Barefoot Wanderings

Arting Time

Today is the first day back at school, the house is quiet and I miss my little munchkins.
I have been fortunate enough to spend a little time with my son, just the two of us, these holidays and one of the things he wanted to do was some Arting in my studio.... bliss!

The previous day we had gone to our local art shop as I needed some new brushes and he was given an old Art Gallery Guide book for free.... to give inspiration. I flicked through the book with him and showed him lots of things that I thought he could easily do. Here is the result....

He used Acrylic paint and a charcoal pencil, and it measures 8 x 10 inches.

The image on the right is the piece that inspired his creation by Angony, Did we forget something?

After completing his picture he declared that he thought his was better! How wonderful, I hope this confidence and certainty remains with him. And yes, of course, I too thought his was better and now have to decided where to hang it!

Whilst he was creating his work of art, I was putting the finishing touches on my second entry to the Artistic Journey Monthly Mixed Media Challenge. I have included another little snippet.
This face is smaller than any I have done to date, and it is also the first time I have done my backgound first and painted the image on top.

Some Reading

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Last night I finished reading this book. It was such a beautifully written book, telling a very moving story. In a backdrop of ugliness and sorrow there is love, strength, hope and goodness. It shows that when there is nothing, how much there is to give. It is a story about the power of words, told with such beautiful words. Even though this book is 584 pages long I read it slowly, over time as I wanted to spend as much time within this story, with these characters, as I could. A book I would highly recommend.

In between reading this book and Brida there have been others, I seem to be on a bit of a reading frenzy!

Any book I finish I will always say is a good book because any that aren't I don't finish. Obviously some are better than others.

Addition by Toni Jordan is a wonderfully witty and well written book. There is one part in this book that seemed 'sluggish' but then I realised that it was just as the character was...amazing! I absolutely LOVED this book. It is a light and easy read but a book that has substance. Another I would highly recommend.

Breath is another fabulous story by Tim Winton. I found this a good story and easy to read. I really like the way he writes. His books are all different yet similar, I could understand someone either loving all his work or liking one and not another.

Tuvalu by Andrew O'Connor was an interesting read. I did enjoy reading this book but every time I think about it I want to add a 'but' at the end, my problem is is that I can't define what the but is. Perhaps it is just that I didn't connect with it like I have with other books.

The Pilgrimage and The Valkyries by Paulo Coelho - are nothing like The Alchemist but I did enjoy reading them. I know there are people who would like to debate as to whether or not the events actually took place or could in fact ever be real but I don't get caught up in that. I think they are great stories, and can fit into what ever you believe in as long as you remain open. I liked reading these one after the other.

And on the Seventh Day by Paulo Coelho contains By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept, Veronika Decides to Die and The Devil and Miss Prim. Each story happens over one week, which is what the Author believes is all you need to change your life. I would have to say that The River Piedra.. has been my least favourite Coelho book but I did finish it! I did really enjoy the other two though.

The Long and Winding Road

We returned last night from a week down south spent with my parents.
I wanted to see what images would look like taken from the car (and no, I wasn't driving at the time!).

My parents live a couple of hours from the snowfields so we took the kids for the day.

Five

I have had quite a busy couple of weeks and have once again neglected my blog, well pretty much the internet in general!
One of the biggest events was that my youngest turned 5!
There are times where I feel all that time that has passed, and other moments when I wonder where has the time gone, but each day I love her a little more and am amazed by her.
Just cupcakes on the day as the Ninja Turtle Chocolate Mud Cake was to be had at her Ten Pin Bowling party (just like her brother had). It was only a small group of friends but a big lot of fun was had! Soon after my Hubby celebrated the 20th anniversary of his 21st birthday. And we are now in School Holidays.

I have been doing some art, mostly in some books for an Artist Book Round Robin I am in. I have also been doing some more faces.
This little snippet / sneak peak is for the Artistic Journey  Monthly Mixed Media Challenge, (entries close at the end of the month).

This was my first attempted at a mouth opened, OK it is only slightly opened but it is a start and I am rather pleased with it.
Little steps forward, certainly better than going backwards!

More Textures

Above are some of the interesting textures I have captured lately whilst out with the kids walking or bike riding, the latter giving little time to think just point and snap as I run along to catch up!
Having a theme certainly helps to focus and actually take photos. In getting down to detail, in just this short amount of time, I am already seeing more.

Resist - GPP Crusade 21

Thismonths crusade is all about Resist, that is doing wax rubbings and then applying a wash of acrylic paint over the top. For great instructions (as always) visit GPP Street Team.

My results were hit and miss. I think the lighter crayon with dark wash worked best. Here is a journal page I started using the papers I created:

Sorry about the poor image but it was the best one I could get.

