One night in March

 

One Night in March

While the night was still young

Reading with feet propped high, lethargic legs stretched.

 The music played, the cats meowed

and I sketched.

 

Life, work, art balance...

so... there I was, all stocked up on art supplies

paper at the ready

paints all lined up

studio all sorted, re-organised, and new work bench

trips to the art store to spend christmas money...

and then...

The offer came!

PAID work!!

Yay, and joy

Followed by 2 3 full weeks of

researching, and writing, and planning

which I love to do, BUT...

when do I get back into the studio?

Hopefully

real

soon!
TODAY!







with sepia adjustment - just for fun!  (She's not finished, but with this damp weather I'll have to wait till she's fully dry before playing any further)


Inspired to leave the dirty sheets on the bed, forget about cleaning the bathroom, and have pancakes for dinner, after watching this at breakfast...

Sharing with Sunday Sketches :-)

Holiday heat, movies and mess!

What do I accredit my lack of blogging to?

It's now the 22nd of January - three weeks of not blogging, visiting, checking, commenting, and linking.

Instead - holiday mode kicked in BIG time... 

It's been Heat Wave HOT, so lots of movie time, reading, playing board games...

Random Art Journals created, and covered with collage...

Random journal pages created... collage, glue, blue pens, odd colours, thoughts, and scribblings...

Then one night, while doodling, and chatting with a friend around my new art bench ( pics to come!) this little gal arrived too!

 

We are a week away from getting back into routine with work and school.

But it will be a new routine.

1 off to Uni fulltime

1 back to work - and starting uni part-time

1 left at home with me - last four years of highschool

and me 

Although I've tried to plan the year, months, next week, today  - I've decided...

 

 

Sometimes the nicest things happen when you just chill out and relax...

 

(As I have little idea what day of the week it is, I am still to figure out who I'll link with!)

Life, studio, art & stuff

Happy New Year!

A new year

A studio sort out, clean out, de-clutter, and re-organise

A time to reflect on the past

To set goals for the future

To take walks by the water

 To brave the after Christmas sales

To eat copious amounts of food

To share good times with family and friends

To get creamed at board games

To sleep in

To stay up late

To watch fireworks

A new Year!

Fine Art Reproductions & Messy Studio

The studio is a mess... this pic does not do it justice!

I blame Max... all he does is sleep all day - in My chair!

(Have you ever seen such a fat cat? But he is a growing boy!)

I have some fine art reproductions completed...  8 x 8", on stretched canvas... I like these as the thick sides mean they free stand....

 As the original of Dream has sold, I am really happy to be able to offer this as a print, or as a finished art like these - she's so cute!

She reminds me of sun-filled days, with flowers and dreams 

The original of Happy is still available...or as above, or as a print... she is slightly wistful, but I also imagine she is simply at peace, with the slightest of Mona Lisa smiles...

email me if you are interested in any of my art as prints, or as fine art reproductions

 Christmas creeps up on me every year!  I han't yet planned the Christmas menu, or shopped, or even made a pud ( whch I normally do)... I have most of the pressie's bought however... I wonder if like most years we end up wrapping them at midnight on Christmas Eve?

I'll link in with Sunday Sketches & Paint party Friday ( If I'm Not too late?) 

(Not sure How much Blogging I'll be doing leading up to Christmas - we have this 'n that all the usual pre-christmas stuff Plus 2 days away on a mini-break - yay!  If I get any sketching done I may just do mobile posting - it's quick and easy at least - or this may end up being a bit of blogging holiday... we'll just have to see!)
xo L.

The Bay PDF, paintings and woodblocks

"Be"

A recurrent theme

Be what?
happy, true, faithful, strong, present, forgiving, loving, creative, generous
....
I missed a couple of days blogging... life got busy, and then I felt like I must complete some projects - and here they are!
  and here
and here
my last three watercolour's - created as freestanding woodblocks.
The details: High quality epson print, mounted on recycled cedar, with additional oil paint, stamping, and sides painted black

4.5" x 5.5" fine art reproduction on woodblock "Love" $35

3.5 x 7.5" fine art reproduction on woodblock "faith" $35

3.5" x 6.5" fine art reproduction on woodblock "Hope" $35

 

....

