New skills…. book binding

I made a book today. It was an assignment for computers so it’s filled with altered portraits that I done over the past couple of years.  The tutor did an excellent job of explaining how to do the book binding. Of course I didn’t listen to a word of it so I had to watch a wonderful American lady on you-tube. They both made the whole exercise look easy but I can assure you it isn’t. There were scalpels and large needles involved, no blood (thank god) but sweat…it’s 36 degrees outside today. It’s one of those things, like quilting or dress making, that’s all the the prep and should involve measuring carefully. That’s probably why all the pages are jiggly.  I’m fairly pleased with the result though. 

 

‘blur’ for Illustration Friday…….speedy chook.

 

Happy Halloween….and stuff

Happy Halloween! I just love Halloween in Australia, it’s a complete non-event. The kids try to get excited about it but there’s no atmosphere because it usually marks to first truly beautiful, summery weekend of the year. Here we have a little ghost and a “biting fairy” ( that’s an excuse to dress up as a fairy… but a little bit scary) practicing flying down the newly established grass bank in the garden. We had a couple of trick-or-treaters this year. It made me realise what a safe area we’ve chosen to live in. I studied in Liverpool, England and believe me Halloween was something you had to be prepared for, or risk getting flour thrown in your face or a brick through the window. These two kids came to the door yesterday and politely apoligised for disturbing me. I felt I should tell them ‘No, no no, that’s not how you do it… I should be fearing for my life and throwing sweets at you to make you go away.’

Changing the subject completely now. Here’s a fabulous picture of two of our news chooks expertly painted by my youngest child. Their names are Salt and Pepper – that’s why they have salt and pepper pots in front of them…. obviously.

 

And here are a couple of life-drawing pictures. I’m really sad that the college term has finished and I will have to generate my own discipline to keep up the drawing practice. This life-drawing model is one of my absolute favorites. He’s big, hairy, tattooed and pierced all over. Really great to draw.

 

I won!

 

Last week was the Mount Eliza Art Exhibition. They ran a competition for the first time called ‘Bringing Words to Life’. The author of Nim’s Island, Wendy Orr, supplied a poem and all the artists were invited to respond to it visually. She was also one of the judges. I was thrilled when she announced my picture as the winning entry as so many of the others were really beautiful and apt. It’s the first time I’ve ever won anything.

Here’s the poem:

‘….if there’s nothing inside, it wouldn’t hurt so much: there must be someone doing the crying. I write it one last time.

I am
Peeling like an onion,
Shedding papery protection,
and superficial skin –
tearing, skinning, ripping off the layers –
the firm and curving flesh
of what onions used to be –
Peeling onions makes me cry.
Shrinking down to nothing,
my shells are disappearing
and there’s nowhere left to hide.
But under all the layers
- a tiny green shoot sprouting -
I’m growing from inside.’

By Wendy Orr

 

Altered Book

This is an old girls annual I picked up a while ago called ‘The Superb Book For Girls’. I don’t know if this picture makes a whole lot of sense but I just love this paper cutting and I might just keep going with the idea and see where it takes me.

 

Happy Father’s Day

It was father’s day here on Sunday so I thought I’d finally have a go a drawing my Dad. It’s not an easy thing drawing a family member and it’s taken me a long while to pluck up the courage.  I think I’ve captured the likeness, although my sisters say the nose isn’t nearly big enough.

 

‘Strong’ for Illustration Friday

We’ve been watching ‘So You Think You Can Dance’ over the past few weeks and love to marvel at impossible acts of strength and grace.

 

New Stuff

The other day I had a wonderful surprise from an old school friend. She sent me this sketch that she drew of me when we were 18 and doing our art A Level together. Twenty years ago!

I’m gearing up for the Mount Eliza Art show at the end of October and thought I’d be organised ahead of schedule for the first year ever.  Forgot to take a picture of this one before putting it in the frame.

This one’s fairly large. I was experimenting a bit with the soft white pastel. I quite like the effect.

This one isn’t going in  the show, it was for a college assigment. I worked so hard on it I thought I’d show it off. I love this method of working, especially for illustration, as it has good dramatic effect.

