30 Journals 30 Days: DAWN DeVRIES SOKOL

Published on July 28, 2010

How long have you been Art Journaling?

It’s been about four years since I wholeheartedly got into it. I wasn’t real sure about it at first, but all of the reasons that kept me from it eventually attracted me to it.

How has Art Journaling impacted, changed, or enhanced your life?

In so many ways, personally and professionally. Personally, it has brought more creativity to my life. I once again journal, as I did when I was a kid, but now I do it visually, which feels more natural. Professionally, it’s helped me become an author and teacher. It’s enhanced my design work and helped me begin a hand-lettering part of my career. Nothing but good things!

What are a few of your favorite Art Journaling materials to use?

I LOVE Souffle pens, markers such as Tombow, and cheap acrylic craft paints for my page backgrounds. Tombow Mono Adhesive is a must!

Who are some of your favorite Art Journalers?
There are SO many I look to for inspiration, but I’d have to say those that come to mind are

Sabrina Ward Harrison

Teesha Moore

Pam Garrison

Each are completely different in their own right, but you can see cross-influences of styles and methods there.

What kind words of encouragement would you say to an Art Journal newbie?

Learn what you can through books and workshops and online. DON’T worry about what your pages look like at first. You will most likely hate them. I hated my pages for quite some time. But keep at it. Copy others to learn, but don’t do that for too long. You can’t be true to yourself if your art journal pages look like someone else’s. That’s not art journaling. Look at others’ pages and try to pinpoint WHAT it is you like about their pages. Is it the color palette? The style of backgrounds? The use of collage? Take little things you like about others’ pages and combine them to make your own style. It takes TIME. And patience. And an open mind. Keep at it. Be true to your art journal and it will be true to you. If your art journal is you, then it is GORGEOUS!

Where can we contact you…give us some link LOVE!
You can find my blog and work HERE OR HERE

My Twitter: @dawndsokol
My Facebook
My latest book’s Facebook page

By the way, I’m gonna hold a huge book launch party on my blog July 28 starting at 10 a.m. PST! There will be giveaways, including copies of Doodle Diary: Art Journaling for Girls, pens, markers, a couple of my handmade jotters and more!!! A BIG grand prize of a whole slew of stuff will be given to one lucky winner!

Video Starring Dawn:

[vc_video link=’https://vimeo.com/12165402′]

Short Bio:

I am an author, book designer, lettering illustrator, and an avid art journaler. After seven years of art directing magazines including America West Airlines Magazine, I decided to design books from my home studio. I design coffee table books, gift books, cookbooks, and kids books, and my design work has been included in Print’s Regional Design Annual 2002 and also has been recognized by the Copper Quill Awards, the Association of Partners for Public Lands, January Magazine, and Round & Coffin Club’s 2005 Western Books Exhibition, among others. In 2008, Quarry published my first book, 1000 Artist Journal Pages: Personal Pages and Inspiration. My next book, Doodle Diary: Art Journaling for Girls, has just been published by Gibbs Smith Publisher.

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