And - for all those who have asked - here is the pdf version  of my book!

PDF Download here:

The Bay

Monday I wrote about my book, and why I wrote it, and what I believe about education...

And as a gift back to everyone who ever shared their time and resources with me, it is free.  If anyone gets anything out of my humble book, and feels they would like to, a donation would be humbly accepted.  The link in the side bar is to the ebook version - which will work on your ipad :-)

With the recent hot weather to say the studio has been as hot as an oven is not an understatement.  So even though I have, had taken over 1/2 the dining table, and I have a number of started projects, nothing not much got finished!
Instead I decided to work in the cool, under the air con with my laptop - and I got this PDF project finished instead! yay!!

Recent posts this week include:

Current Projects

Hot Sunny Watercolours

Although I am very late !! A big shout out to Paint Party Friday   and also linking to In The  Studio Sneak Peak Friday, and Sunday Sketches

Truly appreciate your comments!
XO L.
ps.  wasn't sure about how to acknowledge and visit y'all when you've the time to comment!  Please know that I appreciate them all!  I think I'll try replying to your comments in the comment section - just so's you know! :-)

Current projects in the heat

While we battle our current heatwave... I have a couple of ongoing projects: these woodblock fine art prints - free standing, on cedar wood offcuts, with embellished prints of my watercolours, and turning my book into a pdf ( see below)

current projects on my desk - wood blocks, prints, and added embellishments

 

 Aimee at Artsyville's List It Tuesday suggested topic this week is small comforts

1. A great cup of tea, in a china mug
2. ditto for coffee
3. belgium chocolate
4. oh  o.k. - any chocolate!
5. Reading a great book a second time
6. Finding your fav 'thing' on sale!
7. knowing that if it isn't on sale this week - it probably will be soon!
8. When your dog comes and keeps you company wherever you are
9. Finding one tomato that the fruit fly didn't get
10. And in light of our current heat wave - air conditioning!!

Monday I wrote about my book, and why I wrote it, and what I believe about education...

Click on above for link to download book, The Bay,  for free.

I'll add here that this link will take you to the ipad ebook version.  I am still working on the pdf version...I'll keep you posted but I am working on it today (while the weather is still too hot for the studio) grrr to big companies who want an absolute fortune to get get a pdf of your own work!

And as a gift back to everyone who ever shared their time and resources with me, it is free.  If anyone gets anything out of my humble book, and feels they would like to, a donation would be humbly accepted.

Sharing with Whats on your workdesk Wednesday!

Free book The Bay, slow education

So - what have I been doing while its been so hot?

Glad you asked!

I created a book.

It is essentially 5 of my bay art works, with prose and poetry, and some suggestions for use with children including picture study.

But it is more than that too.  It embodies in essence my philosophy of education: which has been largely influenced by Charlotte Mason.  In brief I believe a great education places a high level of importance on the liberal arts, the value of the child as a person, and the importance for all to be exposed to the finer arts of music, poetry, art, great literature, and nature study.  For the time to be taken to allow education as a process to slow down.   To allow children the space to be, and breathe. To encourage a book to be read slowly, each word savoured, remembered, treasured.  For great art to be viewed with focus, copied, and admired.  For poems to be read aloud, memorised and recited.  For great music to be played to nourish the soul.  For observations about nature to be careful, considered, recorded, and thought about.  I guess I advocate for what I would call Slow Education.

It is not a book to be flicked through in 20 seconds.  Although you could - being that it is only 20 pages,  including the fore pages, and index.

It is a book designed to be read slowly.  A poem savoured slowly, thoughtfully.  A picture viewed over the course of a day, a week.    Not because there is anything profound or great in what I've created.  But just because the very act of slowing down, and considering our surroundings with care and thought is much needed I believe in our High Tech, superfast world today.

But even more than that:  For it to be a stepping stone for further thought, reflection, writing and art.

How do I see it being used? By teachers with a class or small groups over the course of several weeks.  Read by a mother with her children.   Maybe enjoyed by a creative soul, and used as a springboard to generate new ideas...   There is by intention lots of white space.  Space for your own, and their, words, thoughts and imaginings...

edit 7.12.12:   For all those who have asked - here is the pdf version

PDF Download here:

The Bay

Click on above for link to download book, The Bay,  for free.

