New Courses Coming Up!

Hello all,

I am excited to have a few new courses starting up this month. Expressive drawing which is a great way of exploring drawing in a new and exciting way. In this course we explore using different mediums each week including pastels, watercolours and even coffee.

https://www.straightcurves.co.uk/class/expressive-drawing-course/

The second is an Introduction to Art Journaling which is a great way to get started with fantastic techniques to try each week. You also get a handmade journal to start you off.


https://www.straightcurves.co.uk/class/introduction-art-journaling/

Interested? come take a look! 

Bye for now xxx

New Expressive Drawing Course!

Hello All!

Some exciting news! My new 'Expressive Drawing' course is now up and running! Please see the following link for further details and how to book:

https://www.straightcurves.co.uk/class/expressive-drawing-course

Come and take a look!

Summer Sketches

Hello All,

So the Kids have gone back to school today marking the end of another summer. It always seems to go so fast. We have had a good one, very busy as usual going here there and everywhere and shipping the kids off to various family members to cover the days we had to work. Despite this we did manage to get a long weekend away just the four of us. A few days camping near Scarborough which was lovely. You can't beat fish and chips by the sea.

Here are a few quick sketches I managed of the girls whilst they were playing on the beach.

Done in pen and watercolour I think they work really well to capture the moments perfectly. Lovely memories to treasure. 

I hope you like them too! Back to the routine of school and work now and my workshops are starting very soon so time to get organised!

Bye for now xxx

Portrait Practice

Hello All!

Today I thought I would share some of the portraits I have been working on. I decided after watching 'the big painting challenge' on the BBC that it was about time I practiced painting 'well known' faces. I have never had a problem painting people I don't know very well, but the more I know the person the harder I find it to capture them. Family members are difficult but the hardest by far is a self portrait.

Well practice makes perfect and so practice is what I'm doing!

I started with my mum. I did a sketch of her first:

That went well and once I have done a sketch I feel more confident that I can translate it into paint.

So here she is. I am really pleased with how she turned out and it is the best painting I have ever managed of her! With this boost in confidence I tried to paint myself:

I enjoyed working in monotone for this one and it looks quite effective over the wash of colour. I look really serious but that is because I was looking in a mirror and concentrating! It didn't turn out too badly but doesn't look entirely like me. 

I am now on to the next one and I have really set myself a challenge by choosing to paint my daughter! Not only a face I know as well as my own but a child's face which in itself is difficult to do. So far I have only done my first sketch but so far so good;

I hope you enjoyed looking at my progress so far. I'll keep you posted on how the latest one turns out!

Bye for now xxxx

Some Recent Art Journaling

Hello All!

Sorry it has been a while! I kept meaning to blog but life has been busy lately, and I have been distracted with various things. That all said I didn't mean to put it off for so long! I will hopefully make that up over the next few days as I have loads to show you. Today I am going to start off with some recent art journaling:

This first one was an experiment of bold colours and lines. For the lady I used a magazine cutting which I then painted over and I tried to keep to black and white to match the boldness of the page. The whole thing I felt had a confidence about it and so I found the text from a magazine which was in keeping with this. 

This page is in my altered book journal and you may see some of the original text coming through on the right. I have been playing around lately with a lot of portraiture and this is one is a self portrait. Again I stuck to black and white and I think it works well here. This again has an air of confidence and is all about being self assured. 

For this one I really enjoyed playing with layering stamps, ink, pigment powders and tissue paper. I loved the yellow streak running through the page and this is what gave the inspiration for the text. To me the page has a warmth and feels quite happy and relaxed.

Finally this one, done in my small journal, is a bright warm very happy page about my recent family holiday to Crete. It was the best holiday we have ever had, we all had such a good time. The holiday was to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary (we went to Crete for our honeymoon) and it couldn't have been better. It was a memory I had to journal about! The colours have a warm glow to them and the image is my youngest daughter paddling in the sea.

I hope you enjoyed these pages, I will be back with more very soon!

Bye for now xxx

Sunshine is bliss

Hello All,

Well the sun came out this last weekend and it was glorious. I spent most of the time sitting in my garden, my kids playing around me, while I read my book or created. Absolutely bliss! I think the only time I left that spot was when we walked into the woods to look at the bluebells that have suddenly bloomed. Everything seems that much better with a bit of sunshine. The trees that had been sat in bud for weeks felt the sun and burst into glorious green. It got me thinking how much everyone loves the spring but only due the lack of it, only because of winter. The return of spring makes everyone breath a sigh of relief and everyone is suddenly all the more open and friendly because of it.

