a few projects on the go...
charcoal drawing:
drawing:
and my birches,
still requiring a lot of patience
still life
setting up some of my own still lives
to use as painting and drawing material.
still into pears
and my beloved Moroccan tea pot
summer
this is what life looks like here
at the moment...
staying focused on what i have to do in the studio
is no easy matter...
so i'm falling behind, a little.
but that's ok because i had promised myself to go gently.
Pax hanging out with the big dogs
:)
perseverance
i'm still journaling
day 26 today.
pushing through the resistance
and the temptation to stop.
it's been really good though,
pushing me further beneath the surface...
Mandala
Mandala:
our first journal prompt
in the Full Circle
workshop with Misty Mawn
here is the making of my attempt,
it felt soothing and meditative
to go round and round
and work within the circle shape.
i'm pretty sure i will make some more.
i chose to use my word for the year
and all the different faces that it might
represent...
"A Mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol or diagram used in certain religions to represent a universe; the visible world around us, and the invisible universe that is within each of us. The mandala manifests wholeness, unity, and balance. It is often a tool used for establishing a sacred space where all things are connected."
oils
i'm really pleased with the outcome of my figs & pomegranate
oil paintings.
and slightly baffled at the same time...
i painted those under Roz's guidance following
old painting techniques (the name escape me right now... was is grisaille?)
i started painting in black and white, without any colours
until everything was in place;
only in the last layer
a coloured glaze is added on top.
at first it felt dull and confusing
and suddenly to my amazement it all fell into place!
and they match my Proteas!
need a great read?
stories happening in the 1800's aren't
usually my cup of tea
but because i love the way Elizabeth Gilbert writes
i gave it a chance.
well i am so glad i did!
i loved "Signature of All Things".
in fact i haven't been able to start a new book since then,
i just want the feelings and the characters to linger
in my memory a little longer.
more about Elizabeth Gilbert here
new beginnings
today
Misty Mawn's Full Circle workshop is starting
my studio is ready to go
after some tidying up,
excited!
and on my easel,
3 pears in progress
happy monday!
rusty
on wednesday i went back to
oil painting classes
with Roz
here is a peek into the freshly repainted studio
(yes it is the cutest studio on earth!)
studio photo by Roz
last year i had these paintings in progress.
i finished the figs early december,
(will show you next week)
so i got back to my birches
well did i fight and resist and sweat over those birches...
i felt rusty, unsure and horribly frustrated.
thanks to Roz's gentle (and firm) guidance,
something finally clicked into place
and
about half an hour before the end of the class
i found my creative groove!
this is where i left off.
far from finished but it's all making more sense now.
as i walked out the world looked brighter...
persistence, perseverance, stamina.
i didn't expect those ingredients
to play such a big part in the creative journey.
something new
i've been intrigued by handwriting for a long time,
and decided it's time to explore calligraphy
i am loving the repetitions, being a beginner, learning.
and i'm getting distracted and ahead of myself
;)
