Friday 27 April 2012

Beaten by time and weather.

Some days you just can't win no matter what.
Today was the yukkiest and coldest day out,
not cold in northern hemisphere terms
but freezing in sub tropical terms.

Yesterdays overnight temperature was so cold
 (10 deg, yes that's cold here) that I'm sure I saw 
icebergs floating out on the bay
and today wasn't much better.
The whole day has been dark and dreary,
as was my mood and that is not good
for painting.

My painting for the Artist's playroom, who's theme
this week is Rainbow, is not finished.
The cold stopped the paint drying
and the dreary bit made it hard to see.
So a not finished painting will have to do
this week. 

It's not a great shot as
it is so dark (at 2.30pm mind you)
that I had to put the lights on
and my head kept getting in the way of the light.

Here is a bit better shot, but 
half of the picture is missing.
It shows the original photo of a bunch of flowers.
If you are interested in how I did this
there are some pics here.

I am putting this into Paint Party Friday,
so go on there and see what 
artists have done this dreary old friday
and of course then go over to
on saturday
to see what's going on there.

I hope your weather is better than mine.

Thursday 26 April 2012

Step by step flower painting part 1

I was asked if I could take photos
of my progress of a flower painting
that I am doing for the Artist's Playroom,
so here are the pics up to my rough in stage.
I am a self taught artist, who likes to annoy others
to find out how to do things,
and so I am rather slow to say the least.
This took me all day to do.
 These are all the paints I have,
which makes a bright painting very hard to achieve.
Being new to watercolour,
I play with the colours on a spare bit of watercolour paper.
I lightly place the darker colours in
Then go over again and darken it more.
Putting in the pink.
Now the daisies
The colours are in for the flowers
Last for today, I put in the dark green to make them stand out.

If I knew what I was doing, I could probably leave out 
heaps of steps, but I have to try them a little at a time
until I like the colour.  

Tomorrow I will try to brighten up the colours and
make more contrast with heavier paint
and water colour pencils.
Fingers crossed
I don't mess it up.

Wednesday 25 April 2012

Public holiday on WOYWW

It's Anzac Day here in Aus,
A day to remember all the brave men and women
who fought for our freedom
and it's a public holiday.
My hubby went to his school's
Anzac day service
(Little miss had hers on monday)
and so I thought I would be smart and get her some little canvasses
to paint while I get on and do some art myself.

For once, she was a great little girl and did just that,
so I was able to get a painting drawn up
for this weeks Artist's Playroom.

The theme this week is rainbow and I decided to do some bright flowers.

Not much to look at yet but by the end of the week
I hope it will be as bright as the photo I am working from.

Here is what my little miss did.
If I run out of time to do my picture,
I'm sure this will be a fine entry for the week.

I haven't had much time to do any art because I was getting 
brooches, cards and paintings ready to take to the Collective store.


Last of all
this is what happens
when you are not concentrating
on what you are doing.
Yes, that's my digestive biscuit
floating in my cup of tea.
It's blurry cos I was in a hurry to fish it out
before it sunk.
Gotta hate that.

If you are wondering why I am telling you all of this
go over here to Julias Stamping Ground
and you will find desks from all around the world
showing what they did on this 
what's on your work desk wednesday.

Thursday 19 April 2012

Oh the pain, coffee or tea? Luv them both.

I can barely see through the haze which is covering my eyes.
I have done it again,
I didn't learn from the zentangle incident
(almost total blindness, with knives digging into my eyes)
and being the lazy bum and twit
(does that become bumwit??)
that I am,
I thought I could use an old halfdone painting
to finish for this weeks
of Coffee or Tea.

Now I do love both tea and coffee
but at a pinch, I think
coffee would win.
So to my painting, which was abandoned
a few years ago
and now I know why.
What kind of fool
paints a crinkled satin background
and a glass vase.
Oh yes, that would be me, 
the bumwit!

So without further ado
here is the rotten thing.

Coffee cups!
Yes, I know the background still needs work
and I'm not happy with the glass vase yet,
but quite frankly,
I don't want to play anymore
and it can go back into the pile
for a few more years.
Not sure if the picture I took is
blurry or if it is my eyes,
hoping it's my eyes,
sorry if it's not.

If you want to see some great coffee and tea art, 
pop on over to 
and also have a look at all the people who have painted
for the Paint Party Friday
and enjoy.
I need a coffee.

Wednesday 18 April 2012

Back to art for WOYWW

What a long two weeks of school holidays that was!!!
It feels like I haven't painted in months.

For those who asked where all my junk went,
it is now in the spare lounge room that hubby
wouldn't let me use as a studio (serves him right).
One whole cabinet was full of his sporting trophies
and a lot of the books were not about art.
All the bottles, boxes and art bits n bobs are in the shelves,
they are just spread out now.
Amazing what you can do when you clean up!

I started my day with a little watercolour painting
to make an original bookmark for Julia
as a thankyou for my WOYWW badge.

Julia, please look away for the desk photo 
or you won't get a surprise. 
Mind you, with our postal system
you will probably have forgotten it by then anyway.


There isn't much going on with this desk, just some water colour
paints left out to dry, plus my badge on the calendar.

The real action is here
No, not the cupcakes, although I would like that just as much.

I have finally been able to get my easel out, now that the room is tidy
and I am going to finish a painting I started years ago.

This weeks Artist's Playrooms theme is coffee or tea,
so I figured I would finish the coffee cups.


I must be insane trying to paint a crinkled satin cloth
but it is getting there.
I still have to paint in the glass vase and the Oreo cookie (yum)
on the plate and finish the cups.
Just hope I finish it before saturday.

Now you've seen what I've been up to,
and see what everyone else has been doing
on this What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday.

Wednesday 11 April 2012

The best Easter present on WOYWW

I haven't been in my room to do any art 
but I keep coming in  because my sweet husband
let me go to Ikea and get bookcases for the art room
and what a difference it made.

This is my room BEFORE Ikea

AND THIS IS MY ROOM NOW


Isn't it amazing the difference you can make with just $300.
(Get off the floor Tracey Fletcher King, I hope it wasn't too much of a shock for you.
I'm still a grot on the inside).

I can even get my easels out and use my credenza to put my paint palletes on.

Can't wait until the school holidays are over so I can get in and play.

Now you've seen mine hop on over the Julias Stamping Ground and see the other desks 
around the world this fine wednesday.

Tuesday 3 April 2012

Something special on my desk for WOYWW

Something very special
is on my desk this wednesday
(although I'm doing this on tuesday 
as we are going to the museum tomorrow).

Yes, it has arrived
no, it's not an empty desk
as right in the middle is this
my WOYWW badge.

Thankyou so much Julia.
My Mr Crab will guard it 
while I have a few weeks break.

I did finish my journal over the weekend
so here are the last few things.
and the cover page


That's about it for a few weeks.

Now you've seen mine, hop on over to 
Julia's Stamping Ground and see all the other
desks around the world.