Stepping in to step out

What do I wish to step into? That’s the Wednesday Wishcast for this week and never has my answer come so quickly... Why, it’s my very posh cocktail dress – which not only do I need to step into, but I have to do it up too! I have a black tie event on 9th November at a posh hotel in London and the frock I bought for meeting the Queen last year* is more than a little tight. Drastic action required my friends! Have already been on the South Beach Diet for two weeks but need to start the exercise regime. Wish me luck!


*Come on, if you’d met the Queen, you’d mention it at every available opportunity wouldn’t you?

In response to popular request - my meeting the Queen post!

Think positive

I've been bad. I've been a silly girl. I was painting this Victorian young lady yesterday (for The Three Muses Victorian challenge) and tweeted that I was nervous about painting her hat. I allowed negative comments to lurk around my work table. I thought about failure and what happened...?

Well look!

I was trying to be clever - I have this fabulous Paperchase wrapping paper flocked like Victorian wallpaper - the kind that needs a stately aspidistra balanced on one of those ugly china plant stands parading in front of it. I saw matching hat and cloak in these rich fabrics. Well, I saw that in my imagination. Unfortunately what you see now is a disappointed lass wondering why she didn't ask Rossetti to paint her picture instead! Small children snicker in the background at the 'wallpaper lady'.

Oh well. Maybe I'll cut her face out and start again! Or perhaps she just needs more work... (a lot more work)

Keep scrolling and you'll more Victorian play. Local gothic Victorian architecture ghosted with bleach and mysterious figures - one of whom looks suspiciously like an ancestor of Johnny Depp.

Go back further in time my pretties (all the way to yesterday) and you'll find a better attempt at playing with Victorian wallpaper!

Farumph

I've been struggling creatively for the last week. A mixture of a heavy workload, a head cold, travel and generally not enough hours in the day. I began to fret. I began to itch (metaphorically!). I had to be creative... But of course, when you're thinking about it so much and then finally manage to grab that illusive hour what happens? Block naturally! I didn't know what to create, I couldn't think of what to blog. Had I forgotten how?

Then I realised what I've been doing all day at work. Writing! Being creative! I might not share those fruits in this particular salad bowl but I would like to assure you they have been happening. And, what is more, I appear to be making my living as a writer! I still feel a bit fake - suffering from those fears that I'll suddenly be found lacking, that everything to date was a fluke. I have to confess I'm feeling the pressure, especially as a freelancer it often feels like you're only as good as your last piece of work. I think we all go through that. I watched incredible singers on the X-Factor cringing with a lack of self belief. I shout at the TV telling them to pull back their shoulders and ooze confidence, to believe, but I guess we rarely listen to our own advice!

I think I've got to 40 and finally figured out what it is I want to do with my life and now I'm in too much of a rush! Right now half my mind is on an unfinished piece for tomorrow's Three Muses challenge - I'm painting a Victorian lady - and fretting over whether it will be good enough to post. The other half distressed that this written piece isn't flowing the way it should, that it seems to lack something... Am I becoming too much of a perfectionist?

Aghrrrr. I'll just post a picture I made yesterday and get myself an early night I think .... after I've finished my painting .... and read this through a few more times ... and ...

(This was also a creation for the Victorian challenge - a digital collage inspired by Victorian wallpaper and those delightful painted ladies that blend into the backgrounds.)

Postscript: A day later and I came across this post on Amelia's blog (a favourite place to visit). She shares some tips on overcoming that creative block.

About Art

Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging symbolic elements in a way that influences and affects the senses, emotions, and/or intellect. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music, literature, film, photography, sculpture and paintings.

Definition found in Wikipedia

What a mouthful eh? Enough to put you off picking up a paintbrush for life! What is Art? Gosh, I can't answer that!

What I do know is, that when I produce what I consider 'Art' is when I can throw myself completely into what I'm creating; when I am pulled into the piece and lost in a magical maze; when I create for me and am moved by what I create. I think that if we do this with our passion, be it music, sculpture, painting, writing or making intriguing layers in PhotoShop - then it's Art! It's drilling down to the soul and letting all that's in there gush out and be free.

Here's some art that poured from my well today. I think it captures some of the magic of the beautiful city of Valencia. It opens the door on the sunshine, the passion. This piece is all about really looking at what's right in front of you and seeing the story. What do you see?

Made from two photos taken in Valencia this weekend and a grungy mask from Shadowhouse Creations. For Mixed Media Monday - Art.

Filling the well

I've been soaking up the sun and feeding my soul with inspiration. I've sat in pavement cafes, savoured the soothing sensations of sweet and creamy ices and climbed tall towers. I was supposed to back here today spouting lyrical paintbrush in one hand, keyboard under the other... but you know what... maybe I need a little time to digest and allow the thoughts to regroup (some rest might not be a bad idea either!).

In the meantime I leave you with the beginning of my Valencian door obsession which became somewhat uncontrolled and led me to some Spanish secrets. More on this soon I promise.... I'll leave you to your imaginations as you ponder what's behind this one.

Back shortly...

All I want is a room somewhere

Miss Doolittle to the stage please...

Ah yes my loverlies. I want a room somewhere - one I can fill with my creative supplies and make mess in (and art!).

How I would love an abundance of studio space with a large work table in front of a window overlooking the gardens – maybe a stream flowing close by where the occasional deer might stoop to drink and herons kindly pose while waiting for their elusive lunch. All my paints and materials could be organised and neat (well, let’s scratch that last part, because we know that isn’t going to happen!), but there would certainly be enough space for some separation and organised chaos to occur. Cupboards, cupboards lots of cupboards...

The walls would be alive with inspiration and ideas – jottings on the back of napkins, scraps torn from magazines and delicious doodles.

The pc would whirr quietly in the corner whispering to me of digital magic... and all my beautiful art books would be close at hand and well-thumbed....

I'm wishing with the Wishcast crew again - What do you wish to have an abundance of?

The image is a decorated envelope I sploshed together in a rather haphazard manner for the Three Muses challenge which was... you guessed it... decorate an envelope! I wasn't going to bother posting it since it looks rather a mess, but hey I need something to add a splash of colour to this post so why not? I tried using masking fluid for the first time. Pretty cool stuff... I likey.

Somewhat under the weather this week so creative output has been low and early nights high on the agenda. I have to be better by Friday because I am leaving on a jet plane for a spot of culture and fun in Valencia!

Buttons

I've collected buttons as long as I've collected clothes. With every purchase I diligently remove the little plastic ziplock bag and place the spare buttons with all the others in the plastic purse I keep with my (very small) sewing kit. Sometimes I even sew buttons back on, but not very often. Did I mention before that sewing brings me out in some sort of allergic reaction.

So, hoarder that I am, I now have quite a collection. Most of the clothes that they would be spares for have long since made their way to new homes. It's a good job I kept them though, because otherwise what on earth would I have made for the MMM challenge 'buttons'?

Dipping into my other piles of accumulated potential art supplies (what my Mother would call rubbish) I found a length of tough wire, my home-made paper beads and some silvery spacers all tangled up with gorgeous pink raffia...

Behold my heart - a celebration of clutter love!

What do you hoarde?