Avery's Art Journal

Well, I have finished Avery's final art journal.  If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know that I've done these art journals for all three of my kids, from pregnancy through their fifth birthday.  Since the journals are difficult to keep up with, after their fifth birthday, I make the switch over to a Project Life album, which is a little more manageable.

 

I probably don't have to tell you, but finishing this last journal has really hit me emotionally!  She's my last child, and of course every mother has those, "Oh, my baby's growing up!" moments.  But this has affected me more than her preschool graduation, or her fifth birthday, or her first day of kindergarten! 

 

These art journals have been a huge part of my artistic journey, and really shaped the artist I am today.  They were a large part of the book I wrote, as well as several magazine articles. 

 

When I quit working to stay home with Riley, nine years ago, I loved working in his journals, and they really became a large part of my identity as a mother.  I continued with Noah and Avery, but it became so difficult to keep up three of them!  I wasn't enjoying working in them like I had before, so with some regret, I made the decision to move forward with the Project Life albums once each of them turned five.  While I love doing those albums as well, there really just isn't anything like the personal element of an art journal!

 

Anyway, all this to say that I'm a little sad about the end to these journals.  The experience of doing them is something I'll cherish forever, not to mention the actual journals themselves (I already plan that these will be the first items to grab if our house were to ever catch on fire!!).  But I am also excited to start a Project Life album for Avery and to move forward with other artistic endeavors in the future!

 

In the next couple days, I plan to go back through all the journals (there are seventeen of them!) and post some of my favorite spreads from over the years- a fun trip down memory lane!

 

But, before all that, I'll show you the last few spreads from Avery's book:

 

 She split her lip open a few months ago, and got to go to the E.R.!

 

 This is the same little house (revamped at some point over the last few years) at a mini-golf course we go to when we visit Grandma.

 

 And our new little addition, Milo, of course!

 

Finally, her page about turning five years old...

 

 

I'll see you in a couple days with my art journal retrospective!