Sunday Sketches and another portrait!

Hi guys,

Hot on the heels of my last post and couple of portraits I decided to do my next one with a subject very close to home, I found a baby picture of my eldest who is now nearly 9 and painted a picture of him when he was very young.

 As a painting by it's self I quite like it but when you look at the photo I think you can see that it's not quite the same, interestingly enough I think  I managed to paint him looking older than the photo and more like what he looks like now. I enjoyed it though and will put this down as another practice/experience, either way I'm having fun and have broken my artistic block! :0)

Looking forward to catching up with you all at Sunday Sketches!

Paint Party Friday/Sunday Sketches!

Hi guys

I've been combining my pieces for both challenges lately because I'm having a lot less art time at the moment with school holidays going on etc. So I think for the moment I shall be posting once a week like this just so I can keep up at least with the challenges.

So this week I have managed to create another froggy character! Today we have 'Marilyn Mon-Frog'!!!! :0) I'm already working on my next piece for the froggy collection and can't wait to share that one with you too! I think I might do a frog on canvas next :0)

 I had a right little giggle painting this one :0)

This next piece I was able to squeeze in the other day in between shuttling my little ones to play dates and generally keeping them out of mischief! I was getting very depressed just walking by my art table this week and not being able to sit down and work on all the ideas I've got rattling around my head. So I thought I'd practice creating some expressions with just the eyes and eye brows. I'm going to start working on a book that I collaborated on with my cousin a couple of years ago. I finished a draft version but we weren't ready to move forward with it back then I needed to work on my art. I think I'm feeling ready to give it another go so really want to work on my character creation and facial expressions :0) (no this book is not about frogs ;0) but perhaps I should think about that for the future ;0) ).

I really enjoyed this exercise!!! :0)

Ok best dash off it's time to take the boys to another play date!!!

Sunday Sketches - Little Red

Hi everyone, I'm afraid my Sunday sketch is a bit late this week as we have had a massive weekend. We had a big birthday party for my youngest little man who turned 5 on Saturday. It was a lovely day with LOTS of children running around and eating party food. Our little man had a lovely time and we were totally exhausted the next day.

I wanted to share with you my 'Little Red' bag that I painted last week. I really like how she turned out and I think this one would make a great library bag!!! :0)

Sunday Sketches - A new lady and some Aceo's

Hi guys

I hope you've all had a good week. I missed joining in Paint Party Friday this week, things are very busy here at the moment and I was flat out all day that day. We are now on the count down to get back home as our reno's are nearly finished. I cannot wait and neither can my boys. They miss their own rooms and back yard etc.  I'm itching to get back into my studio as I've got so many new pendant ideas. Next weekend is going to be cleaning cleaning cleaning as everything is covered in a layer of dust *sigh nearly there!

I did manage to work on some new ACEO's and a new lady for my journal.

First up is my lady:

 I'm working a darker style with this girl trying to get a bit of an edge.

I really love her hair. Now trying to work out what to call this piece any ideas? ;0)

Next up are some new ACEOs. I'm actually getting quite addicted to these little works of art and having some fun playing around with them. I've got lots more ideas. My zombie girl from last week has already found herself a new home which is very exciting! :0)

 Really love the colours in this one

 A blue Aceo version of 'Just Breathe'

I shall be adding these to my shop in the near future!

Tomorrow is Father's day over here and we have a busy day, my eldest's martial arts grading first thing (poor dad doesn't get a lie in) then a father's day lunch, I shall pop around to visit you all when we have a quiet moment :0)

Sunday sketches - more ACEO's

Hi guys hope you're having a good weekend. Today I've got more ACEO's to show you.

Inspired by Natasha May's zombie girls last week I decided to try turning one of my ladies into a zombie :0)

I finally painted this card that I sketched up a week or so ago. My favourite part of  the face is the eyes I just love drawing them!!! :0)

Another spooky inspired one! I"m looking forward to creating some Halloween art this year!! :0)

Lastly this is the abstract figure that I sketched last week that I finally painted! Can you tell I'm having lots of fun with these ACEO's? :0)

I look forward to catching up with you all this week and seeing your Sunday sketches!!!

