Spent

Weighed down with sweet treats she returned home spent. She may be tired and a little unravelled but is feeling decidely pleased with the night's haul!

A bit of fun for Halloween. Tomorrow my son gets his first foray into the world of trick or treating aka collecting a large quantity of teeth-rotting substance. Given that the tooth fairy has had to pay us two visits this week already, I think I may have to put some form of rationining into motion on our return. He is fully prepared with pumpkin bucket and terrifying mask.

I'm thought I might go in disguise too (so the neighbours don't know who it is out begging!).

Interesting to see just how much has been 'spent' on Halloween in the UK this year in comparison to 'ye olden days'. Check out that link to a BBC news item. Spending in the UK has increased 23-fold since 2001!

I've been learning 'whimsey' from Tam at Willowing this week so thought I would use the new skill to spooky effect for Illustration Friday 'spent' and Sunday Sketches.

And Summer's lease...

We've reached that delicate patch of Autumn where beauty hangs in the balance. Trees hold grimly onto their colourful palettes but the wind and chill conspire to bring these lofty artists down to earth to make instead a mush of soggy leaf carpet. It's a rich, lush and fruitful time. I adore the smells and crunchy sounds as much as the sights of all those russets, greens and chestnuts.

It was fairly inevitable then that this week my hands have been pulling crimsons and ochres out of the paint box. I'm also rather enamoured of being inspired by the words of others and Mr Shakespeare came to mind.

"Summer's lease hath all too short a date"

Indeed William it does; yet there is something quite special about Autumn too - all that 'mist and mellow fruitfulness' as Mr Keats had a habit of saying.

This piece is my Queen of Samhain. I confess to being a little behind the times (or possibly in front) when it comes to my knowledge of this ancient festival, so did a spot of research and it turns out that 'something to do with Halloween' did indeed just about cover it! Here's what I found on Wikipedia

Samhain marked the end of the harvest, the end of the "lighter half" of the year and beginning of the "darker half".... It has some elements of a festival of the dead. The Gaels believed that the border between this world and the otherworld became thin on Samhain; because some animals and plants were dying, it thus allowed the dead to reach back through the veil that separated them from the living. Bonfires played a large part in the festivities. People and their livestock would often walk between two bonfires as a cleansing ritual, and the bones of slaughtered livestock were cast into its flames.

This piece came from the burning embers of the bonfire, the melting of leaves into earth and the turning of the season. The Queen of Samhain watches from the fire's edge and reclaims that which is hers ready to bring back to life come Spring...

She is for a new art challenge on a new creative community which I am only too pleased to share. Why not pop along and meet another regal figure - The Queen of Creativity herself at her Castle. She has raised the drawbridge and all artists are welcome.

Flavia speaks (again!)

Much as I wouldn't normally post the same picture twice (and certainly not in the same week!), serendipity thought otherwise this evening and forced me to stay up well past my bedtime to bring you this rework of Sunday's creation - Flavia.

Let me explain. I was pondering what to create for Inspiration Avenue this week with the delightful selection of word prompts provided. I would also be required to grunge up my creation for a vintage, rusty or aged feel.

I turned to my old friend Ms Google and searched for some inspirational quote to kick start the creative juice. Who should be waiting for me but Flavia herself. Having tangoed her way here last weekend in a philosophical mood, here she was again and spouting more little gems of wisdom.

Tonight she wishes us not to:

"Cut the wings of your dreams, for they are the heartbeat & freedom of your soul."

I suspect there may be more than one Flavia and this one doesn't tango onto the pages of my sketchbook, but you never know!

So, we present a slightly cheating entry for the Avenue. Well, how could I use a quote from Flavia without including the lady herself? Here she is 'aged' and rusted from being left out in the rain Photoshop. I think you'll agree, she doesn't really look a day older - must be something to do with having an Italian lover permanently smoldering away in the corner...

Shedding

Wishcasting this week asks us what we wish to shed. Ha! Well, that's an easy one. You see readers, this morning I was very naughty and allowed myself a little treat... something that really shouldn't have passed my lips, since I'm losing weight to fit in my posh evening dress again.

