Finished! and... a collaboration...

Well look at me - a whole month of blog posting and art. Yup, every single day my fingers ran across this keyboard, picked up pencils, splashed paint and played in Photoshop. What an adventure!

You know, it really was. I'll admit that the blog posts were far harder than the art. Art can after all be a doodle, a dab, a splash (not that it was ever just that to be honest - I always got far too carried away!). I did learn though that sometimes we make our best art when we just play and don't try too hard.

Of course, we can't let this month go by without some more serious introspection. Why do I love art and blogging so much? Is it escapism? Well, it certainly stops me noticing the housework that needs doing! More seriously though sometimes I wonder if my dreams of creating my own art business and my focus on constant improvement and learning are not an excuse for avoiding more difficult things - like trying to find new business for my 'day job'.

I was a networking event mid-month and going through the usual spiel about what I do. By day I am an internal communications specialist, a corporate journalist, a creator of presentations - but I also confessed my dreams of becoming an artist. The lady I was talking to told me that when I talked about my painting, my whole face lit up, she said she could see the passion burning inside of me. I know for sure that creating something from coloured water and a sheet of paper makes me feel so wonderful - a narcotic for the soul to which I am truly addicted. Is there any hope?

There's no reason why I can't do both of course and that's the plan. I see myself running a little portfolio of businesses - all focused around some form of creation.

So perhaps, it's OK to keep up this dream; to search for enough hours in the day to make it work! I do really believe that if you write down your goals you will reach them. A few weeks ago, I put out an idea into the blogosphere of doing a guest post somewhere and guess what... It happened! This very day you can see my collaboration with 'Healing Woman' Cheryl Dolby. She creates the most wonderful sculptures and jewellery and I've written a little story to go alongside one of them. Do pop along and let us know what you think!

Finally finished this piece I started last week. A little bit here, a little bit there. Really pleased with the finished outcome.

Nearly there...

Day 29 of blog posting and art every day. Today is the first day when I really don't have a clue what to write about. In fact, it's fair to say I feel rather mopey, so I'll just post this work in progress.

Tomorrow I plan some grand reflection on the month - a spot of analysis and introspection. Tonight all I want to do is watch 'I'm a Celebrity, get me out of here' on the telly. Sometimes it just has to be done...

I might just hold a pencil near some paper and see if anything happens... Or perhaps a cold compress on the forehead may be a better bet. If I was a Victorian lady of means, I might have an attack of the vapours.

Colouring in before drawing

Push Push Push. I keep at it, trying new techniques, learning, experimenting. Today was doing the colouring in before I had a picture!

I've been falling in love with watercolour again this week. I'm taking a course (yeah, I know, how many times have you heard me say that!?) on Whimsical Watercolours and I just finished another (!) on journalling techniques which involved this media too. I've been blending and splashing and watching those translucent colours meld into each other. I'd forgotten the wonderful things they do on paper; your tool is the water - such a simple ingredient, but just look at the results of the spells!

There's other things I want to do too today - like make something for Sunday Sketches, and so I push myself to combine the two. I'm also mindful of The Three Muses upcoming Movie challenge. Months ago I bottled out of drawing the enigmatic Neytiri from Avatar because 'I didn't do faces'. Then I found Suzi Blu and things have never been the same since. I've written about my love for painting faces once this week already so won't repeat myself... except to say.... I LOVE DRAWING AND PAINTING FACES!!

So I thought I'd practice drawing a slightly alien form on this watery mottle. Here is Neytiri with the colours of the forest at night reflecting in her face (which is why she isn't blue - artistic licence you understand - and the fact that I laid down the colour wash before I'd decided what to draw! Sometimes the Muse just likes to keep you on your toes!).

I have to share how thrilled I was to be an inspiration for another. Elizabeth, a fellow blogger so enjoyed looking at my pink flower creation (that I made for Breast Cancer Awareness), that she made one herself. It's part of a fabulous post of wonderful artwork on her site - Altered Book Lover - do pop along to browse around her gallery.

