Lyrical Space Angst Art Journal Spread

 Hello! I sure hope everyone is doing well. I'm managing to live with my constant neck and hip pain, considering it's a crap shoot each day upon waking what I aggravated while I slept, not to mention what I aggravate while awake, LOL. My diet and exercising are going well and Honey continues his love affair with his air fryer. His chicken wings are da bomb! :-)

 Today I'm sharing a spread in my Little Book of Wisdom journal that focuses on two now-classic rock songs about space exploration and the human angst of it: David Bowie's Space Oddity and Elton John/Bernie Taupin's Rocket Man. I've been planning this spread for a while and with the recent Jeff Bezos rocket launch I was motivated to work on it when I had moments of time here and there. It's my opinion that these 2 song lyrics are very special, because after researching the songs and interviews with the songwriters, I learned that both songs are based on past works of art, yet also describe the human costs of the (then) Space Race as well as make insights about the future of space exploration. That's amazing! Past, Present AND Future? Yes, when taken together, their cumulative effect does just that for me. So I wanted to document and remember these songs along with what I learned about them. 

The spread closed. I made hinges on each outer side to hold fold-outs so I'd have room for the song lyrics and hidden journaling. American Craft stickers for the titles and the years were cut with Lawn Fawn Quinn's 123's dies on Lavinia patterned paper. I used washi tapes liberally to border and cover the hinging.

   

Close-ups, click on to see larger. The hinged shutter layers are smooth black card stock on which I ink blended Opalite reinkers with a sponge and then splatter-sprayed liberally with Heidi Swapp white Color Shine spray ink.

The spread opened up. Lyrics for each song were printed on Lavinia patterned papers and then adhered with washi tape to form pockets for tags with hidden journaling. The base pages of the spread's center were painted with black gesso and then sprayed with Heidi Swapp white Color Shine spray ink.

   

Left hand hinge and tag pulled out. Prima star stenciling with Versamark and white embossing powder, then Distress inks blending over that.

   

Right hand hinge and tag, same stencil and ink technique as left hand tag. My journaling is on the backs of the tags.

Space Oddity side... I learned that Bowie wrote this song after coming out of the movie theater having just watched 2001: A Space Odyssey, a movie largely based on Arthur C. Clarke's 1951 short story The Sentinel. Bowie's Major Tom is so poignant: a major celebrity on Earth, but once out in Space, just another particle of matter whose fate we never really know. Fame and it's effects were often Bowie's subject matter. This song was the first to hint at the human cost of leaving the bonds of Earth.

Rocket Man side... My HUGE respect for Bernie Taupin's lyrics began when I read that he wrote them right after reading Ray Bradbury's 1951 short story, The Rocket Man (which you can also read for free by clicking on the link). Taupin has said in multiple interviews it was his attempt to put that story into song. I've known the lyrics for decades, but until I read Bradbury's story, I never really understood them. I urge you to read it! It's short and hauntingly poignant. And Taupin's lyrics are genius!

The main art journal spread. Teesha Moore collage sheet images and images found on internet and printed, Moodtape, Altenew and Deep Red Stamp stamps, some of the planets die cut with Altenew and Spellbinder dies that fit them.

Close-up of middle left...

Close-up of middle right...

And a final view of the front closed again. Thanks so much for visiting and being patient with this photo-laden post. Until next time, Stay Well and Craft On! XOX

MY CHALLENGES PLAYLIST:

1.   Art Journal Journey August: Type (hosted by Neet) -- #2/xx

2.   Cut It Up #232: Space -- #1/1 Dies used: numbers (Lawn Fawn) planets (Altenew & Spellbinders); tags (Sizzix)

3.   Lost Coast Portal to Creativity #128: (Human) Face On -- #1/xx I hand-stamped and included human faces.  

4.   Classic Design Challenge August #8: AAG -- #3/xx

5.   TTCRD 8/24-8/31: AAG -- #1/2

6.   Creative Moments #221: AAG -- #2/3

7.   Scrapping4Fun #199: More than 2 Layers -- #1/1 other than a card  

8.   Lil Patch of Crafty Friends #164: AAG -- #2/3

9.   Creative Fingers #213: AAG -- #1/3

10. The Creative Crafters #43: AAG -- #1/3

11. The Crafter's Cafe Challenge #272 15 August: Fantasy -- #1/5 11 Challenges Max