by Debbie Hodge
With scrapbook pages, you have the opportunity to convey emotion that the viewer can understand and believe. You can use a combination of photos, color, words, and images to create a mood or tone — for example of comfort, excitement, happiness, or disappointment.
Bright colors, patterned paper that has a doodled/colored-in look, and embellishments like the playful elephant and simple flowers all contribute to a fun and joyful mood.
In writing about art (specifically about Hamlet), T.S. Eliot talked about the “objective correlative,” a set of objects, or a situation, or a chain of events that evoke an emotion in the audience. Rather than writing “He felt sad,” in a story, the author can use weather, gestures, and even the things the character observes to the same purpose.
As you scrap about yourself, you will absolutely have a feeling or attitude about the subject you’re scrapping. Consciously think about every choice you make to create a whole that’s evocative of a mood or emotion.
The oversized florals, buttons, ribbons ties, and tilted and layered pieces of paper create a cozy tone.
You can use:
• color associations
• pattern (oversized, stylized florals convey a different tone than bright dots on a white background)
• photo cropping and editing
• image and motif
• journaling that includes concrete details that all accumulate to illustrate joy much better than just using the word “joy” ever would.
Pale blues and browns, classic patterns of stripes and dots, and delicate white blossoms create an elegant and restful mood on this page.
