Return to Blogger

So, I have been a little absent from my blog. I have not really found my groove in writing my posts, somehow other things have tended to get in the way, work, family, sales, stuff. But lately I have been journaling and my desire to get back to building my blog kept coming up and so here I am!
It's a winter thing I guess, that calling to cosy up with a cup of tea and a journal and reflect over the year. Perhaps for a lot of people the new year is when they dream, reflect and plan. Do you have a particular time or way of journalling and reflecting over the year?

I have been beavering away at my art and also paper crafts. This weekend I have a table at a local christmas craft fair so I am preparing for that.  Here's a little look at some of what I will be taking.

I am really looking forward to it. All sorts of crafts to look at, christmas carols and mulled wine on offer, whats not to love.

Me and Geppetto's workshop

I just love wooden or nostalgic toys/ornaments and my collection is growing all the time. I find the texture and wear so tactile, I really can't help myself (not that I want to). This, my very own trojan horse was my first piece and he has been with me for many, many years.

He has also made several appearances in my art journals over the years in different guises.

I have my studios buddies, the bunnies are regularly consulted as I am painting as they sit on a shelf that runs along the side of my art bench.

These are a couple of my whales, there is something so delightfully simple and playful about their shapes.

Wenceslas the zebra (so named as he was a christmas present) is sat guarding my precious journals on a shelf in my bedroom right near my bed.

Granger here is also on guard duty, this time for my work computer, he looks like he's taking his job very seriously indeed!

I'll round up with a couple more but I could keep going. They keep popping up and I can't seem to resist.

Well, I hope you enjoyed a little peek in to my collection of whimsical wooden toys. Its lovely to see what people collect isn't it? I'd love to know about your collections if you want to share.

The first of my one hundred faces.

Since my first post, I have experienced a kind of stage fright and therefore have hesitated before carrying on with my blog. I then stumbled upon a Facebook group that intrigues me.  The group is called One Hundred Faces and was started by mixed media artist Sharon Tomlinson. She has created a piece of art with all 100 faces on it. Various artists have posted all manner of portraits in the group, some really beautiful work. I can be prone to a bit of drifting and to have some kind of focus that will give me starting point is fabulous. I do not intend to create one piece of art using all 100 portraits but actually create them all separately using different media. Some may be a simple sketch in a journal, some hopefully a frame-able artwork, maybe even an air dry clay sculpture but I want to accept the challenge to commit to creating the full one hundred faces. I am sure I am not the only person who needs an exterior focus sometimes to motivate themselves.
My Lady Peacock, above, is my first face, an acrylic paint on wood board. It is telling perhaps that she is masked, a little nod to my hesitant nature. But I am under starters orders and I am off!

Tada! warts 'n all

I had been delaying the writing of my first post on this here blog, waiting for the alignment of all things and for that elusive blueprint for the perfect first blog post. However, realising I could be waiting a looong while, I decided to step out in imperfection and simply offer a cheery Hello, declare this blog open and God bless all who sail in her!
The last few years for me have been spent immersing myself in the mixed media art world and flexing my creative muscles. I have learnt much and been so inspired by the blogs of artists and other creative women, that I now feel drawn to sharing my creative experiences, musings and reaching out to a community of like minded people through my own blog.
This is a photo of my studio space at home. I was going to tidy it all up and make it more of a photo shoot look but hey, this is just how it looks most of the time so lets just go with it. So excited to see where this venture leads.