Flowers

Another painting

The second piece of work - this incorporate scraping, texture work, freehand painting with all sorts of interesting implements, stencilling and printting. A great weekend.

I've had a good week. I have sold my first artwork - hooray! And have been offered a place to study Art history and History at a different university next year.

Paintings

A little portrait

It's been a busy weekend here. Our Art group held a workshop with Artist Jenni Kelly and here is two pieces that I worken on this weekend. We started with a canvas and had a great time with rollers, fingers, glazes, combs, diffusers and spray bottles, inks and acrylics. The techniques we learnt have inspired lots of ideas for future work.

And now time for some sewing...

Set to Sew

Everything is laid out on the table - this is why I had to move into the dining room to paint. I want to work in very neutral colours this time. I'm making a series of small pieces that will be joined together to make a long wall hanging. Each piece will be different with some symbols and elements that are shared and unifying. So, here we go...

Making a start

Photo 1
I cut out a piece of hessian, pulled some threads from each side and placed some previously made (never throw left overs out) lace on it.

Some satin stitch and some circles

Photo 2
Starting to take shape now.

Nearly there

Photo 3

It needs a bit more. So I decided to try some hand stitches which was convenient because I wanted to watch some TV but wanted to keep working. Fortunately I had the right colour thread and a needle with the right size eye. It is many years since I have used hand stitches in my art due to time constraints but this was right for this piece.

And here it is...

Final

Just a few more hand stitches and another line of satin stitch.

Set up and ready to go.

Tools of the trade - and a beginning

I don't wake up very well in the mornings so last night I prepared everything and was all ready to go when I did wake up this morning. As the studio table was set up ready to sew, I moved my paint bits and pieces onto the dining room table, only to hear the inevitable comment from my husband about having my own studio so I don't have to spread all over the house! Being organised is definitely an incentive to work. And here is what I have done today...

Knowing when to stop

Stop!

Sometimes I do and sometimes I don't. I did this time and if I hadn't it would be in serious danger of becoming a muddy mess. As it is its okay and will now sit and dry before I apply the heat and see what happens from there.

To begin

Painting tyvek - 1

Take one sheet of tyvek. Paint a base colour - since I didn't know what I was doing I could have painted the base of burnt sienna a little more or even as a wash. Next take a wet paint brush and flick some black on, then water it down and flick again to make grey dots. Finally brush in some swirls.

Below I have used a toothbrush to spray some green paint and some fine lines have been drawn in with bamboo skewers.

Some more...

Painting - 2

And a sponge to add some more accents. This is such fun - why don't I do this more often?

Stitched

Progress

The tyvek has now been stitched onto a background of white silk. Click on the picture to see a larger version and more detail.

Play Day Today

I am SO happy. No study, just art and other things that I have been waiting and longing to do. Today is play day. I have had tyvek sitting in the cupboard for a couple of years and never used it. Two reasons - scared, and lack of time to try. So today is the day.

It is THAT time of the year again. Secret Santa time at work. I have drawn a colleague that I know will appreciate my art work so I am going to have a great time over the next two weeks making a piece for the gift. And for those of you who are interested, I am going to post my process as I create.

I know there will be spaces where I become so focussed and into right brained "full steam ahead", "cannot hear the world" mode that I will forget completely to take any photos or think in a rational manner, and I apologise for those at the outset. It is something I do once I reach a certain point in the production and I just don't think to stop and take photos at that moment.

No pics for this post, but several in the camera for later and many more to come. Stay tuned...

20 Things About Me

1. On good days I think of myself as an artist.
2. My favourite food is milk chocolate.
3. I am a student of history.
4. I finished my formal schooling at Year 10 and have studied subsequently through external means with a great deal of success. My study is important to me even though I have to give up other good things to continue.
5. I love to travel overseas.
6. I’ve been happily married for 21 years and have two sons aged 15 and 11.
7. Pretentiousness is a pet hate of mine. I believe that people are far more valuable being who they are rather than who they think they would like to be.
8. Writing is one thing I love to do. I like to write about my travels and always keep a journal of my trips. Later this can be turned into a travel diary to share with my friends and family.
9. I write lots of long letters.
10. Louis is my beautiful little fox terrier cross.
11. I am shy beyond belief and struggle constantly to overcome it. Sometimes I am successful.
12. My hair is going grey – very quickly.
13. I don’t like that!
14. I dye it.
15. I am a member of several online groups. I would like to post messages regularly but my shyness and lack of confidence stops me sometimes. The other things that stops me is that usually someone else has answered the question or I can’t put into words what I am really trying to say.
16. For the first 35 years of my life, fear was my greatest motivator.
17. Lavender is my favourite scent.
18. I love cottage gardens and pots of colourful petunias.
19. The walls in my house are painted poppyseed which is a lovely yellow.
20. I collect blue and white china and when I visited The Netherlands, Delft was one of my favourite places.

Detail

Detail

This slow piece

It's coming...

It is coming along, but very slowly. Lately my life has been consumed by my university study - World History and I am slowly finding some motivation and energy for art now that the exam is over and there is nothing more that I can do toward my results. This piece has been on the wall for aobut 2 ½ months with little happening and there are two reasons for this. One is, of course, the uni excuse and the other is that I just haven't known where to go next with it. The idea of taking a scissors to it has been popping into my mind every so often in the past few weeks and today I did it. These two photos are the bottom end of the piece. How the rest will end up is anyone's guess but I shall wait and see where it guides me. Trimming the edges gives the piece some definition that I like. Stay tuned...

I now have 4 months away from study and that means time I can devote to art (apart from work, Christmas season, being a taxi driver for my busy boys, being a wife, etc, etc - I am sure that many of you know the story). But, at least I am not a student for four months. I hope that time time will be a period of growth in my art life and filled with experiment and challenges.

Hibiscus 2

Hibiscus 2

The second flower - this would be stunning in silk, wouldn't it?

Hibiscus in my garden

Hibiscus 1

Here are two new flowers from my garden. This is the first hibiscus that I have ever grown and it is beautiful. If you click on the photo you will see it in a larger size and the detail in the petals is ispirational.