A Prompt A Day: Online Mixed Media Art Journaling

(Above are seven months worth of my APAD journals from January through July. All FULL, finished books).

Registration now open for September

FAQ

WHAT YOU GET-Painting, Collage and Journal prompts DAILY. 90 prompts for the month of September!!!!!!

COST-$25 per month, more info below

SUPPLIES-Use what you have on hand, do not buy anything!

WHO IS THE CLASS OPEN TO? Anyone and everyone!

WHEN DOES IT START? September 1st

WHEN DOES IT END? September 30th

I’VE NEVER JOURNALED BEFORE, CAN I DO THIS? YES

I’VE BEEN KEEPING A JOURNAL FOR YEARS WILL I LEARN ANYTHING NEW? YES, I also am working from my own prompts and it is a wonderful kick in the pants!!!! It’s surreal as an instructor to be working from your own prompts and ideas, but I am loving it and I now have seven journals from 2009 solely from my work in this class.

I CAN’T DO THIS EVERY DAY, DO I HAVE TO KEEP UP? NO. The prompts are designed so you can work at your own pace. You can download the info from the site at your own convenience. The prompts are set up, too, so they don’t take a ton of time and yet you ARE learning something-lots, in fact. I am a FIRM believer in 15 minutes of art a day! It keeps ya sane!

DO MEMBERS SHARE THEIR WORK? YES, but you do not have to if you don’t want to. Many members upload photos of their journals to the site. It is a wonderful way to see other people’s pages, work and their take on the prompts. Which translates into even MORE ideas! At the present moment, there are over 1, 952 pages from members on the site for you to view.

DO YOU GIVE FEEDBACK? I give encouragement, feedback, ideas, and more. I never criticize. I never judge. I LOVE seeing what my students make from the prompts. It is the BEST part of the job. My students are AMAZING. I am on the site daily checking in, answering questions and looking at your work.

I heard there were freebies in the class every month? Yes, I’ve added a monthly collage sheet. I also give away a journal or collage grabbag to one student each month. I also post in addition to the prompts ideas, advice, shopping information, answer any questions and much, much more.

HOW DO I SIGN UP? Click the paypal button at the bottom of this blog post OR to the top right hand side of this page under A PROMPT A DAY.

WHAT ARE YOUR CREDENTIALS AS A TEACHER?-I have been teaching mixed media art for almost 12 years now. I have taught all over the U.S. as well as in Canada and Mexico. I have taught at several of the major art retreats. My work has been published in several books and magazines. I teach every weekend, if not in Southern California, then elsewhere. I have over 300 classes to choose from. I have a lot of students who have been taking my classes on a monthly basis for many years. I love what I do and I am thankful that I have the best job in the world!

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For $25 each month, you will receive “a prompt a day”. I've set up a special site just for the group! Starting September 1st through September 30th, I will post (to the site, open to students only) a prompt of the day. The prompt is actually three prompts:

Painting

Collage

Journaling

The prompts are not just slap paint down, glue a piece of paper down and write something! Nope! That's not how I operate. Each prompt is different and unique. Each technique can be applied to ANY form of mixed media art. For the painting prompt, I offer a variety of ways to layer and apply acrylic paint to the page (trust me, there are thousands of different looks one can achieve with paint). For the collage prompt, I offer a myriad of composition and design techniques on how to use background paper and focal images to bring together a coherent page. For the journaling prompt, I offer a nudge, a guide, a thought of something that affects each and every one of us and a little kick in the pants to write it out and get it onto the page.

The prompts are easy and fun. Some more of a challenge then others. My goal in this class is to get you working, thinking, and stepping outside of your comfort zone. My goal is for you to open your journal, paint, play and express yourself.

Each prompt will contain detailed instructions on how to make at least ONE completed journal page a day. I will also demonstrate how I followed the prompt by showing pictures of my own page a day along with the prompt. These prompts can be used not only for art journaling but also for other mixed media art: canvas, altered books, ATCs, boxes, books, etc... It's actually THREE prompts a day rolled into ONE journal page. So for the month of September, you are receiving 90 prompts. August's handout was 63 pages long.

Each paid student (for that month) will receive a file of the whole month's worth of class documents (photos and instructions). This file will be posted on the group's site before the end of the month. I can also email it to you if there are problems.

The idea of this project is to inspire you to create something daily! It's like taking a class with me but receiving a prompt a day!

You don't need a lot to do this. If you've been following my blog, you have an idea of the work that I do. If you've taken a class with me, you know my style! I like to give my students an idea to make a page and then I love seeing how everyone translates that idea to make it their own!

This is a new venture for both my regular students and brand new students!! It's open to everyone from beginner to advanced.

