Intuitive Art and Crafting Glue Books

Hi everybody,

Some of you might know that I sometimes take a break from my regular intuitive art and take up a course or a new craft for a while. This inspires me through storing more images in my mind that will sink to my subconscious and will serve me when I go back to my intuitive work. I recently discovered the concept of a glue book. 

Friendship, Spread in Glue Book, Intuitive Mixed Media Art

The idea is to glue together images that one likes. This brings me back to my childhood when I loved playing with scissors, glue, paper and stickers. I recall in school how we regularly had to find images from magazines to decorate our notebooks and file folders. This love never left me. I have always hoarded images and stickers that I like. The problem with that is that they are stored away and that I don’t get to see them. So I’m happy to have found a way to display them in a creative way. I also find the action of cutting and glueing very relaxing. If you are looking for a new hobby, I highly recommend it.

Parrot and Butterfly, Spread in Glue Book, Intuitive Mixed Media Art

I had a Moleskine sketchbook laying around. Although I like the feel of the paper and it is pretty thick, I don’t feel free to do what I want with it. It is more suitable for dry techniques and some light watercolor washes. I like to mix everything, from very wet techniques to dry techniques, but that paper is not putting up with that very well. So I decided to make it into my first glue book. I glue two pages together to prevent warping. I already had made some costume design sketches in it on single pages. Initially I wanted to tear these pages out but later I decided to integrate them in the book. 

Fashion and Women, Spread in Glue Book, Intuitive Mixed Media Art

I also included some writing to fill in the single blank pages and then further to bring some balance through variation in the book.

The Fairy and the Chalice, Spread in Glue Book, Intuitive Mixed Media Art and Writing

I never succeeded in completing a sketchbook or the like, because I always felt pressured to stick to the same style or theme. I thought that’s how things should be done. But now I’m thinking: “Why on earth would I inflict these rules on myself? I’m just not that kind of a person. I like variation. I appreciate and enjoy books made in that single dedicated style but I don’t like making them myself. I like change, exploration, experiment, variety. And also, it’s my book. I don’t need to show it to anyone. So it’s fine if I’m the only person in the world who’s happy with it.”

Beauty, Spread in Glue Book, Intuitive Mixed Media Art

Although it is not my intention to create art I can’t help myself in doing something more by adding color, doodling, writing, stenciling and stamping. This probably makes my glue book cross over into an art journal. That’s ok because I’m creating strictly for myself with the freedom of a child. I enjoy the process and then flipping through the layouts. Also in this creative process my approach is intuitive, because that’s what I’m most comfortable with and it relaxes me. I’m thinking of making a process video of a spread in my glue book and eventually a video of a flip through when my book is completed. If you’re interested, I invite you to subscribe to my YouTube channel. To find me, just click the link: Rika Dehombreux on YouTube.

Home, Spread in Glue Book, Intuitive Mixed Media Art

So, I illustrated this blog post with a few spreads from my glue book / intuitive art journal. I hope you enjoy and that you’re inspired of making one of your own.

I would love to hear your thoughts. I welcome questions and kind words in the comments below.

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Much love,

Rika

Website: The Intuitive Art of Rika Dehombreux: https://www.glowingroots.com