In case you don't know what this work desk lark is all about see here - Julia's Blog
Good Morning/Evening fellow 'deskers' sorry about the mess (again) yesterday I was full of hopes ready to tidy up and show off something amazing, but alas the world turned to disaster. Here is another desk though, just so its not too boring..
Of course desk 1, is just my art journal, not very interesting at all. Desk 2 is the side of my drawing board, just to show I don't confine my mess to one place by any means. After the photo though I did go round and put all the lids on paint and put them in the drawer, as it was too much even for me.
Lastly, here is my latest oil pastel portrait, this actually started off as a famous person - the sketch was better (in last blog entry) till I added colour, now it looks absolutely NOTHING like who it was meant to be, never mind....... keep trying.
In brief, the weather is still too hot for me, and too hot to spend much time in my art space. The husband is quite poorly, so having to play 'nurse' which really is not my forte - my Mum reminded me earlier that this is a wife's role it seems, and we do infact take those vows. Mum is not too well either, our health service is not looking after her too well, despite my official complaint - but hey, she does actually have another appointment scheduled for Friday (not bad for someone with chronic heart failure and poor kidney function) seems there is no rush to treat such things, and certainly no rush to care for anyone past 75.
Sure all you crafters appreciate if it wasnt for my art world I would go totally bonkers, what a savoir in the lowly crayon.
Will be watching Julia' later to see if I can sneak an early posting - but if not I will no doubt be in the 80's again as will be later on in the day. Will get around as many desks as I can again, I did over 100 last week so was most proud of myself, and am very grateful for everyone who took time to visit me and my mess.
This dreadful looking canvas has been festering in the kitchen for some time, as you see I have had a few failed attempts to fix it, and mentioned it in my last post here http://mycreativelifestyle.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/whats-on-your-work-desk-wednesday-216.html#comment-form I had another look and wondered if I could try fix it with pastels? as this is my favourite medium to work with, so I had a go........... also used a few coloured pencils, I do think it is now improved. Once I work out whether to set it or varnish it will be done.
I had managed the odd 'hour' in the art space, it was indeed the odd 'hour' too, yesterday and again today it is simply to hot to go anywhere near. Here is a sketch I started ..
and then did some underpainting...
Hoping she stays so pretty when I get a chance to start with the pastels. At the time of doing this I was in a great mind set, then that was turned. I got a phone call on Thursday evening to tell me a friend of mine had passed away, I used to walk with him every day with our dogs for years - funny, you think people will be around for ever, such a shock when they are not, I only spoke to him a couple of weeks back.
I really hate self-pity, but that does seem to be what I am doing. I am feeling quite low, not helped by the blessed heat - is meant to be raining here soon today, no sign of it yet - but as always in the UK its extremes of weather, down south (London area and further) are expecting an awful lot of rain in a short time, which can cause flooding - going to spoil the weekend for many, so what right do I have to feel sorry for myself? none at all.
Well, thats it now - just too hot. The art room is out of bounds, even with the door open and the fan on I cant stay in it for longer than an hour and thats a struggle. So, above is the only thing I have managed in the last few days, a very quick face all in oil pastel, on the mixed media background I had already created.
Fed up as I am, I investigated the long term weather forecast and looking like there is no end to this heat for at least another three weeks, I do hope they have it wrong. Yes, I am sure its all very nice if you like the sun, and have nothing else to do but sit and enjoy, but I hate sitting and its the house heat that is doing for me, and the dogs - who are also suffering quite badly now.
I also loose my evenings too, I used to sketch in the evening - now I am out dog walking as its been too hot the rest of the time, and even then its not ideal.. but the poor things have to get out of here and find a breeze somewhere for a while.
I have been reduced to doing 'housework' already this weekend, I can see this weeks WOYWW being a clean desk and little else if this keeps up!
On a lighter note, the dog training is going a bit better, okay its a very slow process but here is one of my favourite pictures of the week of Custer managing a great recall after playing with some other dogs..
Hope everyone is surviving the heatwave, wont be long before its hosepipe ban time LOL, surely not after all that flooding? but I know our dog walks are getting quite barren now, not seen resevoir's but imagine they will be lowering.
Since Wednesday I have... finished off the journal page I showed on my desk on my last blog post for WOYWW. Didnt go as well as I had hoped as life got in the way, and with it brought back anxiety attacks etc, so been struggling a bit, it does help to art it out so that is what I have tried to do.
While layers were drying I picked up my Portfolio oil pastels and did this one..
..and today I tried a larger one on one of the mixed media backgrounds I had done on A3 card. I am calling this my 'not quite' face, as parts of it are quite good, but the placements are not right so it really does look like a 'not quite' face, LOL. I have to keep telling myself they are much better than they were 18 months back, and everyone has to start somewhere. Only the very lucky have the natural talent, the rest of us have to work very hard at it. So, here is my 'not quite' face...
Hope everyone in the UK is enjoying the warm weather - sadly I am not the biggest fan, seems as I have got older it does me no favours health wise at all, but so far its cool (ish) in the house so thats ok, though I am going to have to take the nuicance dog out for 5 mins, its too hot for him so will only be 5 mins. We took them on the beach last night at 8.30pm which was a successful walk, and nice and cool for us all.
Not sure there will be too much art done over the weekend, I have family to visit tomorrow, and puppy class is Sunday, and a shopping trip to the Organic Farm - puppy class usually does for me too.
Here is my first page in the new hand made journal. Must say I have missed playing in the journal and I do enjoy it. As much as I would like to say I painted this face it is a paint over, so is the first girl (magazine cut outs with paint added) but I do enjoy having some help, it helps me with the shading at the shaping of the features, Not so sure the hair is as great as I could be but is certainly fun hair.
I did this one with oil pastel and paint yesterday - I have stopped 'trying' to get realistic, and tried to just enjoy the process - I have to stop trying to hard as it really does not help me.
See, she is certainly a bit more fun. I also had a try with soft pastels - it was an 'experience' but not one for me I dont think.
Whilst shopping today I purchased some great fashion magazines with the most interesting faces, ideal for painting over and learning - look forward to starting with them. I do have another face on the board too, the charcoal is just setting on that one, might get to it tonight, might not? depends on how it goes, have some family stuff to do, and a shed load of housework ready for the onslaught of invasion of inlaws tomorrow!!!
