Breaking all the rules.

Well I never got round to reading my ARC book for July, but I went to read everyone else's reviews. 

One particular review really kicked me into touch. Darcy had reviewed a book about a 15 year old boy with Asperger's (part of the autistic spectrum), and she was very impressed. Being the mother of a 15 years old boy with Asperger's, I was intrigued ....ordered the book...waited....and have now read it...and it is still July.

So even though it breaks all the rules ...I am going to review...

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, by Mark Haddon

(and this is the journal page I have made)

I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!

Every page made me laugh, which may seem a strange reaction to some, but I had sooooo been there already. The author has a true insight into how the mind of an Asperger's suffer works, and I can only assume he grew up with or raised a child with this syndrome. I know all sufferers are different from each other, but there are certain behavioural and emotional elements that are obvious markers, and the author has worked these perfectly into his young hero (well he is a hero to me).

The events that take place during school time are all so true, I have lived every one of them...including arguing about helping my son cope with exams...and the conversations about not telling people they are stupid or smell, as the truth can be hurtful.....and the throwing away of artwork because someone else spoiled it.

While reading the book, I found that I was actually hearing it in my sons voice, as the speech patterns and content was so familiar to me. The fascination with science and mathematics is so accurate, and the way he deals with "noise"......

If you don't know anyone with Asperger's, but would like to understand a little of what it is like, read this book.

If you do know or live with some one with Asperger's, read this book. It really does cover so many aspects of my life and relationships it is spooky, though I am one of the lucky one's. Being a very calm person by nature I have been able to cope more easily than some, though there have been times that I cried myself dry just thinking about the future. Plus my boy is one of the "huggy" ones so at least I have been spared the pain of never being able to hold my child.

My husband is going to read it now...and I may try and get my son to read it too...but I am DEFINITELY going to get his teachers to read it!!!!

My journal page is based on a photo of my son when he was 3. 3 is his favourite number, and the journalling reads:

"When everything is the same volume...I can't hear anything!!!"

and refers to his main "problem", which is an issue with his peripheral hearing. According to the experts, he hears everything at the same volume, so if I am whispering in the kitchen while he is watching tv in the next room he answers and joins in the conversation I am trying to have in private. This makes concentrating very difficult in school, or in a crowded place. And even at such an early age he always had such serious expressions on his face. People would say he had the eyes of an old man.

Back to the book.....

I don't want you to think it is a light-hearted story....in places I really struggled not to cry(for fear my son would want to know why)...but it does finish on a very hopeful note. Am so glad I cheated this month.

Enjoy :D XXX

I am counting this journal page for "Piece A Week" and Paper Saturdays challenge

I have wings!!!

I haven't made a card for simply ages, but looking at Darcy's last project over at PaperArtsy this week I was inspired to play again.

You really need to go see the awesome Giraffe Darcy made...from scratch!!!! It is totally out of my league, but she also used some left over bits to make a tag, and that is the inspiration for this card.

I had previously made some papier mache panels. This one was moulded in a Tim Holtz woodgrain embossing folder.

I spritzed and dripped with various brands of colour, drying between each add to stop it dissolving lol

Then totally forgot to take pics as I was just playing :/

I used TH brushed coudoroy distress ink to make the panel more "woody".

The motto is from the PaperArtsy stamp set I won a couple of weeks back ID-10 EZmounted

and the wings are cut with a die from Once Upon a Stamp called Angel Wings, which is sized to work with bottle caps. 

I have some watch glasses given me by the lovely Clare Horner.....and a ready supply of dead insects in my garden...so I encapsulated a gold shiny moth with glossy accents and holographic glitter.

A bit freaky for some, but close up it looks like it is flying in a sky full of stars.

Enjoy :D XXX

A Loving Glance

I have done step by step posts before, but a friend from Facebook asked if I would show the process for this piece, so lots of pics and (I hope) simple guide to my technique :D

"A Loving Glance"

9 x 12 stretch canvas

When I start a new piece I always make brief notes about colours, orientation(portrait or landscape) and positioning of the figures...

The first layer I apply is usually pieces of ripped and torn colour paper, applied to the canvas with matt medium and smoothed to remove any air bubbles( I used a broad palette knife, but an old credit/store card is just as good) . I try to find paper with some of the colours I am planning for the finished piece, to get my mind focussed.

I usually leave the paper layer to dry for 24 hours before continuing to be sure it is all bonded properly.

Next layer is random colours added through stencils. This will add more depth and texture to the final piece without adding "bulk".

Again I leave it to dry, as this gives the canvas time to rest and tighten.

On this piece I added a second layer of paper, but this time I used coloured tissue paper. This becomes very translucent when wet by the medium and acts to "blend" and "bind" all the randomness of the previous layers. It also gives a fabulous crinkly finish to the canvas.

 Again it is necessary to leave the tissue to dry thoroughly as it is very delicate and will scrape off if damp.

Now I add my figures, using a soft pencil. If the background is quite dark I use a white Stabilo Marks All pencil, but for this piece plain old graphite worked fine.

 Once I am happy with the shapes I seal the lines with more medium and a small brush.

