An unusual vase

I was doing my homework. Not only is it a bit late - it's not even what was asked... But hey, this is the world of art and nobody really minds (I hope!).

These funky flowers were supposed to be in a vase, but Tahiti here wanted to carry them around with her all day so she stuck them in her hair and weaved a dress from the vines and blooms then danced around singing hippy songs and hugging trees (carefully, so as not to crush the petals).

I'm taking another class... Yeah, what can I say, I am a total art class junkie. This one is the Brave Girls Art School.

She started as a doodle but then I just kept going. The coloured pencils started taking an interest and before I knew it I had a whole sheet of paper covered in bright shades. She pretties up my mood. I like her.

It's nearly Sunday, so I'm going to post for Sunday Sketches.

Trying too hard

I was looking for a quote for this sketch when a beautiful song began playing on my iTunes playlist and Will Young sang these words:

Sometimes you don't find the right lines because you're trying too hard to hear them

I had my quote.

Now Paul Weller is telling me I do something to him, something deep inside... Really Paul? Well, I never knew. I'm flattered...

Can you 'read between the lines' on this piece. There's something written using this page as something to press upon and leaving a message. The only words I can make out are 'please can...' It looks like my writing.

I'm lost for words tonight. Think I'll just post this picture for Sunday Sketches and have done with it.

A sense of something...

I didn't know what to write about tonight - more especially, how do I illustrate with words this piercing picture I just knocked up for Sunday Sketches?

I figured maybe I'd just sling in a few totally random thoughts.

First up, something strange is happening with my sense of smell. Yesterday I caught a splash of Gardeners' World on TV (channel surfing... honest!). There was actually a quite fascinating feature on Christmas trees and the more I watched, the more I was convinced I could smell Christmas- you know that wonderful waft of pine that tickles your nostrils when you come downstairs to say hello to your indoor tree at this time of year...*

(Want to smell it too? Check this out - about 45 minutes in.)
Then today, the Hairy Bikers were cooking up the new 'traditional' British grub - Singapore noodles! I swear my nose was in the room with them. Sense of smell began conspiring with taste buds as ginger, garlic and spice pirouetted around my conscious.

(This one starts getting smelly at around 40 minutes.)

As much as I was enjoying smell-o-vision, I was beginning to become a little concerned. Would it be safe to watch a documentary on cattle farming? Right now I can smell mango. No, I'm not watching a tropical drama or even another cookery show - it's mango body lotion on me... I smell delicious!

So, we've discussed taste and smell. Sight is clearly represented by the sketch I did this evening (gesso over advertising material, topped with coloured pencil). I'm listening to Michael Buble croon softly in my ear and fingers feel the smooth keys as I type frantically away. Most of the letters on my keyboard have worn away. It's fine for a touch typist like myself, but drives the rest of the family mad when they try to use it. I won't bore you with listing what's left, but if my keyboard was scrabble tiles, there's only very high scoring letters left.

*Although I hate to ruin the story - ours is artificial! I'm going to buy some of Heston's pine-sugar-dusted mince pies when I can be bothered to trek across town to Waitrose.

It's hairy and it's got lots of legs...

Don't you just hate that moment when your eye tells your brain that something's not quite right about the bath... that there's something standing out starkly against the white enamel that just shouldn't be there... The hairs on the back of your neck begin to stand on end, your body tenses and you prepare for fight or flight... or maybe in my case, grabbing the nearest beaker and sheet of card.

What is it with the giant house spider and the bath tub? Are they particularly clean creatures? Do they like the smell of my bubble bath and fancy a hot soak? Or... much more sinisterly... do they desire a bite on my ankle, then a quick run up my leg heading for the face? EEK! I'm scaring myself!

Despite my fear of those many legs running across my flesh, I always take the second bravest option to deal with the intruder. The first is naturally just to ignore it and celebrate the fact that it eats flies (and was used by my ancestors as a cure for Malaria and Leprosy... apparently... I read it in a book - you had to eat them!). My preferred method is to approach with trembling hand and nausea and place a cup (or bowl, depending on size of creature) over its many legs, poison-dripping fangs and hairy body; then I slice a sheet of card underneath and carry into the garden hoping a passing bird may take a fancy... This release back into the wild is always done at arms length with a bolt back through the door and deadlocks applied. Heart beating wildly I'll return, shaking and covered in a sheen of fear.

Spiders and I just don't mix. What possessed me to want to draw one is quite beyond me. I had intended to draw a pretty little birdie and was flicking through a nature book for inspiration; but then I got sidetracked by the Illustration Friday theme of 'scary' - influced by all these Halloween-themed programmes on TV -  so I drifted onto ideas of zombie crows until, these hairy legs just 'spoke' to me (in a sinister spider-like fashion naturally).

