge of blue paint on the sheets (oops). Instagram photo of Charlotte helping me last night. I’m not sure I’m crazy about this pattern. The lines are a little more organic than the geometric shapes I’m usually drawn to, and the lines look wonky to me. I’m struggling with letting go of thinking too much about the outcome while I’m painting. I don’t want this to keep me from trying new techniques and practicing.

Despite the wonky lines, what I love about art journaling is that it solidifies memories for me in a way that photographs do not, even if the page visually has little to do with the memory. Photographs are snapped so quickly, but making an art journal page allows for more time to think about what is being created. I’m guessing years from now I’ll remember my sister picking me up from work on one of the first days that felt like fall. Tomato soup for her, onion soup for me. The light blue and dark blue of the pattern are colors that remind me of her. The red dots are for me, a bit of vibrancy popping off of the blue. Turning the page and moving on…