So, what do I wish to shed?

The calories I took in eating this Krispy Kreme of course!

(Shh...Don't tell!!)

She had a head for fashion

I'm not entirely certain what this creation is any more! It began life as a designer hat for the Three Muses Challenge. I was pondering what was in vogue at present and so grabbed a copy of that illustrious publication, borrowed Philip Treacy's Muse and shaped and formed a living breathing monster of head gear which sat atop this poor lady's head. Philip's Muse sure is a strange lass, make no mistake. Perhaps he keeps her under a tighter reign than I managed, because after the hat was finished then she really went to town with my paints and inks. I'm not entirely sure what to make of  her. Are you? (You may need to enlarge to see the bizarre details of the millinery).

I won a hat design competition once. I bet you're impressed now! However, perhaps I should explain before you go thinking I'm some sort of fashion genius... It was a team building exercise involving large quantities of chocolate, cardboard, tissue paper and glue. In a task reminiscent of The Apprentice meets Blue Peter we were required to design a new concept in chocolate complete with packaging.

I came up with the idea of hats in a hat and so six pairs of sticky fingers got to work moulding and shaping until we had an Ascot-style hat with reams of tissue and feathers sat atop a box of choccies squished into the shapes of jockey caps, bowlers, baseball caps and even a fez! There was no one fired in my team I can tell you. In fact, we left weighed down with the spoils of the competition - chocolate naturally!

Got to dash, going out to a comedy evening.

The piece is made of collaged magazine snippets over and under acrylics and inks.

Racing in the anticipation of a dream

“Behind closed eyes, colors fade and blend into beautiful new creations. Fate is left at the shaking hands of our imaginations. Places new and amazing, faces remain unseen. How, then, does our heart feel as if racing in the anticipation of a dream?”

Anon

I'm not sure what you should look at first today. My initial sketch, the finished version or the breathtaking spectacle that is Vincent & Flavia's Argentine Tango in the clip at the bottom of this post. I think you should certainly have the sensual musical accompaniment, for this piece most certainly is infused with liberal does of Latin passion.

I've been pondering this quote for all day, for when I was searching for inspiration for the Illustration Friday 'racing' theme, it leapt out of google at me leaving the most intriguing sketch in my mind. As I cycled round the reservoir and mixed a little spice for my Thai meal, I've been soaking up what it means and allowed the Muse to flick through my books and magazines and delve into my art boxes and see what she could find. It turns out that she simply had to turn on the television and watch a bit of Strictly...

Flavia stands at the edge of the dance floor and closes her eyes. The music begins and the hypnotic notes course through her blood and begin their control of her feet. But not just yet. She waits and sees the colour of the dance floor in her imagination, feels the movement with the beating of her racing heart and the passion, yes the passion calls her and she is ready. Her eyes open into the dark stare of Vincent's and she steps onto the floor...



Phew, I feel quite flushed after all that. Be still my beating heart!

So, we have here a finished version for Illustration Friday and a half way sketch (while she figured out the choreography) for Sunday Sketches. I would also like to give a nod to the generous Tam from Willowing whose instruction this week on her free art course helped me inject a bit of depth into the background.

Harvest Queen

In the airing cupboard is a very soggy piece of paper. Parts of it are wearing away and there will doubtless be a white residue of gel medium mixed with papier mache come morning. It is my entry to the Harvest challenge on Inspiration Avenue. It is very much an experiment along the lines of childhood mud pies. It began life as a coloured pencil sketch of a woman from the earth - the Queen of the harvest. Beetroot was applied like a deep cleansing mask to her face under a layer of gel medium and magazine, then the top layer scrubbed off, digging right down into her pores. More layers of acrylics and crayons have built up quite an intriguing background. One eye peers out from the foliage and roots, a hint of peachy cheek, a strand or two of hair.

In the meantime, here's one I prepared earlier. My drawing digitised with the harvest root spread. Can you spot the Queen surveying the fruits of her earthy labours?

PS: I don't suppose anyone knows where I put my book for the Sketchbook Project do they? It really is about time I started on filling it, but I put it somewhere safe and...