Time to draw......my Christmas treat

I have been wanting to draw for ages........ I used to draw and paint a lot

many years ago. My present to myself this year was to sign up for an

online course "A Date with the Pre-Raphaelites" with Kate Thompson

and allow myself some time to do it!

Sometimes you just need a kick-start and a plan to follow.

This is my first effort.... my version of the Pre-Raphaelite style.

This is the pencil version...... it reminded me how much I enjoyed drawing.

Painting next.

Season's Greetings to All,  Penny.

Redcoat challenge......

Hello All,

           The paint and paper has been put away at the moment to make room for my

Winter project for this year. I have got my costume-making hat on at the moment

so my desk is groaning under fabric and thread.

Lots of gold braid

All put together and ending up with this

Very smart!

Lots more to do so back to the sewing machine.

Best regards, Penny.

A Christmas Turkey........

Hello there!
 
Yes I am still here.......sorry for the blog break, sometimes domestic life takes over

and creative time, however much you may want it, has to be missed :(

This week however, I was dragged into the Christmas spirit when I was invited

to make a blog post for PaperArtsy - thank you Leandra.

It's a bit of fun so take a look HERE for an easy how-to.

There are a lot of new exciting plans for the PA blog next year.....hope I get to play!

Bye for now, P.

She MADE me mess it up!

Hello All,

               Still here............

To start at the beginning.      In two weeks I will be attending a set of workshops at

Art From The Heart in Harrogate with mixed media artist Dina Wakely (all the way from

America). I only have to take two things : photographs for inspiration and "my Art Journal".

Mmmmmm...... well I do have one. It's been sitting on the shelf looking beautiful in its

unspoilt, pristine condition for months.

My friend Lyn said that I couldn't take it like that, it would be too embarrassing and not

artistic. So yesterday she MADE me spoil it by spraying and rubbing paint on it with my

HANDS!

These are the results.....

And it went on the cover and other pages

Now, apparently, I have to write things on the pages...... artistically.

I find this very difficult. I am a northern lass (apologies to more artistically able northern

lasses) and am not good at putting down feelings and things.

I did try it once for an exhibition with the Bolton Progressive Threads group entitled

"Memories of Childhood". I printed childhood photos onto fabric and free machined text

in white on white, which from a distance just looked like a pattern but up close revealed

the words.

Well, I found myself sobbing! It was so traumatic!

So I might have to use other peoples' words or song lyrics (happy ones!) or something.

At least I have made the first journalling step (thank you Lyn) and won't be going to the

workshop with a totally blank book.

Best regards, P.

Try it in reverse.........

Good afternoon everyone.

Today's idea comes from one of those "what if" moments. I came across a piece of

foam material in the bottom of the drawer which, when heated, would remember the

impression of any textured material pressed into it, making a printing block (think it

was from City and Guilds days).

I used a PaperArtsy Eclectica stamp by Darcy

which normally prints like this

to make a reverse or negative print

in Fresco Finish Acrylic, and added a bit of painting

Of course this is a reverse image so I couldn't just stamp on top of it! But I went ahead

anyway :/ and got a sort of bouquet.......

with a bit of black pen doodling, a few die cut petals and leaves and a small script.....

Sometimes it is good to just mess about....... hope you don't mind Darcy!

Bye for now, P.

A Bit Like Zentangle.........

Hello All on a lovely sunny day!

My project today is the result of a bit of "wonder if" experimentation. It fits in with the

CMC blog really well.

I own quite a few paper cutting dies......... I think they are really clever, plus there is

something really... pleasing... about them in themselves (weird again!). They are like

little metal works of art :).

I have recently been trying a bit of Zentangle. I like the theory that it is relaxing and

absorbing.....a kind of meditation. In more practical terms, it is compact art and requires

few materials.

I am not very good at Zentangle.....or relaxing!

Anyway......

I decided at the weekend to get out a few dies and just cut them with nothing

particularly in mind, and see what happened.

It looks a bit like Zentangle!

Just black cut outs on white paper and a bit of pen drawing.

It helps to have two beautiful daughters to model when I need them.

I will do more of this, It's very relaxing.

Bye for now, P.

The random number generator.......

Good evening all,

With the help of my very sophisticated random number generator......

and an independent adjudicator............

The winners are
                                Deborah Wainwright..............Shadowbox
                                Craftimamma.......................Hanging mobile
                                Sarah B.................................Canvas
Please "comment" your postal address ( I will delete at moderation).

Thank you soooooo much to all who kindly commented.

I will post the goodies on Monday (no post leaves the Island at the weekend).

Will post again soon, Penny.

New product feature on PaperArtsy.......

Hello all,

              on today's PaperArtsy blog you will find three projects I made

using the new stamps designed by Elizabeth Borer. These are quite a departure

form my usual style (if I have one!) but it's good to stretch oneself occasionally.

