works in progress

I'm loving the whole process and technique of these little paintings, so I thought I would share some photos of how they begin. I ended up finishing these two last night, and will share some pictures of the finished pieces soon.

This is my favourite part - colouring in with the soft, messy, buttery oil pastels, and making spontaneous colour decisions as I go.

I'm breaking all the "rules": oil pastel goes on first, then the water based mediums after. After lots of colouring, scratching, scraping, watercolour washes, painting and coats of matte varnish the surface looks something like this, and the oil pastels aren't at all smudgy any more.

A big hello and welcome to all the wonderful blog visitors who have come here from Kelly Rae Robert's Flying Lessons e-course. I'm getting so much out of this course. Kelly is very open and sharing with information and tips on getting our own creative businesses to soar, and a wonderful bonus of the course is all the beautiful and talented people I'm meeting. I made a last minute decion to enrol on the day the course started, and I'm happy I did!

Tetris Psychedelia

This project is hurting my brain!! 280 little squares, with 4 of each colour.

In an ideal world, and with amazing tetris skills, they may look something like this....

But in reality, they are more like this...

Crashing down all around me at once, leaving me without enough time to join them together and weave in the ends (all those ends) before it needs to be ready to be worn by a tree in just over three weeks. Will share more pictures soon!

new artwork

I finished the painting in the post below. At the moment it's titled Trees and Fairy Lights, for lack of a more imaginative name, and I like the way it looks in dim light best, as the little string of gold lights shine.

And another new artwork - this time the canvas being me. Just beginning... I have big plans for the growth of this little tree :)

Why a tree? I have thought about this a lot (it's my celebratory 40th birthday tattoo - 2 years late), as trees are a symbol I keep coming back to in my work. I have always loved trees, from an early age. Climbing them, enjoying their shade and shelter, their beauty and changing colours.

To me, trees represent growth, strength, wonder, shelter, home... and stability and change at the same time. The tree in a circle motif that I keep coming back is also about feeling a sense of self-containment and growth within. I have additions (colour, flying birds) coming that will help break the tree out of its little circle, and I'm finding now that I want to do it as soon as possible - it feels a little trapped there at the moment! The trees in my art are self-contained, but very much part of their environment, and hopefully that's what my tattoo tree will be when it's finished.

It was strange how, within a day or two of having the work done, I read this blog post - and it summed up to me so well what this little symbol is about. About growing within, but pushing against my perimeter. A reminder of the strength I already have, and the enormous potential for growth.