Portrait Progress

Hello All,

Over the last few weeks I have been working on my new portrait and really enjoying it. It's been great getting back into painting a portrait and although its challenging I love seeing it take shape. I have taken some shots as I have been going along so you can see the progression. Here it is so far!

I am now on to the background which I am going to keep quite simple with a little texture and coloured with pigment powders. I hope you like her so far, I will post a final picture when it is finished.

Bye for now!

 xxx

New Painting

Hello All,

Autumn is well and truly here or actually already on its way out with the first snow fall the other day. Christmas adverts are back on the telly and Christmas music in the shops. This is my absolute favorite time of year. I love the colours of autumn and the lovely bright crisp cool days (before it gets miserable cold and wet) The build up to the Christmas season is one the best bits with cosy evenings under blankets and delicious food ahead.

Inspired by the colours I got stuck into another painting:

To me it feels like autumn leaves in the rain. I like how the texture softens into a wash of colour like the colour is draining out down the canvas.

I hope you like it! Bye for now xxx

Tile Stamping

Hello All,

This week I was looking at tiles with my hubby and saw that you could buy some sample tiles for 50p. There were some really interesting patterns and textures and I thought they could make really good stamps for art journaling so I bought a couple to try out.

Here is one of them. I tried with ink but the print was quite faint so I had a go with some acrylic and I really liked the result. I think rubbings might be good from these too. I will definitely be looking for some more!  I used this pattern on a page in my altered book art journal and the result was really quite effective. Here is the final spread:

I played around with layering paint and pattern allowing some of the original text from the page to show through. I finished with the circles stamps. I was recently looking at art foamies which are a product in the states that look fab, really big chunky interesting foam shapes and patterns used for stamping. I would so love to buy some but the postage to the UK is really expensive. I decided to try and make my own instead, using a piece of card, some craft foam, scissors and glue. I cut out 24 identical circles from the craft foam and glued 6 onto the piece of card. I then kept gluing the circles on in layers over the top of the previous until I had 6 stacks of 4 circles. Once dry I tried it out with some paint and you can see the result. Simple but effective! I will have to try out some more complicated shapes to see if it works.

I do enjoy experimenting with different art products but making your own and using an everyday object in a different way is really satisfying, it sometimes takes a bit of thinking outside the box but, like buying a bargain, when it comes out right it is even better :)

Bye for now xx

The Start of A New Commision

Hello All,

I am back to canvas this week and thoroughly enjoying myself. I am feeling really inspired with this latest piece which is a commission for a friend of mine. Here it is so far:

And a few details too:

I have been working with inks, acrylic and pigment powders mainly, with some mica powder and gelatos thrown in for good measure. The texture is built up using tissue paper, modelling paste and glass bead texture gel. I am really enjoying the contrast between the texture and the smooth. I already have in mind two or three other canvases combining the two again.

I have progressed really quickly with it cause I can't leave it alone and I am nearly finished, but like a good book I will be almost sorry when I do. I may have to dive straight into another!

Bye for now!

xxx

Change

Hello All,

Today I thought I would share an art journaling page I finished at the weekend. I was playing around with layers. This is in my altered book so there is already text on the page to start with. To this I added gesso then modeling paste through a stencil from stencilgirl products designed by Carolyn Dube  Once this had dried I added layer after layer of ink and paint keeping it quite wet and allowing it to drip through the modelling paste. I then drew some circles and added a layer of gesso to everything but these so that the circles really stand out.

I decided to add the butterflies and the word 'change' to reflect the changes in my life recently with my youngest finishing nursery and my eldest finishing infant school. I used stamps on tissue paper to create these and adhered them to the circles using matte medium. Lastly I brightened some areas of the background with ecoline watercolour inks.

I hope you like it! let me know what you think.

