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

Painting From Nature

Hello All,

On Friday I handed over my latest commission and it was well received; it was lovely to see her reaction. Letting go of paintings when you have been working on them for so long is sometimes hard but when you see how much they are appreciated it makes up for it.
Lately I seem to have lost my art mojo and haven't been doing a great deal other than the odd art journaling page. With this commission completed though I am starting to feel inspired to get some more painting done. My youngest daughter goes to school in September and although I will miss her terribly I want to take the opportunity to paint a lot more, get some more commissions and possibly (if i'm lucky) a few exhibitions!

This weekend I came across a stone I picked up in an old copper mine a while back. I loved it for its colours, textures and the flecks of glitter throughout it. I have been meaning to paint it and so decided to have a go on a small A5 canvas:

Here is where I got to so far. I think I am matching the colours quite well but need to work on adding depth and texture. Back at Uni I used nature as my inspiration quite a lot and it is nice to get back to that for a bit! This might inspire a bit of a series perhaps, mounted with the stones beside them?! who knows. I will continue to work on it and see how I go.

Bye for now! xxx

Experiments

Hello all,

A weekend full of eating and dancing.... fab! I had a lovely birthday with friends and family and some lovely presents including several arty ones (which I always look forward to!) Plus a yummy raspberry cake from my lovely sister.

Nick got my a new round gelli plate which I can't wait to get my hands on but haven't yet had the time. My mate got me some ecoline inks which I have wanted for a while. I briefly got them out the other day to have a play:

I haven't had much of a go but so far I love that they are so vivid. Looking forward to experimenting more!

I also, since I had very little time for anything else, decided to experiment with some metallic paint and glass bead texture gel on an index card. I was curious if the glass would catch the shine of the metallic.

It did really well and so far I am loving it! The yellow and orangey colours are also ecoline inks which I added just to see if they were vivid enough to show up. The white is some metallic shimmer ink which I dripped on. I was expecting it to come out darker than it did but hey ho that it why experimenting is so fun, you never quite know how it will turn out.  Not sure what to do with it next though?!

While I was in a metallicly mood I worked a tiny bit on my commission, adding a touch of silver into it:

I really love the shine on it now and it goes really well with the pattern. The silver plays well with the pink especially but also brings out the hints of blue.

I will let you know how my experiments turn out next time!

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

Weekend work

Hello All,

What a fantastic weekend it was. So sunny and warm it really feels like spring has arrived and I love that feeling! It is one of my favourite moments of the year when you feel spring in the air; trees and shrubs are budding, daffodils, crocus and snowdrops are everywhere and everyone has a happy rejuvinated feel to them. Yesterday me and by gorgeous family were out digging in the garden and then went of to the park for an ice cream. Bliss!

My new painting also seemed to by going the same happy colourful way. Here it is so far:

Still a way to go on it but I am liking where it is going so far! 

I also this weekend was asked by a local band if I would consider working with them to produce some art work for their demo cover; an exciting possible project! I am just waiting for them to get back to me but I will keep you posted!

Lastly for today I had confirmation from my swap partner she had received the parcel I sent. This time we had to produce recycled hearts, this is what I sent her:

A little recycled heart journal made with a coptic stitch. :) This month we are making bookmarks based around our favourite books which should be fun!

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

Commissions delivered

Hello All,

With both portraits completed I finally delivered them last Thursday and Karen was thrilled. I was a little worried as looking at a portrait of yourself is very different to looking at one of someone else. I was worried that she may not see herself the way I had portrayed her but she was very happy and she delivered them straight away to her partner. They were supposed to be his Christmas present but she said she couldn't wait.

Later that day Karen text me his response .... 

"I can't help looking at them. I'm moved to tears here, it's so flipping weird having you here but not .....And the colours are just so fluorescent, wherever I hang them they must have changing colours to bring out all the aspects......I'm flabbergasted. In fact, my flabber has never been so gasted."

What a response! I am well chuffed!

Bye for now xx

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Hello All,

I am sorry I haven't been about much! This time of year I get so busy with other things and Christmas prep I haven't had time for my blog. Its not that I haven't been creating, though my focus switches this time of year to what gifts I can make.

I am finishing a gift for my Mum (can't give any other detail away in case she reads this!) plus I have been commisioned for a journal and a picture so busy trying to finish them in time. The journal is going to be personalised with song lyrics and pictures in amongst the pages that have some meaning to its recipient.

Journal in progress

Picture now finished!

I did however manage to start a journal page last night which so far I am quite pleased with. Here is a detail of it:

 Really liking orange and reds at the mo. This will have a little portrait on it too once its done. Also I have been doing some filming in preparation for some workshops that I hope to run in the new year. busy busy editing them now! :)

As well as all the gifts I have been making Christmas pom poms with my girls and we will start making decorations including our own wreath from this weekend. The tree will be going up and it will all be mulled wine, mince pies and cheesy Christmas music from then on. In our family my husband's birthday comes first (this week) and then we can turn our focus to all things festive :)

I do love Christmas!

