Random, Mayhem and Chaos...

3 words close to my heart during any school break, as they totally describe the world around me...but wouldn't life be boring without them :D

As I said in my last post , sorry for not being around much lately, but I have been arting...so I thought I'd do a quick catch up(still not sure if there is other stuff I haven't blogged yet :/ )

My bosom buddy asked if I could help a bit with a local theatre group a couple of weeks ago, painting scenery and stuff...they rent backdrops, but wanted a few bit's and pieces for extra decor.

This is "The Duchess" 20x 30 on hardboard(I know it looks a bit stark, but it is a cameo appearance piece and has to be seen in the back rows)

Family coat of arms + motto x 2 . Cut from thick grey board 20x20 ish (instructions...paint what you think best!!! So being wary of copyright I just made one up, though the motto is specific to the play)

while waiting for paint to dry (as you do) I decided to print off some of my own art as little business cards...but the printer didn't want too...so I painted straight onto the die cut cards instead...

cut some tiny make-up sponges to make little stamps...

popped the cards out when dry...

doodled around stamped images...

used white Poska paint pen to add a little more detail and finished with a layer of iridescent acrylic :D

(already lost them amongst the chaos which is my craft room at the moment)

so I made some postcard ones too :D

And finally for now, the painting which I actually "sold" last week to a lovely lady who has ordered a larger piece (get me!...)

"Petals at Dawn"

named from a song lyric by Lorreena McKinnet "Prayers rose, softly, petals at dawn..."

As it is Tuesday already!!! I should be entering one of these for Rita's "A Piece a Week" challenge, and as she was the latest to be worked on I will choose "The Duchess" :D

Happy Holidays(again) :D XXX

"Freedom!"

Yes I have been missing in action again...sorry...been playing :D 

Glycerine added a free mini class to One Little House Ning group where she made a 3D canvas...and I thought this a perfect project for Manon's Paper Saturdays challenge :D

"Freedom"

a simple combination of texture stamps, kitchen/toilet paper and water...

and a soft brush to press with...

and a couple of items to make casts from :D

(I also used a few CD cases with little stamps in to see what happened) Love how they turned out!!!

Then it was just a case of building up layers as usual...

and I added a thin coat of gesso before adding colour with acrylic paint.

I picked out some detail with a black permanent marker...

Funky side shot to show depth of the piece....all made with toilet paper lol

And as I am well behind I blogland as I have been making stuff to sell at a craft fayre later in the year, it is my Piece a Week entry too :D

Enjoy :D XXX

Joyous Gift Giving...:D

I was contacted recently by a friend who asked if I would paint her one of my "bubble people" couples...to represent the love she and her hubby share :D

And now she has it I can share it with you...

"Joyous Union"

16 x 20 inch canvas board

I started with a collage and stencil layer...

then gessoed over the background...

before adding more layers of colourful acrylics.

She said she was redecorating and hadn't decided between red and plum...so I mixed a colour between the two for the background glaze :D

Next I chose colours to glaze the figures. My friend is a very spiritual soul so I chose purple for her, and viridian green for her hubby(I see green as a colour for strength and loyalty)

Then it was just a case of adding a few finishing touches..

.including some gold shimmeriness...

a few close-ups to show the depth of colour.

 And if you look really closely...you can just read the words "Joyous Union" written on the base layer across his chest :D

I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed painting it.

 She did want to pay me ...but I just get such pleasure from giving it to them :D XXX

The Pride of Innocence

So first of all....YAY!!! I was not going nuts... I found my missing stencils!!!!! Well truth be told they found me. I was grabbing stuff from my stash to make a last minute Bday card on Saturday when they just fell on me, but I'm happy all the same :D

so obviously I just had to attack a piece of paper and used them to make a random background to work on later.

And now it is Tuesday and time to post for "A Piece a Week"...and I didn't do anything for Paper Saturdays either...and then there is a new Inspiration Avenue challenge "Sad girl with flowers in her hair"!!!

So I grabbed the random background and went for it :D

The cogs make a wonderful base for flowers...

and the mixture of clock faces and cogs turning and love letter script lent a truly melancholy air to the piece. 

Building layers of hope and wishful thinking...

and a coating of stubborn refusal to accept the obvious...

and we are left with a single tear for the "Pride of Innocence"

Hope you enjoyed the process :D XXX

Natures paintings

I'm not a photographer...and I only have the camera on my cheap mobile phone, but I take loads of pics, store them on my puter...and never use them!!!

This week Inspiration Avenue asked us to share some pics of "Sunrise and Sunset"

My sunsets always give fabulous silhouettes... 

especially from the giant Poplars at the bottom of my garden...

and then my Bro walks the moors just beyond my horizon...

and gets fabulous visions like these!

I can't see the sunrise as I am on the wrong side of the hill...but I do get to see some amazing "effects" in the sky above me....

and the pastels after a storm passes can be so soft and subtle...

but after a sunny day(even in January) the sky here has the deepest blue as the sun settles down for the night.

And just sometimes.....we get a magical moment of shimmery suspense as a storm moves in.

People often ask how a yokel like me copes living in a huge city like Sheffield...

I bought a house where I could see the sky :D

(I really must use these for paintings one day)

Enjoy :D XXX

Silent Tears...

For this weeks "A Piece a Week", I decided to try out a "runny paint" technique that was pointed out to me by my friend  Carmen Wing.

Carmen shared a video tutorial by Raeart, which makes the technique look so much fun I just had to try it :D

Acrylic on 8x10 stretch canvas

I didn't want to work on a blank canvas, so I covered mine with a piece of home made pattern paper before starting...

I struggled a bit getting the paint runny enough to drip...

but I really enjoyed the speed painting it involves...

and just love the "ethereal" feel to the finished piece(top pic).

Why not watch the vid and give it a try?

Enjoy :D XXX