Making Image Cards

Materials Needed:
4x6" paper (anything from unlined index cards to nice watercolor paper)
Drafting tape (1/2")
Fine point, permanent ink pens
Watercolors, colored pencils, watercolor crayons, gouache (any or all of these)
Magazines for collage
Glue (I like archival glue sticks)
Rubber stamp alphabet set and ink pads (optional but fun)

The Process:
I. Consider committing yourself to this practice, making an image card a day, for at least two weeks, no more than 10-15 minutes per session. This will give you a good sense of how your work can progress when creating a safe environment for exploration.

II. Tape off the edges of your paper, so that you will have a white border on the page.

III. You can approach this a number of ways. Here are the two I use most often:
1) Without thinking, reach for whatever color or magazine image you are drawn to and let an image emerge. Remember, no more than 15 minutes.
Once the image is done, name it and put the name on the image. Does the painting express a feeling, an idea, an object? Name it without judgment,
Date it on the back, then put it away. Prepare your paper for the next day.
2) Think over your day. Is there an object that stands out, a situation, a feeling? For example, you had a tense meeting with your boss and she was wearing a tight gray suit. You could create a image of "The gray suit". Or you tripped on the down the stairs, so you could do a card called "The trip."
This process often helps you to focus in on an image that is symbolic of a series of feelings or experiences, and when you revisit your images in a few weeks, months or years, you'll know exactly what that experience was.

IV. Find a sturdy shoe box to keep your image cards in, and review them every now and then, looking for patterns. Image cards are excellent writing prompts, if you want to further your exploration.

V. Let me know how it goes and feel free to write me your questions or send me a few of your image cards. luna@lunajaffe.com