An update on GPP Crusade 17 - Pandora's Box, which was all about putting together a Travelling Journal Kit.
After this crusade I received a copy of Art Escapes by Dory Canter as a gift. Whilst I have not ventured far into the book the first chapter is all about assembling your supplies in seperate kits so they are ready to grab at any time - the same message Michelle was conveying. What I liked was that it suggested to have three tool kits, one each for drawing, watercolour and collage. That way you could take one, two or all three depending on what your needs were at the time. Add to this a sketchbook/journal and packet of collage papers.

So after I collected my kits together (she does suggest what to put in them) I thought it would be great to put them altogether in this 'Bag/Box' my sister had given me. Once I had put in the 3 kits, a journal, and a packet of collage papers, I still had quite a bit of room left, so I filled it with extra bits and pieces (such as small acrylic paints, stamps,) and made my collage kit a little bigger, after all I can always take things out!

This is all still fairly contained as the Travel Kit Box/Bag measures 28cm x 23cm (11inches x 9inches) and is 15cm (6inches) high.

Now I am ready....I just need to organise somewhere to travel too!!

Another Step Forward

 

Acrylic on watercolour paper 297mm x 210mm

I made another attempt at painting the portratit of my daughter.

This is the photo I used:

Textures

Proof that I am keeping to my goal of taking my camera with me and taking photos. These were a couple of interesting textures I took when we went out to lunch for my sister's birthday.

.....and I did this layout in photoshop....another goal I am trying to obtain!

Second Attempt

Still a way to go but I see improvement which is a step in the right direction.

Putting into Practice

Since returning from the retreat I have not really had a chance to put anything I learnt into practice. One of the things in my ife that I am grateful for is that I am involved in an Artist Book Round Robin with a group of fabulous and talented women. Most of the art I have done in the past year has been in these treasured books (which is one reason not much art has appeared on this blog!). The theme of the book that I currently have is 'Faces'. So I thought that now was a good opportunity to have a play and try out what I learnt in Misty's class.

Of course, it is so much easier in class with a tutor on hand! Remembering how things were done didn't come easy, if at all, and the notes I took didn't always make sense but I decided to muddle on... I thought that it would certainly be more 'my style'  that way.

I wasn't going to post this piece but one of the reasons I started a blog was to keep a record of how my skills and art progress. So keeping true to that here is what I did.

This is far from perfect. I could do a long list of all the things I see that are wrong need improving. Instead, I choose to be pleased that I have taken my first steps and that I finished the piece. I will definately keep at this as there is a long way I need to go. As for the book, I will definately stick with my original ideas that I have already started!
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Just thought I'd share a little tip/trick.
This is great if you like to press textured paper into paint. Provo Craft make Cuttlebug embossing folders. Of course they have a machine you could buy to use these in but they work fine in a Sizzix machine with the converter in place. I actually read on another blog (sorry I can't remember who's but it was on a GPP Crusaders) that they use these just fine with a rolling pin! Anyway, they have some great designs.

I used the Textile design on the piece above.

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Here is a close up, you can make out the texture in the paint (it is not the darker stamping).

Streets of Sydney

Yesterday, after a very last minute decision, a friend and I decided to go to the Museum of Contemporary Art at Circular Quay in Sydney, to see the Fiona Hall: Force Field exhibition.

It was truly amazing.
It featured photography, etchings, installations, sculptures, videos, and more, all by this one talented artists. Most of her work used everyday / found objects.
Truly inspiring.
Well worth visiting.

On our way to and from the museum we put one of our goals into action. Armed with our cameras we took photos of all sorts of interesting things. The advice we received from Misty & Nina was to take lots of photos, and that we would get used to it and not feel so self conscious. So, putting it all in to practice here are a few of the photos I took.

I know that this is just the start, the more photos I take the more I will see.

I have not done anything to these photos (except add my name), my next big step is to start to play in photoshop!

GPP Crusade No 20 - Casting Call

This is a short and quick entry for this months GPP Crusade as I have been a bit tight for time this month but I thought something was better than nothing.

I took a class once a while ago with Joy Bathie and she taught me this technique. You need a rubber stamp, loo paper or tissues, brush and a container holding water mixed with a little gel medium (the gel medium binds it together).

I like to work on top of a non-porous surface (such as a cutting mat).
Place the stamp image face up and put the paper/tissue on top.
Dip the brush in the water mixture and dab on top of the tissue pushing it into the crevices of the design but not too hard that the tissue will tear.
Keep adding layers of tissue and dabbing with the wet brush.

This is something I have added to Joy's technique.
Once enough layers have been added, I then very gently turn the rubber stamp and tissue over whilst it is still wet.
I then take my wet brush and dab around the edges of the stamp - this is to take away the harsh ridge that would form.
I also wet the excess paper that is not on the rubber so that this also bonds together. Once the tissue is dry the excess tissue can be gently torn and worked more easily into the piece of art that it will be added too.