Bye for now xxx

Finding Inspiration

Hello All,

Sitting at work last week listening to music that I hadn't heard for ages and suddenly a song called 'Oh My Mama' by Alela Diane came on:

It is such a simple and beautiful song and really struck a chord with me. At the moment my eldest daughter is finishing infants and moving up to junior school and my youngest finishes nursery today and starts school in September. This week is the last week when it is just the two of us and although I am looking forward to some time to myself I also feel really sad. It is the end of a chapter and it has gone too fast, I feel I haven't been able to keep up and I will miss her a lot! This song really captures the feeling of being a mother for me.

I decided I needed my journal to channel some of these feelings:

I was also inspired by a fantastic artist called Mary Wangerin whose use of colour is fantastic! This page was done in my altered book and you can see in the top right an old fashioned image of a mother figure coming through from the original page. The text is taken from the song as is the imagery of the little bird.

I also did a quick page in my small journal:

This one is to express that feeling of time moving on relentlessly and not being able to keep up while days slip away. The text on the feather reads "days are lost to distant memories"

I will still struggle this week and in the coming months to adjust to the changes happening but journaling about it helps me to get my head around things and move forwards.

Bye for now xxx

Art Journaling spread 'Bon Voyage'

Hello All,

Just a quick one today to share an art journaling page. I created the background using left over paint and paper towels used to clean stencils. Next I played around, layering some bits and pieces of my own creation and some ephemera recently sent to me. The whole feel of it came across as sunny and carefree and as I was going through my found text (text I cut out from magazines etc) I came across 'bon voyage' which fitted nicely. It was all working well together but definitely missing something. To finish it I added the girl using the magazine technique mentioned on a recent post. Sat looking at it now it makes me want to run off to somewhere sunny rather than sitting in England in the rain. Especially as everything is kicking off over here with the referendum resulting in the vote to leave the EU (I voted remain) Yep I would rather be elsewhere right about now that's for sure!

Quick Portrait Technique

Hello All,

Today I wanted to share a quick technique that I like to use when I want to paint a portrait but haven't a lot of time. I quite often want to add a face or figure to my art journaling pages and although I do usually do these from scratch sometimes I haven't a lot of time or might just be feeling lazy. When I feel like this I use magazines to help me out. I find a nice magazine image and stick it down onto my page, paint over this with clear gesso and ta ta I have a template to paint over. (I usually use acrylics to do this)

If you want to start learning how to paint portraits or if you just need that little helping hand to get started this is a great technique. Here is one I did at the weekend:

It is a really effective way of getting a portrait on to your page and I love the results I get. 

I hope you have a go to!

Bye for now xxx

Sorting, Tidying, Pies and Rats

Hello All,

This weekend was not a creative one! Most time was spent tidying, sorting, getting rid of rats (grim!) gardening and making pie (yum) When I got around to some art work it was mainly to tidy up the edges of my canvasses.

I did put together a parcel of ephemera as part of this months art swap, which fit in quite nicely with sorting and tidying! And I did manage to start a background for an art journal spread:

Whilst sorting I came across this journal which to be honest I had forgotten about. It is made of brown paper so it is quite different to work with and the fact that it is ring bound creates a different feel to the pages too. It feels a bit disjointed so its not my favorite to work with but I decided to not give in on it and therefore made a start on a background by adding modelling paste through a stencil and adding different stripes of colour over the top. Next I added circles and splats. It felt right to leave some of the brown showing and I have left it as it is now. Where it will take me next who knows but I quite like it so far.

I am in France next week (can't wait) and apart from drinking too much wine, and eating too much cheese I hope to take some art stuff with me and perhaps do some sketching or mini journaling or something....I'll see what I have time for.

I will post when I get back!

Bye for now xxx

A bit of painting keeps me happy!

Hello All,

Phew after a frantic week I was very ready for a nice quiet weekend. I have been busy at work having recently taken on a new role which is challenging so I am still trying to get my head around it all. Then I had something on every evening and it all left me totally frazzled. A spot of painting was just what I needed. The kids were playing nicely so I set myself up with a cuppa and worked on my ongoing commission. Here is where I got to:

My daughter who is 7 said looking at it made her feel she was inside the middle of a rainbow where it is raining and sunny at the same time. I love that description :)

Recently I have also taken up a new hobby.... aerial hoops. I love it (despite the inevitable bruises) I love doing something so different and exciting. With this in mind I also, whilst I had my paints out, did a journal spread about it.

page in progress

The figure is me, taken from a photo taken at one of the classes. I like the textured background with the relatively simple spread. It definitely expresses how I feel when I am up on the hoops. 

