What makes you truly happy?

I have had a play in Janene's journal in the Australian Art Journal Swap.
What Makes you Truly Happy.

Its funny how the different themes can really challenge us, I am going through a period of darkness in my life and being truly happy seems almost impossible but there are always those little moments when happiness finds you- moments of laughter or beauty or joy or love- these do make me truly happy so thank you Janene for helping me remember. 

I worked in layers on this spread, layers work well in moments.

A moment to tear the old book pages in readiness, a moment to do the collage.The next day when it is dry and beckoning I can do some washes of joyful inspiring colours and keep fiddling with washes when ever the moment strikes. Then a layer of journalling about what being truly happy means to me, but in a tonal pen, so I can leave my heart and soul right there but it wont be very easy for anyone else to read. Another moment on another day and I sketched in the flowers  then later that day I added a bit of white for its opacity  and to bring the flowers forward also covering up a little more of my journalling. Finally another moment with some spray inks and some inktense pencils to finish the page and bring it all together. 

This is the first month our journals are out in the big wide world, they are collecting their first input from our fellow artists- I can't wait to see what everyone else shares in our blog and look forward to some feed back on this spread. 

As I have a fortnight before our next mailing day and Janene has lots of pages I might even find another moment or 2 to play on another spread and I do know that art play does indeed make me truly happy, as does connection with like minded people and working collaboratively with my fellow artists in these travelling art journals.