“If you run into a wall, don’t give up.  Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”  (Michael Jordan)

I created the “brick” part of this background using several colours of Distress Ink applied through a stencil with a blending tool.  I used both white and cream-coloured acrylic paint to block out portions of the brick, creating a space for the text.  I collaged the quote onto the page, and then drew around them with black and gray ink to make them stand out more.  The male silhouette was made applying black paint through a stencil.

I added a combination of rubber stamping and doodling to create the swirl of stars and spirals that flows from the left side of the page to the right.  Lastly, I drew a wavy black outline around the edge of the page using a Sharpie and shaded the outer portion using a gray pen.

This is one of many pages in my art journal that wanted to stick together each time I closed the book.  So I later rubbed both the left and right sides with a white candle.  The wax coating prevents the pages from sticking, while giving the page a soft sheen and smooth feel.