painterly bay... my backyard

The mudflats.  Oil on hardboard.  18 x 12". 2012

same location, different day....

The challenge this week over at The Artist Playroom was "In your own backyard"...  although not technically right in my backyard - this is pretty close!  We love to take the dogs for a walk along the bay.  This location is only a 5 - 10 min walk from home, and you can walk right around the bay.  At high tide there are small boats bobbing on the water, and you often see the ferry's going across to the islands.  At low tide there are the long stretches of mud flats, which are just as appealing to me - interesting patterns, and glimmers of light.

Not as much fun to walk on - especially with small, white, fluffy pooches! (we only did that ONCE!)

I painted this oil yesterday,  using a palette knife - my first use of a palette knife for a whole painting.  The oil is on pretty thick, and it was colder and rainy yesterday morning, so it's still very wet!    Will be interesting to see how long it takes to dry, as I didn't use any mediums - just straight paint.

On a different note I loved all the comments and feedback to my sketches last friday 'Sketching and Painting" , really made my weekend!

AND of course ( it just occurred to me!) this is soo Paint Party Friday - happy PPF!

Other posts you might like...

Sketching and Painting

breathe

In part of  a comment I left for Quinn Macdonald recently on her post about time, I said - 

 "I think thoughtfulness (actually being in this moment) and simplicity are aspects of life to be developed and cherished - and in this crazy high speed world we all need reminders to breathe..."

White teapot.  Oil. (For Sale)

This painting symbolises two things I do where I get to slow down and just 'be' - drinking green tea in the morning, listening to the birds in the park, and a glass of red wine at night...

I recently re-evaluated how I use my time.   And I realised you cannot 'bank' time.  I can't 'save' time and put it away ready to be drawn upon when I need it the most (on those days when: I want to paint, need to get the shopping done, cat to the vets, children to music lessons I'm running low of fuel in the car and we something on the table for dinner kind of days)

But I can be a better manager of my time, and put effort into the things I really want to do... which means I need to know WHAT it is I want to do... which lead me to a re-evaluation of goals, and how I currently use my time.

Because if I want to create work I am proud enough of to invest in getting them framed - I need a game plan...

What a difference framing makes! For the Aunties - mixed media.

Goal number 1: get fit.  We are heading into spring and fast into summer here in Australia - requiring (for me at least) to do a stocktake of my summer clothes.  I also found the scales recently and put new batteries in them, and discovered I had a very 'good' winter... and although I don't have a lot of extra weight to loose - I need to put on muscle, tone, and build strength. 

Step to goal 1: I joined the gym.  It was the first time I have stepped foot in a gym in over 20 years.  I'll let you know how I go... I have the assessment and program planning appointment today!

Goal number 2: commit more time to art. 

Step to goal 2: I made myself a timetable.  I needed to allocate time for: running the house, homeschooling, art, life drawing and gym.  There are really not that many hours in a day - not when you start adding in lots of things to do!

Today, I also remind myself to slow down, enjoy each moment, and breathe...

sketching and painting

Ten minute sketching... graphite

coloured pencil and watercolour

pencil - life drawing class

lots of short activities this week - mostly sketching in pencil with some watercolours.  Although I am getting the urge to get the oils out again, maybe this weekend, as I'm NOT going to be shoving 3 cubic meters of garden soil :-)

Kelly's Beach

South end Kellys beach, Bargara.  8 x 10 watercolour.  For sale.

A challenge I set myself - working from a photo taken last year, this is looking towards the far south end of Kelly's beach where the life savers section is. 

On My Desk...Mail Art fun

On my desk right now...

Charlie & Max!

Other than the two boys deciding to come and visit me on the desk - this is what I have on my art desk...



Last week I decided to join in my first mail art swap that was on offer on one of the yahoo groups I am a member of.  From what I understand it is where artists send art in the mail to other artists.   Being a newby to the world of mail art I naturally googled it,  and even after some google time I am still not sure if there are any boundaries to this - as long as it can be posted its mail art!

I have to mail some arty fun to nine other people  all around the world, so the costs of postage will be a guiding factor.   I plan on heading to the local post office and checking on this today, but to start the process off ( as we need to post during September) I have started a series of postcards.

The first is a set of 4 largish postcards that I got in the mail to promote the current exhibitiion at the Queensland Art Gallery - beautiful masters from Spain.  (We havn't been yet but it's on my list of things to do before it closes!)

They were just begging to be altered, and as they were glossy they have been sanded, lightly gessoed, stamped, painted, and collaged... so far!  As this dear lady has such a solemn expression I added the word 'smile' - seemed appropriate somehow.   I spent an hour or so leafing through my old copy of 'What Kay Did', finding suitable quotes to add.  A bit more distressing and a glaze or two and these will be finished.

Next I used Cotman Water Colour Postcards, which I added watercolour washes, with drips and backwashes, and a quote.  Not sure what to do next - maybe some stamping?

And lastly, there is one little card, which is watercolour paper with shiva oil sticks on the outside, and a watercolour wash on the inside...

 Now, I just need to claim back my desk from the Boys, get out some paints, and get going!

I'm trying something new: linking in... I'm linking back to Effy's Swoon page  and also Paint Part Friday - so if you are visiting from either of those paces be sure to say Hi!   The art community is HUGE online, and its great encouragement to join in so many different groups and ideas :-)

Love your comments :-)

Not a life on repeat

"It’s true that some risks are not worth taking, but most risks will mean the difference between living a life on repeat and creating a life forged in sweat, on the steps to a breathtaking summit. " 

Raam Dev, 2012

I love this quote I share from Raam - more on this further down.

