Thursday 27 November 2014

Blogging... its a lonely business

Above are the latest 'Paint Palette Polly's' number 6 - 9.  These will be added to the Etsy Store soon.  I just spent the last couple of hours editing the photo's after doing the photo's in the only bit of available light this morning, such a dark day there was very little of it about.

The title of today's blog is 'Blogging.........its a lonely business'.  If you scroll down you will see my last post had no comments, the one before that did.. but then I actually 'asked' for visits in my art group.  I do have to ask though.  Luckily the main reason I blog about my art is so I have a record of what I have done and when, and to put out my original idea's (at least I think they are, again on a blog I hope I would be told if not)on record.  I follow a lot of blogs, but mainly because I have no idea how to 'unfollow' them.  When I started out I used to take the time to comment on every one of them, as it is no good complaining about no comments if you dont do so yourself is it?  I soon realised this was simply a waste of valuable time.

If you take the time to look around on social media there are a lot of hidden 'cries for help' from people who are either very lonely, or in need of some encouragement or recognition for what they are doing........ it does not take long to give someone a lot of cheer in their day.  I am not going to mention were I found this, but I 'do' facebook groups, pinterest, instagram and etsy groups and found a couple of fledgling artists who just need a kind word to help their struggle with life.

On the whole artists are a great bunch of people.. but I think we can sometimes get lost in the 'selling' thing and forget the 'human' side.  Or maybe it is just your life is going well and you may not notice its not going that well for everyone?

Before I waffle on for ever, (and I really do need to get the dog out before it gets any darker) - please do me a favour today while you are scrolling around on the net - keep an eye for someone who might need that kind word, be it on Facebook/Etsy/Instargram/twitter.. it will only take a minute.

Lastly (yes, I am going now) I would like to wish our friends in the USA a Happy Thanksgiving, have a great few days taking time off and spending it with family and friends........... and turn those PC's off for a few days!!!!

Sunday 23 November 2014

This weeks creativity

You may remember a 'very' long time ago I painted a clock for my Etsy shop.  I 'finally' managed another couple I am happy with.  Not that I havent done them for a while, I just was not happy with them, but happy with these two and they will be added to my shop this week.  I must point out as I will on the listing, the houses are not my own art work but created with a stencil from the lovely 'Tam' at 'Willowing.org'.
Also finished Polly's 7a and 8.  Yes I know '7a' as 7 was just a very 'poor' Polly, she will remain in my file but I think she is better just staying in there, not every day is a good one.........ok............ here she is. but she will NOT be going up as a print.
See what I mean? not my best of days.  I have many idea's for variations of the 'Polly's' but this was not one of my better creations.
I also do a lot of practice in my magazine journal, this is one I was practicing painting techniques on yesterday.
.and to finish off today's blog, here are 'the boys' after today's beach walkies, although they were dried off they are feeling the cold today, and yes we do have a larger sofa they fit a lot better on.. but they choose this one..
Have a good week, and if you are in the UK keep warm - I have a feeling the cooler weather is on its way.

Wednesday 19 November 2014

Paint Palette Polly's take over

Well, all four of the Polly's from my last blog post are now on sale as prints in my Etsy Store.  The originals are safely displayed in a file to keep them clean.  I am still loving these, just as well as of the 100 I intend to do I still have 94 left.  They are changing as they go, which I think is a great appeal, and very inspiring to me.
I also have 3 Postcard Polly's that I have no idea what to do with as yet.  I purchased a photo album to put them in while I make up my mind.  I am 'toying' with the idea of cards, or having them printed as a collection of postcards, but need to be bringing some finances in first for that.
So serious am I to try move forward with my artwork I have today applied for a 'real' job doing 'Admin' work, not my chosen way to fill my days but alas has become necessary.  I will have less time to paint, but at least I can afford to buy some!
I have not prepared the next lot of 'Polly's' for printing as yet.  Also working on 'Christmas Polly' and a few sketches with a view to possible Christmas cards, probably not to sell but to send out to friends.

Downside of winter months is the lack of decent light, not as many hours in the day to paint - I do have lighting but prefer daylight.. roll on new year and slight longer days please.

