Norfolk boats

We are going to Norfolk tomorrow for the weekend. I can't wait to take more photos as it is sooo beautiful! It's also very relaxing. We will sail if it is nice and have dinner at the sailing club even if it isn't. We have friends...

I have been accepted to show at the Battersea Contemporary Arts Fair and that is pretty exciting. It will be up to me to hang and sort everything out as it is my own stand. Scary! Oh well, one day at a time and next time I'll be an expert. It's not till May so I will have some time to get a lot of work done. It helps to have a goal. Maybe more will come up between now and then too. It will be difficult to leave work for the Royal Academy though as they keep it for a month during that time. Maybe the timing will work out -who knows...

I may go to the studio later but I don't know-what with the leaving for the weekend and all...

Back next week... TTFN X

Antherium

It's been a few days since my last blog. I haven't been in the mood for some reason. I don't know why but I think I have the September blues. This is rare for me as I love September. I usually start new things in September and there is always a sense of a new year. I think that is many years of study that has influenced my autumn feelings. I haven't anything concrete to look forward to this year. My classes are kind of same old thing. Even Christmas remains unplanned.

I have started my new painting "Sacred Cow" and I am very happy so far. I am waiting to get back into the sculpture thing until we move back to Putney Art. It is too much trouble in the new set up and even the kilns are on a lean schedule. Once we get back to the old building I will finish what I am working on and carry on with the new look sculptures. I wanted to take a sculpture course at Heatherleys but didn't get around to it. In the meantime, I am in painting mode...

The pictures I have posted are sort of a before and after of a jpeg I have. I want to get a table at the Battersea Contemporary Arts Fair so I need to get some work together by Monday. They want 4 jpegs of work and a CV. I have more work to show but I think that these are some of my best paintings. I only had a rubbish pic though so I lightened up the background and changed the colours using Camera Raw. It now resembles the actual painting. The one on the right is the good version. I am torn as to whether or not to use the Goose Girl and it is a copy (ish) of another painter. It does show that I know what I am doing however. Then I will have the "Ball Dog" and "Pink" (the pig). that is 4. I need to decide between the Goose Girl and my "Ginger Pie" which is of Wandsworth Common. I do have a series going with these and I know people love to have local area paintings... I don't know. It is not super likely that I will get in anyway but I have to keep trying. I may get in because they charge for a table but they don't say how much... hmmm... questions... Oh well... feet first...

I am busy the next 2 weekends so I will not get a lot done art wise but I will be in Norfolk next week and some of my best photographs come from there. Always something to do visually :)

Now back to work...

TTFN X

So here are some pics of the "Ball Dog". I don't love the name but it will work for now and a my friend thought of it so I may keep it. I still have some shading to do on the balls but it is pretty much finished and I am on to the next one. I wish I was brave enough to fool around with the background a little more but it is so pristine that I would hate to f*%& it up. It is actually a much more green colour in the back so it looks better in person.

I bought a very big canvas yesterday and I am very pleased with the background so far. It has a very tie dye- hippy effect so far. I have been doing a work-up in Photoshop and I think it is going to look great! I will try to be freer with this one as I am growing in confidence. I have now visualized 2 paintings that seemed like they would be pretty difficult to pull off and they have both worked out. Every time that happens, you gain a little more confidence. Also, the more you paint, the more experience you have and the easier it is to work through the problems. I want to put a lot of energy into this next painting.

I also need to get the "Shea" painting going and I need to put "Richmond Park" together.

I also wanted to get some more felting done before it is too cold...

I also need to do the other millions of little things that you have to do in September. We are away next weekend so any painting will have to be done in the week.

I am making myself overwhelmed so I will just go back to one day at a time...

This Battersea Art thing will have to be done on the strength of works that I have already. I doubt they will accept me anyway as I don't have a strong painting CV. They want people with a proven sales record and that is so not me :( Ah well! "If you build it they will come". Some day people will begin to like my stuff I hope. In the meantime, I like painting it.

TTFN X

fireworks

A quick blog today as it's late...

I have posted a pic of fireworks and a friend who was setting them off. I have loads of these and many are better but my favorites are the ones with the little girl in a yellow dress. Some of them are good but vertical so they need to be worked on and rotated. I haven't done anything to the photos yet. I just don't have anything else to post today and I actually love all of the firework photos (even the blurry ones are cool). I was playing with the exposure and so some are a little abstract but like I said, they are all really nice.

I was at the studio until late last night and the dog painting is pretty much finished. It just needs some last touches and I need to work on the black balls. It is harder to shade from black then from lighter colours like yellow. I have to work on it and I was getting tired so I stopped. I have a great name for it thanks to a friend... "Ball Dog". I will post a picture when I get one.

I am thinking about the calf painting now and I need to get a canvas. I want to go big again so it may take a while.

Well that's about it for the day. I went to yoga and took the dogs out but otherwise a quiet one.

TTFN X

Girl in White

Well, I haven't posted in 2 days as I have been teaching. I think I will have to take the first 2 days off of posting every week as I can't concentrate on anything but classes in that time. I haven't actually been posting every day anyway, but I am pleased that I have been pretty disciplined in my posting. It does really help to make me feel creative. It also let's me iron out what I want to accomplish. It is like a diary and an outlet for creative ideas at the same time.