Some of the things I love...

Taking over the double garage to set-up art, painting, and sewing areas...

crystal and glass containers...

recycling an old massage table into a printer and scanner workstation...

 

pinning altered pages swaps, random, vintage and found objects on the newly created pinboard...

collecting gumnuts, and feathers...

I have spent the past several days sorting, re-organising, and re-arranging the 'stuff' in the double garage.  It is now mostly the way I want it - but things never stay the same do they?  I have loved supplies within arms reach, space to spread out, nice natural lighting from the window, the easel in a prime location, and even the sewing table and ironing board is all ready to go! 

It's not perfect: the rollar doors let dust and the northerly winds blow straight through, with only one window half the space is a little dark, the floor is painted concrete, and has a slight slope!   But what it lacks it makes up with by being almost 36m squared of space that we can now all use to be creative without fear of making a mess, it has easy access to water for cleanup, and I am still within coo-ee distance of the family.

Actually I have made this room so nice and inviting, when I come in here to work ( or escape) they usually follow me :-)

But sometimes I feel a twinge of guilt.  All this space is just for me?  All my art, and paints, and quilting, and altered books - all just for me? ( well I do sometimes allow the family to visit - but you understand, primarily this is for me). 

But back to Raam's quote.  It would be normal to have the car in the garage, and not an art studio.  That would be conventional.  Normal.  But because I don't want to live a life on repeat, and because I would rather live a life richly filled with color and creativity, risk and extravagance, I choose that over convention (or guilt).

I wish...

Do you ever wish something would happen?

 

...that you could fly away on a heart shaped balloon to somewhere special?

...with lilac skies and sunsets,  way above the noise of the city?

 

I wish!

"I wish..." 12 x 12" approx. mixed media on board (acrylic, texture, pencil, paper, linen). 2012. $160

The sixth painting I've done now using vintage linen doilys, and the heart shapaed balloon motifs are just too cute!  I only have 2 more pieces of this embroidery left, so it must be time to go op shopping again.  However, finding nice, vintage examples of doilys, and lace, is getting harder and harder, and more and more pricey! 

Did you know - if you click on an image - you go to a larger gallery view - try it!

Updates on the studio: I sold another painting on the weekend - yay!  The cats still prefer to sleep on top on my drawing desk, and drink from the still clean water pot on my desk; I have plans to re-arrange things (again) as the sun coming through the window is too bright (eastern sun) - or maybe just get some curtains to cut the sun in the morning; There are 2 paintings in progress, and plans for at least another 3 large, as well as a multitude of ideas; I have a list of art supplies I need, for the next time I'm near an art shop.

My wish: for more time!  What's yours?

Thoughtful rant

thoughtful rant alert.

Does a text message count? Does it really convey the right message? Does it mean anything?
I guess that depends on what is sent, and when it is sent, by whom, to whom etc etc.
For instance, does a 'happy birthday' sent after dinner, on someones birthday - really convey a sense of best birthday wishes, I love you, and hope you have a great day - when the day is almost over? The same could be said of any occasion. 

Whatever happened to buying a $2 card and posting it? Nope.  Forget about a thoughtfully (or even unthoughtful) purchased and wrapped gift.  Or a phone call.  Or heaven forbid an invitation to visit, go out for a coffee, or a movie.  Nope.  Too many live their lives within a 2" x2" screen, and think a hastily sent 'happy fathers day',  or 'happy birthday' sent after dinner, means something.  Yes it has meaning - it shows a lot, but maybe not what you think, or possibly even intend.

So I went looking for sms ettiquete - maybe it's socially acceptable now, but I wondered acceptable by whom? Instant communication has uses, but also negatives. I found this that I thought was worth sharing,
"Accurate emotional connection relies on facial expression, voice intonation, body language, and the sharing of metaphysical energy. The reading of emotions, even when face-to-face, requires practice and frequent checking to see if what your partner actually heard was you meant him or her to know. Without that feedback, misunderstandings multiply exponentially, and assumptions can become truths before they are truly examined." (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/rediscovering-love/201102/can-text-messages-damage-intimate-communication)

The next time you go to send a text message, or facebook post... maybe think about what it is you can't convey in 15 characters, and what you are both missing out on - that is a real relationship.
end thoughtful rant.

Happy Fathers Day!

A recent art journal page - playing with colours, and lots of drippy inks, with some charcoal, wine cork stamp, and I think a wax white pencil....

 

Hope everyone is enjoying a relaxing sunday - and Happy Fathers Day to all the Dad's in Australia as we celebrate Fathers Day here today!  We had a gorgeous morning - Brunch at home, followed by a walk along the mariner, then coffee and cake out by the Harbour at Raby Bay, then a drive to the point, and stopped off at the Old School House Art Gallery which happened to have free wine and nibbles! 

art journal inspiration

I love to sit down with my journal and just be inspired by whatever comes along.  Without pressure to achieve anything.   I've made a real effort this week to keep a space on my art desk desk, where the journal can sit, open and ready, with all my basic supplies within arms reach.

I was inspired to create these two pages in my journal the other night from a red gum leaf my husband brought home from school.

I love the freedom art journaling offers.    I maintain a 'it doesn't matter' approach to this side of being creative - there are plenty of other areas I work hard at, so when it comes to creative play I make sure it stays playful!  But I am often amazed by the results.  I love the end results of these two.

Current inspiration sources: colour, leaves, flowers.

What do you use for inspiration?  What gets your creative juices really flowing?