It prompted me to make these pieces. The first is a mixed media index card and as I sketched the bush in my garden all set to burst into colour I thought of the text. It is the idea that at this time of year everything is holding its breath before bursting with colour and new life. The second piece is in my art journal and it is done completely in inks. I was experimenting with the new ecoline inks and wanted to see what they would be like for drawing with. The text says "We have to experience the coldness of the winter to truly appreciate the return of the sun"

It was a fab weekend, really peaceful! That said as I write this it is raining cats and dogs.... hey ho that is the way it goes when you live in England!

Bye for now! xxx

Christmas pom poms and stencil play.

Hello All,

I love Christmas crafts and always try and make something new with my girls each year. This year we went a bit pom pom mad. We made ones to hang on the tree plus enough little ones to make this:

Which is now hanging on my wall :) I wrapped a picture frame and stuck the pom poms on the top. 

My eldest who is 6 has obviously inherited my love for all things creative and loves to draw all the time. She decided this year to draw me pictures to go in my advent calendar. Here a few of them:

It has been fab to find out what she has drawn each day and she has even written little notes on the back for me too! :)

Apart from all things Christmassy I have had time to play with one of my new stencils and created this background:

I used modelling paste, acrylic paint, brusho pigment powers and irridescent ink on this so far. I don't know where it is going to take me next. I felt I had to leave it a while to see where I wanted to go with it. I love the stencil though which was made for me in the last art swap. It may well become one of my favourites! 

If I don't get chance to blog before Christmas now I hope you all have a fantastic one! I for one am really looking forward to it all!

Bye for now! xxx

A bit of pondering

Hello All!

I decided to take a break from commisions and do some journaling for myself. I recently received some new Dylusion paints which I see a lot at the mo on many you tube vids and although it is not easy to get over here in the UK, I decided to get some to see how good they are.

I have to say I can see why people like them, the colours are really vivid and they go on really smoothly! I have already ordered some more colours! Also in this page I used wax paper with some gelli printing on it and my new color pep smoothy crayons. The text I did with a new stencilgirl stencil called 'verbage'

The theme of the page came as I went on, I was overthinking some aspects of my life, which was only leading me to panic and worry. This page ended up being about that and helping me to stop. Think and ponder by all means but do not dwell on things!

Bye for now! xx

Shopping!

Hello All,

This week I been watching quite a few you tube vids and it inspired me to purchase a few new things. I found that a lot of people are using dylusion paints and the colours look really good so I have ordered a few to try and also a few fab stencils from www.stencilgirlproducts.com.
The other thing on the way is some mapped colorpeps smoothy crayons which all the reviews I have read say are very similar to gelatos (but cheaper) and that the colours are really vivid. Looking forward to it all arriving so I can have a play. I hope to make a new vid, trying out some of the stuff.

Also on you tube this week I watched a fab vid by Julie Fan-Fei Balzer. If you haven't seen her work, check it out, she is really good. Her You Tube channel is:

 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYS7gznVtfxvVQsKOW1Jiww

The vid I watched shows Julie using some simple but very effective mark making. Mark making is something I like but more often than not forget to do. I decided to create a background in my art journal inspired by Julie:

I started with a gelli print, pealescent paint, brushos and modelling paste before adding stencils and my mark making. I think I am going to attempt a portrait or a figure of some kind over the top but not sure yet. I will post a piccie up again when it's finished.

Bye for now xx

Monthly Challenge

Hello All,

The monthly challenge on journalworkshops.ning.com  for August is 'Windows and doors' I didn't start the page as the challenge but it must have been on my mind cause it just kinda happened.

I initially thought about cutting windows into my page for the challenge but as I worked on the background for this page I was really enjoying the colours which inspired me to add my new stained glass window stamp and then as I was sorting through some old magazines I found the quote and it all just fit! I really like how it turned out :)

Bye for now!

Weekend Work

Hi All,

I was a very busy bee this weekend, as well as running my workshop I also got down to some work of my own.

Be True To Me

I made some new handmade stencils and my brushos and spray inks arrived so couldn't wait to have a play and I made a mixed media background and then really felt like painting so did this lady. The text reflects how I feel at the moment, that I need to be true to myself.

With the leftover paint etc I made this little ICAD which I really like.

I also completed and sent off my Art swap for this month. The theme was 'Something beginning with the first letter of your name' I was really pleased with what I produced but I will wait for confirmation from Kim from Virginia that she has received it before I post up a piccy.

I also managed to get nine of my journals bound! Altogether a very productive, art filled weekend, Lovely :)

Bye for now!

