Rushed, Rough and Rugged...

Today I found myself in the library at lunch time again with my visual diary, trusty HB pencil and colouring pencils. My challenge for today was to draw three jugs full of flowers based on photos I'd found on a page on Facebook,  I completed the first one at lunch, and the other two in the car after work while my daughter was at her dancing lesson.  I'm quite pleased with the results, even if they are rushed, rough and rugged!

My aim is to eventually get these three drawings painted onto board and in a frame with a crackling finish. I bought four very cheap frames online a couple of weeks ago ($5 each) and was just waiting for an idea to come for them.  Enter the jugs of flowers!

I'm quite excited about the prospect of painting them, which will mean coating the boards in gesso first, then doing the paintings.  What I'm most excited about though is doing the crackled paint frames!

I'm very pleased that I created something today. I may not have started Art Every Day Month until a week into it, but I'm glad I did!  Now, I'm off into "The Blue Room" to paint!

"The Blue Room"...

Last night ... in fact, late last night ... I started making moves on my creative space/art room/studio/whatever you'd like to call it. It's the spare room of my rented house and all but the ceiling is painted blue, hence "The Blue Room". Last night I managed to get it looking for like a space than a junk pile. Tonight I made more progress but I still have a way to go. "The Blue Room" is my main AEDM project for this week. Here are some photos of how it looks now.

I have a LOT of tweaking to do and culling of my daughter's toys, games, etc in the drawers and wardrobe, but all in time. Note the Fisher Price Little People care garage on the bed. Even 7 year old girls still like to revisit their toddler-hood every now and then!

Speaking of my 7 year old, after I'd finished "The Blue Room" I then proceeded to read some more of a book on Monet to her. It's about a little girl named Linnea who visits Money's house in Giverny and she writes about the sights she sees. The booked is called "Linnea in Monet's Garden" by Christina Bjork and Lena Anderson. It's such a cute book full of delightful illustrations and photos of Monet and his life in Giverny. Our favourite page so far is this one below, where Linnea finds out that Monet's water lilies are in fact just paint smudges - Monet's impression of the water lily.

Time to hit Publish Post (number two for the day ... whoops!) and go into "The Blue Room" and have an artistic moment or two before bed time ... yay!

Making Moves...

Yesterday was a good day. Not only did I start "Art Every Day Month" aka AEDM but I also got to "meet" some other artists. I joined in on Day 7, but as Leah from Creative Every Day has said, it doesn't matter when we start, but that we start!

I am thoroughly enjoying my foray into being an artist. I feel odd calling myself that, and I use that term loosely, but given that people want to buy my art, I guess that's what I am!

I found this on Facebook and
liked it so much I had to share!

Yesterday at lunch I added some more 1930s pattern to my 'believe' sketch. I'm taking my inspiration from a book and hoping that I can incorporate enough 'me' into the drawing to make it mine. I also bought two tubes of paint after work ... just because!

Last night after sitting at my laptop looking at other AEDM blog pages and tweaking mine, I finally got around to tidying up what I affectionately call "The Blue Room" so I can turn it into an art studio of sorts. "The Blue Room" is the spare bedroom and it's - yes - painted blue. The only part of the room that isn't painted blue is the ceiling (the joys of renting). I will be sad whenever I have to say goodbye to "The Blue Room" though, and will take the name with me to my next abode.

This photo shows my desk that has all my paints, brushes and junk on it. The next task will be sorting it out into a workable creative space. Stay tuned!