Starting again in 2014....Unearth Gather Create

Ok....I was not here all year.   Well I was but for some reason could not or did not post what I wanted to at the time and the longer it went, the less inclined I was to make the effort.   So here I am.
I think it is important to start now and leave what I have done in the meantime alone.

 I am taking a different route in my art.    I just want to get into it more....into my art.   I lost that over the last number of years if I even had it.    One of the things that is helping me is Gillian Cox's course 'Unearth Gather Create'.     This is not about me trying to paint  like Gillian, even though I would love to, but about doing it in my style.    She encourages us to write about everything, our lives, stories, our art, other art we love.    That is not easy, asking myself questions I may not want the answer to.   But I have made a start.

Gillian is also almost bringing us back to the basics.    I do love that about what I am doing now.    I am just drawing with different materials, pencils, charcoal, conte, stabilo marks all and crayons.     It is a lot really.   We are also using pastels which is one of Gillians' loves as well as her oilbars.   I am not so sure but I am trying.   I am making progress, I think.   The pictures below are from my notebooks and can certainly see a difference with them.

I am also starting back at the beginning with the colour chart in pastels.   Some of the exercises ask us to draw in the style of Jim Dine with lost and found edges, dark and light, etc.    In the beginning I think there will be a bit of jumping around from one thing to another, I am hoping that there will be some flow or connecting thread in my art.    I would like to know that I am going in some direction.   It may also help me to see my progress as well as the issues, the subjects and the emotional states that keep cropping up so I can see more clearly where to stay and practice and what to let go of.

March, 2013

It was my birthday this month and my twin sister and I went to a hotel at the bottom of Mount Errigal in Donegal for a few days.   We had a very relaxed time and really did not do much.   Ann went off and walked while I sat around and watched a good film, had coffee and went for a shorter walk.   We just ate well and played cards in the evenings which I really enjoyed.

The course with Misty finally finished even though I am only starting to get into it.   I am taking things slowly as usual.    There is a postcard swap going on at the moment with people on the facebook site.   We were given one name to send a postcard to and receive from.    It really was such fun.    I have received two already and just love opening up my postbox to these beauties.    And I finally got 10 done and posted.  I really want to do more.

 I will post some photos of some I sent and the ones I received.

I did a icon, by drawing a face and collaging around it.    I was going to do it anyway.   But what gave me inspiration just to do it was see some of the collages in the cubist exhibition in IMMA.     I am just loving collage.   I just want to do more.

February with Misty

We are into March now so I thought I would show a few of the paintings I did in February in 'face to face'.   I did not get much done this month, stuff going on here.  I got my windows taken out and put back in again.   I am opening my windows for the first time in years.   There is still problems with the kitchen one but I am pleased.

I am still not working every day but I am really enjoying doing this now.  When I take my art supplies out, I like it.   It feels as if I am making more progress, one picture at a time.   I am just doing it and not getting as frustrated with my poor attempts as much or critical of my results.   And when they come out ok its great.

A painting I did I started a while ago and I finished it off.

A Picture I did with crayons and collage.   I loved doing it and would love to do more.

January 2013

I have had a busy month trying to sort some things out where I live, but hopefully I will be happier if I ever finish.
I really want to change things here so I am going to start by just posting by the month.   I am not sure if I can change my older posts into months but I may try.

I have joined Misty Mawns class for the year called 'Faces to faces'.     There is great information on it and I will take my time exploring.

As well as that I started a class with Mindy.   She is posting a video of a different girl every month.   It is fun.
Below is January's done on wood.

I did this one first in my moleskin to try it out.   Its almost better when you are just having fun with something.  

Misty Mawn started her class!   We were all really excited by it.    She changed the format a bit.   So here are a few of my first efforts.   Drawing and pastels.

Charcoal and white chalk on hot pressed watercolor paper.

This is a drawing in my notebook on hot pressed watercolor paper.   Its a bit of a picture stuck down and I drew around them in pastels.

I drew this on a collaged acrylic notebook in pencil.   Then used some pastel on it.   I was using them very sparingly.    I am new to them and a bit afraid of ruining her.

This is a painting I did on cold pressed watercolor paper with acrylics over some writing..    Lots of layers and I really enjoyed this one.

We did a charcoal background, again on hot pressed watercolor paper and used the eraser to make the picture..

Behind the mask

Behind the mask

Me! My body, my mind or maybe just soul.
Not powerless, not the size and shape of my body.
Nor my expectations, fears or failures,
Not great, intelligent, talented or special.
Just being, flowing, moving from one moment to the next,
knowing we will meet someday,
In silence, in sitting, in acceptance.

Coptic stitch book

I made a book using the coptic stitch method with cold and hot pressed watercolour.   I will forget the stitching so I have put a  link in here to remind myself.    Another one here here which may show the stitching better.

July 2012

I am going again.    I was not sure it would ever happen again.   But I am off to Vannes in Brittany on the 4th July for a few weeks to look after a cat.
This time it is in a city and the cat will be all right if I go out.   When I did it before it was about the animal and I did not leave them for long.   And I just stayed in the house and hung around and went for walks.   Hopefully this will be different.   I might even go to Nantes on a train for a day.   I never had to find my way anywhere in France before.   I arrived and was collected and people just brought me to places.   So it  could all be very scary or very exciting.   We will see.
I know I will have to use of a computer so I will be able to write something about what I am doing.

Went to Vannes, about twenty minutes from the town walking through two parks, one of which I loved.  It had a bird sanctuary  too.   Loved it.   It was quiet and safe and a just a nice distance for a walk.  The cat I was looking after..pica poca...or something like that in french.   Used to be out at night calling in a loud whisper so as not to wake the neighbours,   It really got into the habit of getting me to do that..   Had a good time though, just sitting on the balcony reading on my ebook, cups of tea and walking.   That was about all i did.

There was a medieval festival on one of the weekends I was there.   I just went in one day and it was lashing rain.  Worth it though, the parade was good.

That's Maud on the right with her neighbour, another lovely lady.   The day we had together after Maud came back was good.   We went into town for lunch to an eastern cafe where we ate something they cook at home.   Came home for a fiesta and out again to go to the beach.   Then out for dinner again.   I tried pigs intestines but decided not to order the meal it was in.  I did not like it.    Enjoyed the day.  Then got a lift from a car exchange thing on the Internet.   Interesting man who gave me life and got me to the airport, which was great.

April, 2012

I am trying to do faces and think more about the composition of the page.   I used to just draw a figure and leave it on the page with no thought of the background.   And when I did draw something I usually did not go in after that and fix it.   So I am beginning to move forward in doing both.

This on is the first one in my new book.   Its also the first picture that I did try and unify the figure and the background.   

I made my first bigger journal with hotpress watercolour paper and coldpress paper with some covered in gesso.   I love the cover and the texture of the paper.

I know the face is not great but I am not working from a reference and not very good at doing faces anyway.   Practice, practice, practice.

April, 2012

This is the first of my expressive drawing in Misty's class.   Charcoal and a white pastel.

Pages from notebooks

Some of the images from my notebooks started this year.   It is just an example of what I am trying out.   I am feeling my way on what to put into a visual journal as I never kept one.    So again, more practice again, and at least I am doing it.