Just finished this drawing in graphite of my lovely sister Jodie and her two gorgeous boys. I'm not sure I like the way the texture of the paper shows through so much......I might try a smoother paper next time. Really enjoyed playing with this one.....here is the reference photo I used....
Drawing loved ones is a tricky business because you're so concious about getting a good likeness in their facial features. I'm completely facinated by the human face - it's shapes, contours, shadows and light. I feel like a kid again, immersed in my drawing. I forget to eat and drink when I'm in the middle of a project. I have taken to setting the oven timer for half hour stints to make sure I stop to stretch, walk around and have a drink regularly while I'm working. I also try to make myself do a bit of houseworky stuff in between half hour drawing blocks. This way I can justify more drawing time after I've done a few jobs! I swear, it's like negotiating with a child! But half an hour just flies by......maybe I should extend my drawing blocks to 45 mins....or an hour.
Thanks for stopping by today. Hope you're having a happy day.
This quick (approx 1 hour) drawing is the result of my first ever play
with pastels. I've been looking at some of the amazing artwork using
pastels that is over on Flickr and decided to give them a try.
Pastel artists certainly seem passionate about this medium. While working with anything new is always a challenge, I certainly enjoyed this first try. Despite my lack of technical skills, I'm relatively happy with how this quick piece has come up. I'll definitely be having another play with my pastels again soon I think.
Well, hi there! We've been away for the long weekend to see my folks at Myrtleford and now we're back home and settled into the regular weekly routine.
One of the highlights of my weekend was taking the time to get out and take some photos of Mount Buffalo, the beautiful granite plateau near my home. I went to a couple of favourite vantage points and my Dad kindly took us for a drive in his 4WD up into the hills to get some great shots as well. Here's a few of the pics I took:
This is the view I had from a few of my high school classrooms. Made it kind of hard to concentrate when you had this to look out upon.
A fantastic spot to view Mt Buffalo, just at the start of Buffalo Creek Road.
Said hi to this handsome guy while we were out taking photos....
The next morning, it was really frosty. I later learned it had got to -5 degrees celcius overnight! We went out with my Dad in his 4WD....
The ground looked like this.....
and this.....
But it was so worth going out in the cold to enjoy scenery like this......
The kids had a ball over the weekend playing with Granmama and Papa. The tension was high in this game of "pick-up-sticks".....
Everyone was checking out the competition....
Molly enjoyed a spot of gardening with Granmama.....
But then it was time to say farewell, thanks for having us, see you next time.....
Since we've been home I've been getting back into the regular routine. Washing, shopping, walking, and catching up with a couple of friends. Lovely, everyday stuff.
I've been working on my tags for the Creativity Boot Camp, but I have to admit that I haven't been keeping up with the journaling activities while we've been away. I'm assured that there is no rush and I can get to them in my own time. They look very interesting and creatively stimulating, so I'm hoping to take some time out over the next week or so and work through them.....I'd like to get them done before the school holidays start, because I know there will be no time for artistic introspection once the kids are home for the fortnight! I will post a few of my tags here for you to see soon, once I've photographed them.
If you were lucky enough to have just had a long weekend, I hope it was a good one. Thanks, Queen Elizabeth, for having a birthday holiday! It was a rippa!
Just a quick message to our nephew Mitchell who heads off on his first overseas trip tomorrow morning. He is off the the US for some "adventuring". Have a blast Mitch. We'll miss you calling in to visit. We'll see you in a few months. Love you.
I have decided to join in with the Creativity Boot Camp in an effort to gain some sort of direction to the random, scattered, creative impulses flying around in my brain. I'm also hoping to discipline myself to complete my bootcamp piece each day and then leave my crafting and computering and try to achieve some other things around the house and in my life in general. My chosen media for the boot camp is "tags". We all know how fickle I am with my creative passions. I figure that by using a tag as a "mini canvas" each day, I'll have a small, achievable, project that I can finish each day. I'll also have the freedom to embellish my tags using whatever media I choose - it might be drawing, painting, stitching, stamping, collage, photos etc. I hope to have a collection of tags at the end of this bootcamp that are reflective of a creative kickstart for me. There is also a journalling component each day which I'm really looking forward to.....at this stage I'm thinking I might just keep that part private so that I can really be honest and have complete creative freedom. If anyone would like to join me on this exercise, it's not too late to start. Just jump on over to the blog. There is also a Flickr group you can join to share your work and be inspired by others.
My wonderful Mum & Dad sent me some money for my birthday. "Spoil yourself" Mum said when I rang to thank her for it. Most women would probably indulge in shoes, clothes, maybe perfume. All I wanted to do was to visit the art supply shop. I bought a set of beautiful Prismacolour pencils, and today I sat down to have a play with them. This pic is a little reminder to me to persevere with my treatment, when it all seems too hard. I will be well again......hopefully soon.
All parents know that when you have children, you can't do something for one without doing something for the other.....it's just how it goes! So this afternoon I indulged in another session with my sketchbook and pencils. This time my subject was my firstborn, Jayden , who is 8.
Just a quick post today. Thanks for stopping by. I have to duck out to school pick up now. See you again soon.
Thought I'd show you what's been on my crochet hook for the past week. The pattern is for a wrap/shawl, but I only have enough of this cotton for a scarf. Hopefully I'll have it finished in the next couple of days.
Went out to a gorgeous new local cafe (and 'home emporium') called "Succulent" for a little birthday lunch with some dear friends who are Mum's from school. I took my camera, but you know how sometimes it feels a little uncomfortable to be taking photos? I mean, not everyone is an obsessed shutterbug like me and I felt a bit rude to be taking photos of the pretty things in this shop when these girls had gathered for my birthday. I did manage to snap this one pic of one little Miss - who is the preschool aged daughter of one of my friends - just before she tucked into her strawberry milkshake. How fun for a four year old to come out for a "ladies lunch!"
After lunch I popped into the library to pick up a book.....
......and left with ten. All art/craft/decorating books. I never read novels.....there is too much inspiration to be found in the creative section of the library. I added these to the stack of about a dozen library books I already had a home.
While I was out driving around the local area. I pulled over to take this quick pic.....I just love Autumn. So sad it is ending today.....hopefully there will be some Autumn colour around for a couple more weeks.
Off to lunch again today! Birthday week is so over-indulgent....but I'm not complaining. This time with my dear friend Fiona, a lovely nurse with whom I used to work. Looking forward to a catch up. Then I head to my NAET appointment this afternoon to see how the "cold" treatment has gone. I'll let you know. Have a happy Tuesday.