Guest post

Today I would like to welcome a special guest poster to my blog. He's a cute little man who has been doing his homework with his Mummy. Here he is to tell you all about it.

"We had to do a project about Motown. Motown is a special type of music from a long long way ago. It comes from the city of Detroit in USA. I had to pick a song and design a record sleeve and my song was Rockin Robin by Michael Jackson. My Mummy drawed Michael Jackson first and I painted him. It took about one hour. I loved it and I can't wait to take it into school. I really like being a guest blogger."

More Ooglies

Now if you've been reading my blog all week, I know you'll have been wondering what the shape shifting Ooglies look like. Of course, the answer was there all along - anything they feel like (they are shape shifters after all!). Here are two of them who have popped along today to share the story of where they came from.

You see it all began around a week ago when I took the prompt from the group I'm working with on the Drawing Lab book (on Gumnut's blog). We were to squiggle some shapes in watercolour then draw fantastical creatures. I thought this would be a fun exercise to do with my son and even tidied up my work table in preparation.

Unfortunately he prefered to shoot things on the computer and even uttered the dreaded words... "But, I don't like art Mummy". WHAT? Doesn't like art? I'm cut to the quick... (Don't worry - he's a child, fickleness comes naturally, he'll like it again tomorrow.... I hope....)

Anyway, Mummy played with her paints and made a bird and an elephant with jelly legs, then she sat on the sofa and created the land of the Oogley Baloobleys while watching drivel on TV. Since then it's become something of an empire build (we even had shoe design on Wednesday), but I guess that was the whole point of the art exercise - to try something different, see where it takes you (in my case, a whole other planet!).

I just love to stretch and learn. Why didn't I have this burning desire when I studied art at school? I just stuck to what I knew best (encouraged down this path by my somewhat useless art teacher). What was missing from my education was the message that it was OK to create silly splodges, that experimentation was all part of the fun and a finished piece could look like it was created by a five year old if that was what you fancied. It seemed that as we grew older we were expected to leave the merriment of creation behind and focus on the technicalities - it was all about what was going to come up in the exam and that was all that mattered - the teachers weren't bothered that this ridiculous system was killing the creativity of their pupils.

It's different these days thank goodness. Some sensible head in a committee somwhere finally realised that a portfolio of work created over two years was actually a far better indicator of ability than one painting and a pencil sketch knocked up in a 4 hour exam.

I'm off to paint more random lines and see what magic starts to appear out of the paper. Maybe I'll even sign up to re-do my A Level Art...

Feeling the pressure

Art and a blog post every day for a month... Well, we're on the home straight but some days are clearly easier than others - today being one of the latter. I do have good excuses. I mean I am working hard and throwing all my energy into what pays the bills. I really don't have anything to post today, but can't let this mission slip, so I'll show you the next stage of my latest work in progress. Admittedly, all I've done today is put a layer of paint on her hair (which took about 30 seconds), but it's still art... and the day is yet young, there may be more later... I've also created a poster for work in Photoshop, so I am sure that counts too ;).

My lady of the pink hair is now comfortably ensconced on her blue background and she can see out of both eyes. I'm not quite sure what next steps are... A layer of paint on her face for sure; work on her hippy headband; addition of a flower; depth and shadow to her tresses and more blending with the background. I'm also thinking freckles...

What do you think? What would you do?

Candy Floss Slippers

There's a story to go with this. I am sure it has something to do with the people of Ooggley Baloobley, but I can't be sure since I haven't written it yet. I think it might refer to the way they design their footwear. They put cartridge paper outside their back doors at night to collect the custard and jelly drips. In the morning they venture out to see what patterns have formed. It's then a simple matter of looking for designs in the splotches and splatters. Of course, it helps if you're an Ooglie because they are shape shifters so frankly can fit any mis-shapen shoe - even the one that looks like a vodka martini. Lucky them!

If you think I've lost my marbles, then perhaps you should refer back to Monday's post and look for them there, for this art follows a similar theme.

Alternatively, you can just blame The Three Muses and their 'shoe' challenge.