I am going to the studio tonight as England is playing a World Cup qualifier and I don't really want to be around the pub for that but hubby does. I went to yoga this morning (very strong-ouch!) so I won't be doing Wed eve yoga. I do need to go for a run later and I am meeting a friend in the common with all of the dogs. So, a pretty busy day. I wanted to find some time to go out and buy a canvas for my cow painting. I want to at least get started and see if I can get it partially done by the 21st so I can send a pic in for the Battersea Art Fair. I may send in a photo of the painting started and a Photoshop mock up to show where I'm going with it. It doesn't need to be finished until May! I can't believe they have such an early call.

My pic today is one of the touch ups I did on the weekend. I really like it! It is called "high key" due to the whiteness and brightness. I like the balance now too. I took out some bystanders' feet and it works much better. I really enjoy messing around with Photoshop these days! I never used to, but now the photo bug has overtaken me. Unfortunately, every second person is a photographer now so my stuff will just get mixed up with the millions of others. That's Ok though as I never intended to be a famous photographer. I just like another tool for framing my visions. It is also a quick fix for a visual person like me. I feel like I have created something beautiful without so much time and effort. It's a release...

Must get ready for the park now...

TTFN X

Wind

So I have been working away today to get my syllabus finished as tomorrow is "back to school" day. I had to do a lesson plan for each class as well. I probably should have done it in the long summer days but that's not how we roll around here... Why do something today that you can put off till tomorrow is a pretty accurate description of my scheduling ability.

I had an all computer day. I worked on Word (for scheduling), which I find much more difficult than the art programs that I'm used to. I usually do everything in Illustrator, even word process stuff, however, the school uses word for documentation so I need to stick with it.

I also did some photo touch ups for some friends. I removed an ex -husband from a family wedding photo (not theirs) and did 2 copies; 1 cropped and cloned and 1 with Mickey Mouse in his place. I would post the results but they are not mine to post. I also did some touch up on the bride and my favorite, a little girl who I made into a "high key" photo with dramatic results. I may post that one as it is closer to art.

I finished by walking through an Illustrator project that I got from "Computer Arts" magazine. I tweaked the project to work with my advanced class and we will begin the term with this. It's a good typography exercise and we don't do enough of that. I think I will work on some more of them like snow or rain as opposed to wind. I am doing vector snowflakes later in the term and I like to keep a sort of continuity between the classes. It makes it easier to plan and I don't have to keep so much in my poor little head. "Wind" is the pic I have posted today.

I also received a "call for entries" to the Battersea Art Show but although it is not until May, they want photos of work by Sept 21. I would really like to have the Calf painting done by then and then I would have a small series of animal paintings. I could also do the other abstract of Richmond Park and show those but I don't know how "gettable" they are. I will try to put something together anyway as I don't want to miss the opportunity.

Well, now it is time to BBQ my fave... drumsticks!

TTFN X

Deco Poster

So I didn't blog again yesterday. Naughty, naughty! I really wasn't into it. I have so much to do before classes begin that I need to spend time offline and run errands. I would also like to lose a few pounds before monday but that's not going to happen... I am running about 4 miles now so hopefully, the old metabolism will pick up. I am hoping that being in such good yoga shape will keep my knees safe. It's been 2 years since I ran regularly and my knees are just now feeling better. I do have new shoes though and that will help.

I am hoping to get to the studio tonight but am waiting for the car to be finished. I will call after this. I can't believe they haven't called yet. I hope that doesn't mean it will be more expensive! They ran a lot of figures past me today but at the end of the day you either trust your mechanic or you go elsewhere. I actually trust these guys!

Here is the other poster that I did in the series. I really liked these. Again, it was done entirely in Adobe Illustrator. this is a short post but I really have to get going. It seems obvious that I am distracted...

TTFN X

Hair Day

School begins next week so I had to have my hair done today. I guess that is part of an artful life... keeping up with your appearance. I feel much younger now that I have had some highlights mixed with the gray. I did go for a run this afternoon and that was good. I am going to miss yoga tonight because, this week, I can go on Tuesday and Thursday so I don't feel so guilty if I miss it. Next week is school so I will be more diligent about things. ("diligent" is not a very good word for yoga)

I didn't post yesterday because I was having an internet free day. Sometimes I like to stay away from the internet and see if I get more accomplished. I think I did actually. I should at least do my blog though, because I think it is important. It is like they tell you in the book "The Artists Way". The book says to sit down every day and write 3 pages of stream-of-conscience words. This is to release whatever it is that is blocking your creativity. I have never had the discipline and I hate reading stuff that I have written in the past but the likelihood of me digging up old blogs is pretty remote so I feel like I am just putting it all out into the universe. It's very empowering!

My pic today is another oldie but goodie. I did these posters a couple of years ago and I really like them. The only theme was art deco. They were done entirely with Adobe Illustrator. Most digital artwork out there is Photoshop and these posters were not well received. I had them in a show. People couldn't understand them... maybe they are just crap... but I like them. I will put the other up tomorrow. I need to space them out as I am running out of material.

I do have other artworks but they are archived on a hard-drive which is not cooperative at the moment. I am meaning to fix it this week. Maybe then I will show some old sculpture. I have been neglecting sculpture for painting recently so as to concentrate on one thing. I need to get back into going to sculpture studio one day a week. Then I can just relax and work on things at a slow pace.

Well that is enough of my aimless rambling for tonight. I am making Laksa fro dinner... YUM!

TTFN X