Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Iceland Journal Part 1

Happy mid-week (already) everyone. Today I have a page  for Gill's  challenge over at  Art Journal Journey.    Its a great challenge this month with a theme of Nature's Wonders. 
 So I have been working on my Iceland Journal. I didn't bring the book with me, but got it all made so I could come home and record my journey. As I saw a lot of Icelandic horses, I made a spread just about them. The big horse face comes from  a tourist brochure I picked up and the horse on the left came from a deck of cards I picked up. Its a great card deck because it has photos of many things in Iceland. And even better, it was way cheaper than postcards.
 This isn't the greatest of photos. I used the cut out horse along with a postage stamp of horses. I also had this thick die cut of a chess horse in my stash that I thought would work really well on the page.
I also had this Viking stamp which I used on this left hand page.   The little rune images (top and bottom of the page) are stamps I made by cutting a piece of foam. I love them, but I did mess up and forgot to flip them backwards.  Oh well, I'll still use them.
Did you know that since Iceland's horses have been isolated from the rest of the world's horses they believe that they are probably like the original Viking settler horses that arrived in this country back in the 800's? Also, if a horse is taken off the island it is illegal to bring them back, They are trying to keep a pure line, which I think is pretty cool.

Here's a couple of other pages from my Iceland journal.
 I'm using some pages from old children's book about Iceland in my journal. That's what you see on the right of the top  photo and the left page of the bottom photo. I also used more tourist brochure images, a postcard of an old Icelandic photograph, a postage stamp and some more of those chess pieces from my stash.
I've got more to show another day. Hope you enjoyed your visit today.

14 comments:

Arnoldo L. Romero, MLA said...

It was interesting to read about the Viking horses. I love the art journal pages you made inspired by them. Blessings!

Valerie-Jael said...

Love your journal pages Erika, and those horses are very interesting. We have a lot of them being used for riding here, as there is a breeder here with riding stables, and I often see them trotting around he fields here. Thanks for another lovely entry for AJJ, have a fun day. Hugs, Valerie

Nancy Chan said...

Great art journal of your holiday in Iceland. Interesting information about keeping the horses' line pure in Iceland. I love the photos with the horses on the hill.

Bleubeard and Elizabeth said...

I see you didn't let any grass grow under your feet when you got home. You have already made this lovely visual journal of your Iceland trip a stunning success. The horses were a real surprise to me, and I was impressed you bought the playing cards that helped tell the story. Now I want to see MORE!!

froebelsternchen said...

An amazing spread Erika! I love those horses! We have an iceland horse here in the croud -400 meters far - a little horseranch a neighbour runs as hobby with some other horse enthusiats and this iceland horse feel just the best in winter they told me...lol.

Thanks a lot for suxh a super spread dear Erika!
Happy Wednesday!
oxo Susi

Let's Art Journal said...

Such beautiful Icelendic memeories bought alive on your journal pages! I love the Icelandic horse page, the images and viking stamp are perfect :-). It must have been so cool to see the horses in the wild too. You have transported me right back to viking days, thank you! I particularly like the postcards and stamps images, wonderful! Thanks for sharing your amazing travels. Wishing you a happy week! J :-)

Gibby Frogett said...

Another fabulous and interesting post Erika.
Firstly I love your AJJ piece, stunning looking horses (no wonder they want to keep the lineage pure) and I love the Viking stamp and your background.
You have so many lovely photos and wonderful memorabilia of your adventure - loved the colourful postage stamp with the birds.
Thanks as ever for sharing your photos and adventures.
Have a great day.. Gill xx (oh and yes, the lionesses were at a zoo - it was at Colchester in the UK)

Sharon Fritchman said...

Erika, your Iceland journal is absolutely wonderful! And I loved reading about the horses and learned some things, too! They are definitely a wonder of nature!!! And your art is too, my friend!

Lisca said...

Great pages of the horses and some interesting fact too.
xxx

genie said...

Your holiday has prompted some beautiful journal pages. I have never heard of Viking horses so it was interesting to read about their history. It is quite an interesting one. Amazing. genie

SLScheibe said...

Super journal pages on Iceland! I think a journal about your trip is such a great idea. It's really interesting about the Icelandic horse too. I'll have to tell my daughter (She's very into horses).

Meggymay said...

Fantastic journal pages, , you will have so many memories to add I'm sure. The horses all look wonderful, good for the people of Iceland wanting to keep the line pure.
Yvonne xx

~*~Patty S said...

Super pages you're creating in your Iceland journal Erika!
That viking stamp along with your Runes stamp(s) give nice interest to the spread. Iceland is really putting the PURE in purebred horses.
What a special thing that is. They are beautiful creatures.
oxo

Jeanie said...

I had no idea about the horses, Erika. They're really beautiful. And smart to do that journal before you left so you could dig in when you returned home.