Expressing yourself in your art journal can be as different as your moods.
I have expressed frustrations, dreams, life events, goals, and just the need to make art!
Last week I used liquid watercolor to create this background page spread and added bits
of collage.  
Today, I had gratitude for a friend's costume party where we all danced outside with
​ live music and some of us kept going even in the rain! I simply added a few words with a Uniball
​white gel pen and silly little costumed dancing figures.
Hence "Dancing in the Rain".  We even sang "Dancing in the Rain" to the tune of "Singing in the Rain".  
Gratitude and Joy is my expression for today!  Who knows what tomorrow will bring and my next art journal spread may express another emotion.  No matter what the emotion, I usually begin with either playing with paint or collage to set the stage for the page! 
JOIN ME THIS THURSDAY FOR EXPRESSIVE ART JOURNALING 
atlanticcenterforthearts.org/event-or-exhibition/expressive-art-journaling-4/

Expressive Art Journaling: Imperfect Perfections
Celebrating Imperfections
Harris House
​Thursday September 7th
1-3:30 pm 

Hi Everyone,  
If this is the first time you will be coming to expressive art journaling you will be receiving a
mixed media journal to work in and basic supplies included.
Link here to sign up http://atlanticcenterforthearts.org/event-or-exhibition/expressive-art-journaling-2/
IN OTHER  FUN NEWS
I have created a free follow along video on 
Painting Pleasing Backgrounds if you want to try it.  It is only one way of painting a background. There are many ways but I wanted to create a video about it.
Click here if you would like to try painting a background along with me.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExEr4Vv_Pl4

The video is also a part of my new  and first online expressive art journal workshop titled
Animal as Metaphor: Expressive Art Journaling Workshop.
I have facilitated/taught this workshop in person and now it is available online.
Link here to check it out the entire video/PDF kit for online class.
http://lauraknapikbohn.teachable.com/p/animals-as-metaphors

 Greetings Creatives,
I am really looking forward to this month's
expressive art journaling workshop!
For those of you who have been coming to class for awhile,
you may have noticed certain themes, or symbols recur in
your journey.  Reflecting on your story, your journey can
lead you to new insights and perspectives to help you reframe your story.
For me, leaves appear in my work frequently.  Not only do I stop
and smell the roses but I am also intrigued by leaf shapes, sizes, and colors.
The size and color of some of the leaves in Florida are quite amazing.  Beautiful foliage reminds me of my need to get back
to observing nature and recording some of the poetic attributes. 
So, I created a handmade stamp of a leaf in just a few minutes cutting a leaf shape on a foamy stuck to a wooden block.  And now I can use this leaf printing block to decorate and overlay designs on different pages!
Do you relate to a certain symbol?  You might want to create your own stamp to use and reuse!
Also, what about those greeting cards you might have saved in a drawer?  
​They make beautiful additions to journal pages also.  
​Have an old news article saved?  Poems?  
Whether you want to play in your journal
or explore deeper issues, come join me at the Harris House
Thursday May 4th 1-3:30 pm.
Please sign up ASAP as this is now a prepaid event.
​Register information link  here

Ahh Spring! A time to notice the
small pleasures in life!  
​Come enjoy playing with imagery, paint, pencils, and other media to create your own journal pages that speak to your soul in our next First Thursday Expressive Art Journal Workshop at Harris House in New Smyrna Beach on Thursday
 April 6th from 1-3:30 pm. Sign up link below.
 If Spring is on your mind, this might be a fun opportunity to take some   photos of Spring while out and about.  One flower, plant or entire  garden, the choice is yours.  
What does Spring mean to you?  What does it invoke? 
If you would like to print a few of your own images on paper, they may end up in your journal! You don't have to decide before class.
Simply bring any Spring imagery you choose, from you own photos or from magazines. We will also have magazines available. 
You can also draw and paint your own imagery.   
​Rather work on your own idea for a journal prompt? That works also in this supportive open studio environment.   For more information on signing up and supply fee click link below.  This community outreach program is sponsored by the Atlantic Center for the Arts. If you are a return student, bring your journal and receive five dollars off the supply fee.
atlanticcenterforthearts.org/event-or-exhibition/first-thursdays-expressive-art-journaling-for-self-discovery-and-stress-release-5/

You can also email Laura with additional questions at bohnlaura1@gmail.com

Art Journal Spread by Karen Bigham

Hi Friends,
So thrilled to see some of the work completed in our recent Power Animal Art Journal Workshop.
If you want to share your work with the class, just send me an email with your photo 
bohnlaura1@gmail.com
There is a comment section below if you want to encourage each other. 

