Getting back on terra firma
23 February 2014
After a hectic day yesterday when I went and signed up with half a dozen local estate agents and picked up my mixed media pieces from The Tree and Me exhibition, I had a bit of a play in the studio - nothing too taxing or creative, just a fiddle about.
I am really sorry but the light is poor - the colours are very pale taupe and pale green. This background is much more blended.
Now you might know that I have been You Tube hopping and found the Paperartsy channel. I have shared a few of the videos with you.
Well one video is on decorating backgrounds. Leandra, the resident artist I am thinking, is a whiz with the acrylic paints. So, I decided to give her technique of 'Corner, Corner, Side' a go.
I assembled my weapons.
These are three acrylics from Hobby Craft. I think they are an American brand. They have been OK but now I have discovered the Fresco Finish paints I will get replacements from there. The white is a system3 Acrylic from Daler Rowner. That's an oil stick in the foreground ( I find them the best for applying subtle colour through a stencil) and a commercial plastic stencil. I think the only one I have.
They're not in the picture, but I used two make up sponges to apply the paint.
So, here is a card background.
Less successful as the colours don't blend so well.
But here is a page from the sketchbook
You can see the stencil, but can you also make out the squiggly lines as a bit of background? A bit like a post stamp?
Well, who needs an expensive stamp when you have this!
Feeling a bit all at sea (no reference to Southsea)
22 February 2014
I have had some slightly unsettling news.
The landlords of my 'home from home', who live in the USA have apparently decided to sell up. In all honesty it is no real surprise. We have been here over five years and they have not really looked after the place. Last year, when we had ongoing roof leaking problems, the landlords brother, who happens to be a roofer, told me that he thought the house was 'running away with them'. Old houses need tlc and this one hasn't had much.
So I had an email from the letting agents yesterday telling me this.
Now subconsciously I think I have been expecting this. I have been very unsettled - you can probably tell from my random blog posts of late. Not much art, just a lot of you tube browsing. There is more change at work - some of that in a good way and some perhaps a bit less positive - and I think as I get older I am becoming more unsettled by change.
But hey ho - I must press on and get a grip.
Now there are two things that might happen from this. The first, and less appealing as I hate the driving, is that I will have to go back to my south coast base and work from there, but trek up and down the A34 (a nasty road for any foreign readers) to get to the office. This is seriously going to sap my creative energies and creative time, diminish my quality of life somewhat and generally make things a bit grimmer.
The second, and the company I work for has to agree to this, is that we find somewhere else. Then my challenge will be to find a rental property that is dog friendly, affordable, suitable for surveyor training and has space to relocate my studio. A challenge, but, on balance, a preferred option.
So I think that today I will make a start to look around for somewhere else to stay up here and hope that the company agrees.
Meanwhile, work does go on.
The peppers just need a bit of stitch and then they are finished. The recipient has seen photos of the work in progress and said that she liked them, so that is good. I bought frames in the week so plan to get those out of the door this weekend if I can.
Secondly, I have volunteered to help with the CQ gallery this year at the Festival of Quilts. I have to phone Christine today to see what is involved.
Thirdly, I need to crack on with my own FOQ quilt - and possibly- quilts.
So, no more feeling sorry for myself and onwards and upwards.
And just to prove I have not been completely idle, here is a sketch book page plus some birthday cards I did this week.
Southsea after the storms
20 February 2014
Now the poor old UK has been battered by winter storms. The West Country and Wales has taken the brunt, but other places have also been battered.
Brighton lost its pier. Portsmouth, though further to the west than Brighton, fared much better, I think because it was protected by the Isle of Wight.
That said, this should be the promenade - not the beach!
But the storms dragged up some lovely rubbish ( why is it that on a beach, rubbish takes on a much more romantic aura - perhaps it's the implication of travel, shipwreck and journeys).
And I love the colour of this rope against the shingle.
Meanwhile, the dogs had a whale of a time.
Paperartsy Part 2 (golly this is getting silly)
Here is another one - that is another Paperartsy video.
I am not a fan of commercial stamps at all, but there are some very useful painting tips in this video.
I really like the standard of the videos from this company, and the painting tips are really useful.
This is more of a scrap booking channel I guess, but you have to be open minded and while I might not be a fan of commercial stamps, you have to admire the paint technique used.
Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics by PaperArtsy - Information Video
19 February 2014
In my last post I confessed to being just a little bit smitten with the look of a range of acrylic paints I found while mooching around the web.
And here is a just fabulous film that introduces all the colours. Other manufacturers take note - this really makes me want to grab the plastic and hit the online store.
ps. I hope you can see this. For reasons that I don't understand, on my iPad I cannot actually see the videos embedded here. On the laptop I can. Anyone able to explain that?
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