The Art Journal Workshop: Break Through, Explore, and Make it Your Own [Paperback]

Traci Bunkers (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2011

"Step by step, the reader is brought to art journaling in a method that makes even a novice want to pick up a paint brush and begin making art that expresses your soul."—Diana Gonzalez, Brooklyn Crafting Examiner

"Back when I was the managing editor of Art Journaling, I remember when Traci Bunkers' journals arrived on my desk. I spent hours pouring through them, wondering to myself, 'How does she do this?' With Traci’s new book, The Art Journal Workshop, you get to see exactly how."—Christine Olivarez, Somerset Studio

Many people want to express themselves through visual journaling, but are stuck or intimidated with how to get started, what to write, or how to move beyond gluing down a few images or putting some paint on the paper.

With beautiful illustrations, The Art Journal Workshop breaks down the entire working process of journaling with step-by-step photos and instructions from start to finish. You'll learn how to use different media such as paint, photographs, and collage, while following journaling prompts and exercises to help you dig deeper and enrich the journaling process and experience. Traci Bunkers discusses the benefits of visual journaling, and walks you through battling a creative funk when you're feeling down or uninspired.

Additionally, The Art Journal Workshop comes with a DVD-ROM to play on yor PC or Mac which shows the author creating six visual journal pages from the book, start to finish, through time-lapse video clips. This visual guide enhances the information in the book, showing her work progress in a way that goes beyond what can be captured in still photographs or through text.

Editorial Reviews

Review

The Artist Journal Workshop, Bunkers, Tracie (Author) May 2011. 128 p. Quayside/Quarry, paperback, $24.99. (9781592536849). 745.593.

Kansas artist Bunkers’ second book is much akin to Alice’s fall down the rabbit hole. We wonder,

initially, where we’re going when Bunkers starts with a psychological caveat about the art of visual

journaling. Even more confounding is that her process, complete with call-to-action exercises and prompts,

is not a real methodology to follow. Rather, it’s a series of how-to instructions exploring different

emotions. Confusion aside, Bunkers provides the usual upfront information about tools and materials as

well as useful narratives to help avoid visual blockages. To get unstuck, for instance, she advises cutting

out magazine words and pictures or figuring out what’s being avoided. Along the way, her very personal

layout entertains, as do her examples. Tips, such as to take photos up-close and to save removed pages,

inform novices and pros alike. An accompanying DVD takes readers through her instructions, but take

care, for it’s all too easy in using this kind of crafts book to slavishly copy the samples without

customizing or starting afresh. - Booklist, May 2011

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About the Author

Traci Bunkers is a passionate and quirky self-employed mixed-media and journal artist living in Lawrence, Kansas. “I love rusty things, glitter glue, old books to cut up and cheap cameras. I'm smiling when my hands are dirty with paint or when I've altered a camera or something to use as a printing tool. It means I'm doing what I love—making art and doing things with my hands. Lucky for me, I do what I love for a living.” Even though the DIY and repurposing life styles are now in vogue, for this self-proclaimed love child of MacGyver, reusing and repurposing have always been her way of life as a creative way to problem solve and make ends meet. Through her one-woman business Bonkers Handmade Originals, she sells her nifty creations such as hand-dyed spinning fibers and yarns, original rubber stamps, handmade books, knits and original artwork. She also creates an artzine called Tub Legs, designs knitwear, and is a knitting, spinning, and crochet technical editor. She has been teaching workshops across the US since the early 90s and her visual journal pages, artwork, and knit designs have been published in numerous books and magazines. To learn more about her work, visit her web site at www.TraciBunkers.com.
 

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Quarry Books; includes DVD edition (March 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592536840
• ISBN-13: 978-1592536849
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.6 x 10 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #106,590 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #35 in Books > Crafts, Hobbies & Home > Crafts & Hobbies > Scrapbooking

More About the Author

Traci Bunkers is a passionate and quirky self-employed mixed-media & fiber artist living in Lawrence, Kansas. "I love rusty things, glitter glue, old books to cut up and cheap cameras. I'm smiling when my hands are dirty with paint or when I've altered a camera or something to use as a printing tool. It means I'm doing what I love--making art and doing things with my hands. Lucky for me, I do what I love for a living." Even though the DIY and repurposing life styles are now in vogue, for this self-proclaimed love child of MacGyver, reusing and repurposing have always been her way of life as a creative way to problem solve and make ends meet. Through her one-woman business Bonkers Handmade Originals, she sells her nifty creations such as hand-dyed spinning fibers and yarns, original rubber stamps, handmade books, kits and original artwork. She also creates an artzine called Tub Legs, designs knitwear, and is a knitting, spinning and crochet technical editor. She has been teaching workshops across the US since the early 90s and her visual journal pages, artwork and knit designs have been published in numerous books and magazines. To learn more about her work, visit her web site at www.TraciBunkers.com

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

82 of 85 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Only Visual Journal Book You Will Need April 15, 2011

By BeachBrights TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback

Length: 4:07 Mins

Loved this book. Excellent instructions.

I had to edit down my video so it fit into Amazon's video size requirements. Just to note, the book comes with a DVD showing the artist's time relapse detail of Visual Journaling.

XOXO-

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An original and inspiring take on Art Journaling March 21, 2011

By Jessica E Herman

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I just got this book and am LOVING it! This is great way to see an artist's process and how she gets where she's going. This book is not just fluff, filler,and only how to's, but a real look at how the pages are layered and built, and the inspiration that supports the work. There are lots of great journaling prompts that are both fun, inspiring, and insightful! The book itself is vibrant and visually tactile, which only makes reading it and working from it even better. One of my personal favorite things about this book, is that it emphasizes the individual, your own words and your own art, not striving to copy someone else's style. It's about the unique path we each are on, and how we bring that to the page.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Best Art Journal Book I've Ever Seen! April 15, 2011

By Emily

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is the best book on Art Journaling I have ever seen! After the intro, pages 12-39 are lists of what you may need and vague how-to's, which is good for the beginner. The rest is Art Journaling, a project on personal art business cards, mail-art, and "Commitment Cards". These 3 projects seemed tossed in, but there's so much more to see and learn.

The book is good for both new and old Art Journalers. I've been art journaling for 6 years, and I still got a lot our of it. There are about 17 different art journal pages by Traci in the book, three other projects that aren't related except that they are mixed-media like Traci's A. J. pages). There are about 10 photos of each art journal page, step-by-step on how it was created.

I must say, though, the book is just half of this. Without the DVD you are missing out. The videos that are availble are quite good, and the music is great (Traci does not speak). Each one shows you how she created the pages in fast-motion. However, the DVD only has six videos, each with a single project--and there are a total of 20 projects in the book--so the DVD is a little half-assed.