Monday 31 August 2009

monday photo-a-week & plastic wrap art technique

i've been walking around on a high all week knowing that my daughter, michelle, will be living so much closer to us from september 5th. i can hardly wait and i'm looking forward to us both sharing some quality time together....what fun we will have in the studio!

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MONDAY'S PHOTO-A-WEEK

for this week's photos, i thought i would share another lovely sunrise that greeted me on friday morning.
check out those clouds!

i LOVE clouds!


click on any image to enlarge

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MY ART PROJECTS

my next main painting project will be a canvas i'm painting as a gift for my niece who recently had a baby. at the same time, i'm working on the large canvas (below) for my bedroom. i've been playing with the background and here is where i'm at so far.


work in progress on 30"x24" gallery-wrapped canvas

after painting in a background of gesso and turquoise to achieve a wavy look, i let it dry before stencilling some flowers onto the background. after the flowers dried, i used a cling wrap technique to get this effect.

as i was working on a large canvas, the cling wrap technique went something like this -


  1. i quickly applied a wash of turquoise onto the previously dried background in a vertical direction, from top to bottom, covering approximately the width of the cling wrap.
  2. while this was still wet, i quickly laid a sheet of the cling wrap flat on top of the wet area making sure it was fully covered and ensuring also that i had laid the wrap so that the next section would join on seamlessly.
  3. i then rubbed both my hands vertically in opposing directions over the cling wrap causing it to crease. i left this in place while i continued across the canvas, in sections, repeating the same method. NOTE - the direction in which you move your hands will determine the direction of the finished effect.
  4. after covering the last section of canvas, i then lifted all the cling wrap off to reveal this effect. i LOVE the variations.


now i'm off to tidy up the mess i made in the studio so it's neat for my student's class tomorrow.

ANNOUNCEMENT - my wonderfully talented blog friend, perpetual chocoholic, will be hosting a FREE coloured pencil class very soon so, if you're interested, check out this link and stay tuned for further details.

love, light and peace

Friday 28 August 2009

finished plaque and a haircut

the plaque is finished and the varnish should be set enough ready for delivery tomorrow afternoon. i'm amazed that i managed to finish it on time considering i was given such short notice. PHEW!

acrylics on MDF heart-shaped plaque
click on any image to enlarge


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52 WEEKS OF ME - some catch up


these are the jeans i usually wear when i'm painting. last year, aaron painted the apple tree on the right pocket and a heart on the left pocket.



i haven't been near a hairdresser in ten years but, sometimes i will decide to hack, i mean cut, my own hair on the spur of the moment. over the past few days, i have been snipping my hair shorter and shorter, inch by inch. today, i went haywire and just kept on snipping. in total, i have cut about 8" to 9" off the length. i took the pic below just before i snipped off another 1½", so now, it sits above my shoulders.

i find it funny that all those years ago, when a hairdresser cut my hair, i was so picky and particular but now, when i cut my hair.....it's a case of whatever way it turns out, it turns out. i must be getting old. lol

tomorrow, i will be catching up with more blogs and housework that i neglected to do when trying to get the plaque painted in time. what are your plans?

love, light and peace

Wednesday 26 August 2009

photo-a-week and the artist's way check-in

HI everyone!

yes, i'm still here...

it's been so crazy this past week! appointments, celebrations, distractions - good and bad. plus i was barely at the computer all week due to being knocked back to almost dial-up speeds on the internet for four whole days!!! this was all due to my darling sons going a little crazy this past month with downloads thereby putting us over our monthly download limit. i was not a happy girl being without my daily blog fixes. it was sheer torture for me but now i'm looking forward to catching up with everyone's blogs over the coming days.

the timing worked out well though because i received a custom order last week and, with no internet to tempt me away from the studio, i was able to devote some precious time to working on the order which is almost finished. i have yet to paint the writing on the scroll but, when finished, this wooden plaque will be gifted to a dear, sweet lady for her 80th birthday.


work in progress
click on any image to enlarge


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MONDAY PHOTO-A-WEEK (late again, sorry)


my mum and dad celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary on august 20th so bradley and i decided to take them out to lunch. michelle and alex, plus my brother and his wife, were also able to come along and we all enjoyed a lovely lunch and afternoon together!


here is a pic i took of the family group



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THE ARTIST'S WAY - WEEK ONE



RECOVERING A SENSE OF SAFETY

this week, julia cameron asked us to explore some of the monsters from our past. monsters who have effected the way we view ourselves as creative beings. a hurtful or tactless statement from someone, whether it be a stranger, teacher, family member, or even a friend, can seriously wound our inner artist to the point where we can feel crippled creatively.

