And the day came...

And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
Anais Nin

I love watching a face take form on the canvas. This piece is a little topsy turvey in its approach though.

It began life as a full length Klimt-inspired Goddess, but I got annoyed by her wonky eyes and ridiculous hair so she disappeared under a layer or too of Gesso and I went to town with the mosaic patterning while I waited for inspiration to strike.

Finally, weeks later I am rewarded with this face as she takes shape from the layers of lives that have gone before. She seems to carry some wisdom in those eyes, which once again seem determined to be wonky... but there is plenty of time to fix that!

My beautiful business coach Leanne Flower shared this video with me and asked that it be my mantra for the month as I feel a shift within - shoots ready to grow and bloom...



Sharing this piece with the crew at Sunday Sketches where I have been absent for weeks - my apologies my lovely artist friends. I have missed you!

 

Also to confess I already missed a day's blogging for Blogtoberfest... Oops....

A postcard from Austria - and a mystery...

Don't you just love a good mystery? Well my friend certainly seems to attract them. I wanted to share with you the tale of a most delightful correspondence. It began on a rainy January in Vienna when said friend opened up the drawer of the bedside cabinet in his hotel bedroom to find this postcard waiting there. It had a very explicit instruction on it... And so the story begins...

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This is going to be such fun and so creative. The delicious Ms Darcy is organising a Nick Bantock-inspired year long challenge. We will write a correspondence between two people from locations across the globe. Who they are, what they are doing and what happens next is up to us. Darcy will just give us a country prompt every week.

Austria had me yodelling and trying on leder-hosen. I climbed every mountain and forded a few streams before I was reminded that a certain Mr Klimt (of whom I am rather fond) was Austrian. Kerching. We had our subject matter. I think that my X likes Klimt too, and probably purchased this postcard at an exhibition... What do you think? Follow this link to see all the other participants. It's not too late to join in...

Inspired by...

Klimt and Gritty Jane.

Something a little different. Weeks ago Jane des Rosier (aka Gritty) posted a challenge to get a bit of Klimt into our work. I'm taking her portraits and papers class (slowly!) so incorporated a bit of her teaching into my piece. There are some incredible works of art that she has posted on her Facebook page - I urge you to go on over and be amazed.

As you can no doubt see, this was painted over a patchwork of papers, many of which allowed their texture and pattern to show through. There are even the words A BEAUTIFUL PRINCESS at the bottom of the painting which I rather loved.

I can't decide if this is finished yet. It has been a week of unfinished projects which has left me ill-tempered. I've been going to bed early nursing a sore throat and accompanying aches and flitting from one work project to the next. I've calculated my VAT, but not paid it yet. I've bought half an outfit. I've not finished the book on storytelling in presentations I should have completed a week ago... I've half watched a webinar on writing a book and only managed to listen to one of Goddess Leonie's Summit lectures.

I shall post this to show my friends at Paint Party Friday and let them decide if it's finished or not! And in the meantime get on with finishing some stuff!

Under their wing

I've lost count of the number of online art classes I've taken in the last year or so. I've learnt so much from them and would probably count them as a little addiction. Before I finish the current one, I'm planning the next or dreaming over technique or inspiration books. Frankly I just can't get enough.

I took some time yesterday to think why that was and the reason came to me in a flash (of paint naturally - crimson acrylic to be specific). I want my own personal teacher! One that sits next to me in the same room and shows me where I am going wrong (and indeed right!). One that teaches me technique by live demonstration so I can stop and pester with questions - all the Whys and Hows that I like! I'd love someone to push me so hard I teeter on the brink but at the same time produce my best work.

Right now I feel like I'm trying to catch up on 20 years of missed opportunity; cramming all that learning into as short a space of time as possible.

Where can I find such a person? Could I ever afford them? I'd love to go back and study art full time but that's just not possible. It's a shame because I am ready for it now... I understand... I feel the pull, the tugs at my soul. My Muse would love it too.

Do you think instead that the ghosts of Van Gogh, Klimt or JW Waterhouse might fancy taking up residence with me for a while? Full board and lodging in return for a lesson or two??

Perhaps Mucha could have helped with this! Nearly finished homework for my Willowing class (just need to take a touch of the undead out of her skin tone). Mucha - if you're listening - I had serious trouble with her hands - I rushed them - and had to give her a couple of nurturing hearts to hold... with her grey arms. What would you have done oh wise one?

PS - That's not a zebra in the bottom left corner, but merely my slippered foot holding the painting down in the wild wind. Taking photos outside seemed like a good idea at the time until she took off for a tour around the garden!