Building a Visual Vocabulary

The above page is from the Kara/Kelly swap book.

One thing that you will notice when you see my pages is that I know what I like. :) I've built up and amassed what I call my Visual Vocabulary. You will see things like:

The color pink, yellow, buttercreams and black and white (I love pink and exploring and expanding it's many possibilities. Yellow is a hard color to find and I love how it POPS things. Buttercreams are just yummy. Black and White is striking and always pulls your eye into the page.)
Hands (I go out of my way to collect images of hands)
Henna hands (what could be better)
Hearts (and the word love, I use them a lot)
Peace Symbols
Eyes (ahhh, look deep)
Women (I often use imagery of women to 'say' what I don't write on the page)
Religious Iconography (though I am not religious, the images of various faiths appeal to me)

to name a few...

The majority of my work is done in journal or book form. I know what I like and what I can use visually to 'speak' volumes for me without having to describe the colors or the images on the page. I use these colors and images to express my emotions, thoughts and feelings.

You'll notice a lot of other artists do this as well in their journals (and obviously, in their artwork). They have images and colors that appeal to them and speak volumes. Artists over time will devote countless paintings, pages and studies to specific colors and images that resonate and speak to them. What speaks to you?

Open your journal up and play with colors and imagery. Don't worry about it just start to work in your journal. Continue to work in your book (books) over time. Go back and look over your pages. Notice a pattern? See any colors that you gravitate towards? How about images that you use again and again? Note them. Journal about what these colors and images mean to you. Don't stress or worry about these things, they will appear with time. That's one of the many bonuses of keeping an art journal! You'll start to notice the little things more...Trust me. Be open to it and it will happen. Open your eyes. Watch to see what your pages are 'saying'. You'll be amazed what you didn't see before...