i can still remember one example in my own life quite vividly. i had proudly shown a friend my very first art piece that i had painted in a class and she responded with fits of laughter. she smugly stated that i had wasted $10 on learning how to colour-in. of course, there was so much more i had learned in my first lesson.....working with acrylic paint and brush control being two of the main things. this friend continued to laugh and make fun of me and her words made me feel so small. i bravely held back the tears and told her that i didn't need that type of friendship in my life. while that incident stayed with me, i chose to focus on the enjoyment i felt when i was painting and, over time, art has become a huge part of my life. have you recognised similar patterns in your own creative journey?

then, julia asked that we remember the champions of our creative self-worth. another school mum, also a friend, was the champion who taught me the basic folk art techniques all those years ago. raya, if you're reading this - THANK YOU! your encouragement and praise meant so much to me and you helped me to believe in my creative abilities to the point where i was able to continue painting and learning from art books when you left the area.

my family have also been champions of my artistic adventures and i'm so grateful for their support.

i discovered the world of blogs over the past couple of years and i have since been blessed with even more champions and i am deeply grateful to each and every one of you. yes, you know who you are. THANK YOU!



THE ARTIST'S WAY - week one check-in


yes, i did write in my morning pages each morning for the past week.

but, no, i didn't get a chance to schedule in my artist's date with having so much on my plate. it was a VERY busy week!

were there any issues that may be significant to my recovery? YES! as mentioned above, i received a custom order a week ago but the client needed it finished and ready within two weeks. as i'm generally so busy in my life outside of art, i normally require at least four weeks to allow myself time to create the design, paint the design, varnish the finished piece, and then allow some time for the piece to cure before wrapping. as the client is a friend of the family i told her i would try to finish it in time. anyways, i had nothing but drama from the get-go....the painting process just wasn't working out and i was panicking big-time! i started from scratch at least three times until i was finally comfortable enough with how it was looking. during the whole process, i was very derogatory to myself and my capabilities as an artist, so i'm wondering if my own name should be added to the list of monsters who diminish my creativity?


feel free to read what other artist's way participants have to share at this link.


love, light and peace

Wednesday 19 August 2009

MONDAY PHOTO-A-WEEK

i know, i know....it's actually wednesday but we can pretend, can't we? the past few days have been so busy that i've barely had any time at the computer at all. i still have to catch up with my bloggy friends too.

anyways, if you follow michelle's blog, you will already know that we went to mt. nebo on sunday for a walk through the rainforest. it was so nice and we all had a great time! the weather was perfect and the walking trail was good enough for bradley to negotiate with minimal assistance. afterwards, michelle and alex treated us to a delicious lunch of fish and chips. YUM!

deciding on which trail to walk


aaron in the foreground, beau in the middle and alex in the rear,
walking sticks at the ready



michelle in the foreground, me in the middle, and brad in the rear


aaron inside the hollow of a tree


this is actually some type of parasitic vine that, over time, has enveloped a large tree, then has fed off it until the host tree ended up dying and disintegrating, leaving nothing but a hollow centre and the montrous, killer vine in its place. a wonderful specimen of the tree-vine but kinda sad for the tree that it killed, isn't it?


into the light


and finally, a picturesque view from jollys lookout, mount nebo


i will post tomorrow re. my artist's way journey.

til then

love, light and peace

Saturday 15 August 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BRADLEY!!!

it was 26 years ago today that you entered this world and made me a MOTHER for the first time......WOW! it's been such a pleasure and a privilege to watch you grow up into the sensitive and caring young man that you are today


you walked for the first time at 2½ years old which was quite an accomplishment considering your disability


aged three years old


aged six

being legally blind and hearing impaired among other things may have had their drawbacks but, it certainly didn't hold you back from two of your most favourite things - music and computers

thanks to you, the world of HTML was not such a scary or confusing experience for me. i also love that your music interests vary widely across generations and...

we all know that you are elton john's no.1 fan!!!

here you are with me and your grandma at your first elton john concert in 2002 and i can still remember how overwhelmed you were when elton first appeared on stage


you have since notched up two more elton john concerts!
here is a pic of you with your brother, reece, just before you both left to see
your third elton john concert in 2007


i love you and i'm so very proud of you, brad

i hope you have had a wonderful birthday!


love mum xo

Tuesday 11 August 2009

THE ARTIST'S WAY & another sketch


last week my blog friend, robyn, mentioned that she was going to work her way through the book, the artist's way written by julia cameron, for the second time and invited readers to join her. i only read her post a few days ago and decided instantly that i would like to participate. i bought my copy of the artist's way back in 2002 and, since then, i have worked through this book two times fully and have re-read the book for a third time. i am so excited to be working through this old favourite once again. if you would like to join us, robyn has set up a blog here specifically for our artist's way group. you can go to robyn's profile page where you will find her email address. just let robyn know that you would like to join us and she will then add you to our list of participants.

the artist's way is basically laid out over a twelve week course which you commit to following in the introduction chapter. it's all about discovering and recovering your creative self. if you are feeling blocked, feel like you have lost direction, or just want to encourage your creative self to be more prominent in your life, THIS is the book for you.

robyn can correct me if i'm wrong but we will be starting off the first week on wednesday, august 12th. (see update below) don't let that put you off though.....i remember when i participated in the soul coaching journey last november, i came across jamie ridler's book blogging group by total chance, only a few days before they were about to start the soul coaching book. the desire to participate was strong so i raced out the next day, bought the book, and threw myself into the course over a 30 day period. it was full-on, involved daily blogging, and i had an absolute ball! i met so many wonderful women some of whom i still keep in touch with via their blogs. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN!

