Busy Art Week

This week has been one for the books.  I've been so busy art-wise that I've found myself wanting to just turn out the light without reading at night.

On Monday - as you know - I began attending a craft group.  And what a group!  The ladies at this group are lovely and very informative and friendly.  They do all kinds of art and enjoy each others' company very much and do the most wonderful art and craft.  And they have agreed to help me with learning to crochet too.  Fortunately, I took photos of how the hook has to rest on my fingers and the position of my hands so I don't forget for the next time I wish to crochet.

Otherwise, I've really gotten into my painting again; in more ways than one, and I got the best idea for finishing off a painting I got stuck on last year in of all places, but my shower (isn't that always the way?). Anyway, after I had the idea in my head, it wouldn't leave and so I pulled the painting out and tried out the idea and found it's worked!  How cool is that?

And over the last day or so, I've been sitting and painting more clothes pegs than I actually own personally.  These are to hopefull sell at the Logan Art Gallery.  If I can't sell them there, I'll try selling them at the Queen Beez Craft Group as the ladies there are anxious to see what other crafts I'm into.

So, that's what I've been up to this week.  I've been very busy and so I'm very tired from working hard at my art and craft.  What have you been getting your nose and hands into lately?  Until my next post, keep creating!    

Busy Beez at Queen Beez Craft Group

Today, I woke to a dull and wet day, but I needed to go out.  I had promised to get my butt out to a craft group this year - to get myself more social and improve on my craft skills - and this was what I was going to do.  

So, after breakfast hunting around for my 'Crobots' book my brother  gave me for Christmas - and finding it - I caught the bus to Springwood and walked to Mum and Dad's place.  Sure I was two hours early, but with the weather the way it was, I didn't wish to be late, and I didn't want to trust the roads being all that safe.
My folks were reading The Sunday Mail from yesterday.  They had been out all day seeing my brother at Brighton, and didn't get a chance to read the paper, so spent the morning having a good look through it all.  Meanwhile I sat and read 'Anna Karenina' by Leo Tolstoy until it was time to leave for the Springwood Community Centre; only a 5 minute walk up the road.  And soon, it was time for me to take off up there, where I arrived 10 minutes early and in time for introductions to everyone there, including Coral, who remembered me from around 15 years ago when I had attempted to join up with them but wasn't in as good health as I am now.
I explained that my health is a lot better now, and I am able to attend groups such as these on a more regular basis; and everyone was pleased.  They also took the precaution in asking me to sit on the outside of the tables because I've got a medical condition where I'd need space if I collapsed.  Good thinking, but I told them I was fine now and stablised; but still they insisted.

The ladies there varied in age from around 35 - 85 and they were skilled in all kinds of crafts; from needlepoint, tapestry, crocheting, knitting, painting and other styles of work as well which they couldn't bring along, but they did bring the finished products to sell.  Then, we had myself and Christine - both of us new-comers - who wanted to learn something new.  Christine could crochet, but wanted to learn to knit; whereas I could knit but wanted to learn to crochet!  How's that for irony!  I offered to teach her to knit, but she brushed me off a little for somebody else a bit older.  I didn't mind as I really did want to concentrate on learning better techniques in crocheting from these ladies.
Coffee and tea was supplied along with the ladies of Queen Beez Craft Group supplying us well with home made goodies of jam drop biscuits, scones and other such treats to scoff into!  Yummo!  I had some ice coffee I made there in a small mug and ended up eating some of the goods.  Then, I found the hand-made items on sale pretty nice too.  There was a knee rug I liked and bought for $10 from one of the older ladies which was in the colours of my favourite AFL team; I can't wait until the season starts!

Too soon, the 3 hours passed by and it was time to go... actually, we broke early due to the weather and not knowing if it was going to get worse.  So, we put away out chairs and packed up.  Once the rain settled down, we all rushed off to our cars and I walked back to my folks' house with my umbrella.  They were pleased I enjoyed myself and that I wanted to go back next week.  Until my next post, keep creating!    

