Noticing a New Aesthetic
I’m writing this entry on Feb 12, 2024. It’s been a few months since I’ve interacted with this journal. It’s now being prepped for an art show (more on that soon!) and my poor eyes cant squint hard enough to make out what I wrote from the pictures. I imagine a bunch of feelings about moving or holiday dread or a random haunting from my grandma.
So instead of reflecting on what i wrote, I’m stepping back to just look at all the design and creative choices I’ve made here. It’s really evolved since my first journals. Idk…it’s just fun to watch a new phase unfold and take time to consider what it all means. Why does this process look and feel so fucking good to me now and what can I learn about myself from all this?
I can see my color pallet moving towards neutrals with pops of metallics. Free flowing lines that give the impression of gravity and moving air. Fluid marks that get torn up and rearranged and redefine themselves as little stories or worlds. Small indications of loose drawings and impossible-to-make-out writing that live between literal and abstract making everything feel so surreal in a new way for me. So many layers…and still…some sense of order and structure to keep it all together. Some invisible force moving through and connecting all things….
I enjoy that the quality of my books are improving too. I’ve used cream heavyweight linen paper here with a gorgeous textured weave. The black sumi ink i used has an insane sheen and the metallic inks are the best I’ve ever used. So vivid. I want to use the best quality materials I can access. I really enjoy the balance between an earthy mess with something that feels precious. There’s something kinda sumptuous to me about the idea of something that’s both organic and lux.
Page detail in handmade journal. Mixed media collage with asemic writing and journal excerpt. Vellum, linen paper, embedded botanicals, ink. Sheeba Maya. 2023. NY.
