Hey you...

Hey you...

I happened to be listening to Basement Jaxx while I painted last night which is the only reason this painting got its name. I scribbled the lyrics across her while bopping to the music. Then I remembered I was supposed to watching the Jubilee concert... Doh! Good job, I recorded it. Caught the last half live at least!

This piece a bit different for me, but then again not really a surprise. I was craving a change in direction (even if only temporary), and rose to the challenge on Willowing.ning to paint a quirky face instead of a pretty one. We all benefit from a change in direction every now and again - look at Mary Poppins, she dictated her working life by the wind (with a bit of help from the odd dodgy cockney too).

I was loosened up by the music. I slung my paint with wild abandon (I like me a bit of wild abandon - good for the soul). It was very satisfying to find bits of my painting adventure still adherring to my arms and under my fingernails this morning - always a sign of good session I think.

I finished off this second piece today. See if you can guess what artist I was listening to last night while scribbling in the background!

Girl with dog

Today, though I felt she wasn't quirky enough so we snipped out a little randomness to finish her off. I'm thinking now that maybe she needs a black & white handbag - that's what you get for making her part 'model'. All she can think of is accessories!

We finish up with Mr Quirky Bird. If you want to know the roundabout and mysterious process that went into making him though, you'll have to take my course!

mR qUiRkY bIrD

Lisa... a work in progress

I often forget to record a work in progress but did actually do so with this. I was responding to the Willowing challenge - paint a portrait using only shades of black, white, flesh, titanium buff and a smidge of pink.

I began by brayering the colours onto the paper to see what emerged - just like Lisa as a kid - trying a bit of this with a blank canvas waiting to be filled.

Then I sketched out the face in charcoal before fixing it, and added some strategically-placed as well as totally random paint. A further metaphor in my own creation I believe - the way we often shape our destiny by making decisions that impact us for life.

Funny how I didn't notice until I thought I was finished that one eye was way bigger than the other - just like me, a bit wonky!

I am feeling full of reflection this morning. I dreamt again about going back to University - usually the same theme, that of not being prepared for final exams. I did OK at Uni, not brilliant, just average (I did have rather a good time though!!). What this dream really means I think is that I certainly didn't get the most from the academic experience. I should have studied Art in some shape or form. It wasn't until my late 30s that I finally discovered my passion, the element that was missing. I may never be a great artist, but creativity is in my blood.

It's interesting that it found its way out wherever it could - even when working for a financial institution or an IT conglomerate my creativity was what made my name. Words and Pictures. Words from Pictures. Pictures from Words.

I am still a work in progress, a life drawing - but hopefully with a lot more direction than 20 years ago.

Posting for Sunday Sketches and Willowing.

Paint Party

It's Friday and it's party time! There's a great new blog- Paint Party Friday - that you should visit where everyone shares a painting and so here is mine!

I've been experimenting with watercolour with Bonnie Rose Bryan on the Willowing.ning site. Painted with a very restricted palette of just 4 colours. I loved how the blush spread across her cheeks wet in wet, like she'd just found out the class hunk fancies her!

Well, today has been totally red nose random. For those of you outside the UK, perhaps I should explain. Today is Red Nose Day for the charity Comic Relief. We wear red noses and do something funny for money. I went to work in my PJs and slippers where we had a contest to see how many of us could fit inside an old-style Mini Cooper. My team won - there were 17 of us squashed and squished inside; it got rather hot in there I can tell you!

I didn't wear a red nose though. I didn't have to. Can you believe I've caught another cold??? Man, I need a break!

Fairy enchantment

Do you believe in fairies? I must say if I'm in a patch of ancient woodland wandering along paths beaten over the centuries by paws, hooves and feet and I peer among the moss covered logs and rocks sometimes, just sometimes I wonder if that flicker of light was a gossamer winged creature with pointy ears and a mischievous nature.

This week on Tam's course we are inspired by the work of Brian Froud - the master fairy painter who professes to have met the creatures and, when you stare deep into his paintings, do you see anything familiar? See how his backgrounds come alive with life if you only look closely enough. Is that what we need to do? Just look closely enough to really see what's hiding in there!

There's a large spider hiding in my bathroom, I know that much. I saw him scurry across the tiles and into a crack. I think he wanted to listen to the bedtime story I was reading my son while he was in the bath. Perhaps he has his tiny teddy in his arms and is snuggled down in his bed of dust and web.

Another week is creeping towards its end and I have done little other than work and sleep. I started this post days ago with the intention of illustrating with a piece of my own crafted one evening. Instead, I'll just have to post this one from a collage sheet by piddix on Etsy.

Also, there's a magical giveaway I wanted to share on Faery Realm Creations - a wind chime designed especially to attract fairies to you.Well, who could say no!

Siren Sketches

Following my Magical Mythical Makings course I am once more wrapped up in a mermaid world and just can't seem to get enough of these mystical creatures.

I did these sketches over a week ago now in preparation for a potential painting, but this is as far as I got before the virus got me! I'm leaning more towards the first one as a composition. I want the richest of colours swirling around her though on a big canvas. Deep acrylics, fibres, glitter and shell shards. I'm starting to grow in confidence with using bigger materials to paint on (if only they weren't so expensive!). I even had a crazy idea of painting a wall in my bathroom (with a big pot of white emulsion ready... just in case). I wonder if that's how Michaelangelo started. Bet he got into trouble with his Mama!

I am getting more and more excited about the art retreat and the workshops with Flora Bowley. Her use of colour is phenomenal - so rich you want to dive in and hug it!

For those of you who are regular followers, I must apologise for all the whining about being ill this week - you may have gathered that I am not a good, or even patient, patient. Thank you for all the get well wishes - though I might need a few more cause they haven't worked yet.... Oops, there I go again. Whinge whinge... Just be grateful it's not catching down the wire(less)!

