I'm travelling into a new way of working, a new country, a new language, and a new hobby which I'm passionate about. Come with me for some of the journey...

Sunday 14 October 2012

Musical Dust

Hello and happy Sunday everyone!  I hope you're enjoying some sunshine, some lovely company, some crafting time, some music - or whatever else makes your Sunday a day of joy and rest...

I'm here to share some journal pages with you - from what is fast becoming a journal of pages inspired by music... so far music is at the root of every page spread.  These were fired by coming across a beautiful quote by Bertholdt Auerbach, a 19th century German novelist:  Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.  I couldn't agree more!




Except as I was stamping the words, it shifted in my brain and I'm afraid I slightly misquoted the end of it... though of course it's in translation, so who knows?  

I've yet to track down the original German, but I'm actually very happy with my variation!





The words are stamped on torn Kraft Glassine paper, which gives a lovely textural effect at the edges.


Yes, I stamped the words - I'm sorry, I couldn't bring myself to use handwriting after I so hated the result last time.  







But there is some of my own hand in here in the musical doodles.  I've always doodled music notation, especially treble clefs.  I love the shapes and variations.

I used the fine end of a Tim Holtz Distress Marker in Black Soot to doodle them.

One of the glorious things to me about music is that it mixes discipline and creativity, rigour and imagination.  The notes fly around the five very disciplined lines of the stave.

The mathematical structures of note distances create melodies, and the physics of sound vibration create unearthly and profoundly moving harmonies.  





You have to have both the technique and the inspiration to create music, the mathematical and the musical.  So there are both organized and random elements in the pages.



The collaging in the background is fairly random, torn pages from an old music book - both notation and a title page with beautiful swirly flourishes and text.  

I've also used one of the Pink Paislee stamps from the London Market collection of a concert advertisement, also with lots of flourishes.

Then I painted a layer of gesso over the pages to unify the elements, and to send them into the background.



The words and doodles are random element in pages which I've deliberately otherwise kept very ordered and in straight lines and right angles.

Where I've stamped the music notation (PP, London Market again) and the beautiful hard edged, but internally flowing, diamonds from one of the recent Stampers Anonymous Classic releases, it's always in straight lines and at right angles.



I stamped the diamonds several times, and in places it's double-stamped, almost overlapping.  The first stamping was done using the TH Metallic Distress Stains in Tarnished Brass and Antique Brass, and then stamped over in Coffee Archival. 

This way you get the lovely metallic sheen and the glorious sharp detail of the stamp.





I've also used one of my lovely new bits of stash, won so luckily last week from Crafty Individuals during the Tando Creative Blog Hop.  

This lovely stencil is by CI, and it's got both straight lines and delicious flourishes - perfect to complement the architecture of the music.  







I'm listening to what I think of as "Sunday morning music" as I write this... always something choral, usually something very early - Byrd or Tallis - something on which I can float away from the cares of the world.  

Which is, of course, exactly the thing the quote is talking about... and the thing that I also found during the making of these pages, and often find in the hours spent at the craft table.  I'm so grateful to have found another way to wash away the dust!




I hope you find a way to let the cares of the world be washed away from you this Sunday.  In the meantime, thank you so much for spending some of your time here with me, and I look forward to your company again soon.

Music is a moral law.  It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.
Plato

I'm entering this in the Art Journal Café challenge which is Music
And in the current Anything Goes challenge over at the Crafty Bloggers Network 
And at the brand new challenge blog Eclectic Ellapu, who are kicking off with an Anything Goes

27 comments:

Andrea Small said...

This is fab. A gorgeous combination of rigour and flourish. For me, it has a real sense of history - a connection with the past. How many children over the centuries sitting at the keyboard practising their scales and then flying into glorious compositions or performances? Or doodling at the piano, letting their fingers lead their brains? Beautiful. x

Unknown said...

I love your paper choice and those wonderful stencils you used Alison. Your finishes add the right texture and feel to these wondeful art journal pages and I believe you've nailed the music challenge lol. Thanks so much for sharing these!

Elaine aka Ellapu said...

