Sketchbook class

I've had a few of my group ask if I could start a Sketchbook class. I decided rather than hold a workshop I'd form a sketchbook group where we meet for an afternoon at my house and everyone progresses at their own pace. I've had such a great response I've had to generate a weekday and a weekend group. Each will meet once a month, but it may develop into fortnightly get togethers depending on the response.
I've started to sort through some of my sketch books for reference and it was very interesting go back and see some of these.

I use an old ledger for some of my preliminary sketches. I often paint a wash for a background then work over the top, this eliminates the dreaded white page.

This same book also provides a testing place for my stamps.

You can see how I avoid using a white page. This is a photo album which works really well with uni-posca markers.

Another page in the album.

These are more pages in my latest book, I've finally accepted white pages.

If you care to join our sketching group just send me an email for details.

My City - Melbourne

We had a wonderful day last Saturday, we took a visit to the city, about forty five minutes from our home.
We han't been for awhile so it was good to visit the art stores, galleries etc. The sun shone, the temperature was lovely and there were lots of people milling around and taking advantage of such a glorious day. I thought I'd share some of it with you.

All the little lane ways have taken advantage of our weather and there are wall to wall cafes everywhere.

This cafe even has it's own resident parrot.

This lane way had a fabulous band playing gypsy style music, the little boy at the bottom of the photo was dancing his heart out.

The band.

A very famous tea room in the Block arcade, such luscious cakes in the window.

The new Myer. This is a large department store that was very out dated. This is their new look, very trendy now.

The view over the top rail looking down through all of the levels.

Cafes everywhere even in the middle of the river.

The new and the old, our beautiful old railway station.

Beautiful tree lined walking areas and more restaurants along the river

Finally I've been a part of Seth's Pulse group since it's inception, Seth has been displaying all sorts of information, that the members have provided, on his blog. Last Sunday was another of The Collectors edition, this features photos of members collections and I was lucky enough to have mine included.

If you'd like to see it the links here

Commissions and journal pages

Now my secret project is complete, I'm now back to working on a couple of commissions I received before Christmas. One is a very large fabric and paper journal with lots of embellishments. The other is a junk journal. I'm working on them both at the same time, this allows me to take a break from each one, that way I can see if more needs to be done when I go back.

one of the fabric pages

some paper and fabric pages

more paper and fabric pages

a section in the junk journal

more pages

papers to be added

my journal pages for Valentine's day

left hand page

right hand page

These pages are of our dressing table

close up detail showing the reflection in the mirror

more reflections.

Finally please spare a thought for our friends over the Tasman in Christchurch. They suffered a bad earthquake last year but that had nothing on the one they had yesterday. Out hearts and prayers go out to them. Mother nature is making her presence felt in a big way in both of our countries.

I also have a link to a great youtube video created by a lovely bunch of kids in Perth, if you click on the link and watch the video it raises money for the Queensland flood appeal, just wait until the ad at the beginning finishes, it's not long.

http://www.youtube.com/storytellermedia

Jewellery, sketching and workshop

Busy, busy. I've finally completed a project that has been occupying my time of late, but I can't show you pictures. I can now concentrate on a couple of commissions I have. I will be able to show photos of these as I progress.
I've been asked by some of my students if I could organise a sketching workshop that will be on going. I decided to form a sketchbook group meeting on a weekday afternoon or a Saturday afternoon once a month, the idea has been so popular that I'm now going to hold a Saturday and a Wednesday group with the possibility of an evening group too. What a wonderful bunch of students I have, so supportive.

This was the photo from a recipe book that inspired this page. I often use the designs from crockery as inspiration, changing it to my style.

The total page.

This necklace is now in my Etsy shop

I had a wonderful group of students last Saturday attend my Gelatine Printing workshop. They produced some  great prints on fabric and paper. 

Heads down and concentrating.

Some of their work.

Journal pages

I've been out of action for a few days due to a dicky knee (sorry the Aussie's will know what I mean).
It all started Saturday, I got into my car, drove for fifteen minutes, got out of my car and suddenly felt a tightness in the back of my knee. I walked around our major fabric and haberdashery store, carrying a couple of rolls of fabric, it was still playing up. Had a coffee in a little cafe, went to stand up and that was it. I had to limp out of the cafe, luckily my husband was with me, struggled back to the car and home. The doctor tells me it's tendon problems, I've had a few very relaxing days sitting with my leg up, fortunately that's worked as I'm teaching a workshop this Saturday.

I did manage to get a couple of pages done in my journal. I also prepared the kits for my workshop so not all time was wasted. 

The double spread

Close up of my sketch.

Another double spread

Close up of my sketch

This is a peak of a project I've been working on for weeks, I can't show you any more but hopefully all will be revealed during the year.

This is a new style of jewellery that I've been working on. The fabric is a piece of my sun dyed printing, stitched to a leather backing. I've hand wired carnelian beads to the chain. This and a few others will be added to my Etsy store soon.

Speaking of jewellery the master Keith Lo Bue has a new e book, fabulous value for 7 dollars. It features his blog with step by step processes of his projects, but Keith also includes some additional fantastic photos of his work. There's a whole 352 pages in the book. Better and cheaper than a magazine. It works on the ipad too.

For all of the Aussie Flora Bowley fans she's coming to Melbourne in March to teach, if you're interested in attending please contact Julia for details.

Stamps and Fabrics

I finally made time to carve some more stamps, three of them are now in my Etsy store as well as some more packs of sun printed fabrics.

A series I'm making called simple folk.

Abstract flower

Another abstract flower

Another fabric pack

And another

Summer here has been late arriving but boy has it arrived with a vengeance, hence all of the sun printing, 39 deg c yesterday, 40 deg c 104 deg f today and then within ten minutes it's dropped to 26 deg c, that's Melbourne for you, take your coat to work just incase. Tomorrow's another day.
As if Queensland hasn't suffered enough with the floods, they are now waiting for a cyclone to hit the very north of the state, they forecast it to be one of the worst on record, Thursday morning will tell.

Good Luck to anyone living up there, who stops by here, we'll be thinking of you.

This guy's a regular visitor to our garden along with his friends, he's a black cockatoo. They sit in the tree in the photo and crack open the rock hard seed pods with their very strong beaks. They eat the seed in the middle, then drop the rest onto the metal roof of the shed below, it sounds like a hail storm.