Craft Groups And Crocheting

Over the last few weeks, I've been looking for a craft group to get involved with; and to learn to crochet.  For Christmas, I received a book on how to make Crobots, but don't know how to crochet, so the first thing I have to do is learn how to crochet.  And the best way is to find somebody who does it all the time.

So, tomorrow, I'm off to Springwood to learn the basics on how to crochet.  Wish me luck!  Until my next post, keep creating!

Working Again

I'm working again, however not on what most of you think.  I've been painting clothes pegs as an inbetween, fun thing however I have found I can probably make a bit of money out of them.  So, I'm hoping to make up some samples and show them to the gallery I work at to see if they'd put them in their store for me.

If they don't, well, I'll try them out at the Butter Factory.  I have been trying to sell my artwork at the art gallery store for years now, and they don't let me.  So, it looks as though I'll have to take my works somewhere else.

This does frustrate me when one place doesn't give an artist a try out, and yet they let others in.  I hope I get a chance with the gallery... it'll be my foot in the door for an exhibition next. 

Sketches on Holidays

Whenever I'm on holidays at Brunswick Heads, I find that the arty side of me gets itchy.  This is because there's no television and not a very good selection of radio stations.  So, when I have a clear-enough head from the big city, I find I want to photograph and draw everything I see.

And it's around this time, I realise I should have brought along something to draw with!  Not a problem, I went out and bought some cheap art materials and sat in the cool shade of the fly of the van and began on a drawing.  Here's the drawings from day one to the last one... there's not many as we got in and had some fun in between.

Camp Kitchen  

The camp kitchen is where everyone cooks.  It's a shared environment and we have all had great times there.  There's two BBQ plates, two hotplates, a toaster, a kettle, a microwave, a fridge (which is regularly raided by greedy people) and a massive sink to wash up in.  It's a great place to eat too if you don't want to eat at your van or don't have the space.

Paperbark Tree 

I drew this tree in the first drawing, but wanted to do one of it on its own.  I think it turned out better; but I needed a bigger sketch pad.

Tree Tops 

There's these big pine trees lining the front of the van park; and the tops of them all look different from each other.  I spent my last few days, trying to get them looking right... it was really hard.

On The Riverfront 

I drew this view on the river front when I was having lunch with my parents under the trees there.  There's boats all moored along the front, and the shade was lovely.  A few days later, I came home

Necklace Wall-Hanging is Complete!

Yesterday I was at my easel working on the wall hanging for my necklaces.  I wanted to get it finished and done before Christmas; and so I could also get it all done up and complete before the New Year.

Besides, I wanted to see if it worked.

Anyway, I worked through the afternoon on it until dinner.  Then, I took an hour's break and got stuck back into it and didn't stop until it was finished completely at 10:30pm.  Wow!  What a long time to be painting!  But then, I also sat through 'The Santa Clause 2' - a funny Tim Allan movie - to help me keep going.  Well, Here are the photos to it.  Hope you like it as much as I do.

Necklace Wallhanging1 

Necklace Wallhanging2  

Necklace Wallhanging3  

Now, all I need to do is hang it up on the wall in my bedroom and put all my necklaces on it with the Alligator clips.  I'm so thrilled at how it worked out.  Until my next post - and project - keep creating!

Christmas Is All Wrapped Up

I must say that this year hasn't been without it's problems; especially now.  As some of you know - from following my other blogs and knowing me in Real Life - I've recently suffered a loss of a dear feathered friend over the weekend.  
But I find that if I delve myself into my work, I get through grief and loss better.  So, I found myself working through the rest of Gabe and Kat's Christmas present faster than ever before.  I got around 8 pegs painted each night over the last 3 nights and before I knew it, they were finished!  This morning, I varnished them; and here is the next set I did this morning.

