Apologies From Me

First of all, I must apologise for not being here.  I've been off to hospital just last week for day surgery; and am currently recovering.  It's slow-going, but I'm a hell-of-a-lot better than I was last week when I couldn't move, let alone take any stairs.

This doesn't mean I haven't been crafty or arty.  I packed up all my painting gear for a bit and pulled out my knitting and sat back did some serious knitting of a new brown, fluffy scarf I'm hoping to get finished over the next few days for myself.  It's just lovely and I'll take progress photos of it, and a finished product photo too.  However, I'll update what I've been up to next week sometime when I get home as - you see - I'm at my brother's house at Brighton, and I don't have access to my Photobucket account here, whereas I do at home.

This means, I'll be updating my photos of what the paintings look like in my now-finished bedroom.  And instead of putting them all in the bedroom, I've spread them into the hall and the bathroom... to make the feel of them change the feel of the house.  My Mum loves how they just change the entire feeling of the room completely and softens the whole look totally.

Have you ever done this to accomplish a feel or a look to a room, a hallway or any part of your own place or another place?  Have you place a piece of art somewhere and the entire feel of the place has changed completely and made it just feel good, or different, or just so totally wonderful you wondered why you never thought of it before?  I knew I could get anything happening in my house with a change over of paintings... but when I looked around, the paintings I wanted weren't in any of the shops.  So, I created my own (as you can see) and they turned out lovely.

Well, that's about all from me for now.  I have to take a rest.  I've been going for some time now and it's time to kick back rest.  Until my next post, keep creating!

All Finished!

Over the last few weeks, I've been working hard on getting some new artworks done for my bedroom and its new furnishings.  And just last night, I finished up the last two paintings!  

I'm so stoked that these two are done as there were six paintings and I painted them from photographs - which is something very new to me.  So, here's a photo of them all finished up.

Six Flower Paintings  

I'm Home!

Yay!  I'm home... and now, you can all see the paintings and photos I've been working from too.  But first, I must apologise for how long it's taken me to do this.  Normally, I would have jumped on here and done it immediately, however, I had to deal with a pet fish dying, clean out the tank and make it clean enough for the other fish to live in - but I don't think he's going to survive either; poor thing.

Anyway... on with the photos!

Stripey Daisy 

Yellow Daisies
Yellow Daisies2 
Yellow Daisies3 

Red Flower 
Red Flower2 

A Pair 

Orange Daisies 

So, there you have it.  All the photos, one of the paintings is finished, another is almost done and then there's a few to be done... it looks like a lot of work, but it's not really.  What have you been working on lately?  Until my next post, keep creating!

Blooming Beautiful Paintings

Over the last few weeks, I've been working on some new paintings.  However, they're not of my usual stuff.  I've been taking photos of flowers around my old stomping grounds of where I used to live here at Springwood and then printed out 6 of the photos and bought 6 differently-sized canvas' at Sam's Warehouse and drew the flowers onto them.

Now, I've almost finished the first 3 of them and have the other three drawn up ready to paint.  I'm going to get in and work on the them this afternoon and tonight.  I can't wait to finish them, hook them up and then hang them in my bedroom to make it look wonderful!
However, not all of the paintings will be for the walls.  I've decided two of them will be used for the beside tables; to move the art from the walls to the new bedroom suite I'm hoping to buy before I have an operation done next month.  I can't wait to get these smaller ones framed up and looking lovely.  When I get home, I'll update this post with photo links to photobucket and you can all see what I've been up to lately.  Until my next post, keep creating!

Turning Your Hobby Into A Business

I've been busy lately.  Busy with my Crafty Pegs, busy with my house and busy painting bigger things too.  And on Saturday, I was busy at the Logan Art Gallery doing volunteer work - well, trying to, as I was rostered on, but I was also invited to attend a workshop about turning my hobby into a business.  This is something I'm definitely interested in!

There were three or four guest speakers from different areas of the business world.  John Kenny was a lawyer who worked in the music industry to begin with and is now in the arts and other industries.  Then, there were two ladies who had begun a business named 'Made of Australia' which was begun with almost no money, but they've gotten it off the ground.  Then, the last speaker was Brian Tucker who is an artist and art collector, but is an accountant by trade.  He gave us all the information we'd need about ABN's (Australian Business Numbers), tax returns and what to claim on them and what can't be claimed.  All our speakers made the change from our love of art - and making arty things - from a hobby into a business where we make money from it.
Brian made the line between a hobby and a business very clear.  He told us that if we enjoyed making our arty things but gave them away freely, it was just a hobby, nothing more.  However, if we are forever trying to sell it, trying to get people to buy them from us at any cost, we are seeing a bottom line and have turned that corner from being a hobbiest to being a person who wants our art to start making money for us.  
When he mentioned this, I knew that for a long time, I've been trying to sell my artworks; for over 10 years in fact.  Each time somebody looks at my paintings, I'm always trying to figure out a price for them to pay me and how much I'd be prepared to go down in price; even if we didn't talk money, I'd still have the prices  go through my head for about a minute.  

After the hour and half workshop, we all got to talk about our arts and how we wanted to work on making them a business with the people who talked.  It was wonderful.  I totally enjoyed being there; but knew that I also had to be at the front desk too.   

This was a great insight to seeing what goes into a business and how easy it was to know when people are ready to get their arts and craft turned into a business.  And honestly, I think I'm ready.  I've got my pegs and my ideas and really, all I need is a business plan a little help in marketing.  Well, until my next post, keep creating!  

