Tortoiseshell Sunglasses and Flowers

I did this super quick sketch (5 or 10 minutes) of my youngest daughter the other day while we were at a café waiting for our hot drinks to arrive. Her very glamorous tortoiseshell sunglasses had me in their thrall and I felt compelled to sketch them. You can see where I had to revise the jawline due to my initial haste and the likeness could be better - but it was fun to do!

Life has been frenetic these past couple of weeks so sketching and painting have taken a backseat. I did however write a travel article which was published in the travel lift-out of The West Australian this weekend - very exciting! I have also been tizzying up the garden now that the weather is so pleasant for sitting outside (although it poured with rain this weekend). I have enjoyed taking photos of flowers over the last month or two and thought they would be nice to share. So gird your loins people as there are quite a lot of them!

 

The following photos were taken at the height of spring when I went for a walk through local remnant bushland with my mum in early September.

The following were taken in my garden in October

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These lovely roses below are in the garden where I visit my Dad.

 

I hope you all had a great weekend!

30 Sketches in 30 Days

A couple of days ago I thought I'd have to go back and scan all these sketches after discovering at the 11th hour that scanning would eradicate the grey/brown hue of the paper in the photographed versions. However, I was a puddle of exhaustion today so I went with what I already had. The one scan I did at the very end now stands out in a ridiculous manner amongst what I like to now think of as my sepia toned work. But I have come to quite enjoy less than perfect  outcomes. They tell the warts-and-all story of the evolution of things rather than trying to gloss over the shortcomings at the end. Am I rambling? Yes, I thought so! That's one of the side-effects of these 30 day challenges!

Thanks so much to everyone who has left comments and offered words of support and encouragement throughout the month. I'm sorry I haven't responded to all the comments, I will endeavour to lift my game!!! See all the other collages on Leslie Saeta's blog by clicking here.

Yay!!! Number 30 in the 30 Day Challenge

 

Ah! I feel both fulfilled and free all at once!

 

I'm thrilled to have completed Leslie Saeta's 30 day painting challenge for the second time. This time being a comparatively easier journey than in September last year because of doing sketches rather than acrylic paintings.

 I scanned this picture and realise now that the scanner is probably only the best option for black and white sketches - it seems to wash out the colour somewhat compared to a photo.

Now that the challenge is over, I have no more excuses not to get stuck into writing and finishing off my book!

Almost Done! - #28 and #29 of 30 Day Challenge

 

 

Head on Precision

 

Not really! Just a play on words as it's not very precise at all! I was just about to go to bed when the inspiration came upon me to sketch this at the very last minute. It took around 40 minutes which made my late night even later. However, it was good to get another one in the bag with the deadline fast approaching.

 

I did this view this morning while I was visiting my Dad where he is being cared for at the moment. There is a lovely view of the river and the traffic bridge. He enjoyed seeing the scene unfold.

 

At the very last moment, after bemoaning the greyness of the photos I've been taking of my sketches, I have realised that they come up better if I scan them (I'd already photographed these when I made the discovery so I will scan them later along with the rest of the 30 for the collage). I don't think scanning had occurred to me because in the past I'd always found that photographing my acrylics made for a better outcome than scanning.

 

 

Before the Lunchtime Rush - #27

On the spur of the moment my daughter suggested we pop down to Hillarys Marina for a bite to eat at around 11.00am - breakfast for her, lunch for me. She was happy for me to take my sketchbook along and I was able to get this down in 15 minutes flat before my bruschetta and cappuccino arrived. It was rather exhilarating getting something down so quickly.

 

 

Lovely cloudscape from the carpark.

On the Shelf - #26

I sketched this last night (27th) before going out for dinner.

 I can't seem to get away from the white paper looking grey when I photograph my sketches. Does anyone have any hints on how to improve them? I dread to think what my collage will look like at the end of the 30 day challenge!!

Orange and Blue - #25

 

I left a few slices of orange to sketch this morning, now I will finish them off!

Grandma's Colander in ink and watercolour - # 24

 

What a great start to the morning! I have been in an atrocious habit of getting to bed after midnight lately but last night I somehow manhandled myself into bed very early and was asleep by 9.30pm. Up with the parrots this morning to sketch this and was finished by 8am! Oh how I would love to make "early to bed and early to rise" a regular occurrence! I need to transfer some of my artistic willpower into my sleep routine.

 

 

Below is an acrylic painting I did of the same beloved colander that I painted during last September's 30/30 challenge. Today's was a much quicker and easier version thankfully as I'm getting seriously behind!

 

Sketches 22 and 23

 

#22  After the Fire

 

I did the above sketch this morning from this photo I took in 2007 of some grass trees recovering from a fire earlier in the year.

 

#23 Fruits of Neglect

 

My poor standard ice-berg roses should be looking beautiful at this time of year but they've been terribly neglected and instead are a mass of rose hips.

