observations

these 4 are my favorites, 

they all happened towards the end of my sessions, 

when i was in the flow.

below are the first ones of day one and two and interestingly the ones 

i dislike the most, 

uptight and controlled

these are the ones in between:

i was working without reference, out of my imagination, 

 quickly so i wouldn't get caught up 

in too many details 

i love how they all have a different personalities, 

who are they, where do they come from? 

a little portrait marathon...

anyone who's ever taken a course with Misty Mawn

knows how much she loves and uses the Stabilo Mark All pencil 

and the Stabilo Woody.

i searched high and low for those pencils and finally had some shipped from the US. 

 now i know why Misty loves them so much! 

i went back to a Full Circle assignment where she uses the pencils specifically

and white acrylic

to paint some "no reference" portraits. 

and then... i just couldn't stop. 

10 in 2 days!

getting in the flow and letting them roll out of me

was a really interesting experience and process to observe. 

more details tomorrow... 

like it or love it?

i'm still unsure with these 3 ladies...

do i like them or do i love them? 

Flora Bowley's theory is that until you love

your painting you keep going. 

i've lived with this painting for a little while 

and i love some of it but not all of it.

 i'd better keep going then...

learning

last week i told you about my etching excitement.

 to get my brain ready for that way of working 

(reversed image, mark making, tools, inks...) 

i took part in a monotype and viscosity printmaking course 

last friday

at the PrintingPress upstairs from artSpace

here is a peek at what some of it looked like: 

the inking table

the press

the final print

this was one of my last prints, the earlier once were 

 a lot more shaky ;) 

i couldn't bring the prints home because they needed to dry 

but i'll show you more once i pick them up. 

monday randomness

these boots by Spell & The Gypsy Collective 

i am... by Phoebe Wahl

perfect arting apron by Sri

this tote by Muguettora

all via Pinterest

happy monday 

;) 

current obsession...

this is happening in my sketchbook at the moment, 

i am loving creating these collage/pencil pages.

 

Big magic

i've just recently discovered SoundsTrue Weekly Wisdom Podcasts
and of course who did i listen to first?
Elizabeth Gilbert!

she speaks about Big Magic
how she sees creativity and spirituality.

listen here



worth a listen,
it is succulent!

on my easel

last week i brought these two 

paintings home from my oil painting classes

still life, oil on board

abstract, oil on canvas

i'm not entirely sure whether they are completed yet 

but for now i want to live with them 

and see how they make me feel. 

some details:

i'm pleased with the direction my work is taking; 

i love the layers, the scratches and the colors.

learning! 

etching

etching art works have always caught my eye. 

i love their simplicity, the rough lines, the mystery of the process.

i did some research about it and soon realized that it's not something 

i can learn on my own or online. 

and then the other day while visiting artSPACE  Durban

i found myself asking the owner if he knew someone 

who could teach me about etching...

 to my huge surprise he took me upstairs 

and introduced me to artist Sharon McClelland from the PrintingPress, 

and guess what, 

she teaches Etching, Monotype, Paper Embossing and more. 

i can't tell you how THRILLED  i am to have found her,  

i'm not sure how or when i'll start but i know i'll be there soon!  

in the meantime here is a bit of etching inspiration via Pinterest:

by Ritsuko Ozeki, swing

by Jim Dine

by Jean Dubuffet

by Yukiko Kano

by Kumi Obata

drypoint etching by Bridget Farmer

drawing

a peek inside my art journal, 

still loving my random pencil drawings