More messy backgrounds in my art journal

Hello friends! I've just finished another art journal...woohoo! Even though it's filled with mostly messy mixed media backgrounds where I "dump" leftover paint & mists and try out outrageous colour combos, I love that I have overcome my fear of art journaling after sooooooo many unsuccessful attempts. ;)

For me, the turning point was when I invested in a sturdy art journal with pages thick enough for me to play with wet media relentlessly without the pages buckling. Like many others, I started with old books that had thin pages and require lots of prep work prior to using (like sticking pages together and applying gesso on pages before use). Too much work for me! *LOL*

My current fave art journal is the Strathmore 400 Series Hardbound Watercolor Journal. I'm currently working in my 3rd journal. The paper is 300gsm acid-free cold-pressed paper and the sewn binding allows pages to lay relatively flat. There is a soft cover version available but the hardbound ones just look lovely on a shelf. :)

I use a variety of mediums on these messy backgrounds - matte acrylic paint (glossy ones will just make the pages stick together), mists, water-soluble crayons, watercolours, coloured pencils and gesso - with a variety of tools like brushes, palette knives, credit card and gloved hands. :)

What about you? Do you have a messy backgrounds journal? It is extremely therapeutic to throw paint on paper! *winks*