Days Off

A couple of journal pages ... first a design and secondly a page mentioning Margaret Olley, the Australian painter, philanthropist and National Treasure, who died this week. 

Days drift by so quickly and this week I've been enjoying five days off in a row.  This means catching up on household chores, and since we are being treated to some springlike weather, getting out into the garden... and it looks like a wilderness!  Weeding and mulching are on the to-do list and a little basking in the sun to top up on Vitamin D.  Looking forward to a trip to the Plant Nursery too,  to pick out some plants to put in some large tubs for the verandah.  I promise I'll post some pics when it's all done ....

Collage Paper

I decided to decorate my own collage paper, with great results!  I'm glad I decided to do this, it is so rewarding!  I hope you can see the apple against the three papers I created and pasted in my journal. 

First, make a wash of your favorite colour, then add a pattern in a darker colour, then add more pattern in a darker colour still, then highlight it with white.  Repetition is the key here!

I cut this sheet of painted orange/yellow paper and pasted it in stripes, then added some decoration in blue ...

Worlds apart from collage papers you can buy and so easy to do!

Layers

I played with the idea of layers in my journal today, over a two-page spread.  Like the layers of sediment when you see a cross section of the earth, I applied gesso, acrylic, ink, watercolour, pencils and collage papers, allowing myself to just go with the flow... 

This meditation took an hour and a half while it poured with rain outside and I felt very peaceful at the end of it.

Overcast & Rainy

I got my wish!  Today was cold, overcast and rainy...  easy then, to put aside things you do on a fine day and devote time to finishing these two little paintings in watercolour, acrylic and ink... I do love those mediums!!

I have a little heater in my studio that keeps me toasty and warm, and I have a nice strong light to see by.  Phoebe the cat and Jess the Border Collie often join me for art sessions and love curling up on the sheepskin rug beside me.  Now it's time to heat up some soup for dinner....

All Good!

This is a watercolour painting about one quarter underway.  Lots to do yet!

This is a journal page, also partially completed.  Saturday I will be able to get back into it all and I'm hoping for a rainy day so I can head into my studio and forget everything!  I'm not complaining though, my life is rich and happy right now and although balancing is like standing at the centre of a see saw, it's all good!

Journal Play

A little journal play to show.  This collage was made up of an Asian newspaper, some designs of mine, red ribbon and silver material over brown paper, with a little red ink & red acrylic.

This face was loosely, a self-portrait.  More the feel of who I am rather than what I actually look like. (as Suki said recently about a self portrait)  Lots of impasto gel on this one, not that you can see it here.  Rough and shiny at the same time.

Slowly getting back into the studio.  It feels like an age since I've been here, I've almost forgotten what to do! ....Nah, that would never happen! :)

Winter Snapshot

Reading...  The Crafter's Devotional by Barbara R. Call - I'm loving this book (a birthday gift) designed to unlock your creative spirit!

Listening... to my eclectic playlist, it's like the proverbial box of chocolates - you never know what you're going to get!

Watching... the sun go down on a clear & windy wintery day, casting long, wild tree shadows...

Smelling... The sweetness of a punnet of plump and perfect strawberries...

Feeling... warm and cosy in my stripey slipper socks!

Thinking... that I need to get back into my studio after a few weeks break....

Time Floats

Lauren & Bri

Time has floated along, as it does, and here we are in July already!

Shared a lunch with family at a local pub this afternoon, accompanied by very warm winter sunshine & blue skies as well as a laughing kookaburra!  You'll notice we are wearing t-shirts...in July!!  We ate tempura prawns, fish & chips, calamari, and deluxe burgers.  Very tasty!

Moo & Miki

Enjoying birthday presents from near & afar. Lots to be happy about!

Thinking about my to do list and wondering what I should organise first...install a new dishwasher or frame some artworks....?  My son votes for the dishwasher since he's chief dishwasher at the moment!Thinking how lucky I am to only have these things to worry about!