Experimenting

Hi All,

Last night I decided to put my planning aside and just have some time to myself experimenting with some mark making and having a play with some new stamps and pens that I bought recently. I am really pleased with how it turned out! Sometimes it just feels good to play around with the materials without anything in mind. I find it very theraputic aswell, I can feel myself relaxing as I work.

Earlier this week I received my parcel from Reeah and it's lovely! It was a real pleasure to swap with Reeah and we had a nice time, emailing and chatting about things. She also included a bundle of extra stuff, stickers, postits, pens etc which was a really lovely surprise! I felt like a kid at Christmas.

Now back to planning and commission work! xx

Birdie Bunting Video

Hello All,

As promised here is my new video showing how I made the Birdie bunting I made for the May swap.

 I hope you enjoy! please feel free to leave comments or ask any questions.

New monthly challenge for June is titled 'pieces of the puzzle' so I will get my thinking cap on about this one! I am also currently planning some more face to face sessions and must MUST get going on making my mini journals to sell at Dovefest festival in August! time is flying by!

See you soon!

May Art Swap

Hello All!,

I haven't posted for a while as I was away camping with my family and I was waiting until I had confirmation that my swap partner for May, Reeah from South Carolina, had received my piece.

The theme this time was banner/bunting and we had to create 5 flags of standard size, here is what I made!

The poem is by Maya Angelou and inspired the piece really. I chose some little songbirds and painted over them on mixed media backgrounds and added homemade paper flowers and some ribbon and lace.

Here is my response from the lovely Reeah:

From Maria Meade to Lisa Goddard

I received your swap package you sent today and I have to tell you  . . .       I JUST LOVE IT!!!
The birds, the colors, the backgrounds, I could go on and on but suffice to say it is just beautiful Lisa!  I thank you with all my heart. I showed it to my whole family and even my 15 yr old son likes it and he's at that age where he doesn't like anything I show him, LOL!
I will post the pics I took of it tomorrow.  It's late and I'm pooped for today, ha, ha :-)
Oh!  I can't go without telling you that I was just taken back by the hand stitching you did with the ribbon!  I was just blown away with that and the lace on the bottoms!  Just gorgeous.  I already have it hanging on my lace curtain that's on my window right next to where I sit in my Art Room.  The ATC is just beautiful as well.  I love it all and I thank you very much!!!
Big Hugs!!
Reeah.

 I have really enjoyed having Reeah as a swap partner and sending emails to one another, It is a great feeling sending my work across the sea and to have it so appreciated! I have also made a vid of me making these which I will post up in a bit!

The after shot

Hello all! The other day I posted a picture of a background I had painted so I could show you a before and after shot..... well here is the finished painting!

I am feeling really inspired at the moment and really enjoying painting again. I think I even have managed to get a commision from a lady who would like a portrait with mixed media. I will definitley be doing more! Just have to keep in mind I still have many journals to make for my upcoming craft stall and some more classses to arrange! Plus I have signed up for this months art swap on journal workshops and this time it is to make some arty bunting/banners, so that should be good fun.
I am going camping next week with family for half term so not going to be able to get a great deal done then, but I will take my Art Journaling travel kit and try and do a few pages.
Bye for now! xx

Spring Dreams

Hello all! so here is the finished piece! I decided to use it as my monthly challenge piece, the theme of which was 'Spring Dreams'

 

The text is a quote by Brian Andreas which reads "The birds brought seeds and flowers and bits of brightly coloured string and placed them in her hair while she slept so that she would remember the wild joy of spring when she finally awoke."

I am really pleased with how the whole thing has turned out and it has inspired me to do more!

Picking those paint brushes back up!

Lately I have really felt like I need to get back to doing some more painting. I used to paint landscapes all the time but since having kids I haven't had the time. Now that they are 6 and 3 it is time to get back into it!

I have often felt that I would like to try more portraits in combination with the art journaling and mixed media work. So I made a start over this last week .....

This is just a detail of a larger piece I am working on, it is not finished but I wanted to share this. I have really enjoyed painting this girly, it has really inspired me to do more! I will share the finished piece soon!

And another one!

Hello all, I decided to film my late monthly challenge page (create a mythical creature) as I wanted to try out the new camera and desk tripod. So here it is, another one already!

Please feel free to leave me a comment, it would be nice to get some feedback so I can carry on improving!

Better late than never!

Hello all! So I ran out of time on April's monthly challenge but decided to go ahead and still have a go. The theme was 'create a mythical creature' so this is what I came up with.

The name Dewrder is Welsh for courage, I came up with that because he seems to be clenching his fists as if trying to pluck up the courage or in an attempt to be brave!
The new monthly challenge theme for May is 'Spring Dreams' so I will get my thinking cap on for that one!