Bye for now xxx

Hibernation

Hello All!

I am finding lately I have very little time to get anything creative done. Perhaps it is down to the time of year with Christmas approaching it's dark and getting colder by the minute. I seem to be out more often than I'm in and when I am in, the kitchen (my usual work place) seems dark and cold and I'd rather sit on the sofa under a blanket. Perhaps I was a bear in my former life because I go into hibernation mode! I need to just put on a hefty jumper get myself a cuppa and battle through! Having said that I have nearly finished my second commission (which is for a Christmas present so need to get it finished soon!) and here it is:

I am going to add some text and you can't tell from this photo but I haven't finished her hands yet. I am really pleased with it and looking forward to giving it to her. Once this is done I will really try hard to get back into going some more journaling and I have ideas for a few more paintings plus a monthly challenge to get my teeth into, this month the theme is 'sky' and I love painting skies so really want to tackle that one. I also signed up to this months art swap which is creating some embellishments and goodies to send out which sounds fab :)

So message to self Lisa stop being nesh and get going!

Bye for now! xxx

Weekend Work

Hello All,

This weekend I had loads of time to work on my various projects. I am doing a another stall next month, a local Christmas fair. I have plenty of journals and labels left over from the last stall but I wanted to add something a bit more christmassy so I set about making packs of christmas labels:

I made these using my Gelli plate and some Christmas washi tapes.

The other thing I worked on was my commission which is coming on nicely but still has a way to go, here it is so far:

I also had a friend over who has been going through a rough time and has started coming to my art journaling sessions as a form of therapy to try and help her make sense of things and vent her emotions. It is brilliant for this and I myself use it in this way a lot! She was stuck though, she had started a page and just didn't know where to go next with it. We got out loads of materials and I helped make suggestions and point her in the right direction. She managed to finish her page and was happy with the result:

Susan's page

I really love that about teaching art journaling. It is really relaxing just to sit and play with all the different mediums and at the same time it really helps to get things sorted in your head and process how you are feeling about something. To see that working for the people I teach is wonderful. :)

Bye for now! xx

First Commission Finished!

Hello All!

I realise I have been a tad quiet on here recently, I have been very busy with my commissions and I have finally finished the first one!

I am really pleased with it and when I delivered it last week she loved it! It is the first time I have ever painted a beard (and lets face it what a beard to start with) and I am really pleased with that bit!

The text is taken from one of the subjects songs as are the crabs and fish.

And so straight on to the second one which I am doing in wintry colours with lots of snowflakes. Here is what I have done so far:

I am loving this one so far and can already really visualise the final thing and where I will be placing the portrait. I have to get this done before Christmas so going to be busy on this for a while!

In other news there is a new monthly challenge which I will be looking into and I am planning a series of bookbinding workshops to create a 'journal to go' which hopefully will also include some video tutorials as well. busy busy busy!

Bye for now! xx

Facebook Group

Hello All,

Not got much to post up this week, I have been busy in my dance show and working on my commision which is nearly finished but I will wait till it is before posting a piccie.

I have been partnered with Tora from Iceland for this months art swap which is exciting. I have to make two art deco ATCs, I have some good ideas but haven't had time to make a start yet.

What I thought I would mention is my facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/554702017988644/

This is a group I set up for anyone that loves art journaling and mixed media to chat to like minded people, share ideas and post pictures of their work. I also post my upcoming workshops on there for those want to attend.

Just the other day one member of the group asked for some help to prompt a page and I thought I would start my own monthly challenge on there. So this month I have challenged them all to create a page about their favourite moment this summer. If you would like to join us and have a go please do!

Bye for now,

Lisa

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Progress

Hello All,

This week I have been busy working on my commission which is coming along. It is really good to be doing some large scale work again. It has been ages since I have worked on canvas. Here it is again so far:

I also signed up for this months Art Swap on journalworkshops.ning.com. This month the challenge is to create a shabby chic journal page. It is not my usual style so it will be really good to have a play and see what I can come up with.

Also coming up is my stall next weekend. Everything is ready so fingers crossed I will sell a few bits!

Bye for now! x

Play

Hello All!

I just got some new Daler Rowney shimmering colour inks and pigment powders and so had a quick hour having a play on the back of and old cardboard box.

I really like the vivid colours and the shimmer in both the inks and powders is really nice. You have to give the inks a good stir each time because the pigment settles at the bottom but they are lovely colours. The pigment powders are really versatile as you can mix them into paints or mediums or add water to make shimmer sprays. Definitely a good buy!

I also managed to finally make a start on the background of one of my commissions, here is what I have done so far.

Detail

It will be a portrait of a guy who is a musician, hence the music and instruments. Adding loads of texture and lots of yummy colour, can't wait to get back to it now!

Bye for now, x