These stamp sets are intricate and detailed and have a lot of possibilities.

I started with this layered diorama or shadow box

with a Christmassy feel followed by something dangly, which was almost impossible

to photograph because it wouldn't stay still and the dangly bits kept turning the wrong

way!

The third is a wintery canvas in a different colour scheme that turned out really

well. I took a few extra "in progress" photos

Take a look HERE to see what the other designers have come up with. But before you

do...... if you would like to have the canvas or the shadowbox, just leave a comment

below, and this time next week (Sat. 6th September) I will draw two winners out of a hat.

(Three if I can work out how to post the danglies :)  ).

Bye for now,  P.

                                                                                          

Digging deep.......

Hi everyone, welcome.

Now that I have finished my design team assignment I am faced with that terrible

thing.......choice! How many of us when limited creating time is available find

ourselves getting nothing done because the number of ideas in our heads is

overwhelming?

That's why the two dogs have smart haircuts and the hallway is newly painted.

For a long time I have been wanting to get back to some actual drawing and painting. I

used to paint a lot many years ago, even managing to sell some of my efforts! The paper

and several kinds of paint are still there, so now is the time. And it fits with the CMC

principal of using what I've got.

But I'm SO out of practice.

And I do strongly believe that anybody can draw if they practice........ there is no right and

wrong in art, but there is correct technique and that can be learned.

So.......lets learn together.

I want to start with the most difficult...... watercolour. Difficult because if you make a

mistake it is virtually impossible to put right. And you have to be patient, build up in layers

and try to avoid "muddy".

Easier said than done, as you will see.

Next problem....... what to paint?  I tell myself first, this will not be a finished masterpiece,

I have to learn the skills again. If it doesn't work, it's only a piece of paper, start again. I

would say though, don't throw it away just put it somewhere out of sight. It will be great

later to look back and see how much (hopefully) I have improved.

I took a book off the shelf, opened a page at random, and started.

A light pencil sketch...... not very good but I've actually made the first step!

I chose a big-ish brush to try and loosen up.

I remembered.....leave the white of the paper.....once it's gone you can't get it back!

Now for the good and the bad.

This is the better bit....... quite pleased.

This part is overworked. I tried to get in too close and lost the clarity :(

Never mind its only an exercise.  So lets try a bit of greenery

At last I've taken the plunge, and I want to do more, and you can just about tell what it is!

Thank you for listening,  P.

Ps.  Its quite scary sharing the learning process......

Thinking inside the box......

Welcome back. Today sees the finale of my offerings to the PaperArtsy design team

blog. It really has been an interesting experience, requiring much unaccustomed

self discipline! If you get the opportunity do give it a try!

Following on from last night, I made this....

See how HERE.

Now it's back to having to choose what to make without a design brief (much drumming

of fingers on the table and gazing into space :| ).

As sewing is my usual thing I might take that direction for a while.

On A scRoll!

Good evening and welcome to a second PA blog project.

This is another kitchenalia (that IS a word because it's on the Bargain Hunt programme)

inspired creation starting with this

and ending with this

so if you want to see the bit in between look HERE for more.

Back tomorrow,  P.

Quilts Galore!

Good evening!

Many apologies for my (in)conspicuous absence recently. As will become

evident over the next couple of weeks, I have been quite busy preparing a

few projects for my PaperArtsy finale.

I have just (10 mins ago!) returned from a weekend away at the Festival of Quilts

in Birmingham. I went with an empty case........ and brought it back full :( .....   :)

Time to get the sewing machine out methinks.

However, tonight is the first of my final group of projects for the PA blog.

Do take a look HERE to see some more.

Speak again soon. P.

A rogue post.....and a spider in the bath

Hello All,

Apologies if any followers received a repeat blog post.......... pressed wrong

button!

I have just been playing in a new sketchbook with black cartridge pages,

using some old stamps and sepia ink to create art doll forms. I liked the

monochrome look of the earlier blue and cream doll so intend to play some

more..........

And the spider in the bath.....

Mmmm........

Bye for now.

Has anyone seen my muse....?

Welcome back,

Third and last PaperArtsy post for this month..... hope you like it!

Sometimes I find myself sitting at my desk with a rare couple of spare

hours and not an idea in my head! Well actually there are lots of ideas

but they hide in the depths just when I need them and reappear in the

middle of the night, or when I'm at work or have no time at all :/

After a while I realise there is no point just sitting there and I have to go

out and find my muse.

This time I went to the local cheap kitchen shop and allowed myself 3 £1

coins to buy 3 items with "artistic potential". I came back with:

and 27p change.

My challenge is to find a place for each of these in my art. I managed one this

time.

A sneak peak

Look HERE to see more.

See you again soon on CMC.   Bye for now, P.