I kind of like the way it is unfinished and cropped close; makes you wonder what's going on and what move it's going to make next... It's looking right at you don't you know?

Posting too for Sunday Sketches. I'm sorry if I make you shiver and shudder!

Beneath the mask

We all wear masks every now and again, indeed I have a metaphorical draw full, ready to pull on should the occasion demand it. Most are cool and collected and one even has C O N F I D E N T scrawled across the forehead in brave and bold lettering. They come in very useful - though some are a little more transparent than I would like.

This lady merely wanted to hide her true identity to practise a little discreet flirting with her lover. But let's face it, that hair was always going to be a giveaway and she's wearing a dahlia from the bouquet he gave her this morning...

Still, he'll pretend to be surprised as she lowers the mask and flutters those expensive false eyelashes at him.

I'm joining the Masquerade Ball for Inspiration Avenue then running quickly over to Paint Party Friday... so many invitations... so little time...

This piece took hours this week. Layer after layer of prismacolour pencil kept me amused and relaxed every evening. It was a total pleasure.

Blue girl

Woke up this morning, couldn't get outa bed

Dreams were haunting

Running through my head

Something odd happenin

Somehow I just knew

My skin and hair had turned bright blue...

Da Ding Da Ding

Oh I got me the blues...Don't know what to do

The Summer of Colour just turned bright blue!

Are you sitting comfortably on your porch with your guitar readers? I got me some blues today for Summer of Color (it's OK, she's American, so she spells it funny) by Kristin.

I thought I'd practice some faces. It's more of a challenge than you'd think using the 'wrong' colours. My hand kept reaching for the peaches and pinks. Selecting shades took some thought. Which blue for where? It was fun. Eyes are a little too big, but the problem I have is that I like drawing eyes... so they just naturally want to stand out; they can't help themselves :)

The three strange keys

Once upon a time in the imagination of Enid Blyton lived a Princess held captive by a wicked witch in a tower. The story went that she could only be set free by three strange keys...

A Key to give the witch a fright

A Key to scale the wall

A Key to carry a burden light

Right over the palace wall

The keys turned out in fact to be a red turKEY and brown monKEY and a grey donKEY.

I loved this story and over the years have read it countless times. It was in an old collection of short stories that belonged to my Mum when she was a little girl, and now I read them to my son.

When the Three Muses shared their creative challenge for the week as any type of key... well, naturally one of these three strange keys sprang immediately to mind - I like to think outside the box!

~So, I settled down with a box of pencils and pulled up some pictures of fine red turkeys. I looked at quite a few. The thing with turkeys is that... well, actually they are not at all bootiful. In fact, they are rather ugly what with their wobbling wattle thing and beady eyes. They all seemed to be giving them the evils for eating them on festive occasions and I started to feel most guilty and considering vegetarianism.

No turkey was clearly going to either drawn or eaten in this house last night. I turned instead to the next hero of the tale - the monkey. Staring at this cheeky face for a couple of hours was really no hardship. He's just too cute! I loved drawing him too - watching him take shape on the page; his eyes peering up at me looking all interested in what I was doing.

Thank you my little mon-key. You did a grand job.

Layers

No prize for guessing what movie I've been watching*. It was rather good... I'm not going to say any more than that because if you haven't pirouetted your way to seeing it yet, then it would certainly spoil it to say more than it's a film about a ballet dancer! Go see it and enjoy and let the director, cast and cinematography tell you its story.

Then, put on some Tchaikovsky, grab your artist materials and follow Nina and... let go...

Last week while on my photographic assignment - to capture some magic - I snapped a shot of the movie poster inside the British Film Institute. Tonight I drew... It was the first page of new sketchbook - all pristine, no paint sploshes, no crumpled sheets. Just 110 pages of delicious anticipation. What shapes and forms will appear over the coming months? What magic? What pain and disaster? (not much I hope, but we do learn from those!)

For Sunday Sketches - see what everyone else has sketched this week.

I thought it was also rather appropriate for Illustration Friday's 'layers' - once you see the film you'll know why...

*Postscript: If you don't know what I'm talking about - it's the new Natalie Portman film, Black Swan!

Wishin and Hopin...

Lightbulb moments have been prevalent in this house today for, not only have we been watching Despicable Me... where the master villain utters utters this phrase repeatedly - but I had one myself. Clearly, watching kids' films is great for the Muse.

There I was ruminating over the Illustration Friday theme - dusty. I just didn't know what to do with myself. My mind wandered into old book shops with wizened old men sitting on stools in the corner surrounded by piles of dusty volumes... I dreamt of vintage bottles of vin rouge gathering a murky outside coating in the cellars of French Chateaux. I even contemplated sketching something in the dust on the TV. Until, at last the Muse rapped on the back of my eyelids then started singing something into the windmills of my mind. I think she was rather wishin and a hopin that I'd listen. She knows I'll try anything and, given that my weekly Sunday Sketch is beginning to have a theme of boundary pushing, then an attempt at an accurate portrait seemed perfect.

