Diving in

Too much going on. Too much on the list. I wanted to paint last night but I was too antsy. I'd been antsy all day, not being able to settle long on any task before flipping to the next one. A mind full of projects, plans and expectations. I sat in front of a blank sheet of paper and wanted the result NOW. There was only one thing for it. Just dive in - it was, after all, going to be a seascape.

I set myself the task of painting without paintbrush. As you can probably tell, this was painted mostly using one finger! I employed an old credit card and bottle top towards the end for the final flourish. Readers of an earlier post this week will know what this illustrates!

It is of course Friday and ta-dah, I have something for Paint Party Friday! It might well look like a child's finger painting - but hey, it's paint on paper and it's Friday! (If Amelia is reading - look! More experimenting!!)

Now here's a slightly older painting which you, (yes, YOU!) can get your hands on. It is currently up for bidding in the Inspiration Avenue Auction for the Angel Faces Charity. Currently it stands at a mere snip of $20. Just look at her, she's imploring you to bid... Who could resist those eyes...?? And, if you don't like this, there's so much more to choose from!

Wood nymph

She's hiding in the morning mist, tangled in the creepers and vines after a night of play. She looks rather thoughtful and perhaps a little sad. Is she jealous perhaps of her mortal cousins who roam the towns and cities freely, driving in their cars, slaves to their media and always rushing, rushing, rushing?

I don't think so. I believe she wishes we saw as she does and played to the beat of nature's rhythm.

For Sunday Sketches.

A layer of powder blue acrylic topped with some flowery tissue. A dash more paint, then a coloured pencil sketch on top.

Now, while I've got you... Don't even think of dashing off until you've popped over here. There's a wonderful opportunity to get your hands on some beautiful creations handmade by artisans from across the globe. And, what's more, every penny you pay will go to the wonderful Angel Faces Charity which helps young girl's who have suffered terrible burn injuries. You might even find something from me...

The auction runs from May 1st to May 7th. Post goes live later today - keep checking!

Charity auction

How would you like to be the owner of a beautiful piece of original artwork and contribute to an incredibly worthwhile charity at the same time?

Over at Inspiration Avenue we are holding our second Charity Art Auction in aid of Angel Faces.

We have a special place in our hearts for the amazing work that is done at Angel Faces to help adolescent girls who have been burnt in disfiguring accidents.

Last year we raised over US$500 through the generous contributions of visitors to our auction from across the globe, and this year we hope to top that amount.

To find out more,  please visit the Angel Faces website. You will be touched by the overwhelming struggle these girls face daily and the strength they need to deal with it.

The auction begins on the Inspiration Avenue blog on 1st May and ends on 7th May. I'll post another link then - worry not!

We hope you'll return on May 1 to look over the items up for bid and find something you can't live without!

If you would like to help us out, we'd be thrilled if you would spread the word and post the auction button on your blog.

Here's the code for the button

(Feel free to copy the flyer at the top of this post as well)

Not everything is black and white

An intriguing play with this week's theme at Mixed Media Monday - not everything is black and white. Quite. Let's face it, life rarely is - there are always so many hidden agendas, particularly in the world of fiction and drama.

I've been reading the third in the Twilight series this week where for our poor heroine, life's twists and turns keep the poor lass in a state of permanent confusion where nothing is even close to black and white. If it's not a vampire declaring undying love then its a besotted werewolf. What a state of affairs to find yourself - and that's without all the maniacs trying to kill her.

Anyway, Bella and 'friends' inspired me this week. I thought it would be fun to create a soulful face and then take away that innocence with a drop or two of blood and some disturbing eye contact...

She began as a pencil sketch, then I gave her a bit more form with some acrylics mixed with glazing medium (so you could still see the pencil). I decided to scan her in before transforming her to a creature of the dark side. Well, dear readers, this is where something strange and mysterious happened. For look what happened when my simple black and white portrait went through the scanner... I don't know about you, but I'm sleeping with a ready supply of garlic tonight...

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I loved the idea of creating a black and white piece with a tiny splash of significant colour. This is a fabulous theme and one I may continue exploring over the coming weeks. It is quite a challenge to reign in my love of colour!

If you were 'enchanted' by my entry last week and would love to own it as well as contribute to charity, well you can. It is currently up for auction on the Inspiration Avenue Etsy team blog together with a gallery of other treasures. All money raised is for Angel Faces, a charity that supports young girls with burns and facial disfigurements. If you have a moment do pop along and have a look at all the pretty things.

Angel faces

Well here's a date for everyone's diary - especially for those magpies among you who are attracted by pretty things. The ladies of Inspiration Avenue (and that includes yours truly) are holding a charity auction from March 7th-14th.

Naturally in this day and age no one expects you to travel to a draughty hall and sit on your hands for fear of bidding £100,000 accidentally. No, it's all virtual these days darlings and as long as your zero key on your keyboard doesn't stick you should be OK (not that we'll be turning down bids with lots of zeros naturally!).

All donations from winning bids will go to an incredibly worthwhile charity - Angel Faces that supports burn victims. For more information on how to participate, pop along to the Inspiration Avenue blog, then be sure to pay us a visit on from March 7th-14th to take part.