Crikey, blimey, gee whiz....

Is it REALLY THAT LONG since I blogged !!!  Well I didn't intend it to be but Facebook seems to have taken over as the place where I have been following my arty pursuits.   I guess I got to thinking that this wasn't the place to keep shoving my arty endeavours onto you as I started this blog as a craft blog and it seems forever since I have crafted. 

 

I have decided that it is time for me to start another blog to share my art but I'm not sure where I am headed with it so it could take a while... I will share it with you when I get it up and running.  As well as my drawing and painting I am playing with new ideas for re-using artworks to create new collage pieces so I guess the piece of art below kinda falls into the crafty arena as I actually used paper and glue :)

 

I'm sorta feeling like I'm between a rock and a hard place at the moment because I am dancing around so many things in my head that I feel it will burst if I don't calm down.  I've been toying with the idea for a while of opening an etsy store to sell my artwork and collage sheets  but first off all I have to manoeuvre the benefits system because due to ongoing illness I am unable to work a regular job. 

For months I have looked into being self employed but with so much conflicting advice I keep coming up against a hard 20ft brick wall.  Who would have thought that in 2013 when the government are so intent on getting people back to work that they would make it so flippin'  hard for someone who truly wants to work to do so :(  

 If any of you in the UK have any advice you can share I would be grateful.  At the moment it seems I only have two options.... stay on benefits and just keep hoarding my makes and sharing with no-one even if someone would be willing to buy them...... OR.... go self employed , come off benefits altogether and starve until someone buys something off me ( or not)  lol.... not much off a choice is it?

Wow that was a bit of a rant wasn't it... and here you were probably hoping to see pretty things.  I will do better next post... I promise.

Hope you are all good and enjoying your own crafty goings on

hugs
Chris xx

29 Faces challenge- faces 4,5,6 and 7

Well I'm behind with the 29faces challenge.... nothing new there then lol... I just don't know where the hours or days are disappearing too.  Someone is stealing them... I swear they are!!

I've done the creating... but there hasn't been enough time to blog everyday, I think I just get so involved with my art that I lose conscious hours.

So here are the four that bring me up to date today:-

 

1st a journal page... girl coloured with pencils over clear gesso...

 

2nd a pencil sketch which I have to admit to having started earlier in the year, was completed.....

Next a bit of whimsy and acrylic paint... I love changing mediums... jack of all trades... master of none :)

Finally a watercolour face which I so enjoyed doing but I'm still learning to control the water.

 

I have to say that I honestly admire those naturally talented portrait artists in any medium who don't have to work too hard to be able to paint a likeness... I am moving forward but I have to practice and practice and practice and I feel like I am YEARS away from being content with what I have achieved or maybe I am just too much of a perfectionist and am aiming for the stars :)

hugs
Chris xx

29 Faces in September

It's that time again Ayala is doing another 29 faces challenge.  I loved the last one so I just hope I can keep up this month and manage to blog every face.  I can but try :)  I will share a mixture of styles of faces depending on what time I have available.  I hope you will join me.  Here are my first three cos I've had company staying and haven't had chance to blog until today.

I decided to use up some backgrounds that I already had done in my journal for the first two faces because that made them quick and easy :)

 

The third face is a WIP and a bit of an accident... well not the face... just the flowers.  I somehow got a mark on the paper when I was drawing which would not erase at all.  It was a bit high to turn into a beauty spot but as I'd done so much work I didn't want to leave it looking awful so I drew flowers.  Not sure if I like them but it's better than a horrible mark and I did like the face.  Lessons learned... rest on a blank sheet of paper in future.

Thanks for looking
hugs
Chris xx

Out of the Journal .... week 3

Well I got to Week three of Dina's Out of the Journal challenge and I can't believe how much I have enjoyed painting on canvas.

I can't wait to hang them all on my wall when they are finished.

I don't even know where these styles are coming from although this one was a happy accident... trying to cover up something I didn't like.

I want more than four to put on my art wall but didn't have any more box canvases so I have tried a different style inspired by Dina's grungy girls.  I've done this one on stiff paper and I'm hoping I can mount it on some wood before hanging.

Fun... fun .... fun.... bring on week 4 :)
hugs
Chris xx

Out of the Journal-week 2

I'm playing along with Dina and her Out of the Journal challenge again this week and I was intending to do something a bit more abstract BUT it looks like my four canvasses are gonna be girlies because that's where my mojo seems to be taking me.  I'm aiming to hang my art at home for once so I can't wait to see them all grouped together on my wall :)

This girlie changes with the light... or maybe I'm just not that good with the camera!!