 

After doing two sketches today, I'm still one behind - will try to do another two tomorrow to catch up.

Check out other participants' work in the 30 paintings in 30 days challenge here.

 

Blog Hop Around the World - and #21 in the 30 day challenge

I felt very honoured to be invited to participate in a Blog Hop Around the World by my friend Debbie Nolan who lives on a beautiful rural property in Ohio. She is a watercolour artist, photographer, gardener, writer and lover of animals. She takes much of her creative inspiration from her own garden and surrounds. Her garden is both stunning and productive and being a consummate cook Debbie whips up wonderful creations with the advantage of being able to source some of her ingredients fresh from her vegetable garden. She shares all of these exploits and more on her beautiful blog which you can visit at View From Harmony Hills I'm sure you will feel inspired!

 

In the spirit of the blog hop I would like to introduce you to two other bloggers - the first being

 David Teter. David is a very talented artist from California who creates series of works which include everything from wonderfully unique industrial landscapes to dramatic ocean scenes and characterful locomotives. He puts a lot of thought into his compositions and colour choices and generously shares his creative processes. There is never a dull moment on David's blog.

 

The second is Shawna Lampi Legaree  who is from Northern Canada. Shawna is both a textile and water colour artist and hugely talented in both arenas. Her quilts have been juried into international shows and her watercolours are simply exquisite. Her flower paintings are ethereally beautiful and her playful still-lifes are wonderfully original. I was lucky enough to win some of her greeting cards depicting her original paintings - not once, but twice!! Shawna is also participating in Leslie Saeta's 30 day challenge and doing a fabulous job of it. I hope you will take the time to visit both of these truly wonderful artists.
 

***
Here are the blog hop questions
 

1. What am I working on now.
 

I am currently participating in Leslie Saeta's 30 paintings in 30 days challenge. I was thrilled to successfully complete the challenge last year by doing a small acrylic painting each day. Even though I was a dried up husk by the end of it, at least I was a very thrilled and enriched husk. This year I have made it a sketching challenge instead, which I have found quicker and easier than when working in acrylics but it's still a major commitment and feels very satisfying when completing my sketch of the day. At the moment I'm a sketch or two behind but feel optimistic that I will complete 30 by the end of the month.

This is today's effort. I ran out of daylight to paint it from life so I may add the watercolour tomorrow - or I may leave it black and white.

#21 in 30 day challenge

 

 

I am also writing a non-fiction book, but I haven't done much writing on it of late due to being otherwise engaged with a recent jaunt to the UK - and also with taking on this 30 day challenge. I am hoping to revisit it soon and still hold out hope that it may be published by the end of the year.

 

 

A picture of me not writing in the seaside town of Llandudno in North Wales.

2. Why do I create what I do?

I feel the need to express myself creatively in much the same way I need to breathe, whether it be in the form of painting, writing, photography, gardening or sewing (not that my fingers have become weary lately from wielding a needle, but the passion is there lying dormant nonetheless).
I am a genuine tree hugger and find the beauty of nature a huge motivating influence in my creative life. I feel a compulsion to try to translate the beauty I see around me - whether it be of the natural world or man made - into some form of art or writing. I find that the act of creating in whatever form to be thoroughly engaging, stress reducing and life enhancing.

 

This massive, ancient oak tree in Glastonbury looked like it needed a hug. Apparently, hugging trees in Glastonbury isn't frowned upon - in fact, being the rather eccentric town it is - it's frowned upon if you don't!  

 

 

Living by the ocean is a constant source of inspiration.

 

 

I am a sucker for pretty china and anything else that is shiny or sparkly or flowery.

 

 

 

3. How does my creating process work?

 

 Even though I have no problem with the inspiration side of things, there often seems to be a barrier to making a start, particularly if I leave it too long between projects. I find the challenge format works extremely well for me - particularly when I have made a public commitment to it. I find too that blogging is a fantastic motivation tool. The blogging community is wonderfully supportive and inspiring. It is great to see what others are doing and to be able to share what I am working on. 

.

I'm not a very organised person, so strict schedules are out (even when doing a challenge) and instead on some days I squeeze things into what time is available and other days I postpone essential things like the laundry to make great swathes of time for my art or writing. One thing I have learnt is that it doesn't pay to sit around waiting for motivation to bite you, while that sometimes happens, often I find I must be proactive and simply push through the initial inertia until the creative juices begin to flow.

 

Thanks for visiting

 

I look forward to seeing David and Shawna's posts on Monday the 29th September.

Birthday Card - #20 in 30 Day Challenge

The birthdays are coming thick and fast at the moment. I composed this illustration today based on the recipients interest in Beethoven's music. I created part of the illustration from two different paintings of Beethoven I found online and the rest I made up.

It is a cold, rainy, wintry day today after yesterday being the hottest September day on record at 34C (93F). Quite the contrast! During the week I took a few photos of things flowering in our garden.