Momento Mori - travelling Art Journal

Happy New Year and Solstice Blessings to you all.

With the long hot summer holidays here we have been doing a bit of travelling

 so I have found it hard to get to the waiting art journals I have.

Both of the journals I have waiting for me for the Australian Art Journal Swap
at the moment are altered books and
I chose to work in Mary's amazing "Momento Mori" first.

 Mary has created the most incredible sculptured cover, the detail and colour are amazing for something I was initially thinking quite macabre.

Mary is one of the artists from The Art Shed in Townsville Queensland and her journal shows her sense of fun and colour from the start.

 I really appreciate the challenge of this journal,

I love things that make me think and reconsider and feel.

Come with me for a wander through this gorgeous journal.

This is a lovely page Deb Parkes ,

I find this page so beautiful and moving.

One of the really lovely things about doing a journal swap like this, is getting to know your fellow artists and their work. These pages are by Sharon Williams from WA and I have fallen in love with her beautiful style and use of colours.

I also love Sharons use of printmaking.

Over to Victora and these pages are from our gorgeous Nicole Dixon and her quirky style has won all of our hearts I am sure.

Nicoles pages are always fun and make me smile.

Still in Victoria, Jan Mullane did these hauntingly beautiful pages.

I love Jans use of the skull in these pages, so subtle and ethereal.

Jan also shared some personal experience of a loved one in ICU and the significance of the 1000 cranes- the book we are altering is about the cranes as well. 

Now we head up to NSW for Roz Willoughby's  beautiful pages

her colourful skull looks rather friendly I think.

And I really like this page by Roz, 

all the pages in this journal are beautiful, 

I feel so lucky to receive an art exhibition in my mail box once a month.

Into NSW Janene McAnally did this delicate and beautiful page,

Janene's grungy style is also distinctive and she loves to play with texture and detail.

This is my page and after lots of thinking

 about just how mortal we are and how little time we get

 this is what I came up with.

My flying clock because "Tempus Fugit"opens up to reveal an hour glass and a quote

 We really do need to make the most of this wild and precious life.

And I close with Mary's back cover that is all about infinity and rebirth.

We have a new group on Facebook

 if you want to join in with art swapping within Australia

 in an effort to save on postage - 

we would love to see you at Australian Art Swap Group 

and we also have another blog for this journal swap

 and I have shared some of my process in making my Momento Mori page today.