Painted Pegs for Gabe & Kat1 

Painted Pegs for Gabe & Kat2 

 

Arty Pegs for Chrissy Pressies

I've got about three weeks until Christmas Day; and I have finished all of my present shopping.  Yep, I'm that organised!  But I'm taking my time with one lot of the family presents; and for a good reason too... it needs a lot of patience and detail.  Fortunately, I have that in spades.
I'm painting up a set of clothes pegs for my brother and his partner so they always have enough to use.
I thought of making them some - personalised ones - while I was minding their place at Brighton in October.  Thought it would be a fun thing to have on their clothes line... and a very arty thing to add to their house if they use them on their clothes horse too.  I've taken a few pictures of the ones I've gotten done so far... nice don't you think?

Personalised Pegs1 

Personalised Pegs2  

Well, Until my next post, keep creating!

Christmas Presents Artwork

I love doing arty things for Christmas.  And this year, I'm going to cover two present for the price of one.  I have begun painting up two different types of clothes pegs - the ordinary pegs with the metal springs in them, and the dolly pegs.  And so, what I'm going to do is split up the sets and give them to two different parts of my family who are in great need of new clothes pegs.

Mum and Dad's pegs are brittle and need updating.  I thought it would be wonderful for them to use the ones I have painted up outside; as they bring them inside each time.  I'm also giving my brother and his fiance a set for when they move into their house over Christmas; as when I was house sitting over the first week of October, I found they didn't have enough pegs for a full load of laundry (and Dad noticed this too).  And a lot of their laundry ended up on the ground on a windy day.

So, I'm looking forward to having these done, boxign them up and giving them to their new owners on the Big Day.  I can't wait!
What are you doing - which is arty - over Christmas?  Are you giving some art work to family or buying something arty for a family member?  Until my next post, keep creating.  

Life Drawing Masterclass

Yesterday, I was off early in the day to attend a Life Drawing Masterclass.  It was a full day - from 10am until 2:30pm - of learning the basics of Life Drawing; with a model there as well.  
I arrived there about half and hour early because my bus was either going to make me early or late - depending on with one I caught.  This gave me a chance to walk around the 'Artwaves' exhibition and to vote on the one I loved the most (which was Identity by Chanel Tanent in Gallery 3).  By the time we all signed in and had picked our places, the teacher was ready and the model had arrived.
Kay Kane works at Griffith University teaching students how to draw with pencil and charcoal and she also teaches animators drawing as well.  The model we had was somebody known to me as I had drawn him before at Southbank last year.  The funny thing was that I didn't really know him until he disrobed and posed that his name popped into my head; just before the teacher told us his name.
We learned how to use the cloud technique with drawing people.  This is when you use the side of your charcoal to shade what you see of the model; starting at the centre of him, then going up and filling in where the arms are and legs.  It was a great exercise for us to do.  By the end of it, we had to draw a fixed line around the cloud with the pointed end of our charcoal and then fill out where the arms and legs would have been.  And believe me!  Mine didn't look anything like what he did!  It was a mess.  We had a break and I went and said hi to the model - seeing I knew him - and caught up with him.  Then, the teacher worked through until around midday - lunch time - and we worked for another hour or so and we had a few more exercises to do before going back to clouding again; but we found we had all improved on that morning.
Kay Kane then talked about her doctorate and what her main piece of work was and how long her current works took her to do, where there's other Life Drawing classes and asked if we'd like to attend another class like this one at the Logan Art Gallery.  Most of us wanted to know faces and heads - portraits - and she was pleased to see we wanted to get into the nitty-gritty of all; and said she'd love to do another workshop in the future.  This is something I will definitely be looking out for!  
I got home at around 3:30pm - when Dad picked me up - and as soon as I walked through the door, all I wanted to do was go to bed and sleep until this morning.  My feet hurt from standing in front of that easel for 5 hours.  My knees hurt from not being able to sit once in a while; and I was so very tired from looking at the model, then looking at my work, then looking back at the model again.  But you know?  I'd do it all again because it's the passion of working with the human body that keeps me wanting to learn more about how to paint it and draw it.  Until my next post, keep creating!  

Life Drawing Workshop