Jump to content

Thursday Challenge August 22 - "art 4" :)


MariJ

Recommended Posts

Wow, it's the fourth August Thursday and what started as an "Art" themed Challenge has morphed into a month of Art Journaling by popular demand! This week I thought we'd focus on the five senses as a prompt. Have you ever heard of a "sense memory"? The five senses play a very significant role in making, storing and retrieving memories. Certain sensory stimuli can trigger memories that are usually rich, strong and a sort of "reliving" of the original experience. No thinking - just a quick and strong memory… Smells in particular are very provocative and this actually has a scientific basis. The olfactory bulb in your brain is located right next to the part that handles memory storage, so strong links can be created between smells and particular memories! Cool huh? That's why you can have strong memory triggers from a variety of smells -- from "grandmother's house" to a really good dessert! And why smells are often used in marketing to recall happy memories and sell products.

But, other senses evoke strong memories, too. A soft, fuzzy sweater can bring you right back into the soft blankets you wrapped your babies in and into that time… Or the sounds of birds chirping can pull you into a much loved outdoor experience or trip memory. For me, if I see a beautiful rose I feel myself a little girl in my Grandpa's wonderful rose garden watching as he cuts me a bouquet for my teacher. All of these memories are brought on by the strong link of one of our five senses.

So to start, pick a sense - sight, hearing, sound, touch or smell. Close your eyes… FEEL that sense in you and see what it brings it up… Absorb the sense - does it trigger a memory? What memory is associated with that sense - what comes to you?

Now you can start your page. Remember, in Art Journaling we don't use photos, but rather meaningful symbols, words, and objects. Last week we focused on "stream of consciousness" journaling and used it in our background. This week, let's think of a sense memory. Start with your background. What type of scene are you setting? Place pieces of paper - blend, crop or stack them on on your page. You can paint or stamp some color on or even scribble some lines or draw something.. Whatever you FEEL in you.

Next think of special symbols or words that would help you express your memory. Scatter them around - plop them on the page and then come back and play with them. Add more, maybe blend some? Remember the #1 Art Journaling rule - "It's all about YOU and NOTHING is "wrong". You can add journaling, hide it or even make it part of your background.

Have fun creating a page about your sense memory. Please post your completed layout in the General Message Board Challenge Gallery. I can't wait to see what you feel and create! :)

Here's my layout - Salt Air

And THANK YOU, Jode! For creating another wonderful layout example for this challenge - Senses

Link to comment
Share on other sites

OOohh... Belle, I know - I had that same reaction myself once I started my layout! But, you can do it - just start piling things on your page and then play. :)

I know, I know - sounds easier then it is, but truly I have moments of wanting to pull my hair out but if I just keep going, suddenly the page starts to come together. And, remember, "Anything goes" and nothing is "wrong".

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...