on my easel

at the end of last week i hit a wall with my big painting , 

i know it's not finished but i do not know what my next step is. 

so this weekend i decided to take a break and do something else. 

i stood at my easel and played with marks, 

ink, charcoal, pastel... 

i made pages and pages of those little faces, 

some good, some mad.

i'll share some more in the next few days. 

learning

it seems i can finally call these two paintings done! 

i have been working on them for a long time,

they are oil on board so they do take a long time to dry 

but also i've been experimenting with a lot of different layers 

and techniques on them. 

not my usual way to work but i have loved experimenting, 

learning new things and most of all, 

staying with it, as uncomfortable as it was at times... 

it's been a fantastic practice and i hope i can take a lot 

of what i've learnt forward into my next paintings. 

sunday practice

on my easel. 

getting slightly looser but not yet... 

preparing...

now that i finished my flowers and delivered them to the gallery 

it's time to start thinking of what i am going to do next... 

i've prepared some background,  a lot of them i will use for my 

hand studies in oil. 

don't they just look so pretty drying in the sun like that ;)

3D project!

i have this papier mâché project going on in the studio, 

inspired by the Make Do Art workshop

and i am absolutely loving it! 

above is the beginning, the building of the shape and structure. 

they were meant to be little men but they are slowly morphing into birds...

for now ;) 

i've started the papier mâché building and now i'm waiting for them to dry 

before i can start painting them. 

making space...

i've just done an epic clean up and clear out of my studio

and 

it feels goooooooood! 

that white wall was my mood-board/inspiration wall last year, 

i took everything down and it's even been repainted. 

i cleared out old brushes, canvases, paint, paper etc... 

it feels amazing, like a clean slate, a new start. 

i feel like i needed it to transition from last year's project

and move on to whatever it is i'm going to create this year. 

clear space, clear head... onward! 

teaching

this weekend's playshop

"layering, mark making and background building" 

in Roz's art studio

things still looking pretty neat... it didn't last! 

everybody hard at work... 

i loved every minute of it and i was so proud of how 

my "students" dived right in! 

our drying station

our spray paint station 

some of the stunning backgrounds that were created, 

waiting to be painted on! 

Brenda and i looking super chuffed! 

thanks for the pic Brenda ;) 

i might have to teach so more! 

seeing everybody being playful, making bold moves and moving through 

the blocks just made me ridiculously happy! 

wise little owl

this little guy unfolding beautifully, 

full of attitude...

the beginning, putting the values down

yesterday i spent the whole day painting

and this is where this cheeky little owl and i got to. 

oil on board, 50cm by 70cm

probably many more layers to go. 

upgrading, organizing, learning

going over my notes from 

the color mixing workshop

it feels a little overwhelming... 

it's seems that the more i learn the less i know, 

but i'll keep at it. 

i've upgraded to new better quality oil paints, 

how beautiful are these brand new tubes? 

in the studio

this is supposed to be a rainy weekend.

and it would be so welcomed, 

we are in need of some serious rain, 

our dams are low and we are on strict water restrictions.

while nature replenishes itself i will be in the studio... 

mark making, 

playing,

muse card planning...

play in progress below:

have a fabulous weekend! 

weekend play

i've been on a roll sketching and painting faces. 

i'm inspired by the hype on instagram about 100 faces

(from what i understand this is where it started) 

of course i am tempted to jump in but i don't feel like 

that kind of commitment right now, 

so i'm playing from the sideline. 

here a little evolution of another of my hooded girl, 

acrylic on paper.

trying to stay loose in my mark making and color choices. 

playing

two new faces,

Stabilo pencil and gesso,

plus a little bit of red.

in my handmade journal. 

to get back into creative flow... 

in the studio

i'm back in the studio. 

and it feels so gooooood! 

card making, 

why not!?

dream world

i painted this for a little friend's birthday coming soon. 

her mom had commissioned me to paint her daughter's vision of heaven... 

you can guess she loves reading! 

this is my interpretation  

DREAMING - Acrylic on canvas (100/70cm) 

a completely new experience, to paint with a theme, a story to follow. 

it took me on a very interesting journey and stretched me in many new ways. 

i hope it matches her dreams!