GPP Street Team Crusade # 30 - Cat Got Your Tongue ?

Okay, so I think anyone who has spent any time with me, virtual or real, knows I love WORDS ! I read signs everywhere, I spell words with license plate letters (in Canada, esp.), I am a whiz at word games of all kinds and I love to use words in my art work. In fact, I think it is hard to find a piece of mine without words in it in some form.

So when Michelle gave us the challenge to USE Our WORDS in the 30th GPP Street Team Crusade, I was really gung ho ! I started looking back at some of my favorite "Wordy" pieces from a few years ago right up to the present. That was when I realized how easily words come to me, from all different sources, and find their way into my art journal.

Sometimes I use the words as the "paintstrokes" (click on any of the images to enlarge) :

Art Journal piece - Words as Paint, 2007

Or as accents, like here around the spirals :

Art Journal piece - "Don't Box Me IN !" - 2007

Sometimes, I print them out ont the computer in a font that connects to the page somehow :

Art Journal page - "Gross Gordon", digitally altered, 2008

Sometimes, I hand-write a favorite quote, trying to make my handwriting look good by doodling it up a little :

Art Journal page - "Breaking the Shell", 2008

Or I just cut out words from an old book and see what "poetry" happens :

Detail of Art Journal page - "Love Paths" 2009

There are times when a single word is the focus :

Art Journal Page - "Courage" - digitally altered, 2008

Or an entire phrase :

Art Journal Page - "I Got The Power." - April, 2009

Often, the words of others will get mixed in with my own :

Art Journal Page - "I'm Sorry", April 2009

I know there are those who think that Visual Journals, or Art Journals should rely more on images than words. I guess that is one way to think. Some may think I use too many words in my art pieces. Whatever ! This is how I like things right now, though this experiment in visiting the "wordiness" of my pieces made me think about trying out some non-verbal pieces and see what happens.

The best thing about Art Journals for me has always been that there are no rules ! I get to do it MY WAY ! Wordy, yes, but I love it too !

Now leave a comment if you are so inclined ( I always love to hear from my Blogland Pals !) and then go visit the GPP Street Team Crusaders and check out their Wordy Fun ! Such a bunch of talented peeps !

Have a great weekend !