[I'm doing a series of posts on resources for digital art journalers and collage artists, beginning with digital designers who focus on art journaling. I'm linking to designer blogs or Facebook pages, rather than (or in addiition to) shops, since designers sometimes move shops, and often do guest spots at shops other than their own.]
Anna Aspnes does not specialize in designs for art journalers, but her artistic kits are ideal for us, especially her Art Strokes, Brush Sets, WordART, Tools, and FreeArt. There is a Facebook group called Fans of Anna Aspnes' Digital Art! that is very busy indeed. Most of the postings are scrapbook pages, and it's clear how much Anna's work pushes those who use it in artistic directions.
As it did with me. I began this activity with a digital scrapbooking class, and through that discovered Anna and expanding possibilities. One of the things I love about her work is how beautifully it combines with images from other sources. It's a very flexible style, even while being distinctly Anna Style.
Anna's work uses lots of blending, and a unique combination of photographic and graphic images, vintage and original. Here are a few recent items from her shop, just to give you an idea of her range:
Anna has been doing this for a long time; her current blog has archives back to August 2006, and her shop is vast. She teaches several digital scrapbooking classes and shares lots of tips and tutorials as well as scrapbook pages about her own busy life, which includes a child with Aspergers Syndrome.
(I've noticed a surprisingly large number of women who engage actively, online, in these hobbies have children on the autism spectrum, or stuggle themselves with disability. I wonder if those challenges are what push us toward self-expression?)
I find myself using Anna's work often, a go-to section of my stash, especially her Overlays and Paperies. Once you discover her work, your challenge will be choosing.
Leave a Reply