 

Favourite illustrator #10. Simon Bartram

Simon Bartram is an author and illustrator and, I think, genius. His books are some of the funniest I’ve ever come across and are so appealing to children, older children and adults. Perhaps it’s the quirky British humour that I love so much. We bought ‘Bob’s Best Ever Friend’ a few months ago and the kids have asked repeatedly for it to be read to them. And when that’s not possible they pour over the detailed illustrations and giggle to themselves.

 

favourite Illustrator #9 David Petersen

We had a lovely day trip to Balnarring last Sunday and it was freezing so we stopped for a coffee in a homely little cafe. It was a video library aswell, but clearly run by real film enthusiasts. There were shelves lined with groovy comic books which the kids were looking through with interest. I came across a book by David Petersen call The Mouse Guard. It was like a graphic novel and absolutly beautiful.

 

Red Head

Today’s work…bring on the colour.

 

Prettying things

Look at this. Isn’t it boring?

This, on the other hand is totally fabulous!! I got the gorgeous Amy Butler fabric from Funky Fabrix and just stuck it on…. genius.

 

another portrait

Finished this last weekend. I’ll probably exhibit it at the Continental Hotel in Sorrento in a couple of weeks, depending on what else I come up with in the next week. Experimenting with colour is great. Must get out of the habit of blowing the pastels though, not sure it’s doing my lungs much good….cough

 

Sold again

I sold another two peices at Derinya Art Exhibition last weekend. It amazes me every time this happens and I love it.  It was these two pastels. I’ve decided to keep going with the pastels to get better, but also because I really enjoy all the splashing and then bringing the face to life. So onwards. Here are a couple of prep sketches for my next few peices.

 

No inspiration

 

Crochet Crazy

I have started the insanely ambitious project to crochet myself a jacket. I drove all the way to Narre Warren to get enough of this delicious bamboo thread and so far this tiny piece has taken me a week. But the Ashes and the Tour de France are on so D’s happy that he gets to watch that in peace.

I had a near disaster last night though. I caught the train to meet D for dinner in town and was so busy crocheting that I nearly missed the stop. I leapt off the train with bag, wool and needle and then felt the peice of crochet land on me as a kind man threw it at me just as the doors were closing. It had unravelled a couple of rows but I have palpatations just thinking what would have happened if he hadn’t been so thoughtful. I’d have stood on the platform and wept as the train took off and the whole lot unravelled before me. But that didn’t happen. Hooray for kind and thoughtful people.

 

Snow and burnt trees

Last week we were able to get up to the bushfire affected area of Marysville. We took the children to see the snow and have a play on Lake Mountain. We hired some gear from a shop operating out of a portacabin because it was burnt to the ground six months ago, along with most of Marysville. There’s a clear feeling of hope there though and alot of small businesses operating alongside the constant clear-up and rebuilding.  As we drove up the mountain the bright green young leaves of regrowth lined the burnt trees with the sun shining through. The further up we went the more dead and dramatic the scenery became with black black sindered trees against white snow.

 

Happy Hooker

I am soo excited. I finally received my copy of  ‘The Happy Hooker’ by Debbie Stoller that I order ages ago and it is truelly fabulous. Since my sister left I have been manically crocheting using fairly basic stitches. I have inflicted it on my poor innocent children.

Thankfully, after a protest and a scream of  “I’m not wearing the brocolli hat!”,  this got a rethink and was made into this.But I didn’t stop attempting to get the kids to wear my creations.

These two did actually come in handy during a recent trip to the snow.

And lastly my lovely snuggly warm scarf.

I have inflicted my new passion on my mother…she really did need a new hat and scarf. And a couple of new born twins. They can’t protest until they’re old enough to see the photos and laugh.

In my quest to find victims who can’t protest even Barbie has been given a new item of clothing.

 

New works

I have been busily trying to get my pieces together for The Derinya Art Show and I think it’s done. Although I am not enitirely satisfied with each piece that’s all part of the learning process I suppose.

Wild Child

The Dancer

Hilary

They’re all different sizes. This last one is huge. It’s acrylic on hardboard.

 

‘Drifting’ for IF