Journaling

Hi there😊.  I have a hobby besides painting which is journaling and I have become a bit of a nerd about it.  I love art journals, junk journals, minimalist journals, just all journaling really.  I decided to paint a small portrait on this tag from Oeda Letterpress who make lovely stationery in Japan I think.  Unfortunately I did not paint the poppies but wish I did.  They are from a washi tape by Loi Design.  My mental energy levels are still low so painting small was a way of being able to still complete something even though I am not feeling great.  Also, when I paint in my everyday journal I don’t feel so much pressure.  Thanks for looking☺️

Girl With Dahlias

Watercolour/Gouache on Arches 300gsm Hot Press Paper

I really enjoyed using this indigo colour for the girls clothing.  I’m not sure why, I think it has a luminous night sky quality about it.

 

Naming My Paintings

Watercolour and Gouache on Arches Hot Press 300gsm Paper

I am happy with this one.  I am having trouble naming these paintings of girls, I’m not sure how to go about it.  I thought of giving the girls names as I have seen other artists do but that doesn’t feel right.  I used to really labour over names for paintings when I was a less experienced artist.  I thought the title of a painting was all important.  But now I feel that the title or name I give a painting is not as important as the actual painting.  I feel like the viewers perception or experience of the painting should be not distracted by any perception I might have of the painting in creating an elaborate title.  If I had gone to art school I might have learned this stuff much earlier😊.  

Thanks for reading and looking. 

Hair

 This one was painted in my handmade journal with smooth, deckle edged, handmade paper.  I was thinking of 1980’s hair and celebrities for some reason.

 

Spring Inspiration

 

Both of these artworks are about 8” x 10” and were painted on Arches Watercolour paper 300gsm, using  Schmincke, Winsor & Newton Watercolour and Art Spectrum Gouache.

Emotions

Gouache and Watercolour in Moleskine Journal.

I wasn’t going to post these paintings but I thought I would just to show when things don’t go to plan. I wasn’t feeling great when I made these and it kind of shows.  Not everything can be pretty and happy all the time and I should value these more instead of seeing them as a reminder of how crap I was feeling at the time.  These paintings just tell a different story.

Time Out

I have been away from the blog awhile.  I have been a little under the weather physically and mentally and needed some time out.  I thought I would post these two small paintings(A5 size) that I really enjoyed making.  Whenever I make these portraits I never know what or who is going to come out and I kind of like that.

Stuck

             

I’ve just been playing around lately because I have felt so stuck and not sure about anything I have been doing.  I think I love so many styles and types of art and I know I can’t do everything but I have to find what really makes me feel joy and love deep down, and something I can truly  believe in.  I am reading ‘Find Your Artistic Voice’ by Lisa Congdon and I am getting so much out of it and really starting to understand how to narrow down my interests to areas that essentially resonate with me. Like, I have experimented with expressive painting but I never feel great about what I have done so I think that is an area I will let go of.  Some people might say ‘why don’t you do a bit of everything?’, but unfortunately there isn’t time in life to do everything or fulfill every interest and I would never have the chance to become good at one particular thing.  It’s a lot to think about but I think I am slowly thinking my way out of my stuckness😊 

Being Quiet

‘The Quiet One’

Gouache/Watercolour

6 x 8 inches

I am mostly quiet so I thought I would paint it.  I was kind of subconsciously thinking about 1970’s fashion as well; well of my childhood anyway.  And I think it’s okay to be quiet now; I felt it was a weakness for a really long time but everyone approaches the world differently I guess.

Portrait

I drew this portrait of my sister in law, Steph, in her wedding dress quite a while ago.  I worked from some photos that I took of her.  I planned a whole project around the photographs but I wasn’t happy with the concept in the end and decided to leave it.  I really did enjoy making this picture though.