Monochromatic Gel Printed Art Journal Spread by Marsha Valk

Hi there! It's Marsha Valk here today with a new column!

What do you do when your creative mojo has left the building? Well, one of my top tips is to watch a film. In my case, any movie will probably do; however, if you need ideas, I suggest you start with a Wes Anderson film.

I went to see his latest, 'The French Dispatch', at the cinema the other week and it was marvellous!

Without giving anything away: 'The French Dispatch' is about the French outpost of a fictional Kansas newspaper in the 60s/70s. The plot follows different storylines, each reported by one of the journalists.

I've included a link to a YouTube playlist with trailers and clips at the end of this blog post, just in case you haven't seen it yet.

I'm always in awe of the typical Anderson choice of colours in each of his films. 'The French Dispatch' is no exception; however, I was intrigued most by the black and white parts of the movie this time.

So I decided to challenge myself and use only Paynes Grey, with Titanium White or Mars Black acrylic paint.

To lure my mojo back, it's essential for me not to get fixed on the outcome. So one of the things I do is that I start with mixing paint. 

A gel printing plate is an excellent tool for colour play and colour mixing, so in this case, I just started gel printing in one of my journals to see what would happen. And… this is what happened:

The stencils I used are ones that I picked because they somehow felt like they suited the film's vibe. 

The collage pieces are typewritten and notebook papers from my collage stash.

The blackbird is a nod to something in the film.

And, the text I wrote in pencil is the lyrics to a song by Charles Aznavour that is on the film's soundtrack. 

So is my creative mojo back after I created this page? Hmmm… the jury is still out on that one. But I know I can always try watching another film!

Until next time!

Marsha Valk

Stencils and mask used:
Art Deco Wallpaper Stencil by Nathalie Kalbach
Granada Stencil by Nathalie Kalbach
ATC Mixup Stencil by Mary C. Nasser
Circuit Stencil by Nathalie Kalbach
Manhattan Stencil by Nathalie Kalbach
Hamilton Stencil by Nathalie Kalbach
Stencil Font 4x4 Stencil by Mary Beth Shaw
Emotions and Feelings Alphabet Stencil by Carolyn Dube

Link:
'The French Dispatch' playlist on YouTube