What is an Art Journal?

I’ve been cleaning my studio and finally got my journals gathered into one location.  I didn’t realize how many I have – some are works in progress, some are finished.

What is an Art Journal?  There is no real answer.  There is no right or wrong way to make or keep one.  I have some journals that are mostly sketches and notes.  I have some that are filled with clippings from newspapers and magazines, to remind me of a book to get, or a show review, or just simply because a picture or article inspires me in some way.  I have many journals that have been in place on my studio table as I work on a project so that all evidence from that project gets chronicled in the journal.  Small swatches of collage paper, brush strokes of paint colors, samplings of anything and everything that gets put into a piece of art.  I’m a terrible pack-rat and have a hard time once a project is completed to sort through the materials leftover and either refile them somewhere or toss them out (gasp).  So saving portions of those precious bits in my journal gives me the freedom to unload what’s left on my table – sweep it off in the garbage bin.  And then, once the art piece is gone, I still have the reminder of that experience of making it.

Here are a few random pictures of journal pages that show the various ways I work in my journal.