Art Journal

Every mixed-media project leaves something behind.

A corner of painted paper.
A torn book page you couldn’t throw away.
Whisper-thin tissue that felt too beautiful to waste.

If you’ve ever ended a session with a pile of leftovers and no clear plan, this post is for you. Today, we’re turning those forgotten fragments into Collage Clusters—small, ready-to-use compositions that bring depth, texture, and meaning to your future work.

If you love the look of weathered surfaces, layered textures, and imperfect beauty, a grungy art journal page is the perfect playground. In this tutorial, we’ll walk through how to transform a two‐page spread—already coffee‐dye stained—into a richly textured, moody journal layout packed with collage, paint, fabric, and hidden journaling.

Have you ever looked at something as simple as a tissue paper box and thought, this could be art? That’s exactly how this project began.

In today’s post, I’m walking you through how I transformed an empty tissue box into a richly layered, interactive junk journal — using scraps, printable pages from my Mixed Media Artist Resource Library, and a whole lot of creative play. If you love repurposing materials, working intuitively, and making something beautiful out of the ordinary, you’re going to love this project.

I’ve been writing in plain A5 notebooks for years — the kind you pick up on Amazon with blank white pages. But recently, I had a thought.

What if the journal I write in felt more me? More soulful. More beautiful. Something I actually created with my hands?

So I finally sat down to make one.

This handmade book is stitched using a binding style called Link and Long Stitch. I learned it from the lovely Jeanne Oliver inside her course Poets and Misfits, and I’ve been wanting to try it ever since.

Let’s rewind to 2016. There I was, brushes in hand, teaching my 100th landscape painting workshop.

Fast-forward a decade, and I’d guided over 20,000 students online and 700+ in-person workshops—all about capturing skies, mountains, and forests.

But here’s the thing no one tells you: Passion evolves.

A quiet curiosity pulled me beyond paint. At first, it felt wild and messy. But soon, those unpredictable textures and playful marks revealed a whole new language of creativity.

Now, after countless experiments in my studio, I’m thrilled to say I’m officially teaching mixed media—and I want you to join me at

Art journaling is a delightful way to nurture your creativity, explore your emotions, and document your journey through visual storytelling. Flowers, with their vibrant colors, delicate petals, and rich symbolism, serve as a captivating subject for your art journal.

Whether you’re an experienced artist or just beginning your artistic journey, painting flowers in your art journal can be a fulfilling and inspiring experience.

To help you get started, here are 30 art journaling prompts specifically tailored for painting flowers:

There’s something deeply satisfying about shrinking your art practice down to a tiny journal you can hold in the palm of your hand.

In today’s blog, I’ll share how I transformed scraps and prints into a 4×4″ mini art journal, complete with a sturdy 5×5″ collaged cover and a mish‑mash of “junk” pages begging to be personalized.

This project is perfect for using up leftover mark‑making papers, fabric bits, and vintage ephemera—all while staying present and intuitive in the process.