My Art, Skeletons,Skies, Lines and Nature.

After my sister-in-law's funeral the other week, we went to a local restaurant for the Wake. Imagine my surprise/ thoughts when this was the first thing l saw, when l entered the place! l was not sure if l should laugh, be sad or just angry!

I have been playing with Watercolours lately. Believe me it is not as easy as l had thought. I will not show you any examples yet, as l am not pleased with them. But l promise l will show you them soon, when l have relaxed about them, a bit more! :) I am fascinated by quite a few things but just lately it has been "skies". Here are a few images that l have taken over the last few weeks, to help me with my paintings.

For years l have loved "Lines". Why l have no idea but l have been fascinated by them since l was about 6 years old. :) When you start looking they are every where. Here are just a few images that l have in my research file.

Here are my Nature images for today. They were taken with the help of Oscar, who is 4 years old. He had so much fun, finding them for me. I always see them first but he gets so excited when he thinks he has found something interesting... before me! :)

Now for some Art  l have been creating. I have been playing a lot lately with my Gelli plates. l find the more l play, the better the final pieces are because l stop producing "mud" images! I will use some for my Collages and the rest for the start of a painting. Also l am learning how to layer my stencils and mix my paints. I am having SO much fun. Please find time each day to play ... your life will be so much happier, if you do .

This piece is a canvas that i used to test my paints on and wipe my brushes on. :)

ENJOY !

Art and my Art. Just having fun.

Yeh .... l am off to Australia next week, to help look after my grandson Felix. This time for 3 months and l will be there for his 2nd birthday. So excited!

  

In my newspaper today, was an article about children playing with their food. Oxford academic, Professor Charles Spence, says we should let children play with their food. The food psychologist says, letting children make patterns with their food, develops healthy eating habits, from a young age. The research suggests that letting children touch and smelling vegetables and fruit, increases the chance they will like these foods. The Professor's research was conducted with Innocent smoothies, which funnily enough, was one of the companies, my daughter-in-law used to work for in UK. The other thing they found was playing music often enhances the fun of eating. Apparently playing high pitched wind chimes, suppress and enhance the taste for children! :)! Who knew!! Funnily enough l have alway tried to get my son to let my grandson play with his food ... think l successed! :)

I came across this saying the other day by Louise Bourgeois: "You learn for yourself not for others, not to show off, not to put the other one down/learning is your secret, it is all you have, it is the only thing you can call your own, nobody can take it away...." 

Just love her Art and she was an amazing woman.

I am continuing to do the "2 mins a day" Art/drawing project, l started a week or so ago. The first image is one that took 3 x 2mins , to complete! :)First of all l decided to put circles of watercolour on my page, then let themt drip. Once dry, l then worked out what it looked like and hey presto ..... this image. It is the first l have done any thing like this. I cannot believe l never done this with water colours before. I had great fun and am quite pleased with the results. This 2 min project has enabled me to play again and experiment ... wish l had done it sooner.

When the breaks come on the TV, l doodle. This is one of them and on the way to visit my Aunt today, l coloured it in. So relaxing.  l will show you results tomorrow, when l down load my phone camera.

I find that when l am waiting to see my doctor or at a hospital appointment .... l doodle. calms me down and stops me working too much.

Oscar aged 4 ( on Saturday!) asked me the other day to draw some animals and fish for him. While were at a cafe, l drew a duck for him .

Then when we got home .... l drew a fish! :) He has now decided he wants me to send images to colour, when l am in Australia. Bless him.

Another of my 2 min drawings. it is amazing what you can achieve in that time.

This is the gorgeous grandson, l will be visiting in a week or so time. SO excited!

White feathers and Nature

"I dream my painting and l paint my dream" Van Gogh.

I came across this saying the other week and thought, that's what l do. I often have weird dreams and sometimes l can remember them vividy when l wake up, so l always have a pen/pencil and my notebook, beside my bed. But sometimes l only remember them as l literally wake up and then they are gone. So l have to be quick to record them.
 I am for ever finding white feathers. As the saying goes: "See a feather, pick it up and all day long you will have good luck." People often say finding a white feather means faith and protection. Others say that if you see a white feather after a funeral, it means your loved ones are safe and well in heaven. Even if you don't understand at the time what it means ... don't stress about it. My feathers often just appear in front of me. Sometimes they are sticking up in the sand or grass, other times they just float down in front of me or l find one in my handbag!  Just trust that it is a good sign and trust in your own feelings.
I have read that if you find a large black feather, the Maori hold them in a highly, spiritual protection way. Native American people take great care of any feathers that they find, as they see them as a powerful talisman. As you can see from many films and images, they use feathers in their ceremonial head-dresses and ceremonial clothes. A few feathers standing and lying down!

  

Just a few l collected in about 10 mins, around a pond in Richmond Park.

Beaches fascinate me doesn't matter if they are stone or sand. Part of the fascinate for me, is stones that just seem to shout out to me. Especially ones with unusual patterns,colours or holes in them. The holes especially fascinate me, when u realise how long it has taken to create some of them!

Sometimes l find unusual items found on the beach ... dead unfortunately for the shark. :(

Flowers can be just as interested dead, as when they were in full bloom.

When l was in Cornwall a few weeks ago, l saw seaweed l had never seen before. So much texture, fantastic. Must draw them when l have some spare time.

Look what l found on my porch wall ... tiny and so delicate.

Last but not least this toadstool. My four year old grandson when it saw it said: "Wow Nanna, that is so big, it looks as if it has eaten at least 4 other toadstool!" ...... I must admit l did struggle to find an answer to that !! :)

Happy "Bank Holiday" to all my British readers and to any one else ... Stay Safe.