And as a gift back to everyone who ever shared their time and resources with me, it is free.  If anyone gets anything out of my humble book, and feels they would like to, a donation would be humbly accepted.

Note: Australian spelling is used. I consider this book an ongoing work in progress.  I have loose plans for how I could write this up as a teachers resource.  I may even add extra pages if I do any more artwork from the bay.  I just don't know. yet.

Note about downloading: once you click the buy now it will send you a email with the link.  The instructions tell you,  you need to open this link on your ipad, and it will download for you to open using your ipad using ibook.   I didn't realise this until just now.  hmmm might look if there is a better way?

Please share a link to let others know who you think might be interested!

Linking up with REverb 12 at I Saw you Dancing :-)
As always your lovely comments are also welcomed!
xo L.

Hot, sunny watercolours

Today was hot enough for the air con.  

Unfortunately the studio is not air conditioned, and still has rollar doors - which means it is hotter ( or colder  in winter) than the rest of the house.

So - in light of these hot days, and hotter coming... I have taken over part of the dining table

A little spot to doodle, draw, or get out the watercolours.

I am trialling this little set-up with the wooden carry box... if its successful I'll let you know!

For Sunday Sketches - this little sweet butternut pumpkin that I just harvested.

It may well have grown bigger, but the vine was dieing,  and just taking up dead space in the vege patch. 

I don't often just doodle, or art journal anymore... was relaxing and just perfect for a Sunday!

After a busy couple of weeks with Art Every Day - it feels somewhat empty today!
 I have big plans for the house (read it needs a thorough cleaning), Christmas planning, shopping & cooking (so I'm a little late making the pud this year - really no-one will notice!), and three or four major works to start (and finish).  I also have a really interesting book project I am working on... but won't say too much until I have it finished! :-)
So things around here will go back to normal... whatever that is!

Some favourite posts from last weeks:

Whats for Breakfast?

 

 
watercolour with mixed media

Have really loved all your fab comments this week... I am a bit behind it replying to you all, and Thanks for the MS blogs tips! xo L.

Watercolour with mixed media

This first little bit will apply to anyone who lives with a chronic illness - just insert the (name) of yours, and read away! :-)

For anyone who was following my little drama day yesterday, today has been very calm and serene - maybe because it's just too hot for anything else!  My ankle is moving more ( yay!), and maybe I was a little melodramatic concerned - but I really like walking!!  That is the funny thing with living with MS - when people ask you 'how are you doing?' it's really hard to answer because maybe right now you are O.K, ( well you actually have a list of symptoms, but while you are still walking & talking you are all good, right?!)  -  but you know that twinge, dropsy foot, or pain in your head, could be heralding a major attack that puts you in hospital for a fortnight... maybe it's just me but sometimes I just rather go with the melodramatic reality check moment,  put off for another day remember to take my meds, go see the Dr drink a glass of shiraz, and get it all out of my system, and have it be a false alarm!  But maybe that's just me! 

(On another note: I cant find ANY one regularly blogging about living with MS, or even any Artists with MS?  Are there none? Are they all In The Closet? If you are out there - say Hi!!)

It's the 30th of November here - so for us in Australia it is the last day of creative Every Day.
Wow - can't believe we are at the end of November already!  This was a really fun challenge to participate in, I 'met' lots of new, creative people, and got to see lots of new and interesting projects that people are working on!

Watercolour Spash!
Still loving these watercolour play times...  and I really like adding extra lines, colours and doodles with crayon, charcoal, pen, wax... I've even started gluing on bits of lace  too!  I have  added a little bit of shading around the eyes in the little girl above, and extra lines added around the lace ( but I'm not going into the hot studio just now to re-scan so you'll just have to trust me on that!)

My daughter thinks this gal has attitude and that I must have 'modelled' it after her sister... as a 17 year old never has attitude it couldn't possibly be her - right? (wink wink)

Hope all Brisbanite readers stay cool, near a pool or airconditioning- it's hot hey!
A big shout out to Paint Party Friday   and also linking to In The  Studio Sneak Peak Friday