Sunday Sketches

Hi guys, this week I painted my ladies from last Sunday's Sketches. If you would like to see how my lady with her eyes shut turned out I have blogged about it in my last post here

As for this post I've got my lady with the profile to show you. Not one of my favourites but a good experiment all the same!!! I think this week I'd like to tackle different skin tones and perhaps a full figured painting :0)

 I did enjoy painting the hair on this one though :0)

Hope you are all having a great weekend! :0)

Sunday Sketches - Koi Fish and a work of art made by my hubby! :0)

Hi guys, Well I really didn't think that I would have anything to show this weekend as I've been working on a painting for my living room. Hubby has been nagging me for some art work since we had our house renovated last year. I finally made time to work on something and have had a really productive Sunday. I didn't get out of my pajamas til about 2 o'clock as I  was too busy painting. Hee hee!!! Such a great feeling to get 'into the zone' which doesn't happen all the time so I thought I'd make the most of it.

So here is my Koi fish first up I have a work in progress shot. I used the tissue paper and texture paste then painted a few layers of colours in the background then drew on the Koi Fish with marker pen.

I laid down my basic colours for the fish and built it up from there. My inspiration for this piece comes from Japanese tattoo art. I just love it!  :0)

I'm so pleased with this and really really enjoyed painting it. I've been asked to do a dragon for another wall (hubby has one tattooed on his arm) so watch this space I think I'll give it a go :0)

In the meantime Rick decided that he wanted to work on his own piece of art. I am amazed at the results! :0) For as long as we've known each other he's always maintained that he is not an artistic person but I've always seen him as being creative when it comes to food etc (as you will have seen from my previous posts about what he's been cooking up lately.) So yesterday he went off to the hardware store picked up some paint and 3 canvas' went outside in the freezing weather and created his first master piece :0)
I think he's done a fantastic job. I told him he did a 'Pollock' and I had to google him so that I could show him what I meant heheh then he said 'no Pollock did a me' ;0).

It goes really well with our decor in our house and gives it a really modern feel. I'm very proud of him and excited to see him trying something new and hope that my creativeness has rubbed off on him a bit. He's already talking about ideas for his next piece :0)

Sunday Sketches on the beach

Hi guys, I just got back from a wonderful weekend down the coast with the family. We took the boys to the zoo and saw some beautiful animals, Tigers, Lions, Red Panda's, snakes, giraffes but to name a few. My favourites though were the chimps such beautiful creatures who were just as curious about us as we were with them.

This zoo was very special because of it's breeding program for endangered species and is one of very few in the world who's managed to successfully breed a silvery Gibbon. I will be going back again with the boys as we loved it so much next time I'll make sure that we take lots more photos!!  I had a little time on the beach this morning to do this picture in the sand so thought I would upload it for Sunday sketches. I'm off to bed now soooo exhausted but will be catching up on all your wonderful work in the morning!!! :0)

Sunday Sketches

 Hi guys, well I've had such a lazy weekend. We didn't really do anything except hubby cooked up a feast last night, atlantic salmon, topped with homemade chile jam on an asian omlette filled with oyster mushrooms, shitake mushrooms and asparagus. And a bunch of bok choy!!! Phew!!!! I feel spoiled! Tonight I'm cooking a Vietnamese soup with noodles pork and asian veggies and hubby is currently making an apple dessert!!! Yummo!

I just had to show you these photos that he took of his cooking I have to say that I think he's a creative artist in his own right!!! Love the action shot below :0)

 This is an action shot of him making the chile jam!

 Love the bright colours in the ingredients.

 The finished chile jam

 Pan frying the huge salmon steaks. The boys shared one between them.

 He even bought these new funky plates to serve our dinners on!! The boys were very impressed.

In between all that eating I managed to sketch up a couple of ideas for my next angel painting as I'd like to experiment more with that idea. (Take a look at my previous post for my latest angel painting) So hopefully I'll have a finished painting to show for next Friday's paint party Friday!

Hope you're all having a great weekend!

Sunday Sketch/Illustration Friday - Swept!

