FB = Forgets to Blog

Tis that time of year again, where I start disappearing into the garden, and because so many blogs are now linked to Facebook I am forgetting to post on my own blog *smacks own head on desk*

So I thought I better share some art before you think I have abandoned you all completely :D

Inspired by Jeanette over at One Little House ning group...

I have collaged on watercolour paper with scrap paper (drop sheets) and a paper bag...

followed by a layer of stencilling with my new Martha Stewart stash :D

I used a thin film of white gesso to pick out the facial area, and water soluble pencils to draw in a few butterflies...

and then decided to "knock back" the background a little with a thinner layer of gesso :D

Then it was just a case of blocking out shapes and adding definition.

I wanted to keep this image quite soft and translucent, while still keeping the colours quite bold. Finishing off with a few white stars on the background using another stencil.

Inspired by Jeanette's "Make a wish"...I call this "Butterfly Kisses"

Enjoy :D XXX

Messy faces :D

For my "A Piece a Week" post this week(cos we all know I do more than a piece a week) I have chosen to work from Jeanette's latest video on the OHL ning. It is from her free to join 100ish painting class, and is about "freeing" up your painting style. She calls it "doing a messy face" :D

So I give you my "Blue Lady"

and here are some of the stages...

simple sketch to place features(not required) From which you can probably tell she started out as a man...

Get stuck in with paint and a dry brush...

Build up tonal layers(keep going...it gets scary)

add a splash of colour....

and keep working til you reach a happy place :D

I love this close up...shows the depth acquired by the effort of building layers of messiness.

Should have added definition with graphite but wanted it to dry thoroughly first, and I love the softness she has at the moment :D 

All done with acrylic paints.

Enjoy :D XXX

For a Moment of Silence...

Today while trawling the treasures at One Little House ning, I came across a video by MitsiB called The other side of Mixed Media...not so safe and nice as the images one usually finds at online art classes. It reminded me of the time I had 2 blogs...one for every day use and one for expressing the darker side of life.

I call this "For a Moment of Silence"

The background was inspired by Jeanette House's 100ish paintings video(free class) where she used stencils to build texture...I has piles of stencils(haven't found them all yet lol)

Recycling a childs paint by numbers canvas board...

by covering with a layer of white gesso.

Pink/blue/brown and black acrylic paint...and go for it!

til you are happy with the result :D

Started picking out images with white stabillo pencil...

 Found this skull right away...

then this sad  stressed out young mother...

worked on it for a couple of hours with acrylic/glaze mix and black pencil, before final layer of stencilling with gold acrylic(can be seen on main photo)

As I started this piece, I was reliving moments from my early years of motherhood...so tired and distressed, full to the brim with emotion so that I felt like my skin was going to burst open and let out all the angry thoughts inside me....and I was experienced with looking after babies already. So I have an overriding instinct to offer assistance to the fraught young mother in the supermarket, trying to look perfect and in control as her baby screams and howls. It's amazing the difference it can make to their day, when some one who knows what they are going through just offers them a couple of words of encouragement...and a cuppa.

By the time I had finished, I was no longer seeing monsters carrying off screaming infants...but the wise ancients consoling and cradling tired babies, so their mum can have just a few minutes of calmness, the soft wings of the moth dulling the noise surrounding her.

Enjoy :D XXX