Wednesday 12 November 2014

Introducing Paint Palette Polly's

Very Happy to be introducing my new series called 'Paint Palette Polly's'.  Above is a picture of my first four prints soon to be on sale in my Etsy store.  I intend to do another 96 in total, this may take some time.  At present I have decided just to sell them as 'prints' and to keep hold of the originals.
The Polly's came to be as a result of my Gulfsprite art class introducing us to Robert Burridge and his fabulous flowers, this is how I came to do my first flowers in his style, from using my paper as a paint palette and taking it from there.  I used acrylic paper as a palette first.  I was playing about on one of my palette's and my first face appeared there in the same style.  I was going to call the collection 'Recycled Rita's' but there was already that name and Etsy store out there... so I went to my art group 'Art 101' and asked for help, there was some great idea's came about but my favourite was from artist 'Jolie Raimondo' who had the idea for 'Paint Palette Polly'.
I have also 'finally' got around to making a print of this one, done in one of my art classes with Christy Sobolewski at Gulfsprite.  This too will be added to my shop soon as a print.
Its Mums birthday next week, so I have painted this one for her, its also glittery so hoping that works in the frame (yet to be purchased).
I have manage to do all my photo's (and soon to do the draft listings) today as I managed to hurt my hand yesterday painting in a smaller style, its not a great photo but this is the first time I have ever managed anything half decent in a small size, I am 'thinking' of calling her 'Postcard Polly' and maybe doing a few more if my hand recovers, I have some smaller brushes on the way so that might help me not grip so much.. all still a learning curve over 3 years later.
Thank you to Iris for her recent encouragement and to Julia who always takes time to support and comment on my Facebook Page.

Thursday 6 November 2014

Introducing my very first art print

I am very excited as I have just added my VERY first print to my Etsy shop.  Hopefully the first of many, it is a bit like a dream come true.  (you can see my Etsy shop here on the right of the page, the link will take you there).

I am having a lot of fun with flowers of late, even started trying some 'real' ones as well as the abstract idea.  Also got a new line of paintings going on too, which 'when' I manage a collective name for them I will show off, enjoying the painting side but the naming bit can get a bit tricky.

Here is my first painting of 'real' flowers, I might add this to my shop as a print next week.

Monday 3 November 2014

Welcome November Art

Another thing I got from my recent Obsessions course with Gulfsprite was the inspiration to do MORE art.  Above is my first page in my 'new' journal I made from just a supplies magazine, I could hardly wait to start in it.  My goal though is to finish it, not get fed up half way through and start another, but to actually complete one.  The inspiration for the above painting was from watching one of Christy (at Gulfsprite) art journal flip through's, were I found doing three faces on one page very challenging but fun too, this did take me the best part of the day to complete, I even finished off by using fixative on it, and intend to coat it too tomorrow.
I still haven't lost the abstract flowers addiction either - I am now numbering them, this one is abstract flowers 6.
..and this one is number 7.  I really should print off an actual bouquet instead of just going from my imagination, sure I could do better that way.  But maybe not so much fun.  I may run off this one as a print for my Etsy shop, but not sure still which to choose from.  Still not added any prints, but a step closer.  I did add my first Christmas tote bag to the Etsy shop today, last of the one's I made and on sale like the others, and my warm bright scarves too.  You can see my shop link on the top right of the page, please do take a look.

Thanks for reading.

Saturday 1 November 2014

Revamping the art journal page

Ever had one of those pages that really just didn't do it? me too....
I did this for the front cover of a new journal made from part of a magazine, the idea was good but what went on paper was not quite what was in my head at the time.  So this was perfect for my latest Obsessions lesson with Gulfsprite I went back in to revamp the page, give it a look I was happier with, here it is half way through.
At the same time I learnt a few new (to me) techniques for improving the faces I paint.  The finished page of my new journal now looks like this..
I like it much better now.  I might just varnish it too as I have the other one, then it will stay cleaner when I use the rest of the journal.  During this wonderful course I also learnt how to work on more than one thing at a time, whilst letting things have longer to dry (this helps a lot with the layers), so at the same time I did this one... from this......
which is an idea for a painting I still cannot quite master.  But I battled on and turned it into this..
Still not quite what I had hoped but its finished now, I think..............
No time today to do much art, being a Saturday its all about visiting family and their visitng us, so very little free time.  Also due to firework 'season' I have to feed the dogs early and get them out before dark - not looking forward to this weekend as our lurcher is very fearful of fireworks nearby and I just 'know' the neighbours will be letting them off again, thankfully the neighbours just do one night a year unlike the rest of the area.

Sympathies to others with fearful pets or others like myself who prefer their quiet lives.