The image on the left is the one I have just done (it is still quite wet).

The image below is the piece I completed in Joy's Class.

Art Retreat in Melbourne

Artistic Journey held an Art Retreat in Melbourne from Thursday 15th to Sunday 18th of May that I was lucky enough to attend. These were the same people who put on the retreat last year in Perth. The tutors this year were Jacky, Ro Bruhn, Traci Bautista, Misty Mawn and Nina Bagley.

Once again my travelling companion and roomie was Megan. We couldn't get down to Melbourne until Thursday afternoon so were not able to do classes by Ro or Jacky, so for the few hours we had on Thursday we took to Brunswick St instead!

I don't go to workshops expecting to complete a masterpiece, for me it is all about learning techniques and having fun. So, true to form, I did not complete any pieces but I did come away with new techniques, inspiration and ideas, and I had fun.

Friday: Traci Bautista - Graffiti Bouquet
This was a fun and fast paced class. The aim was to make lots of different papers, and then collage and paint an artwork. It was fun to use bright colours (you can't help it in Traci's class). Traci is a great teacher who is full of wonderful ideas.

Saturday: Misty Mawn - Altered Ego
Portraits are not one of my strong points, let alone self-portraits, so it was really amazing how comfortable Misty made this class. This was my favourite class of the retreat. I was so glad to have met Misty in person and to have been taught by her. She is a fabulous teacher, and a warm and gentle soul.

Sunday: Traci Bautista - La vie de Boheme Art Quilts
I loved the mono printing technique we learnt in this class, it was sooo much fun, definately something I am going to play with again.

Whilst I didn't take a class with Nina this time it was wonderful to see her again. THANK YOU to all these amazing women for coming and sharing their knowledge and time. It was a privilege, an honour and a delight.

Other Fabulous highlights:
*Catching up again with the woman-of-many-talents
Ro ...nothing is the same as actually having a
conversation face to face, especially over a meal!
*Seeing other familiar faces and meeting new ones.
*Buying two originals paintings by Misty Mawn.
*Eating at FANTASTIC restaurants in Melbourne -
such as Movida (with caprioskas!) and The Chocolate
Buddha (with some truly amazing people).
*Seeing not one but TWO movies (how decadent!) -
9 Lives (amazing acting) and And Then He Found Her
which was light & funny. (We actually saw this second
movie the evening after doing Misty's class, for most
of the movie I kept seeing the light and dark areas of
faces - it was quite bazaar!!)
*Getting more rubber blocks to carve, thanks to Ro & Jo,....YEAH!

All of this would NOT have been possible if it weren't for Jo and Jacky. A lot of effort was put in to make this possible, it can not be an easy task. I know things weren't perfect but I think it is better to see the positives. I am so lucky to have learnt from these wonderful Tutors. Sending a big, warm, heart-felt THANK YOU to Jo and Jacky.

What really made this special for me was spending time with my wonderful roomie and dear friend Megan. It is truly a privilege to be able to share not only the art but the experience with such a like-minded soul. We don't really need to compromise as we like similar things - places to shop, eat, drink and see, and we laugh a lot as we have a very similar sense of humour. I think Nina summed her up well by saying how centered she is.
Thank you my dear friend for being there and making the experience so much better.

Streets of Melbourne

This time last week I was in Melbourne for the Artistic Journey Art Retreat. I will post later about the the actual retreat, here are some snaps I took. Most were taken at night and I still need to learn more about my little digital camera...and photoshop too!

I am often amazed by the photos I see on some of the blogs I visit. The common advice seems to be: always carry your camera with you, don't be embarrassed/shy about taking photos (you get use to it), and take lots of photos of the same thing. I know I am not there yet but I have at least made a start.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

Breakfast in Bed. Flowers. Presents. Hugs. Two Beautiful Kids. Perfect.

and for afternoon tea......mmmmm...... chocolate cake.

Just a quiet day at home since the kids have been sick this week.
Happy Mother's Day to all the mums

This Month's Listening Pleasure

.....is Life in Cartoon Motion by MIKA.
This CD has been getting lots of play time in the car whilst I drive the kids around, we all love it and the songs are quite varied. Any trip with music, singing and joy is a good one.

Our collective favourite song is Happy Ending, with Lollipop coming a close  second. My Son also likes Any Other World, my Daughter likes Billy Brown, and I like My Interpretation.

As both of my kids are learning the piano it is also a great CD to listen to to learn about music...we listen to what instruments are playing, when they come in (such as the bass guitar or violins) and playing Great Big Whole Notes.

We also have a bit of action with playing instruments (just like the horn section when we listen to The Cat Empire) and doing the hand actions tht appear at the end of the video clip for Happy Ending.......

Cut It Out 2

Firstly, to everyone that left me a comment on my stamp carving posts (last month's crusade) I just wanted to say thank you, your words were really great to read, very motivating and encouraging.