February 2, 2017        
1PM –  3:30 PM
214 S. Riverside Dr. New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
$20 supply fee
– we provide a mix-media art journal for new students
all other basic supplies provided
Come explore expressive art journaling
 led by artist/art therapist Laura Bohn. 
The goal of therapeutic art journaling is to reduce stress and promote relaxation by increasing participants’ ability to play, experiment and gain self-guided insight and understanding of one’s own emotions.
Added benefits can include self-growth, discovery, and joy through visual storytelling in a supportive group environment.
Benefits also increase when art journaling becomes a regular creative practice at home to continue to express and document life’s journey.
​ Benefits also include learning how to play again!
Bring in bits of printed imagery, writing, poetry, or lyrics, to personalize your art journal.
We will be adding paint and other media to create journal pages.
No experience required
Basic Materials provided
(register online temporarily disabled- TBA at later date)
If you have any further questions or would like to sign up over the phone, please contact ACA Arts & Wellness team at (386) 423 -1753 or email Peggy Imbert at pimbert@atlanticcenterforthearts.org

​or contact Laura directly at bohnlaura1@gmail.com with any questions or to sign up.

All I have to say is wow!  
I want to thank everybody who came to our very special Power Animal
Art Journal workshop. 
This was my first workshop with a live musician and the meditative sounds of the hand-pan drum were totally in synchronicity with our journal work and play.

PLAY PLAY PLAY
in your journal!!!!!
The reason we start with an intuitive playful painting of background pages is because it can unblock you if you do not know what theme to pick, or what you want to make. 
All those abstract artists were on to something.  
They did not have to know what they were creating, instead, they could simply experiment and
"trust the process" as so eloquently stated by art therapist Shaun Mcniff. 

COLLAGE COLLAGE COLLAGE
Remember you can also start a page spread by intuitively choosing collage imagery to randomly glue all over the page.  To paint on some of the imagery protect it first with either Modge Podge matt medium or the more expensive acrylic gel medium. 

You can create a translucent acrylic paint by adding a lot of water to a color or by adding matt medium.  Then you will see through paint to imagery creating an awesome special effect.
Some of your imagery might just peak through the paint and other imagery might be seen clearly!

WORDS WORDS WORDS
Whether you want to add a word here, a poem there, or devote entire pages to journal writing, the art journal is a perfect place you can do that.
Enjoy a painted journal spread and then write on top. Experiment with different pens, and gel pens to see how they work on paint.

PAINT PAINT PAINT 
Don't have acrylic paint or inexpensive craft paint at home yet?  You can also use a small watercolor set and wash your page with water then drop color drops into each other and watch them spread to create a lovely page. The key here is not to use too much paint, but instead, let the white of the page show through. 

Power Animals/Spirit Animals
If you have five minutes here or there this week you can still have a little time to work on your page.
Remember you can look up traits of your power animal online or in any animal book and relate those traits either positively or as a challenge in your life.

There are also Native American websites teaching about your power animals.

My resource materials are listed here below.

​thank you!
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0875420281/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1www.amazon.com/gp/product/0875420281/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
and
http://www.medicinecards.com


​

For this next workshop, we will reflect on animal symbols and metaphors and guides in our art journals.   READ ON... AS WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST MUSICIAN******
According to Native American author David Carson (Choctaw descent) every person has nine power or totem animals that represent the medicine they carry in their Earth Walk.
David Carson's book as well as other resources will be available to identify the patterns and traits of animals that relate to you.  It is not necessary to decide on one particular animal since you might want to work on more than one journal spread.
What to Bring
Bring any animal reference from magazines, cards, prints that might end up in your art journal. 
Also, you may also want to bring a photo copy (print on paper) of yourself or an image of an archetype, or person that might end up in journal.  
We will also have extra magazines to peruse.  
In my journal page I simply used a "woman" image I found to represent my wolf side. 
We will play with paint, words, and images to unleash personal creative expression.
With respect to Native American cultures, art therapy and art as wellness, we  also uses symbols
​and metaphors are used to help individuals tell their own story.  
This special  arts and wellness workshop is a part of Atlantic Center for the Arts Community Outreach Programming. 
SPECIAL GUEST MUSICIAN****** HANDPAN DRUMMER DANNY SORENSON
Danny Sorenson is a gifted musician who will be bringing the soothing and soft sounds of his handpan drum to play during our journal workshop.
Here is his video below  (tips are welcome and cds available)
Saturday January 14  from 1- 4 pm 
Harris House Gallery
214 S. Riverside Dr. New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169
$ 20 supply fee (includes journal for first time students) Return journalers please bring journals.
 No Experience Necessary
Contact Harris House to sign up here
Also, you can email Laura at bohnlaura1@gmail.com