Bible Art Journaling

Since January I have discovered a new part of me…..   I am getting more and more confident with Bible Art Journaling as the days and weeks goes by.

 

I have started a few years ago… doing scripture journaling in a book. 

But to be honest with you it never occurred to me that I could do this in my Bible.   And just before New Year Day I discovered a website which would challenge Bible Art Journalers like me to expand their comfort zones and learn more at the same time.   So I embarked on a journey of drawing in my Bible.   I decided to use the Women of Faith NIV Bible Study to start as I didn’t want to spend more money on a new Bible.

During the first few months, I have expanded on my drawing capabilities…  Sometimes I was inspired by someone else’s drawing while other times I sensed that God wanted me to be more creative on my own.

Then the Christian bookstore in town was closing its doors and I decided to see if by any chances there would be a journaling bible left.  There was and I decided to purchased one – a beautiful ESV with brown cover imprinted with leaves. From that day forward I decided to go back and forth between the two Bibles.  Why?  Because I am on a mission to create keepsakes for my four kids.

I will admit that the ESV has a bit more space to play with.  Now my husband wishes that I had a NIV journaling Bible to draw in.  But eventually I am thinking I will have to purchase a new one to pursue this new personal craft time in order to have one bible for each of the kids.   Meanwhile, even my kids are getting interested in this new adventure and are asking if they could get such bible for their own.   I am trying to encourage them to draw on paper for now in order to get some practice.

But in all Bible Art Journaling is also helping me to study God’s Word on a different perspective and to learn Scripture by memorizing them at the same time.

How am I doing it?   Well, at first I use my pencils to do a draft of what I want to illustrate.  Once I am satisfied with it, I use my micron pens (I have a set of colors and a set of blacks in various sizes) and trace around the drawing.   Sometimes I play with the lettering as well to make it fancier.   Once I am done with that part, I decide on the colors. I usually use the Prismacolor Scholar but at time I also use the Staedler Watercolor pencils.    A few times I even was bold enough to include paint in the bible.  But to be honest, I am not the type of person who will cover the words in the Scripture.   Other people have no problem with that but personally I want to have a Bible that will be readable as well for my future grandkids.     Other tools that can be used while doing bible art journaling would be washi tapes, stamps, stickers and so on.   In a way it is a little bit like scrapbooking but within the Word of God.  

Some people asked me why I was doing it….   I do it to go deeper in the Word of God, to be guided by the Holy Spirit and to memorize Scriptures.   Like it or not by the time a drawing is done sometimes I have hidden the words in my heart and mind.  Besides, it helps me to relax and not worry about tomorrow.

Recently I finally found the courage to personalize the inside cover of the Bible I am using.  It isn’t quite finished just yet.   I haven’t had the time to using the watercolor pencils to color the birds and I still have to incorporate the Scripture in the parchment.    The six birds represent my own family – two adults and four kids – which are signing to the Lord.  

If you are interested in discovering what journaling and art in your bible is please come and join the following two groups on facebook: Journaling Bible Community  and  Bible Art Journaling Challenge.