Have you guessed who it is yet? Does it look remotely like her?

Hmm, given the first batch of comments, I'm wondering if perhaps her fame didn't spread quite as far around the world as I'd thought!

Another clue? Well, I was listening to her songs on my iPod while I sketched her which was really rather wonderful. She serenaded me as (an approximation of) her face slowly appeared on the page. It is of course, Dusty Springfield!

Isabel - a sketch - and a milestone

Here I am staring at a pc screen late on Boxing Day. My vision is slightly blurred through fatigue and a tipple or two (well, tis the season... the Irish coffee may have been perhaps a little more than necessary...). Suddenly I realise I have missed Sunday Sketches...

Well, it so happens that I have something up my sleeve - what self-respecting artist doesn't after all? I rather love this pretty little lady who appeared as if by magic one evening last week. She's not quite finished... or is she? What do you think I should do with her decolletage? I was thinking a red blouse with white polka dots? Shall I paint her silken outfit or collage with some interesting papers? Decisions decisions...

I've called her Isabel. She is definitely Spanish. I know this because she kept tapping a flamenco beat while I was trying to draw her - and the fact that she only spoke that language was another large clue...

Perhaps I should post now while I am ahead...

By some fluke I just realised this is my 500th post!!!! Wow! Who would have thought it? Unfortunately, I am too tired to think much on this right now, so tune in again tomorrow (or possibly the next day) for my 501st post when I hope to have something intelligent to say on the matter. Right now I am off to bed. Tootle pip!

Tidings of Comfort and Joy

It's nearly Christmas friends and excitement in this house is reaching fever pitch. Tonight we had an exciting thought. As there is snow on the ground this year, will we be able to spot reindeer footprints on the lawn outside? Last year we found magic glitter left behind, but footprints would be an extra special treat. The snow doesn't look like melting just yet so we may well be in luck!

Tomorrow we'll be making up our gingerbread house. Both walls have already required repairing - must have been a dodgy batch of plaster. Small boy wants to go carol singing too, but I'm not sure the neighbours are quite ready for that sudden burst of talent on their doorsteps. I think we'll just wait for the Christingle service on Christmas Eve.

This little lady is already well into the second verse of God rest ye Merry Gentlemen. She's wrapped up warm and singing for three special ladies who reside in locations across the globe. The Three Muses have provided us with artistic challenges all year. Thank you my friends. This prompt 'Tidings of Comfort and Joy' drew this singer from my pencils just for you. Merry Christmas Ann, Bev and Marie.

And when Illustration Friday's prompt on Christmas Eve is Winter, well... let's face it... do I have time to do a fresh sketch?

I nose how to do it

When Botticelli woke up the morning after he had finished painting Venus, I wonder how he felt. Do you think he looked and thought... "Yes, Sandro. You've done it. A Masterpiece." Had he any inkling that it would become one of the most famous paintings in the world hundreds of years after he applied that final stroke to canvas? Do you think he woke with a smile? Was he happy? Was he proud of himself?

Well, I'm proud of myself! I sat down tonight for a quick sketch for 10 minutes or so. I'm planning a canvas of my own featuring the lady herself. I thought I'd try a quick graphite practice before I applied her features over my layers of collage on my big canvas.

Several hours later I put pencils down... It may be far removed from the work of a genius but this was, for me, a labour of love. I am not sure I ever enjoyed creating anything so much. I don't care if no one else thinks it is good apart from me and picks up on the mis-matched slightly wonky eyes. This was only ever meant to be a quick 10 minute sketch to get the feel for her. I just couldn't stop. I'm cold from sitting still so long and have a bit of backache from bending over my sketchbook. I had a soundtrack of just three songs playing on repeat keeping my Muse flowing. I daredn't change them for fear of scaring her off. My iTunes shows rather a large number of plays for Hayley Westenra this evening. I am so pleased with this piece.

Oh, and before I go to bed... One more thing. Look at that nose! I did it. I actually drew a nose I'm happy with. Well... I did have some guidance from a Master. Thanks Sandro!

The scan is a bit of a disappointment with some colours going awry and losing the blue background entirely, but you get the gist. And the original has some red blob on it because I was just using up a slightly damaged page in my sketchbook! Typical!

This seems the perfect post to share with Jamie Ridler's Happy Group this week as it certainly put a smile on my face :). It is also my first entry for the Following the Masters group - inspired as it is by the topic this month - the Italian Renaissance.