happy halloween, my pretties!!!

while australia doesn't normally celebrate halloween, i've noticed over the past eight years or so, that it has gradually become more popular, particularly among the children. of course, what child wouldn't like halloween with all those lollies/treats to munch on?! i'll bet dentists love halloween too.

i did a quick sketch to mark the day -

and, as i've enjoyed how sandy digitally alters some of her art work, i thought i'd try it with this sketch. this was done using the 'enamel' effect tool and i quite like how it looks.

click on images to enlarge

the reference for my sketch was an oil burner which was a christmas gift my mum gave me many years ago.

mum also bought one for my sister, saying that when she saw the witch oil burner in the shop, she was instantly reminded of my sister and me, so had to buy one for each of us. not quite sure why a witch would have brought images of my sister and me to her mind but okay....i think. my sister and i still laugh about it to this day and, in case you're wondering, we are very close to our mum so it's not an animosity thing. lol

actually, it may have been related to a story i once told my sister's kids when they were little. one day, my young niece was playing around with my outdoor broom and, as i was worried she would trip over it, i told her to place it against the wall as i would need it for my travels that night. of course, all the kids were then mesmerised with hearing how i was a witch (not really..hehehe) and how i would trip around on my broomstick each night. they were so excited and begged me to stop by their house that night so i promised that i would......well, when night-time actually came, they were all terrified at the thought of me in witch's garb tapping at their bedroom windows so we had to quickly put that story to bed. lol

and here are the treats for tonight waiting to be bundled up into little parcels for the 'trick or treaters'.

soul coaching

i was reading some blogs yesterday and did a bit of link-hopping which led me to soul coaching by denise linn. i have read some of denise's books before and i felt immediately drawn to participate in this 'blog book club'. it starts november 1st, so i raced out this morning and picked up a copy of the book so i can be prepared.

an excerpt from the book cover - soul coaching is a four-week program dedicated to an in-depth clearing and cleansing of the different aspects of your life: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. by following the practical, carefully crafted steps presented here, you'll find that you're able to uncover your authentic self.

november will certainly be a busy month for me! i hope i can go the distance......

nablopomo

you've heard of back-up plans, right? well, this is kinda like a back-up motivator.

on top of the 'art every day month' challenge, i've signed up to 'nablopomo' for the month of november. click picture above to find out more. it's basically where you commit to post daily to your blog for the elected month....it covers a broader scale than 'something creative daily' but, again, i hope it serves as an encouragement for me to get in the daily habit of creativity.

art every day month

i've decided to sign up for 'art every day month' which happens to be november. are you interested in joining too? all you need to do is commit to doing something on a creative level each and every day for the month of november and post it daily on your blog. it can be painting, drawing, knitting, sewing, cooking, decorating, writing, photography, clay, jewelry-making or anything else that falls into the creative realm. it doesn't have to be something spectacular, just share what you have done each day...big or small...or even progress pics on a larger project. just have fun! i think this will be just the motivation i need to get into the habit of daily creativity. click on the image below to learn more about the challenge. it will take you to leah's blog called - 'creative every day' . leah started this challenge six years ago.

live your dream - final

it's all finished apart from painting the edges and varnishing.

i painted this for my daughter, michelle, who has recently had to resign from her job due to bully tactics from the 'back to work' recover agency who pushed her beyond her capabilities and now michelle is basically back to square one with her injury. none of these people had medical training but they seemed to deem michelle fit enough to work longer hours and she wasn't, simple as that. they only saw michelle for all of an hour, 4 months ago, when she was able to start back at work on limited hours and, from there, all communication was by phone. michelle told them she was too sore to work longer hours, according to their most recent work plan, but they ignored her. now, thanks to them, she has been set back to basically how her injury was in the beginning....can ya tell i'm an irate mum at this point? for those who dont know, michelle was passenger in a car accident two days before new year and she sustained severe whiplash injury resulting in a lot of soft tissue damage. she is a little worried at what lies ahead and, for some time, has had a dream to create a home-based craft business which i think is a great idea because she can work at her own pace and rest when she needs to. i'm hoping this painting will act as a reminder for her to 'live her dream'.

recently, i read in 'the new earth' by eckhart tolle that we need to embrace our fears for, 'when we become comfortable with uncertainty, infinite possibilities open in your life, as fear no longer inhibits growth'. i like the sound of that. live your dream - © serena lewisacrylics on 12"x12" gallery wrapped canvasclick on image to enlarge