What an absolutely fabulous project. A great sense of vintage - love it. Thank you for joining in at my new challenge blog - Eclectic Ellapu and I do hope you will be a frequent visitor.
Hugz Elaine x
PS you are the first entrant for me to comment on - thank you

Unknown said...

That is such an elegant and vintage looking journal page! I love the concept, very cool!

Astrid Maclean said...

Beautiful pages and I love the idea of the inspiration behind it. I was interested in the music quote as I only know it with the word Art rather than music, but I definitely agree with both. Love the soft muted colours you have used! A wonderful keep sake!

Laurian said...

Absolutley stunning journal pages! I love the vintage feel and the fabulous effect!
Thanks for joining us at Ecletic Ellapu for our first ever challenge and I hope we'll see you frequently!
Hugs

Laurian

Julia S-W said...

Gorgeous pages Alison. I love the stamping and the music doodling is a great idea. I love music scores and have quite a few of my daughters who plays flute - I still think there's something so magical about music: listening, choosing, taking solace in, feeling inspired by - the list is endless! I recently bought an old music score in a charity shop which I could cut and use in my craft as I couldn't bear to cut up my daughters even though she doesn't use those particular ones any more. I also have my Mum's piano book from when she played in her teens and it's much treasured. Sorry, off at a tangent there but your pages did that for me - thank you!
Have a great week,
Juliaxx

Cestina said...

Oh lovely. Sunday morning music here too - Feather on the Breath of God.

Carol Q said...

lovely pages Alison, reminds me of my childhood at the piano and how I couldn't manage without music in everyday life.

Annie said...

Beautiful pages Alison. Love the stamps and use of Kraft Glassine.

I love the story and quotes are fab. I love Sundays too x

Jenny Marples said...

Beautiful as ever hun. Love the softeness of the background that allows the words to jump out at you. Good idea to overstamp the diamonds too. Their detail deserved to be showcased. This is developing into quite some journal. Hugs as ever, Buttons x

Redanne said...

Your pages are stunning Alison, they have such a vintage feel to them, love the diamond shapes, the glassine words and your hand doodling looks amazing too. Your work is always so inspiring! Crafty hugs, Anne x

Martina said...

Terrific pages, dear Alison! Beautifully created!

Sarah Louise said...

Great project. Thanks for joining in with Crafty Bloggers Network monthly challenge

Sarah (CBN DT)

froebelsternchen said...

I love - love -love it!

A PAPER ROMANCE!

Janny Jager said...

Beautiful pages Alison
Love the stamps and the paper you used

Greetings Janny

Bernardine Cuttino said...

Fabulous project is simply gorgeous. Thanks for joining in on the fun on our first challenge over Eclectic. We look forward to seeing you again.
Hugs
Berni,DT
eclecticellapu.

Sarah said...

As always, beauty and inspiration.

Andria said...

WOW - what a beautiful piece of work. The quote is lovely I've not hear it before but may find myself borrowing it. So much work had gone into your pages - Thanking for joining us at our first Eclectic Ellapu challenge :) .

Debi said...

beautiful pages Alison , love all the texture, debi x

sam21ski said...

Great pages, love how you've done the writing and ripped the paper around the letters.

Sam xxx

Anita Houston The Artful Maven said...

Love this! The music inspiration is totally your thing! I often play it in my head when I work, but you put it down in craft...love it! Great color scheme...unique and unexpected...so vintage!

chrissie said...

The quote is so inspiring and you have made beautiful pages with it.

Best Wishes Chrissie xx

Peanut said...

WOW! What a truly stunning project! Clearly you put a lot of thought into it and the details are mesmerising. So glad you joined Eclectic Ellapu to showcase your talent. We hope to see you again next week. And thank you so much for dropping in on me. See you soon!

Mrs.B said...

Beautiful journal pages, love all the doodling and overstamping.
Avril xx

Angela Drummond said...

Great project, thanks for joining us over at the CBN Challenge this month
Hugs
Ang
Crafty Bloggers Network DT
My Blog: A Crafty Blether

Jean Hardy said...

Such beautiful musical pages Alison. Jean