The Victorian Romantic Visual Journaling Study Group - discussion thread

bleuivy

So I'm not going to be buying the Gold Edition. (Thought about asking for it for Christmas, but gold just isn't my thing....now if there was a silver edition...but i digress).

I'd love to join anyway, using a different journal. It sounds like a wonderful way to get to know the cards. I used to do visual journalling in high school, and then stopped when I went to college. It'd be fun to get back into it again! :)
 

darwinia

In for a penny or ha'penny as the case may be

I don't have the money right now to buy special materials for this project. So that leaves me with what I have, which is quite a bit.

I'm going to make a hardcover accordion book for this. I like that format because it's easy to work in for adding art on each page, and this will be pretty thick after finishing, so I can then make a custom slipcase for it.

The cover will be done in scrapbooking paper that features an oil painting by Renoir called "Seascape." I liked this because it had a lot of the blue, green, and teal colours that are in the cards, and Renoir was Victorian so it fits the theme in an artsy style which is my goal for the journal.

The paper accordion is done with pastel paper--in this case moss or olive colour since I have 3 big sheets of that which hopefully will be enough for 78 pages. It's going to be small though, 2.75 x 6 inches at most which is fine because I like doing small, detailed work. Rather an odd size to work with, which I like and because the pages are not bound there needs to be no margin.

Extra papers for collage will be in scrapbook paper Victorian motifs like postcards, letters and butterfly stamps, with some blue Japanese papers and who knows what else. I have Kraft paper photo corners to insert pen and ink artwork done on watercolour paper on the papers, or I will make my own photo corners from Victorian type paper. I have some Victorian wrapping paper too with cats and stuff.

I also have a calligraphy pen with black and gold ink for titling and embellishment.

I don't care for overwrought Victoriana, and I think the art theme of the cards fits something subdued but artsy.

http://www.jjcolourart.com/pb/wp_14adce0d/wp_14adce0d.html?0.08291455208668835
 

baba-prague

LB is right when he says it would work just as well with the Standard edition, and yes, you can always use any journal of course. I know that not everyone likes gold :)

I will try to keep uploading pictures over the next few weeks - of course, there are lots of Victorian images around anyway, but these might provide some useful links back to the deck - besides, I want to do a Devil page with that particular devil, I have ideas (and I have black lace and red 1920s satin - so there is no stopping me)!

Edited to add. Oh! Just read Darwinia's comments about overwrought Victoriana, and I agree, but I think I might just fall into temptation with the Devil :D
 

bleuivy

Alright, I've spent the past hour perusing the links everyone has posted and am getting quite excited. I used to do this sort of thing all the time! Why did I stop?

Thanks so much for uploading pictures to the website, baba.

Your accordion book sounds lovely, darwinia. I'd love to see what it looks like once its all constructed.

I think I'm going to just go with a good quality spiral-bound sketchbook. I'll decorate the cover with some scans of the cards (once I get them) and the spiral binding will allow me room to groooow. :)
 

Jewel-ry

I have been reading the Victorian Romantic thread with interest, it is the one deck I intend to buy this year and I love the idea of doing this journal although I have never done anything like it before. I think I may join you all but I gotta hold on for three weeks because of revising for my exam which I just have to get out the way first. Please keep all your ideas coming everyone because I am a complete novice and it will be good to see what you are all coming up with.

Will you journal for each card then? Or are you thinking of something more general?

Oh and thanks for all the links...

How am I going to keep focused on my exam now?
 

bleuivy

Jewel-ry said:
Will you journal for each card then? Or are you thinking of something more general?

Hiya Jewel-ry,

Well, I'm not sure, but I imagine I'll start with a page for each card, and see what happens from there. That plan will probably only last for two cards or so before I think of something better. :laugh:

I'd also be interested in hearing how others think they will be structuring this study group.
 

darwinia

Yes, the trouble with many study groups at Aeclectic is that people lose steam in the process. Everybody starts out mad for it and then they drop off, or they leave all the work to one person to post, and then passively read what is said instead of involving themselves in the action. It's pointless to call such massive group passivity "study."

However, in this "study" for journaling with the Victorian Romantic, the focus and purpose will be self-generated and based completely on action and the doing. Imagination leads to creativity leads to process and action. Pretty good attitude!!

I am doing one sheet per card. I've just had the idea of making an accordion fold book for the Majors, and then one for each Minor suit, for a total of five books that will be slipcased together at the end. I have an art idea to tie everything together throughout the books.

This will give scope for changing paper, fabric, colours and textures while still tying into a main theme and palette.

I'm wondering, for those who have a bound journal, if this kind of switch-a-roo between colour or motif could be a way of stimulating interest and creativity throughout the project?

Having some sort of differentiation and "sets" of cards might break it down into manageable bites and sub-themes that are different enough to keep your interest?
 

bleuivy

darwinia said:
I am doing one sheet per card. I've just had the idea of making an accordion fold book for the Majors, and then one for each Minor suit, for a total of five books that will be slipcased together at the end. I have an art idea to tie everything together throughout the books.

What a lovely idea. If I knew how to make accordion books, I might follow suit. As it is, I'm happy working with my sketchbook idea. The pages will be all the same color, but that just gives me wonderful ideas of how to make the pages all fit together, and I get to have fun altering the color of the pages. Muahahahaha!
 

Jewel-ry

So much for the studying :rolleyes: I have just spent hours going through some of the links on here and am keen to give it a shot.

I have always been told that I am not creative so it may be time to find a little more of my creative side and as Darwinia says this project will involve some active participation. I think I will use a spiral book and I shall keep my eyes open for relevant odds and ends which I may be able to include. I have always kept old calendars and magazines and interesting bits and pieces so I shall have to have a rummage through that and see if I can begin to collect anything that may be relevant.

In the meantime...I have to get back to Copernicus, Galileo and chums!!!

:)
 

darwinia

Jewel-ry said:
I have always been told that I am not creative so it may be time to find a little more of my creative side

Isn't it awful how people will say things that become like concrete in your mind?

Every person IS creative. It just comes out in different ways and disciplines. Some people are very creative in coming up with solutions or fixing things, others are awesome at cooking and entertaining, others are fashionable and wear clothes and accessories beautifully. Home decoration, gardening, carpentry, business, customer service, computer programming, parenting. There are countless ways to be creative, but there are people who choose to limit other people by labelling them uncreative. Now, do we have to listen to that sort of nonsense? NO!!!

I am sure that if you leave aside the blundering comments of others, your own creativity will be delighted to pop out. There is no correct way to be creative or perform a creative action.

I have a little picture on my mind of a parabola at the end of the Universe. I call it the White Food Parabola. I banish limited thinkers there to eat large quantities of blancmange while tightly gripping their one tarot deck that they've been using for six months.

Send every person that tells you that you aren't creative there. They'll enjoy endlessly following the same parabolic path and eating sugary, jelly-like white food and connecting to the divine pudding of the Universe.

Meanwhile, you can begin to LIVE and create and think for yourself.