Inter–connected–ness–

Ever since I can remember I have always believed in the interconnectedness of everything. So when I came across this Pueblo Indian saying in Way of the Doll: Art and Craft of Personal Transformation by Cassandra Light, I couldn’t help but feel a journal page needed to be created.

I decided to use my recycled journal, and created this double page spread using acrylic paint, moulding paste and a linocut stamp. I added the quotation by cutting up a digital printout of it, glueing it down then adding paint, stamping and permanent marker to help it to blend into the page. Did I mention that I printed it on yellow paper?

And talking of blending…

…I just couldn’t resist the digital kind!

Addicted to Doll Making!

Did I mention that I am becoming addicted to doll making? This one’s taking a bit longer than the others have, and she’s still not quite finished, but I thought you might like to see her anyway.

The pattern came from Elinor Peace Bailey’s book Mother Plays With Dolls … and Finds an Important Key to Unlocking Creativity. It’s a generic pattern which can be adapted to make any number of variations – there are some amazing examples in the book. I stuck pretty much to the basic pattern, but wanted to add some wool hair. I searched online for some tutorials and finished up using a combination of these two tutorials: this one from Gillian Wynn Grimm at Dried Figs and Wooden Spools; and this one from Gillian Austin at Astableulah. I haven’t decided whether to paint or embroider her face, and I may add some other bits and pieces while I’m at it, but I’ll post another picture when she’s finally finished.

In between playing with dolls, I’ve also been playing with paint.

I started off with some recycled cardboard and a double page spread from a newspaper, added some blobs of moulding paste then swirled them about. I added acrylic paint, acrylic ink and spray paint to the mix, then left it all to dry. But that wasn’t the end! After scanning it I had to play digital blending…

…I thought this one was quite nice, but then I thought I’d try inverting the colours…

…and came up with this which I rather like. What do you think?

Melt Down!

Still struggling to keep up with my studies – yesterday I had a total meltdown!

I stormed off to my studio and started squeezing paint! This image really doesn’t do justice to the dimensional nature of the finished piece, so I captured these close-ups to show you just how much paint I used!

I called this one Faces because I can see a strange looking face in the bottom left corner of the image. Can you see it too?

The Tram Tracks in this one were created when I vented some of my frustration using the wrong end of the paint brush!

The Coffee Rings were created using a selection of circular objects pressed into the thick paint.

This one reminds me of a stormy sea – a bit like how I was feeling at the time!

But the exercise worked it’s usual magic. By the time I was done, the feelings had transferred their trauma to the canvas leaving me able to move on.

P.S. I’m still waiting for the paint to finish drying!

Academic Overload!

I’ve been totally overwhelmed by academic overload of late! But I have been painting … here are some of my latest creations!

I’ve been using quite a lot of thread and string in my art work recently – a reflection on how I’ve been feeling, perhaps? I created this using recycled cardboard and packaging, string, brads, spray paint and acrylic paint.If you look at the enlarged image you can see how dimensional the paint is!

Some more recycled cardboard and packaging, machine stitched and painted with acrylic paint and acrylic ink using a selection of stencils.I created this piece alongside a stitched postcard that I made for the Great Big Stitched Postcard Swap. I’ll post a picture of the postcard once I know it’s been safely received.

This is my favourite piece. Unlike the other two pieces, this was created in a much more intuitive manner while reflecting on an issue that I am currently dealing with. Like the others it uses a recycled cardboard base, together with acrylic paint and acrylic ink. Which one’s your favourite?

“Paint, Glorious Paint…”

“Paint, glorious paint…” a slight misquote I grant you – but after a long absence (at least a week!) its so good to be slinging paint again!! Even in my little journal!

The colour’s not very good in the photo, the original is a more peacocky colour! I created it with some acrylic paint, stencils and a bit of spray paint!

Then I went back to my recycled journal to make some more background pages.

I don’t really like pink… I know girls are supposed to, but I never have! So it was really quite a surprise for me to create such a pink page! I used a lot of different types of paint; acrylic paint, acrylic ink, fluorescent paint, spray paint, a few stencils and a homemade stamp.

I reverted to type and went back to my more usual colour palette.

That’s better… Sigh! All that pink… very worrying! I used acrylic paint, stencils and homemade stamps to make this page.

Last but not least, I dug out a piece of recycled cardboard for a change.

I do like working on recycled cardboard – it’s such a forgiving medium. It just sits there and takes whatever you throw at it! In this case it was acrylic paint, spay paint and stencils.