I have had a bit of fun with this month's GPP Crusade - Stencil Cutting.

Here is a something I did previously using acetate & a heat cutting tool.   

I found a chinese character for Prosperity, enlarged it on a photocopier and then cut the image out of acetate. The image on the right is a canvas that I used this stencil on.

Sizzix have Alphabars in a Stencil Font that are great for making word stencils. I have marked a line under each letter of the alphabet on the alphabar so it is easier to line up the paper to get the words straight. When marking the line you just need to ensure that the line is the same distance under each letter. It is much easier to do this with the upper case, the lower case alphabet needs tweaking on some letters, such as those with tails (g, y, q etc..) and the letter 'm' is on it's side.

For spray painting, these can be attached to acetate. Simply cut out a window on a sheet of acetate slightly bigger than the word but smaller than the card stock and attach with tape.

As these are cut from card, once they have been used a bit they will be wonderfully coloured and you can use the actual stencil in journals/artwork/etc...

I cut an image of a bird in flight that created both a stencil and a mask. Here is the incomplete page I am working on in my journal using these stencils & mask. (The stencils & mask appear on the left of the image).

 

I have also made a go-with solid stencil for one of the stamps I carved (here)....and I did get a mask from this cutting.
Here is a quick sample of how the stencil & stamp go together.....

My stamping is a little off but I just wanted to quickly try these out together.

I should admit that after the first stamp carving I did, and armed with the knowledge I'd be cutting stencils, I visited my local art shop to find a book with copyright-free designs or patterns that would be good for backgrounds and walked out with THREE! ......I figure I saved money as I put quite a few books back on the shelf....is there such a group as ASA - Art Supplies Annonymous I could join?!

Here is one I am currently working on. it is an image from one of my new books. I made it a bit bigger using a photocopier and then with Black & White pens I transformed the design into a stencil. (If you are not sure how to do this then visit Michelle for some great tips.)
I will enlarged it again to the size (or two) that I want, tape the image to the under side of a piece of glass, tape acetate to the top of the glass and use my heat tool to cut the design.

The heat stencil cutting tools are a BRILLIANT tool to have, especially if you intend to do a lot of cutting. It can take a little practice but once you have it down pat it is soooooo much quicker to use than a blade.

What a day!

Look how fabulous the weather was today. We have had quite a bit of rain these past few weeks so it was really nice today to see the sun in all it's glory. Having spent most of the school holidays indoors we decided to get out of the house and go to the Kirribilli markets (right near the harbour).

It was nice wandering around looking at old and new stuff to buy. We did find some treasures...
my son come home with a Pokemon video,
my Daughter got a fabulous Green bag/case,
I got a beautiful wooden box, some old but in very good condition book binding needles, and the bargain of the day were a load of wonderful brown buttons for $2!
and Hubby, well he was just happy to see the rest of us happy!

...and afterwards was a trip to my fav book shop at McMahons Point. As usual 'we' spent a bit there but I just can't resist books, and Helen just has such a wonderful selection.

Tell Me A Story

The Art Girls are back in the swing of things.
There are three of us (Megan, Lysh & myself) that try meeting up once a fortnight to create art. It got a bit out of whack toward the end of last year and begining of this year but we are now back into the swing of meeting regularly again.

It is good to have something in mind to work on on these nights and so we came up with the idea of doing another round robin altered book but this time with a bit of a twist....to create a story in each book. The next person building on / spring boarding off the previous page. We are creatively cooking the books using these Creative Cooking books! They're great as they are all the same size and thickness.

There is no pressure to create and no deadlines. The idea is only to create in these books on the night and if nothing is coming we move onto other things. If there are others we want to or have to work on then that's what happens. Simple. Fun.

   

Here is the first page in my book that I created over two meetings. We have not done the covers for these books, we decided to leave it to last as we have no idea where these stories will go.

Each of us are both similar and different in our art, ideas and approaches, and that's what makes these eveings interesting. I really do appreciate the supportive and encouraging environment, I'm sure we all do, that's why we keep coming back for more!...that and the laughs!

What a great kick off.....

to the soccer season....

In the first game of the 'competition' last week my daughter got the 'Player of The Week' trophey.

This week she scored her first goal!

It is amazing to watch them play and already in only three weeks you can see how each player is developing.

I have been mad enough to say that I would help one of the dad's coach her team...really, I thought, how hard could it be, they're under six and half the team are preschoolers?!! Well, I can honestly say that whilst I am still on this side of forty my body certainly reminds me that I am not as young as I think I am!

My son is playing soccer again this year and as he is in the under 7A team his games are tougher. He was hanging back a little but is now getting into the thick of it. It is almost heartbreaking the amount of times he just misses on scoring a goal.

Both my monkeys are playing like champs and I am so proud of them both.