Anyhoo I don't know if she is completely finished because for some reason I have an urge to throw some glitter on her... I just can't make up my mind... decisions, decisions, decisions... what do you think.

I'm linking up with Paint Party Friday too this week ... I really should paint more often cos I do enjoy it :)

Have a great week all

hugs

Chris xx

Out of the Journal .... week 1

Wow is it THAT long since I last blogged.... where do the weeks go!!  They days are going so quickly that at this rate I am going to be in my 70's before I know it lol.  Anyhoo I am joining in with Dina's new challenge here.  called Out of The Journal.  I'm a bit late though because I started a canvas and then totally took a wobbly when it just wouldn't go how I wanted it to... well it turned out to be a happy accident (love those) because I ended up with something I love even more.

The canvas is 8" x 8" and is destined for my kitchen when I have finished the other three for the rest of August.  I already started the others because I kept jumping from one to the other when my mojo wasn't happening.

I used lots of paper layers and acrylic paint and I'm not sure I will paint faces on uneven background after this because I really found them to be a challenge in more ways than one.  I hadn't intended to do faces at all.... I wanted to do something abstract but it just wasn't happening so I guess my love of  drawing and painting faces just keeps getting in the way.

You can see more of the texture in this close up... not easy to capture with my camera but I hope you can see what I mean.

Hope to catch up with you all soon
hugs
Chris xx

Summer of Color- weeks 3 and 4

Oooops I'm a little behind for the Summer of color challenge so today I am sharing weeks 3 and 4 together.

Week 3 is Baseball nut and I decided to have a little play with vellum as it is ages since I did anything like this and it was so relaxing... I really enjoyed it so may just have to do some more some time soon.  It was coloured on the reverse with normal felt pens.

Week 4 is Strawberry Lemonade and it just had to be something cute with a gorgeous name like that and delicate colours.  So say hello to the sleep princess.... am often in need of her when I can't sleep... maybe she can give sleep wishes away...lol

Hope you like them
hugs
Chris xx

Summer of colour.... week 2

It's time for week 2 of Summer of Color.... inspired by the colours of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream.  It's my most favourite ice cream of all time... so wish I had some now so I could have a bowl full but the freezer is empty!!    

Anyway this is Hannah and I am sure she would like Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream as much as I do.
Thanks for looking
See you soon
hugs
Chris xx

June guys challenge

After the 29 faces challenge Ayala decided to do a June guys challenge and despite my better judgement I decided to join in.  I don't DO male faces as a rule but I thought in for a penny in for a pound lol and I also gave myself another challenge to stretch me further in only allowing myself to use a pen. Total glutton for punishment. So no rubbing out... what you see is what you get ha ha.

BOY (pardon the pun...lol)  it was harder than I thought and I don't know that I would fancy kissing either of these dudes but they may be to someones taste.

Maybe the sketches will get better as the month goes on...but don't hold your breath :)

Thanks for looking
hugs
Chris xx

Summer of Color 2... Rainbow Sherbet

Ooooh the Summer of color challenge has started again and because I loved it so much last year well I had to take part again :)  

This is what Kristin says about it on her blog :-

"The Summer of Color is a six-week long party where we will focus on and create art based upon the luscious colors of our favorite ice cream flavors. "

You can create anything you like with the gorgeous colour prompt which this week is 'Rainbow Sherbet'  ooooh lush lush lush!! 

So I had a bit of a play digitally with one of the faces I drew for the 29 faces challenge... altered her a bit and put her onto a digital tag....

Then I remembered that I had started a large mixed media canvas ages ago that had similar colours so I ran and got it and decided to finish it.  Well I think it's finished but I could always change my mind later.    I've turned it round so many times to decide which way up it should be and I still haven't made my mind up.  It didn't photograph too well but it is really bonny close up :)

So I thought I would show you some of the gorgeous texture...

really makes me think of the mixed sherbet bags I used to dip my fingers into when I was a kid... ooh I can almost taste it!!

I do like tactile art and wish you could see how lovely the whole canvas looks in real life.  I so enjoyed it too... the fun is in the playing :)

I hope you will come and play along with us... it doesn't matter what you love to do... jewelry, atc's, painting, journals...there is room for every kind of art and next weeks colour choice is mint chocolate chip....ooooh Yeeeeesss my favorite ice cream of all time.

hugs

Chris xx