Hi Guys, Today I managed to do a piece for Illustration Friday. It's been a while since I participated in this but when I read this weeks word 'Swept' this image came to mind. It's a bit of a whimsical doodle but was nice to just sit and draw whatever popped into my head, very relaxing indeed. I used watercolour pencils and black pen for this. I'm also entering this into this weeks Sunday sketches. Hope you are all having a great weekend! :0)

Sunday Sketches My tribute to my Great Grandmother :0)

Hi guys, well after feeling very uninspired I have finally got my mojo back and decided to give myself some new challenges. This week I wanted to work on a painting of my Great Grandmother. Agnes Margaret (she preferred to be called Margaret) was born August 27 1899! She was a very beautiful young girl with stunning bright blue eyes and blondy brown wavy hair. Margaret was a volunteer nurse in World War I. She lived most of her life in a beautiful big house on the coast in South Wales and loved to swim in the ocean and walk her dogs every day. :0) I remember talking to my gran about when she was a kid and the things she liked to do.
The painting I have done this weekend is from a photograph. I loved the sepia colour but wanted to keep the contrast of those beautiful blue eyes :0) I would like to do another one of her in her nurses uniform.

 This is my Great Gran on her Wedding day.

 This is the photograph that I chose to paint.

It's not a perfect likeness I know but I do like the tones I have used and the way the face blends with the back ground. I am thinking of using this in a mixed media piece and doing more with her but I'll have a think about that! :0)

Sunday Sketches - My trip to the coast!

Hi everyone this weekend I went to the coast to visit family we just got back this afternoon. I had a lovely relaxing time. I didn't take my sketch book with me but found myself with time on my hands yesterday afternoon to do a bit of sketching. So did these two on some computer paper :0) The weather was so cold yesterday I found myself staring out of the window at the gum trees watching the leaves fly up everywhere so I was inspired to do this sketch :0)

This other sketch was inspired but a sculpture/ornament that my mother in law has. Very cute meer cats, it's so realistic I felt these cute little eyes on me whilst I was watching tele. I wanted to draw another 'big eyed animal' and they seemed perfect. So full of character!

Hope you're all having a great weekend. I'm hoping to do some painting this week and be a bit more productive. I'll try and get round to visit you all later!!! :0)

Sunday Sketches - My first double page spread in another 'Sistahs' book :0)

Hi guys, first of all Happy Mothers day to all you yummy mummies out there!!!
I have been very spoiled today as hubby has been preparing a special lunch since yesterday :0)

He made homemade spinach and ricotta gnocchi with a slow cooked pork spare rib tomato sauce topped with pancetta parsley and parmesan cheese, mixed salad with olives and fennel etc and garlic bread. I'm very lucky that hubby used to be a chef in his past life, for 15 years to be exact and every now and again I'm thankfully reminded. We had both our mums here for the day as well as the dads and had a lovely lunch out on our deck as it was a beautiful Autumn day :0)

I wanted to share this sketch that I did yesterday. It is part of the 'Sistahood of the travelling sketchbook' which I have mentioned before :0). Last week I received Eva's book and this entry is about "May". In our part of the world it is now Autumn so May for me is filled with those beautiful Autumn colours. It's my most favourite time of year and I never tire of seeing the leaves change into those beautiful striking reds and oranges.

I really like this design and can't wait to paint it!

Hope you're having a great weekend!!!!!

Sunday Sketches - An Owl!

Hi guys I hope you all had a great Easter weekend! We had beautiful weather and a lovely family get together. I feel like I've done nothing but eat and eat but I guess that's what family gatherings are all about ;0)

This week I've been finishing up my commission. I've had to paint two candles along with the Jesus painting that I did. I'm in the process of finishing those up so will share with you as soon as they are ready. I've also been working on my sign in page for the Travelling sketchbook that I'm involved in. That is finally ready to go and I'll be posting it on asap. We've had lots of public holidays this last week so the post office isn't open :0(

I've also been making lots of new pieces for my market that is happening next week. It's hopefully going to be a big one as it's a week before mothers day. Fingers crossed we do well :0)

I've also been trying some new things (as you would have read if you saw my last post). My cousin asked me the other day if I would paint an owl and I was keen to step outside the box and so sketched up this drawing on a canvas sheet. I'm loving those by the way :0)

This is what popped into my head! I'll be painting it this week and will show you how it turns out. I found the sketch came quite easily I hope I don't spoil it when I paint it :0)

This is a new piece that I made this week, I really do love this red sparkly clay that I bought recently. It's so pretty especially after a coat of gloss varnish!

This light blue is so bright and cheerful! I'm just so addicted to making these pretties :0)
I am trying to get around to visit you all it's just been such a busy week but I promise I'll get there :0)