Offene Ateliers Köln

Last weekend — only about week after I joined the studio collective — Atelier No 5 participated in Offene Ateliers Köln (Open Studios Cologne). The once-a-year event invites art studios throughout the city to open their doors and artists to share their work.

We held a reception on September 8, and despite having little to show given my move and limited time in the studio before the event, I was thrilled to sell two pieces (above, bottom left). While my personal art journals aren’t for sale, I was also proud to showcase several years’ worth and speak about the process of creating them (in German!).

A white wall with 10 colorful abstract art pieces in varying sizes. On a table below sit four completed art journals and two blank art journals.
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Atelier No. 5

A wooden table with a beginnings of a handmade book and bookbinding supplies.

I am exceedingly excited to share that I joined a shared studio space at Atelier No. 5 in the south of Köln. This opportunity allows me to connect with the artist community, build new relationships, and spread out and get messy (without the threat of curious cats).

Other artists currently at the space include:

Daniela Buchal
Bernadette Cornelius
Caro Döring
Martha Frances Ebken
Manu Beermann
Anja Meyer
Anke Ricklefs
Tanja Schmiechen
Claudia Tober
Juliane Trautmann

So much more to come.

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Messy May 2023

An open mixed media art journal. A layer of mostly neutral collage (and one large teal painted paper) is topped with energetic marks and drips in black, neon pink, white, orange, and blue. Most of the background shows through.

Over the weekend I took part in a Creative Hour conversation with Caylee Grey, Meg of Meg Journals, Claudette Hasenjager and more than 100 other art journalers. Caylee is the founder of Get Messy, and Claudette, Meg, and I are three of thirty artists leading this year’s Messy May, a free daily art journaling project.

Connecting with other creatives is something I treasure. Sharing processes, challenges, inspiration, and habits reminds me both of how deeply personal creating necessarily is, and also how universal and innately human creativity is. I am always humbled and inspired, and leave more curious about and committed to my creative practice.

Thank you to all the participants for joining, and to Claudette, Meg, and Caylee for a fantastic conversation.

PLAY in Messy May

For me, creating is a practice of tapping into childlike wonder and intuition. There is no room in my art journal for criticism or perfectionism — only curiosity, joyful exploration, and reflection. As a Messy May featured artist, I encouraged participants to let go of expectations and tap into playfulness and possibility.

Check out the video above for a time lapse of my process, and some additional creative prompts to encourage playfulness.

And below, just a few of the many, many responses to the PLAY prompt. Click on any image to be taken to the artist’s feed. (If you decide to give it a go, please tag me on Instagram! I’d love to see what you make.)

  • Open mixed media art journal page in shades of blues and reds.
  • Open mixed media art journal page. There is a face on the left with stitching and on the right reads, "Time waits for no one."
  • Mixed media journal page in shades of white, blue, and pink.
  • Mixed media art journal page. There is a pocket with art cards tucked in, and flowers.
  • Mixed media art journal page in shades of bright pink, blue, and whites.
  • An open mixed media art journal page. A layer of collage is topped with bold marks in neon orange, green, blue, black, and white.
  • Mixed media page with various cloths stitched onto paper.
  • An open mixed media art journal with elements of white, black, blue, red, pink, and orange.
  • An open art journal page. To the right are sketch-like flowers drawn in black; to the left are blues and pinks.
  • Detail of a mixed media art journal page. Collaged papers (repeating hearts and a crow are visible) are accented with pinks.
  • A mixed media art journal page featuring black, pink, and blue with white doodles.
  • An open art journal featuring brightly colored collage.
  • A page of a mixed media art journal. The primary color is deep yellow, with shades of green and pink, and black doodles. Pasted text reads, "We have been far away from the world in which reason, purpose, and standards of perfection play a part."
  • An illustrated art journal page with multi-colored flowers, a sun, and the word "Jugar" (Spanish for "play").
  • A mixed media piece with elements of collage, blue accents, and the word PLAY written in cursive in the middle.
  • A mixed media piece featuring a collaged man walking, blue background, and the word PLAY in white.
  • Open mixed media art journal. Multiple colored background with the word PLAY in pink in the middle.
  • Open mixed media art journal. A layer of collage is covered in doodles and scribbles; the primary colors are green, orange, blue, and black.
  • An open mixed media art journal with bright colors: neon pink and yellow, and teal.
  • An open mixed media art journal. Fragments of words can be seen, and paint in dark blue. At the right reads, "The scientist used his new tool to create a messy painting of a fictional world. He had fun playing with the different colors and textures, and he was pleased with the result."
  • An open mixed media art journal with greens, blues, and browns, and the text "Something new and wonderful to show you" in purple.. Several Ingrid Murray Art Journal Prompt Cards are arranged at the top.
  • An open mixed media art journal. At right is collaged lobster accented with bright pink paint and other sea-themed collage; at right is a child holding a plant. There are accents of black, yellow, and white.
  • Mixed media art journal page with energetic paint marks in neon pink, teal, orange, and black.
  • Mixed media art journal page. A pastel background is topped with rounded doodles in black.
  • An open mixed media art journal with collage, paint accents in blue, orange, and pink, and script that reads, "Trust the process."
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Leave Your Creative Comfort Zone