Back to another busy week now, especially good cause it's my birthday on Friday!

Bye for now xxx 

New pieces in progress

Hello All,

I have been feeling a lot chirpier this week, the sun is shining, its by birthday next week and life is good. Busy but good :)

This weekend I started the third little canvas of my commission. I have added the first few layers, trying to tie it in with the patterns and colours of the two I have done so far. Here is where I got to:

I am not entirely happy with the left hand side yet but it is coming along. I have mostly used inks and pigment powders so far. 

I was enjoying the Moroccan pattern so much I decided to start a journal page using the same:

I started with a really vivid pink but then decided to layer it with the copper colour. I really like the shine on it and it feels like something you might find abroad somewhere like Morocco or Tunisia. I am just not sure where to go next with it. I am letting it sit for a while until I decide.

Its a busy week this week and next but I will try and find some time to finish it off. (and work on the canvas)

Bye for now xxx

Self Esteem

Hello All,

Sometimes I go through periods of low self esteem as I am sure most people do. I have put on a little weight, not enough that would be noticeable to anyone but me but it knocks you a bit. I have to kick myself and be grateful for what I have. Everyone is a different shape and size. Wouldn't it be boring to all be the same! I am active and healthy and that is what should matter. I felt I had to do a art journal spread to give me that kick I needed to snap out of it:

This spread really has many many layers and I just kept adding to it. I started by sticking torn paper towels soaked in ink down then used a pallet knife and acrylic over that. then stencils, doodles, more paint, more stencils  more doodles etc. Finally decided I wanted to do a portrait to represent my self esteem and how I ought to feel about myself. She doesn't look like me she just expresses the confidence I need.

It did help and I do feel much better. That's the beauty of art journaling! 

Bye for now xxxx

Time for a spot of art journaling

Hello All,

There is nothing like finding time for some art journaling. Art journaling is something I love, it really helps to get things into perspective. I use it as a diary or just a place to play with my creativity freely.

Here are a few pages from this last week:

This was definitely a page for experimenting. I found a lovely bright pink acrylic paint that I couldn't wait to use and had carved a little handmade tear drop stamp. I also had made some collage pieces earlier in the week and decided to use one to create a little embellishment with a quote I found that seemed to suit the page perfectly.

This one is in my altered book journal and it was the original background image of a girl looking out of the window that decided where the page was going. I was enjoying playing with texture. My mother in law had given me some old torn lace which I wanted to try out and I also used modelling paste through a stencil. I kept adding colour with acrylics, inks sprays and mica pigment powders but it wasn't quite right. My husband liked the stencil pattern and suggested I add the flowers. It worked brilliantly and reflects my mood at the time, which was happy and peaceful. I finished it with the text 'take a look outside' to express my excitement that spring is finally here!

I hope you like them as much as I enjoyed doing them.

Bye for now! xxx

Time to paint!

Hello All,

Last night I managed to find time to do some painting. I have a commission for one big and two small abstract mixed media canvasses and really need to get on with them and get them done. As usual life gets busy and I struggle to find the time. I was therefore pleased to make a start on the big canvas. Here is a detail from last nights work:

The hardest thing to do is get started but once I do I get into the groove and then I can't wait to get back to it. My brief for this commission is quite open. The lady in question specified the sizes and that they were to be abstract but otherwise gave my free rein on colours/textures/patterns etc It is nice to be able to do as I like but I just hope she will like it!

