Sketchbook Challenge, Ruby Wax, Mindfullness ,Meditation and sketching!! :)

Hi everyone,

I have decided to do a Sketchbook Challenge for a whole year! Yes l know ... frightening! A year long conversation between three artists, who don't know each other .  BUT l had realised that with my Art School closed and no real studio, l had stopped drawing or paint and was stuck in my comfort zone. So this is one of the things l decided to do . The challenge works  like this  ...  I send my Journal to Artist A , at the beginning of each month and artist B then sends me their journal and l work in theirs.  Here is a sneak peek, as l won't show you the full spread until artist A, has received my handmade journal. Artist A looks at my work and sends back the conversation she has with one of my spreads. 

I really enjoyed creating these pages. I will show you the full book, once my Artist A has received it.

Once l have done the two challenges each month l will post them on here.  Artist B and l are doing to create our Art work and then send them to each other over the web. 

Earlier this week, my husband and l went to see Ruby Wax's show, based on Mindfullness.  She is amazing and my husband's comment , " Oh my God, there is there another "you" in the world". Poor Ruby Wax! :)    If you know about mindfullness, it is  funny but if you don't, it is enlightening as well. I have been looking into the subject and meditation and both seem to be helping me ... as long as l keep practicing!

The artistic meditation has really been helping me to relax and concentration what l really want to paint.  So we will see how it all goes from here and l will keep you all up today.

I have also been doing a LOT of sketching. This has come about mainly because of the Artist Meditation l have been doing. Here are a few of the sketchsl have created.

As you can see, l have been having fun and that is what Art should be about ! :)

Today's journey ... Edgeware road.

This is how the moon looked , early this morning, through my bedroom window!

Today, l had some buisness around the Edgeware road area and took the opportunity to do some photography, on my phone. This sculpture is outside St.Mary's Hospital, Paddington!

I love this area, it reminds me of when we lived in Dubai .... wish you could smell how wonderful every thing is. Fresh veg and fruit stalls everywhere, such wonderful shapes and colours.

I love Arabic writing.

I came across this little park, on my wanderings. I had never noticed it before, it is beautiful.

The smell from the Shisha pipes was gorgeous.

I love the shape of these buildings, they remind me of buildings in Amsterdam.

I love the way this building is long and narrow and seems to jut out into the road.

Today has given me a lot of ideas .... watch this space ... as they say! :)

My work!

A few weekend's ago l went to see a Light Show, all over London. What l saw, was great but l didn't see all of them. Shapes, colours, sound and movement.

 Then this week we had lots of frozen mornings. and very cold evenings!

This morning l finished my sketch book, for my Teachers Artist's, year long, Sketchbook Challenge. I have never created this stitching before , really enjoyed finding out, how to create it. Am pleased with the end results.

I have also painted the first page! The way it works is like this! There are two other atists in this challenge. I send the book to Artist A and receive a book, at the same time, from Artist B. Then the books go backwards and forwards until Decemmber 2016!

Before l started this challenge, l had started sketching again, after a long absence. I had got my Mojo back at last! Phew! So l have been making other books and creating a lot of sketches. 

I have doodled for years ..... should have done something about it. Missed the boat ..... could be rich by now! :) All those doodle books in Smiths and bookshops. 

Images and Patterns!

This month, l have been looking at shapes and wondering where these could fit into my art and story telling. This image below is a bird feeding container. I found it hanging from a branch on Putney Heath Common, by one of the ponds.  

These next two patterns are shadows, on the same door, taken from different angles. Strange!

On Saturday l went to see The Celt Exhibition at The British Museum. Before we went in, we had a few mins looking at some of the Egyptian statues. I found this one very different from most of them, it "feels" very emotional. It had not been finished and till quite recently, they didn't know who they were. We now know it was General Horemheb and his wife, l wonder why it was never finished?

The Celt Exhibition was amazing and so much of it. I did a lot of quick sketches and may do some work on that, in the future.

The next image is of the pattern l could see from the Resturant, in the Museum.  Loved it.

One of my many ( :) )problems, is l see patterns everywhere and my brain just never switches off! I also have a butterfly mind, which drives my family mad. I write everything down now, otherwise l forget those ideas. I have also, for a long time, written all my dreams down. I keep a note pad and pen beside my bed and if l wake up, write them down. I have painted quite a few of them, over the years. I am not pleased with a lot of them , as the techniques are not  good enough ... in my view. BUT l am still practicing! :)

Well ... l am off to do some experimenting , with soy wax and some of the pieces of bark, from the Paper Tree, l bought back from Sydney!

Here are a few Paper Tree images.