Ingrid Murray's art journal. A layer of collage is in the background, with several big black paint strokes and smaller splotches and scribbles in red, orange, dark and light blue, white, and pink on top.

On Tuesday, I joined A Work of Heart‘s Under the Influence Art Journaling class as a featured artist. I spoke about my background, inspiration, and artistic process, and then participants explored elements I use in my own work — collage, energetic mark-making, and bright colors and splotches — as they created their own pieces.

It was a wild experience and quite a gift to see my work through others’ eyes. One thing that’s stuck with me most, though, is a conversation we had about one of my core beliefs about creating: it’s critical to embrace making “ugly” art.

A few participants found it challenging to leave the background peeking through, like I often do in my own work. Host Andrea Chebeleu used a color she doesn’t often reach for, purple. I didn’t love the spread I made (above). Making pieces you’re not entirely happy with, though, means that you are trying something new or are learning something new about your practice.

Create, notice what it is that you don’t like about it (or any elements that you do), and then turn the page. Or, you could do what I did: paint over the busiest parts and add more collage and mark-making on top.

Here’s the finished piece:

Ingrid Murray's art journal. Elements of collage and mark-making have been collaged over and painted over so that only a few strokes of blue, black, and pink paint show through.

Editing your own artwork can be another step the creative process, a response to your own voice and what you have on the page.

The Under the Influence Art Journaling series is a great way to learn new art journal skills, expand your artistic comfort zone, and dive into new creative techniques (and, if you want, purposefully make lots of ugly art!). While my live session is over, registration gives you access to all of the previous sessions on-demand and five weeks’ worth of live artist-inspired workshops still to come. You can sign up here.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you register through them, I will receive a percentage of the cost of purchase.

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Featured Artist, UTIAJ

I’m excited to share that I will be a featured artist for this fall’s Under the Influence Art Journaling, hosted by Andrea Chebeleu of A Work of Heart. Not only will you get to explore my particular way of art journaling, but you’ll get to meet me virtually!

Even better, you’ll also get to explore the works and processes of eight other art journalers.

Andrea has hosted this series for years. She leads participants through nine weeks of art journaling exploration, focusing on the unique stylistic approach of one artist at each session. Participants make their own creations inspired by each artist.

What I love most about this concept is the exploring. It’s so easy to fall into a creative rut; to explore other techniques and modes of artistic expression (and to sometimes hear from artists themselves about their process!) is such a beautiful spark that can set you off on a totally new artistic journey.

Andrea writes:

Each session starts with connecting to the featured artist and their work … I then guide you through an art journal spread incorporating some of the “flavors” of our featured artist. This practice gives you practical experience translating what you see and enjoy into your own art journaling process.

What an awesome way to boost your creativity. The series kicks off on October 11 — register here.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. If you register through them, I will receive a percentage of the cost of purchase.

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