Now I "soften" the background by wiping on a very thin layer of white gesso. This has the effect of making the figures look translucent and adding more depth to the picture. 

 Now I reintroduce splashes of random colour back into the background with a palette knife, before adding layers of thin glaze. I mix small amounts of acrylic paint (in this case Deep Purple) with glazing medium....

and for the figures Veridian green and Light green.

When the glaze is dry, I use a small (seriously damaged) dry brush to add Raw Umber(brown) around the outlines, smudging outward to give a shadowy effect. This is another technique to add depth. 

Then a VERY tiny amount of black, softly added to the outline for better definition. These dark lines are added very slowly and by building up with minute amounts, the idea being to keep the lines as soft as possible. I don't want them to be too obvious and distract from the colours.

The final layer of colour is a "hint" of white on the figures to give the effect of light reflecting off the "faces", and then I rub in thin layers of Gold metallic acrylic paint with my fingers...just skimming over the surface to add shimmer. Too much would obliterate the detail coming through the glaze layers.

Tilted image to show how the definition changes depending on the angle at which the light hits the metallic layer.

After drying for a few days I will add a couple of layers of satin finish varnish, as dust will cling to acrylic paint if it isn't behind glass

Hope this has been helpful to those who asked :D XXX

Project without end....

Some projects we start have an obvious ending...

 they may feel like they are going to take forever...

but a final bit of sparkle marks completion.

For other projects we can see no obvious end, yet we know when we are there.

My Piece a Week "Duet at Dawn"

BUT....some projects can never reach an end....some projects are designed to grow with us and remain part of our arting life indefinitely....

 Like this one from Darcy :D

How long do you spend trying to decide which paints in your collection will combine to give the effect you are after? (and these are just my craft paints : /)

Making swatches of randomly splatted paint (and writing notes on them) can be a fabulous time saver :D

 Especially when you have different "finishes" of paint too...

and it is a fabulous excuse to get messy :D

Why not pop over to PaperArtsy and see what else Darcy has been up to this week?

Enjoy :D XXX

...and this is why I tend to work on one project at a time...

I am trying to learn to be patient and take my time with my art projects....but that means my brain does a happy dance and moves on to something else while it is waiting... : /

These are just a few of the ongoing projects currently in my craft room

New WIP for my A Piece a Week, started 2 days ago (working title Duet at Dawn)

2 face blanks for a round robin project yet to begin lol

 2 bags I am making as presents ...

...and my landscape for the Craftsy online class, with a couple more layers lol

Not sure if this method of working is actually working for me(cos I'm easily distracted and forget to go back and finish stuff lol), but we shall see :D

Enjoy :D XXX

Sometimes people say the strangest things...

This weeks challenge at Inspiration Avenue is WORDS, which was the perfect prompt for me to make a little silliness for my "Piece a Week"

This is a 6 x 4 watercolour board mixed "medium" (couldn't resist that pun) piece, the theme of which was brought about by an argument with my stroppy sister last week...

It was the same day I found out I had won a prize from PaperArtsy, I got to choose a stamp set....and this just said it all lol

ID-10 EZmounted form their Vintage collection.

Started by getting messy with gesso and string...

 (seriously recommend opening hand wipes "before" you start)

 While that was drying I stamped some of the words and images onto tissue paper for a later layer...

 added paint randomly with scrunched up paper...

 then knocked back with a thin layer of white.

 Now time to play...

adding layers of paint , tissue paper and gel pen journalling.

Part of the rant my sister had at me included the line "...why don't you ask Dad (he is dead), after all, you are the one with the hotline to the undead!"

I know...the most infuriating part was not being able to reply as she cut me off, or I would have pointed out that "undead" would be "alive". But hey ho..nothing new in her behaviour, though it did remind me of a seance where the medium actually said "Is there anybody there?...Knock once for YES and twice for NO"...was very hard not to giggle :D 

Enjoy :D XXXX

The trouble with "patience"....and Art class winner!

Patience is a wonderful virtue....which I sort of grew out of in the 80's when I left home and found a whole world of "STUFF" :D

 Though I have always loved sewing....*mmmmmmmmm......fabric*

 So while I am being "patient" and taking my time with one project I end up starting something else...

So this is another "sneak peek" at something I am working on now(it will have beads and sparklies too)

On the other hand...my "impatience" is to your benefit, as I only put a short waiting time on the Craftsy Online Art Class Giveaway......

*DRUMROLL.................*

And the winner is...........

Elainevernonart....aka Audrey Breed

Congratulations Sweetheart :D

"Where did you get that hat!"

Dawn's Journal Journey's prompt for July is "Hats"...and I wanted to do something for Manon's Paper Saturday challenge too....

When it comes to hats there is no finer event than Ladies Day at Ascot...

 The images evolved from the already paint splattered pages in my small desk diary...

 I decided to make the "hats" from the textured paper I made last month...

 and one of the "ladies" turned out to be a filly :D...

 I coloured the "hats" with acrylic, and added some detail to their clothes...

and added journalling;

"Ladies Day at Ascot...Looking Simply Divine......MWAH!"

Enjoy :D XXX