I'm off now to visit the other Sunday Sketchers over at Blue Chair Diary

Homework in progress

A lesson in Mucha, Alphonse. I'm taking part in the Willowing class on Magical Mythical Makings. I'm sure you're wondering what's so magical about this lady - aside perhaps from the colour of her hair! Well, I can tell you.... it's called metamorphosis and she's been through a few this week! She was supposed to be an angel in the style of Mucha but, I don't know, she just didn't look very angelic to me and the wings looked like bad fancy dress so they had to go. However, that's OK. The point of the lesson was as much about learning from a Master as painting an angel. Most interesting for me has been using the hair as a key decorative element and framing the subject in the background. I'm also gaining in confidence with clothing and limbs - though as you can see from this image below I've not quite got around to colouring them in yet! If she looks a bit like she's leaping out of the page, it's because she is! She will be stuck down now I'm happier with the background (which is also on about version 10 - it was once pink, peach and yellow...). I think I might give her skin a touch of blue too. This is hard work, but I guess that's the point of taking a course - an adventure outside of your comfort zones.

You'll have to tune in later in the week to see the finished version. In the meantime, I am sharing this progress as my Sunday Sketch, do pop along to Sophia's blog to see all the others.

In the meantime, I thought I would let you into a couple of secrets... The first is the state of my workspace and the second is..... ME! Yes, that is indeed the mysterious Lisa Wright. I am wrapped up warm and snug at the Ice Bar - yes, that glass is made of ice!

Brrr..........

Passion

I'm bringing my Sunday Sketch a touch forward  this week since I'll be posting my One World One Heart (OWOH) piece tomorrow. I've written a little fairy story, so you'll have to come back and let me know what you think - you might even win something! (See the button in the sidebar for more info on OWOH.)

This week has been all about sensuality within my art as I finished my Goddess (painting on canvas below,  inspired by Tam's course and loosely by Klimt), created another (sketch above, and as you can see, somewhat more inspired by Klimt), then completely let rip with the paint on an unfinished piece - I'll share it later in the week. It's taking a familiar topic but with a different approach. I was totally in 'the zone' when I painted her. She was inspired by nobody but me. I surrendered totally to the passion of art and let go... Just a few finishing touches once the latest layer dries and she'll be ready to unleash.

Tam's course over at Willowing.ning is food for the soul. What a wonderful group of artists are sharing their work in the forums. I am blown away by all that I am seeing. There is creativity bursting out across the globe with so much support and encouragement from all. It's so exciting to see the magic pouring forth from every paintbrush!

I'm covered in gel medium and acrylics (there's a dusting of peelings from my fingernails surrounding my keyboard!). I wish I could put into words quite what happens when I combine music and paint (and possibly pinot grigio!). I don't care if I never sell a painting (and am beginning to understand why Van Gogh persisted for so long). I am floating, my soul is lifting. What is this potent magic? How has it enchanted me so?

Goddesses and friends

I was feeling out of sorts at the weekend. A virus was trying to infiltrate my defences and they took quite a battering. I found it incredibly interesting though that I still just couldn't stop learning. Once my son had gone to bed and I could have just flopped and watched TV, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. Instead, I stationed myself in front of YouTube and watched art technique clips then ran (OK, crawled) back to my work table and got sticky!

The new course began at Willowing last week. I was too busy to do anything but watch the videos until Friday but then grabbed my canvas and got stuck in - work-in-progress result above. Still much to be done with shading and correcting composition before she is finished, but thought I would share where we are.

Of course, you know I love a great online course but I'm still waiting for the perfect one to come along to attend in person. I see so many wonderful examples advertised but they usually come in US form with the cost bumped upby the price of flights across the Atlantic and hotel accommodation. While I might just about justify the expense of the learning experience, it does seem a little extravagent to cross continents just to take an art class! Most recently, I've been dreaming over Cheryl Dolby's (The Healing Woman) Sculpture school. Not only do you get to immerse yourself in clay creativity for a week, but you stay in Cheryl's new guest suites too...Oh and Cheryl is your teacher, she has her own chef, a swimming pool AND takes you sightseeing...  Ahhh, maybe next year!

Cheryl is a wonderful example of one of the many friends I have made through blogging. Collaborating with her on her Egyptian Goddess project was one of the highlights of last year. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to be a part of this wonderful online community of creatives who all inspire and encourage each other to live out our dreams. Thank you all!

I found it!

The Sketchbook for the same-named project. I confess that I've had it for months and managed one drawing before promptly losing (and forgetting about) it in a cavernous mess of tangled art supplies.

Trouble is, I still don't quite know what I'm going to put inside. I lay in bed pondering my 'Story' theme last night. The thing is though that wrapped up in a duvet and darkness is not the best method for drawing (pun intended) sketchbook ideas from my brain. What I need is a large sheet of paper, a sturdy pen and then some serious mind mapping. I love this technique - just letting the ideas pour forth and spread tentacles across the paper.

Whatever I decide on, I think it might involve this little character. What do you think? I quite fancy playing with whimsey for a while and seeing what adventures we might have.

This poppet is destined for a fun piece based on Tam's lessons and for Inspiration Avenue's Happiness challenge - should be finished by tomorrow and as it's Happy Friday, seems a good day to post!

Day 4 of Art Every Day Month

Postscript
I just had to add this link to a wonderful post that really hit the spot this evening. If you've ever been nervous of painting on canvas, then be afraid no more. Have a read! It's from Victoria at Enchanting the Invisible - a delightfully magic space and entices you in with sparkling prose and pictures.