Paintings and published

I'm very excited to have had one of my pieces of plaster work published in Judy Wise and Stephanie Lee's new book Plaster Studio. They are also running a fabulous online workshop using some of the techniques in the book, hop on over to either of their blogs to check it out.

This is my piece, a plaster book cover showing my abstract pomegranates.

This is the fabulous book, it is so full of techniques and projects.

I've also been busy painting for our upcoming exhibition. This is a painting I started in Flora Bowley's workshop. I finally finished it, it just needs a top coat of varnish and hangers on the back.

This is an earlier shot of the painting.

This is the finished painting named 'sheep at the waterhole'.

This is another canvas I completed this week too.

Another canvas in progress.

and finally I wish I could draw like this. My darling little mermaid princess, spent her fifth birthday painting with Ro Ro. Don't you just love her cat. I'm contemplating using it to make a stuffed toy for her.

Art Heals

It's amazing how a day back in the studio can have such a healing process, I really would be lost without my art. We're slowly coming to terms about the loss of Dad, he's with Mum now which is a consolation.

I'd like to thank everyone for all of your kind words and comments, there just aren't enough hours in the day to get around to thanking you all personally, but I really do appreciate your kind thoughts.

I've been working on art for our upcoming exhibition 'Five Take Flight' at the end of June. If you're able to come we'd love to see you.

Following are just some of the pieces that I will have in the exhibition.

This is a small 5" x 5" box canvas that I've painted then applied stitching with my hand dyed threads.

This is another 5" x 5" boxed canvas with stitching.

I always like to continue the design around the sides of the canvas.

I'm also creating a series of collage and stitched owls on painted 5" x 5" canvases. This owl still has to be stitched to the canvas. It's only glued at this stage.

This is a felted and stitched piece that I created using my embellishing machine. This will be stitched onto a painted canvas backing. I still have lots more decorative stitching to add to the piece.

Sad, Sad day

It's amazing the difference a week makes. This time last week my sister took Dad to get a new pair of glasses. Wednesday he had a seizure and broke his wrist as he fell. He was rushed to hospital and put on all sorts of emergency equipment, his condition slowly deteriorated with him developing pneumonia. He passed away last night at 8.30pm. We were all by his side and hope now that he's peacefully resting beside Mum. He'd lived a good life and didn't suffer too long at the end, reaching the age of 89, I suppose that's all we can ask for, we'll still miss him dearly though.

Happy Days

I love the fact now that I can get up every morning and head down stairs to my studio and not have to face the constant stream of traffic to drive to work, as I have for the past twenty years, it's bliss. Every day brings a new excitement, working on commissions, getting ready for our exhibition and creating new ideas and projects for teaching. I love it. I also have regular visits from my little art critic who joins me in the studio, she's now decided she wants to be an artist like Ro Ro when she grows up.

These are two pages from the commissioned journal. I used my embellishing machine and some hand stitching.

This piece was all hand stitched using my dyed fabrics, it will be stitched on to a painted canvas.

I taught a necklace workshop at home last Saturday, see previous post, I had six lovely students who all went home with completed necklaces. I forgot to take photos but Sabine sent me a photo of hers, it's magnificent. Sabine makes wonderful polymer clay beads and she added clay discs to the chains.

We had breakfast in one of our favourite cafes over the Easter break. I can never resist sketching while we have our coffee. This is a small section of a magnificent iron grill that sits in one of the many feature cut outs in the walls.

This is the grill, I see a stamp coming on.

This is another view inside the cafe, they also sell flowers.

After breakfast we walked along one of our favourite beaches, the bathing boxes always add some sunshine to an overcast day.

Back to the studio for more experiments, thanks for dropping by, it's much appreciated.

Necklace Workshop

Just dropping by to let you know I still have two vacancies in my upcoming 'Felt necklace' workshop on Saturday the 30th of April. If you're able to attend just email me for details. Here's photos of the type of necklace we will be making. The class will cover making the felted piece, the fabric beads and making your own wire hook and clasp.

Have a lovely Easter break.

What I've been up to

It seems ages since I did a blog post. I've been going in so many directions. I've almost completed my journal commissions, I held a sketching class yesterday and have another one on Saturday. I've been working on my Flora paintings and creating lots of work for an exhibition I have coming up in June. I thought I'd better show you some of the things just so that you can see I haven't been slacking off.

I spent a day with Elizabeth last week before she heads over to the UK. She showed me how to make these gorgeous liquorice all sorts, they also remind me of Blackpool rock from my childhood in England.

This is how I've used some of them. This is a stitched piece that will be mounted onto a canvas.

This is another  hand stitched piece made from my hand dyed fabrics and hand dyed threads.

This journal cover is also made from some of my dyed fabrics.

One of my Flora paintings

turned into this. I still haven't quite finished it yet.

A very small section of some of my sketchbooks used to demo in class.

Some of my sun printed fabrics

and hand dyed fabrics and laces that I have for sale in my little 'studio shop' during workshops.

Now back to the journals and liquorice all sorts.

Flora Bowley

What a fabulous teacher, fabulous artist and a fabulous group of people. Can you tell I had a fabulous time in Flora Bowley's painting workshop over the weekend. I could only attend the first day but still had a wonderful day. Flora is so open and generous with her techniques. I learned a whole new way to free up in my painting. There was an expectant air when we first started the class but by lunch time we were all in the swing. I met some lovely fellow artists and it was great to meet a lovely lady from north of our state who reads my blog. These events really do bring like minded people together. I have to thank Julia for having the courage to organize such an event, she did a great job.

This was the very start of my first canvas, I loved it like this, but this was the first of many layers.

The second canvas up to layer three.

This was the last layer I did in the class on the previous painting. I still have a few more layers to go.

This is the last layer of the first painting, still not quite sure how many more layers will be needed to complete it.

Flora demonstrating on her painting.

Some of the other students fabulous work, everyone was different.

After the class Patsy, Julia and I went out to dinner with Flora, we had a lovely meal and it was great to get to know a little more about Flora too.

Patsy, Flora and Julia.

Patsy, Flora and me.