Be sure to check out the Winter 2016 issue of Somerset Studio Gallery magazine,  which will be available on newsstands on December 1. As usual, it is chock full of fabulous mixed-media art by many very talented artists!

My article, “Paris Paradise Journal,” appears in the Special Book Section of this issue. I created this journal after a study-abroad trip to Paris with the Global Scholars Program at Gateway Technical College, where I’d been studying graphic design. I spent a whole week in the City of Light, and was mesmerized by everything I saw, particularly the centuries-old art and architecture. My journal, which has a decidedly vintage flair, reflects my imaginings of what life was like in 18th and 19th century Paris.

The journal is collage-based, and features vintage and vintage-inspired papers, fabrics, and ephemera, most of which are French-themed.

Many of my favorite collage items were incorporated into this journal, including vintage lace, ribbon, buttons, rub-ons, Dresden trim, metal bookplates, jewelry pieces, and charms I picked up while in Paris. I also included inkjet photo transfers of pictures I’d taken during my trip. The instructions on how to do a simple, fast image transfer on a fabric page are contained within the article.

It’s always an honor and a thrill to have my work published in wonderful magazines such as this one! I’m currently working on another article that I hope to submit for publication very soon, which describes the process behind a second journal I created after visiting Berlin, Germany on the same study-abroad trip.

Again, I hope you will check out this and other articles in Somerset Studio Gallery! This issue can be purchased at Barnes & Noble, or ordered at stampington.com.