Just as the human body contains the heart, invisible to our eyes yet a pulsating, integral part of our essence, so are the cards encased in my journal box, which when opened, allows for the discovery of the poetic heart. Each card revels in the symbolic shape of the heart. The process of teasing this shape from the background inks is similar to teasing out the heart felt essence of everyday encounters. Encounters of the heart which may have gone unnoticed in the thrust of everyday life are celebrated and preserved.

 

 

Collage, painting and drawing, unbound pages with altered box; words cut out of an old book create my own sentences and my own hand-drawn and painted heart images.

 

Tamara Bastone is a self taught artist from Chesapeake, VA. She uses visual journaling as a process for inner discovery. She is passionate about the interaction of symbolism and text. She has created commissioned artist books and her glass tube book has been featured in Cloth, Paper & Scissor magazine.