I completed stage 2 of the painting/picture/doodle this morning and wanted to show you how it was progressing. Very slowly, but it’s starting to take shape. (If you missed the first post, here is a link – as you can see I’ve done LOADS… ok that’s a fib) I’ve done a high res scan as it is now because a tiny percentage of me predicts disaster for the next stage – now it’s time to test/play/experiment. I’m not planning on being very adventurous with this drawing but I’ve had an idea bubbling around my brain and it’s time to try it out – I definitely don’t do enough spontaneous doodle experiments.

It happens a lot and I’m sure I’m not alone – I get random little ideas and never seem to act on them. Maybe this is because I’m useless at keeping sketchbooks flowing (I forget them, lose them, I’m too ambitious with them and too precious with them – thus losing interest in them), they would probably help me to fine tune these ideas and drawings instead of just imagining them and then forgetting them. In the end I’ll put the potential project off or maybe even spend too much time thinking about it so when I get an opportunity to start I’ve either lost interest or moved onto something else completely.

I am trying to change this unease I feel towards sketchbooks. I’d like to find that comfortable mid way point between a book of drawings I’m very precious about and a scrap of paper drenched in scribbles. (It sounds like I’m after a smart casual sketchbook) Right now I have a collection of small yellow post-it notes on my desk. They’re filled with quick, rough, awful sketches but they’re a record of those little ideas I mentioned before that would usually get themselves lost. I’ve started carrying a very small note book too – just in case emergency doodling must commence (I say “I’ve started carrying” – it’s in one bag and if I happen to use that bag then I have the sketch book on me that day). I’m classing all of this as my ’sketchbook training’, it sounds a bit more like ’sketchbook therapy’ – I’ll get there one day even if it means gluing a book to my hand and carrying an assortment of pens around my neck.

Round 3 of this drawing will follow over the next couple of days.

:)

Just wanting to share a doodle in the making. I’m documenting the different stages this picture’s going through.

Hello there, I’ve done some little mixed media/paintings that are now available in the shop! From top to bottom let me introduce: Orla, Thora, Amethyst, Jade, Amber and Violet. The paintings themselves are quite small (measuring roughly 3.9 inches x 2.5) but are hovering in the middle of a lovely sheet of heavyweight watercolour paper. They’re made up of a mixture of metallic and non metallic acrylic paint, pencil and ink. 3 of the girls have beautiful copper hair, which doesn’t show up brilliantly in the scans and pictures I’ve taken but in person it looks lovely when it catches the light.

On the tote bag front – MASSIVE thank you’s for getting back to me about colour schemes, I really appreciated that :) I’ve sent in a small order and I’m eagerly awaiting the result. You’ll be the first to know about them when they arrive.

Anyway, it’s been an early start and I’ve managed to get the missions of the morning done and dusted (hope I’ve not spoken too soon). It’s time to prep myself for what I predict to be a horrible day/night at work and that calls for a little crappy TV and some knitting – possibly a chocolate biscuit and a fresh cup of tea too.

Hello folks! I’m sorry I’ve been in hiding recently – hence the very quiet blog. I have a new doodle to share (above) – do you like her? I was thinking about printing her on tote bags? I’m probably going to play around with the colours some more but I’m very fond of the pale pinks and greys at the minute. Anyway, this is just a little note to say my hellos and that I haven’t forgotten about this site. Our summer seems to have turned into a big cloud, which means I’m just looking forward to autumn with all it’s golds and oranges (and conkers). I’ll be back with more doodles soon.

A new print, which is now available in both shops. This is a digital print of one of my recent paintings. She was the first one I finished and probably my favourite so far. I’m slowly building up a small collection of paintings so I can imagine soon she won’t be the only one available in print form. She has a very faint pout (you might not be able to see it on some screens but it’s visible on the finished print), which I’ve been trying to mimic on my other portraits – of course it’s proving nearly impossible. I would love to hear what you think of her and her sisters. The original is made up of a mixture of watercolour and acrylic paints with a hint of the pencil sketching coming through. The print measures 8 x 10 inches and the image sits comfortably in the middle with room around the edge for framing.

Remember a while back I said I’d purchased some paint brushes? Remember also how I said I’d probably never use them? Well, I proved myself wrong! I’ve spent the day painting (6 and a bit hours to be exact – 2 and a half audio books), and I’m exhausted (what’s that about?). The paint supplies have been living in a box I mentally labeled “Wishful thinking”. I have a habit of collecting and investing money on plenty of art and craft supplies, hoping I’ll find a project for them – that very rarely happens.

Anyway, after dusting off the paint bottles and digging out the new brushes I managed to come up with these 4 ladies and I’m so pleased with them. I never thought I’d have the patience for the process (admittedly today could be just a one off) but there was something therapeutic about the repetitive patterns and details. I found myself fully engrossed. Similar to the Cotton Doodles, there is a kind of amateur roughness to them that I’m very fond of. I’d love to hear what you think of them. Now it’s time for me to clean up the mess I’ve made :)

A new print now up for grabs! Available in both shops. I drew this portrait late last year but never thought much of it. It wasn’t until I gave it a splash of colour that I realised how much I liked it. I love the blue stripes and her chain most of all and I’m glad it finally turned into a print! I hope you like it too :) I’m in the process of working on 2 more new prints and (fingers crossed) I hope to have them up for show over the weekend. Also – the house badges featured in one of the previous posts have now been packaged up and are available to buy in the shops. Take a peek!

Have a lovely day!

The new ladies have finally made their way into the shop! I’m pleased to say they do include the mounts :) Horray! The page measure 8″ x 10″ and with the mounts are all ready to frame. They will be signed on the back and sent in a sturdy hardback envelope.

It took me a while to come up with names for the pieces. I settled on the ‘Me and You’ series. Someone pointed out the portraits reminded them of the Philip Pullman stories, with each girl having their own little animal companion. I hadn’t thought of those books when I was drawing them but it’s a really nice association to make. If I was a character in one of his stories I’d like to think my daemon would be a red squirrel. How about you?

ps – HAPPY NEW YEAR!