I've Done Something Impulsive!

Yes!  Me!  Well... okay, I'm Little Miss Impulsive at the worst of times, but this time, I really don't know if I've stuck my foot in it or not.  

Okay, okay... I'll explain.

I'm a big daggy fan of 'Neighbours'.  Yep, Australia's longest running soap opera.  I've been watching it since it began - and given I missed a few years of it while I worked and was away living it up, but I caught up again within a few weeks.  I know the storyline and remember a lot of the cast right back to the beginning.  I even have the cards from the time of the original cast members when 'Neighbours' put out their cards with the cast on them.  I found them amongst a memory box Mum had put together of mine in high school; along with all my World Expo '88 stuff.
So, last week, as I watched my usual half-hour dose of it, I wondered if it would be really awful of me to send them a couple of dozen of my Crafty Pegs.  Would it be so bad to have my pegs used on their set?  No, I don't think so... actually it would be a lot of fun to see my art on their clothes line or used in one of the houses in the background.  Lots of fun actually.

This week, I looked up the address to post off something to the 'Neighbours' set and posted off two dozen of my pegs with instructions on how to care for them and a short letter on why I thought they'd like them.  
You see, the 'Neighbours' set has undergone a facelift and this is the perfect time for somebody like me to add a little something new to it, don't you think?  Now, I've posted them off, I can't wait to see how it all goes down at the set.  Well, I hope it goes well... 

The worse they can do is not use them and have somebody else take them home instead, right?  Until my next post, keep creating!     

Redilicious Designs!

I have found a wonderful jewellery designer who really needs to be plugged here as she has a brilliant gift to make gorgeous jewellery.
Kellie Smith is a lovely woman I went to high school with.  We were in the same form group and she was very cool then; and is still very cool now.  We lost touch over the years and it wasn't until our 20 year class reunion that we caught up and I found out she was designing jewellery.  Then, we became Facebook friends and I saw some of her work.  But I wanted to get my hands on it first and enjoy it before I let anyone in on her stuff.
And now, I have a piece of hers, I want everyone to know of her great work.  Kellie shows and sells her work at a stall at markets around Brisbane and at a shop as well.  She's also on Facebook.  You can purchase her works of wearable art - of any kind - through using your credit card or a bank transfer and she can post it off to you anywhere.  Kellie is most definitely an artist to watch as she has a great talent in this field. Until my next post, keep creating!    

A Work In Progress

I've been working a black'n'white painting here at Brighton; and it's been a great success.  I thought to share the progression with you all.  I'll begin with the oldest first and then work down until the most recent; and you can see how well it's gone.

First attempt

Second Sitting - 2 hours

Third Sitting - 2 hours

Forth Sitting - 1 1/2 hours

I used an easel outside with natural light.  This was a first for me to be outside and on my own for long periods of time; and I loved it.  What a great opportunity for me to get right into my art and painting and not be disturbed!  I'll be doing it again today too.  Until my next post, keep creating.

Gerhard Richter's Work

Today, I'm watching a program about the brilliant artist, Gerhard Richter. I found this program by accident on my Zeebox app on my iPod and have found it a very interesting insight to a seasoned artist of is calibre.

During this hour and a half program the cameras have been permitted into his studios, his life and into his mind to show the true artist who has lived a lifetime through the paintbrush. I have noticed he's a very candid person who is direct in his interviews (which take place during this showin his large studio in Germany) as he sorts through old photographs on a large table. Every now and then, she camera shows a photo up close and you find it's of his family and himself.

This is a very in depth show of a wonderful Euopean artist. There are so many great ones out there we tend to miss them in the hubbub of everyday life. This particular show is two years old but I still enjoyed watching it.

Oh My Beads

I'm back here in Brighton minding my brother's house for a week or two while he and his partner are in New Zealand on holidays.  So, yesterday, I thought to take off and have a wander around the local area to see what shops were up the road as I had spotted a bead store not far from here; and wanted to see what it was like.

My Beads is a lovely little shop situated on Nathan Street in a gorgeous old-style building.  The doors are the first thing I noticed.  They are old-fashioned French-style doors with large, metal handles on them.  And, but once inside, the old-fashioned feeling stays with you.  There are beads in every isle in their own little individual bowls so your choice is easier.  The walls are covered in them, the owner has lined the walls with strings of crystals and chains - depending on what you'd like to make.  
I found a massive selection of glass pendants and silver and pewter charms and pendants as well; all in their own area and bottles all waiting for the right person to put them with the right necklaces.  There were also ready-made pieces there as well at very reasonable prices - much cheaper than you'd find in jewellery stores or art galleries, by far!  

The owner of the store is wonderful and very helpful as well.  She knows what the names of all the crystals are, what's in stock, what is coming in as well if they'll be able to get what you're looking for and when; so you're not left hanging for something you may not be able to find.

My Beads is a wonderful little source for all your beading and jewellery needs.  They not only sell the chains, links and joinery for your necklaces, but they also sell the tools you need to get your hobby off the ground as well.  This is a wonderful store to get yourself to.  It's here at Brighton and is well worth a look at; or if you can't get here, they have a website where you can win prizes and gifts if you spend over a  certain amount of money.  I even bought a piece there and put it together for under $10!  It's this wonderful necklace and I love it.  Until my next post, keep creating!