Mixed Media Monday 'Look what I found' and Illustration Friday 'Detective'

Hi everyone well we just got back from a lovely long weekend down the coast camping, the boys loved it the weather was wonderful and it was so nice to get away. When we got back yesterday I saw the prompts for this week on Mixed media Monday and Illustration Friday and thought this piece fit both!

This is a picture of my 3 year old Riley who had a ball on the beach, looking through rock pools building ships out of sand with his grandparents and digging holes. This piece was inspired from a classic photo that my mum took of him as he was busy 'looking for clues' in the water. That's what he called searching for shells and things, sooo funny and sooo cute I love this picture.

I also included a scan of the paper before I painted over it. I bought a stack of patterned paper so cut out and stuck heaps of it on then painted my version of Riley on top. I like the patterned paper as it seems to give my paintings more depth and makes them interesting when you realise that there is a background. We are still recovering from our trip today and I'm working my way through that mountain of washing that seems to appear after you have been camping. I also made more more pendants today and started my own facebook fan page, not sure how to put a link on my side bar here just yet but I'm working on it. So watch this space! :0)