Give Away

"Marvin"

"Headdresses" (there are six of these)

"Meadow"

Here goes, I've never done this before, but I have 18 little 6x9cm cards to give away in three different designs (They may vary from the ones shown) so I thought that I would give them to six of my 'followers' who care to comment - three each, one of each design but lucky-dip as to which ones. After a week I'll randomly choose the six  and ask you to e mail me your address. I hope this is fair. If less than six enter I'll share them out accordingly.

I enjoyed making these and thought it would be nice to share, hope you think so too.

The little collage meadow cards were inspired by Angie Lewin, the headdresses by the Omo people and 'Marvin' by my cat who I love to draw.

For Friday

It is Friday, it is dull, it is raining and I have a headache. Wanted to get something lively and interesting for the weekend but instead thought I'd share this page from June. I have been doing a lot of journal writing since then and my lettering skills have improved a lot but I was pleased with the drawing of the perennial sweet pea. These are growing in my garden, but they always remind me of my grandmother. When we stayed with my grandparents in Norfolk for out summer holidays these sweet peas would be blooming and my sister and I would always be allowed to pick as many as we liked. My grandmother would put them in old glass tumblers she had decorated with transfer prints and put them round the living room of her two-up two-down cottage. What wonderful holidays we had there - the cottage was tiny but full of 'treasures' or old 'lumber' as my grandfather would call it. Nearly all of it gone, just memories now.

The Walled Garden Project

It is time to share some of my first group of photographs I took at the Luton Hoo walled garden. I have managed one photo session so far. There are some general shots of the garden here in a previous post. However I am interested in compiling a more intimate portrait of the garden and glasshouses in all their glorious decay. So here are a few to begin with.

Fan light

Rust

Grating

Fork, scythe, rake

Glasshouse interior

I hope to convey the magic of the place.

More information about the project on the website

Etching Again

I spent another day at an etching workshop yesterday. Here is my print.

The trouble is I was only able to pull one decent print and I have done some extra work on the plate and was unable to take a print. The workshop was very busy and great fun, but I rushed a couple of processes and had to start again - don't say it... ' more haste ...I know, I know'

This is a scan of the first print off the plate so the definition is not that good. The better one is on too large a piece of paper to get in the scanner. However I am pleased with the intial outcome.  I wanted the contrast between the thistledown and the prickles, I think it has come across,  but I value your opinion. I shall definitely be going back in the spring to do some more.

Here is my sketch and photograph again which were my initial inspirations,

Thanks again to Karen and the Milton Keynes Printmakers

Inspired

There's calm in your eye

This picture started so differently, I wish I'd scanned it before I started reworking it this morning.  Last week I was listening to Neil Young's 'Like a Hurricane', one of my all time favourites, and I had an urge to make a picture to show how it made me feel. 

I started with a magazine photograph of Alexandra Burke and I was struck by her eyes,  so a drew a more or less straight copy, and placed in on a painted and collaged background, but it wasn't doing it for me. So I let it sit.

THEN... Lesley from PRINTED MATERIAL  posted me a comment AND on her inspirational site I found this: 

  Here are a couple of Hans Silvester's amazing photographs.

I find these images so beguiling, at the moment I am having to have a daily fix.

So my piece of work was reborn, also taking inspiration from my photographs of thistles for the spiky headdress.

So this morning 'Alexandra' got a coat of white gesso and a whole new hairstyle!

I hope you enjoy sharing my though processes!!

I have come quite a way from my original visualisation - thanks Neil (and Lesley)

Roll over

My cat, Marvin is a rather large ginger and white cat who arrived at our home in 2005 from the local cat rescue charity.  I have always enjoyed  sketching my cats over the years so I thought I'd keep a Marvin sketchbook. He always prefers lying stretched out - I think his belly is too fat for curling up - he is on a strict diet, but it's not making any difference. You may have noticed him cropping up before. I thought I'd share these with you, I'm sure he'll crop up again.

A New Month Dawns

Along with Art Journalling I have discovered calender making - so I thought I'd share some of my efforts so far. So here are August and September...

If you click on the image you can see some of the detail - but I apologize for the less than brilliant photographs. These are in  A4 size Pink Pig sketch books.

Here is October with just Friday and Saturday to fill in. These are great fun - especially if you like doodling. Sometimes I feel like writing, or sometimes just a minimal bit of rubber stamping will do - 'cos on some days nothing much does happen.

So today I prepared November.

I layered the background with gesso, acrylic paint and watercolour pencil - and printed with leaves and my favourite sequin waste. Then I cut thirty squares from various coloured papers, made days of the weeks labels and the month title ...

... and I am all ready for November.