
This morning I heard a phrase spoken by a talk show host that intrigued me: Times are Changing. It made me want to do a journal page.
I set out to play with only that phrase in mind, just wanting to put some paint on the page and see what would happen.
The page in the journal had been pre-painted with orange. I have now learned I do not like starting on pre-painted pages. It was too orange for today. So I tried to tone it down with some gesso and paint.

Ahh...that suits my mood today much better.
I liked the collaged text pages peeking through the paint; especially the piece from a Bible with the blue underlined sentences. It was like a message from God; couldn't cover up a message from God, now, could we?

How about some stenciling through punchinella?

Well, since that went pretty well, how about some more stenciling through that plastic place mat from GoodWill? But what color to use...

I chose a blackish color. Uh-oh. It has taken over the page. Now what? Even after blotting and adding white gesso on top it is still screaming on the page. Plus I have now lost some of that nice collage element.

Find a nice figural head in a fashion magazine. Combine it with some painted deli paper. How about some left over stars from another project found on the work table? Yes, I like that. Especially since one of them is blue. It compliments the blue underlining on the text.
Now, where to place the stars. There are only three.

Maybe that's a little better. Kind of makes a boomerang effect into the focal point of the text.

That black head on the page is screaming. Need to add more black somewhere else. Outline the stars...add some black text. Hmm...still not enough. Wish I hadn't added that last line.

Asphaltum to the rescue. It never disappoints. Hey, it even blurredf the line I don't like. Maybe it could use a bit more.

I'm liking this better. The head is integrated a bit more into the page, although it is still screaming at me. But at least it is muffled somewhat.
It is finished. I don't like it enough to keep going further. It is what it is..and that's okay. I had fun and I learned something. The main thing I learned is that a touch of black can totally take over and dominate a page. Note to self: be more cautious in using black. Experiment to see how you like it combined on a page.
But then...maybe I could paint over that head with Payne's Gray...tone it down...integrate it into the page more...