I really think I’m overdue for a Big piece of cardboard. So watch this space!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you all! This post has been a long time coming, but December was a totally chaotic month with so much going on that I scarcely had time to breathe! However… January is here now, and I have started creating art again! In fact I spent most of New Year’s Day painting up in my studio – what a great way to welcome in the new year!

I created 2 images on recycled cardboard and 5 journal pages in my recycled journal. I had a bit of trouble getting my scanner to work after it’s long rest, but the perseverance paid off! I created this piece using recycled cardboard, acrylic paint, stencils and spray paint.

I’ll post the rest of the images over the next few days as soon as I’ve finished processing them. (I’m busy struggling to write an essay for my course at the moment!) So keep watching this space.

Colour and Light

In contrast to yesterday’s post, and just to prove that I have been creating some of my more usual bright work, here are the latest two – digitally altered of course!!

This is my favourite – I love the softness of the colours and the textures which the tissue collage adds to the image. I created the collage using home made background papers, torn paint tissues, acrylic paint, stencils and some Krylon webbing spray. After photographing, I digitally altered the image using filters and blending.

This one is Bry’s favourite – he loves the bright colours, and yes, it is meant to make your eyes go funny!. I created this using acrylic paint, stencils and Krylon webbing spray, then digitally altered it using filters and blending.

I’ve been playing digital with yesterdays images, but you’ll have to wait till tomorrow to see what I’ve done to them!

Out of the Darkness!

I haven’t created my postcards yet, but I have been producing some extremely dark art as a result of the emotions released by my studies and the therapy I have started as a course requirement.

It started with this piece, created after my first therapy session last Thursday. Although I could have chosen an Art Therapist, I deliberately chose to go to a talking therapist as I felt it would be too easy to evade my deep buried issues using Art Therapy. I might have known that I couldn’t get away from the art that easily. After therapy I had this compulsion to paint, and this was the result – created on recycled cardboard from our move using acrylic paint.

On Friday we went to Nottingham to see ‘Art in the Asylum’ – an exhibition of ‘Outsider Art’ at the Djanogly Art Gallery in the Lakeside Arts Centre. The exhibition was incredible! (Unfortunately today is the last day) I have seen reproductions of much of the art that was exhibited, but to be able to see the original artwork was totally awesome. It was a very emotional journey for me and I created this piece in response to my feelings.

I thought I was done with emotional painting for this week, but then last night my daughter messaged me with a link to the ‘Bedlam’ series that was shown on Channel 4 (UK) last Thursday. The first episode was entitled ‘Anxiety’, and I never dreamt that I would have any problems watching it, but by the end of the screening I was an emotional wreck! This image is my interpretation of how I felt.

In case you’re worried, I do have very secure support systems in place to help me cope with the process …and I have been producing some lighter pieces as well – I’ll post them just as soon as I think they’re finished.

Painting Big!

Up until the advent of the new easel, the biggest I had ever painted was a double page in my 12″x9″ Strathmore journal! To be honest, I had never had the courage to try anything bigger. But that’s all changed now! With all the recycled cardboard from moving, I have lots of larger canvases to play on, and because they’re made from recycled cardboard I don’t have the fear of spoiling them that I might have if I’d invested lots of money in expensive canvases! And I’m really loving the freedom of painting big! Every day so far I’ve been adding some more to my 25″x25″ recycled cardboard.

I’ve added more acrylic paint using letter stencils and home made stamps and am loving how it’s looking so far, but have a feeling it still wants some more layers!

Meanwhile, I’ve been playing with some rather smaller pieces as well!

I created this one on recycled cardboard using acrylic paint, stencils, homemade stamps and a paint covered mopping up tissue to add the highlights…

…and this one on salvaged plywood using acrylic paint, acrylic ink and homemade stamps. The only problem with the plywood was that it had quite a pronounced curve from being used to protect the corners of something (I can’t remember what!) and when I tried to flatten it for the scanner it cracked across the top and had to be mended 🙁 …

…and lastly – a little bit of sparkly digital blending – you need to look at the larger version to really see the sparkles.

Purple Mail Art!

Four days left and counting! The packing is done except for the last few bits, all the boxes are taped up except for three of my art supply boxes, so we’re almost there!!

Carrying on the addiction, here’s another recycled padded envelope. This one originated from my pen supplier!

I started out with the ‘Fragile’ tape again – I do like how that looks through the paint! Then I added a couple of small gel medium transfers, and followed it up with lots of acrylic finger painting, recycled stamping, homemade stamping and stencilling. I finished off with a little metallic paint drippage. I think this one may have a face lurking in its depths … keep watching to find out!