Basic supplies are:
A Journal or paper
PVA bookbinding adhesive OR Gel Medium (I like Soft Gel Gloss) or even a glue stick (I like coccoina, avery, scotch-anything labeled permanent). In my journal, at home, a glue stick is my adhesive of choice!
Acrylics-my basic colors are Hansa Yellow Medium (or Azo yellow medium), Quinacridone Magenta, Phthalo Blue, Titanium White, Paynes Grey, Titan Buff and Burnt Sienna-with these colors you can make any color (I like Nova Color but whatever your favorite brand is, will do.)
Gloss or polymer Medium (mix 50/50 with your paints to "extend" them and make them last longer. Do not buy what they label extender as that extends the drying time)
1" chip or bristle brushes
a few favorite pens-mine are: Sakura gelly roll glaze, Sakura Souffle, Latte and sweets pens, Zig Vellum and Writer pens, Faber Castell Pitt Pens (brush stroke, black), Sharpie Poster Paint pens (water based), Micron pens, uniball signo...you do not need all of these! Just a pen that will write on paint and paper!
water container
waxed paper
paper towels or old rags
scissors
metal ruler
Paper ephemera-collage papers for background and focal, images

Also, please note, I do not want you to have to go buy anything for the class. Use what you have. If you do not have these specific colors of paint, use what is in front of you: Yellow, Red, Blue, etc.. You will get a different look but I really want to stress using what you already own and what's in your studio (or closet, or art bag or wherever you work from!)

I am a firm believer in using the art journal as a tool. It's a place where not only you can express yourself, but you can also form your ideas for various projects and let them develop onto the page. 99.9% of my artwork is done in art journal form.

You will be able to upload your own photos of the pages that YOU create from the prompts. There is a discussion forum where you can ask questions and talk to other group members. It is an interactive site where you choose to actively participate or to remain quiet. It is a nurturing site and an extremely SAFE group. Members are thoughtful and kind and gracious with comments. We are looking to learn and share here, not to judge. All levels are welcome from beginner to advanced.

You do not have to do exercises on a daily basis either. You can log in and do the exercises at your own leisure. It's also your choice if you lurk on the site or actively participate.

I am always available to answer your questions and to help!

The prompts and ideas I give lend themselves to a variety of media: canvas, atcs, art journal pages, artist books, cards, altered art and MORE.

This is all NEW material. Even if you've taken every single one of my 300+ mixed media classes, this is something new. You will get new ideas and techniques!

I do not show the journal pages from the online class on this blog. The material you are getting in the class is fresh and new. Exclusive to students.

Each month has NEW and DIFFERENT techniques then the previous ones. The classes are geared towards ALL levels of experience: Beginner to Advanced. Use the prompts to inspire you to make art daily in some form OR work at your own pace and make art when you can.

The prompts are not at all related to the month posted. They stand on their own.

Interested? Use the button below! Questions? Drop me an email at EGorey99@sbcglobal.net

Sign ups start NOW. September's A Prompt A Day Class starts September 1st. I do not pro-rate classes. They are on a month by month basis only beginning the first of each month (at $25 a month). You can sign up for the month of September any time before the end of September (please note: if you sign up late in September and you want to start a new month, please note that with your payment and I will not log you in for September but for the month you request). Please note that at 8 p.m. PST on the last day of the month is when the class ends. At that time, I will remove all members who are not staying on to the next month and then remove the month's prompts. I will then add new members and add the new prompts for the new month. (So, on the 30th of September, I will remove all of the September prompts and the members who are not staying on and replace them with the new October prompts and members. Members staying on will just remain on the board.)

Remember, at the end of the month you will receive a file (posted on the group site before the end of the month for you to print out and save) of the whole month's prompts, techniques and photos of my samples to print out and save (please play nice and do not share. Please only use for personal use. :) Thanks.)

Please note-

The prompts and forum I've set are up posted to a ning group I've created. Ning supports Internet Explorer 6 & 7, Firefox 1.0, 2.0 & 3.0 and Apple Safari. If you're using a different browser, it might not be compatible. Please email me if you have ANY questions.

You need to make sure that cookies and JavaScript are enabled on your browser.

If you have questions on how to enable javascript, or if you have questions or problems regarding the ning network, please click here for a mini tutorial via ning's site. Here's a tutorial on how to enable cookies. It's easier then it sounds, trust me!!!!

No refunds after September 1st for the month of September. Thanks.

Once you've signed up, I will personally send you an invitation to join the group. You have to sign into the group (using your own information: email address and create a password, etc..).

The extra bonuses-

FREE collage sheet (available on the site for you to download, save and use for personal use only) each month!!!

There will be a FREE give a way. ONE lucky person per month will receive either a handmade journal made by me OR one of my collage packs (these are of my choosing). The value of the journal is $40. The value of the collage pack is $45. The winner is chosen on the last day of the month. ONE winner per month. Winner randomly selected.

Please note if you are signing up for September or another month-Thanks! Note: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, and August Prompts are available as a PDF or word file for $25 per month, as well.