Second stage - Work In Progress

i've had a busy few days....lots of distractions but important ones so i didn't mind being kept away from the studio. i did get more done on the painting this morning. i haven't fussed too much over the ear as i'm debating whether or not to place a flower there. what do you think? i'm thinking a lily or hibiscus flower. apart from that, i just have to add some inspirational words that i already have in mind and i'll be able to call it finished. untitled - work in progress - acrylicsclick on image to enlarge

yesterday's efforts- work in progress

last week, i gave up trying to paint after numerous attempts. every time i tried, distractions came in the form of visitors, phone calls, kids' needing attention.....but.....yesterday, i managed to get some painting done. YAY!

i have felt so inspired by kelly rae's book - see my review here - that i decided to have fun with layers....and it WAS fun! i haven't finished this one yet but i'm pleased with how it's coming along so far. i am using a pic of my daughter as my reference image and i've managed to achieve a likeness which i'm quite happy about considering i sketched her straight onto the canvas freehand....not to mention the fact that i don't do people well at all. still more to do to her though as well as adding a few other elements.

click on image to enlarge

after doing the quiz in the last post, and it saying that i needed more purple in my life, i decided to use purple in this painting. purple is one of my favourite colours and i surprised myself when the quiz drew my attention to the fact that i really don't have much purple in my life at all. i have actually been saying to the kids for months now that i've been thinking about changing the lounge room colour scheme to a blue/green/purple colour combo. i LOVE these colours together! so, maybe the lounge room will get some attention in the not too distant future.

i won't get any painting done today as mum and dad are coming for lunch and a games afternoon so i'll be busy cooking in the morning.

i hope the rest of you are enjoying a beautiful weekend!

what colour do YOU need in your life?

purple is one of my favourite colours so i'm more than happy to comply.....can never have too much purple, i say.

You Need Some Purple in Your Life

Purple will make you feel ambitious, independent, and creative. And with a little purple, you will project an aura of individuality. If you want more extravagance, you've got to get a little purple in your life! For extra punch: Combine purple with green or orange The downside of purple: It can evoke sad feelings The consequences of more purple in your life: You will feel an increase in your artistic abilities You will find balance in the most chaotic parts of your life You will feel calm and will be hard to disturb

What Color Do You Need?

book review - taking flight

for over a year now, i have found myself being more and more drawn to the world of mixed media art. so i guess you could call it fate that, one day several months ago, i stumbled upon kelly rae robert's blog. i can't even remember how i found my way there but i'm so glad i did. not only is kelly a talented mixed media artist but her posts have also been a great inspiration to me.

i was thrilled when kelly talked of her new book and i purchased a copy the moment i found out it was available for preorder. i was one of the lucky ones (those who ordered directly from Kelly) to also receive a signed copy of 'Taking Flight' with a free print which i absolutely LOVE!

as for her book - AWESOME! 'taking flight' is not only beautifully written but is filled with lots of beautiful eye candy. in this book, kelly inspires us to face our fears and to reach into our hearts to discover and connect with our creative selves.

each chapter shares inspirational and encouraging words, ideas, techniques, and step by step projects which are presented in an easy to understand format. at the end of a chapter, kelly includes a section with prompts and blank lines for us to explore our own thoughts, all of which are designed to encourage the creative spark within to 'take flight'. another plus for me about kelly's book is her inclusion of many quotes. i've always loved quotes!

'taking flight' will definitely be a very helpful studio companion.

excerpt from the introduction -

"this book isn't just my story. it's my conversation with you as we travel together on this journey into our creative spirits. whether you're a beginner, an accomplished artist or crafter, or somewhere in between, i hope the pages of this book inspire you to see something within yourself that perhaps you didn't notice before - a treasure trove of inspiration found in the depths of your heart." - written by kelly rae roberts.

to buy your own copy of 'taking flight' - click here.

covering and decorating journals

it's been a fairly busy week with aaron on school holidays. keeping a nine year old from getting bored for two weeks hasn't been easy but, as he likes craft, we decided to tackle ro's tutorial on covering and embellishing a notebook or journal, including a matching bookmark. what fun we had too. if you want to try this for yourself, ro has been very generous in providing a link to the tutorial in the side column of her blog so go check it out. thanks, ro!

i gifted this gold tassel one to my mum
this blue one is for little, old me
and this is the aqua one that aaron did(with a little help from me)
click on images to enlarge