Bye for now! xx

The next layer

Hello All,

Happy Mothers day for yesterday to all you wonderful mothers! I was treated to a handmade card from each of my girls and breakfast made for me by my eldest. Then later four generations went out for a meal with a free class of bubbly....lovely :)

All this wine-ing and dining meant little time for creating but I did manage a bit more on my commision:

I added further colour with pigment powders and glass bead texture gell through a stencil to create the circles. I feel that the pigment powders allow me to great depth of colour that sometimes I can't achieve with normal acrylics.

I also got a background in my altered book journal done:

I haven't done any journaling for ages so it felt good to make a start on this page. I had a load of paper towels I had used to clean up paint with saved up to use and these form most of the background with added acrylics andgold paint. The photo doesn't show that the text from the page also comes through which I feel adds nicely to it. What to do with it though?! I will have to wait and see where it takes me next.

Bye for now xxx

Starting my new commission.

Hello All,

This weekend I managed to get quite a bit done. I finished the journal a friend had asked me to make for mothers day. And made a heart shaped journal as part of February's art swap (I will post photos at a later date) I also started on the first of three commissioned abstract mixed media canvasses:

This is the first layer of one of the two small canvasses and has been done with modelling paste, pigment powders and silver acrylic. 

Can't wait to get back to it and keep adding those layers!!

Bye for now! xxx

Eco Bookbinding!

Hello All,

This week I set to making up a new journal for a friend of mine who asked if I would make one for her mum for mothers day. I do love making journals and haven't done one for a while so I enjoyed making this one. The journals I tend to make are eco journals, made from mostly recycled materials:

The cover is made from a cereal box and recycled paper. and the interior has a mixture of plain and graph paper pages. It is about A5 size.

Also this week I was experimenting on a mini canvas board with one of my stencils and texture pastes:

I thought I would share it as I am loving the gold! It is a bit of a pratice run for my next commision which is for one large and two small abstract canvasses. Hopefully going to be starting on them this week although this weekend I have my daughters 7th birthday party! wow can't believe she is going to be 7, that really has flown!

Bye for now! xxx

January Art Swap

Hello All,

Last month I took part in the art swap on Jennibelle's art community  The theme this time was to create an art journal page using a technique or medium that was new to you. I was partnered with Jackie from Denmark. I just had confirmation that she has received it so I can now show you what I sent:

I used the glass bead texture through a stencil (I only bought it in January so it is still very new to me.) then added colour over the top with inks and acrylics. Having found out Jackie loved horses I just had to add a horse and the quote seemed to represent the theme well. 

Jackie sent me:

The coloured background has been done with ecoline liquid water colours which I have been pondering about buying. Looking at this I might well do, they are lovely and vivid. The figures are done in gold leaf which I have never used myself so that might be something to look into as well! 

I have signed up for this months swap which is to make a heart from recyled or reclaimed materials.

Bye for now x x 

Finished piece

Hello All,

I have had a busy half term with the girls going here there and everywhere and so haven't had much time to be creative however I did manage to finish my latest canvas:

It is a very light pallet for me but I wanted to challenge myself in this way. I used pigment powders and mica shimmer powers to get the colour and glass bead texture gel on the circles to achieve the glistening effect. It feels quite spacey to me like a nebula or something. I loved playing with the different textures in this one.

I also did a quick 10 minute sketch this week, over an existing background as practice:

I have been doing so much abstract I felt I needed to do this quick sketch just to keep my hand in. It isn't perfect but not bad for 10 minutes :)

I have been commissioned for a set of three abstract canvasses so moving on to them now plus a commision for a journal. I also need to get a move on and arrange some workshops! Life seems quite hectic at the mo :Z

Bye for now x xx

Detail of new piece

Hello All!

I was working on my new canvas last night and using mica powders and brusho pigment powders to add depth and colour (with added shimmer) I really like these at the moment. You only need a tiny amount to create some great effects and they can be used in many different ways. They have a transparency to them which is great for layering. You can add them to different mediums such as modelling paste, gells, pva or water to get different results.

The texture is a combination of modelling paste, paper towels and glass bead texture paste.

More to follow...

Bye for now x x x