UPDATE - as we've had some newcomers sign up for the artist's way group, robyn has postponed the start date until wednesday, august 19th. this will give everyone time to get a copy of the book and read through the introduction chapters in time for next wednesday's start. there is still time to join us. i'm sooooooooo looking forward to it!

with the artist's way, it will only involve posting once a week for the weekly check-in. we will be reading each weekly chapter, writing our morning pages privately, going on an artist's date once a week, and doing some of the weekly tasks that julia cameron lists for us. at the end of each week, we can blog about our week on our own blogs and/or our artist's way blog. it's not too late to come along and share the journey with us.


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another everyday matters sketch notched up on the weekend

graphite & micron pigma pen in A5 sketchbook
click on image to enlarge

love, light and peace

Monday 10 August 2009

MONDAY PHOTO-A-WEEK

it's been a crazy week as bradley and reece followed suit after beau with food poisoning. thankfully, they are all pretty much over it now. thank you all so much for your well wishes. beau was talking to a friend who said that she had eaten KFC from the same outlet on the same night and also ended up sick....though not as severe as in beau's case. i think it will be a long time before this family eats KFC again. thank goodness i'm vegetarian. aaron escaped the bacteria too but that could simply mean he was given food from a different batch or the employee who passed the bacteria onto the food did not actually handle aaron's zinger burger.

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MONDAY'S PHOTO A WEEK

the weekend brought much nicer prospects. the winter weather lately has been more like our spring and, on saturday, i decided we'd have a picnic....in our backyard. the warm winter sun, the sounds of nature from the bushland corridor behind our back fence, yummy avocado and cheese crackers, books to read, a snooze on the comfort of our picnic quilt was a perfect combination for a beautiful and relaxing afternoon.


click on any image to enlarge






then on sunday, beau, aaron and i went for a walk through the karawatha bush reserve




some of the treasures we found on our walk





i have decided to work through the artist's way by julia cameron again. i will post more on this tomorrow as i will be working through it with a group and YOU will be welcome to join us. stay tuned ~

love, light and peace

Wednesday 5 August 2009

emergency room, desk makeover complete, and quick sketch

none of us got much sleep in the wee hours of yesterday morning.....we ended up at the hospital emergency for three hours because beau had what we believe was food poisoning. he'd eaten KFC chicken the night before. anyways, he ended up on an intravenous drip as well as needing injections and tablets to keep the vomiting at bay.....the poor thing looked like death warmed up but, thankfully, he is doing much better today. beau also spoke to a friend earlier today and found out that she ended up very sick after eating KFC chicken from the same outlet on the same night that beau did....a coincidence? we don't think so. we are now wondering how many other people were effected.

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i finished the desk and i LOVE it!!!! so much so that i've decided to paint a large matching canvas for the wall behind my bed. i think it gives a nice tropical feel to my room.

the completed desk door
acrylics on MDF - 15"x15"
click on any image to enlarge

and assembled

i just have the wooden stool to paint white and then cover the seat with white vinyl

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i also did another quick sketch today.
the everyday matters topic was to
draw a jar or tin of food from the kitchen

graphite, micron pigma pen and coloured pencil in A5 sketchbook


love, light and peace

Monday 3 August 2009

MONDAY PHOTO-A-WEEK


this week i thought that i would post pics of some of my experiences over this past week

after a very hectic tuesday, i arrived home to find this beautiful handmade card from janet in my letterbox. it brought a smile to my face and made my day....thanks, janet!


my book order - creative paint workshop by ann baldwin - arrived from fishpond. YAY!! i first saw this book mentioned here by janet and i just had to have one. it is filled with creative goodies on abstract and mixed media art and i can hardly wait to try out some of the techniques.



i finished reading this book by my favourite author - dean koontz


i've now started reading - relentless - also by dean koontz
i'm also into barbara erskine novels at the moment



saturday was bath day for cody
poor little man....he HATES baths with a passion!




i pulled out my sketchbook numerous times throughout the week but that's as far as it went apart from the hematite ankh sketch in my previous post.

i did start painting the design on the cupboard door for the desk i've been refurbishing.
here's where i'm at so far
still a ways to go yet



click on any image to enlarge

i've had aaron home sick today. he came down with a rash, mild fever, and upset tummy over the weekend and, much to aaron's delight, the doctor advised to keep him home from school until both the fever and tummy clear up. i think aaron hates school as much as cody hates his baths. lol

anywhoo, that's about it from me today
i hope you all had a fabulous weekend!
love, light and peace