Experiments

My favourite ‘fairy tale’ house on the Esplanade, with an almost full moon.

 

Port Noarlunga Jetty

It’s been a while since I posted and I just wanted to let people know that I am still here but have been largely experimenting with my art this year so far and unfortunately don’t have anything that I am happy enough with to show.  I am excited about what I am doing though and I will post some new art soon.

Meanwhile, here are a couple of pics of my favourite place to go in winter.

Changes

'Still Autumn Night'

Gouache/Watercolour on A4 Paper

'Wild Bunnies On The Esplanade'

Gouache/Watercolour on Hotpress Paper

I haven't posted all year since January but I really wanted to put something up and talk a bit about what I have been doing and not doing :)

I have really struggled health wise this year which makes it hard to make art but I have been doing a bit of playing around with different styles and mediums.  I decided that I had come to the end of the road with my coloured pencil drawings.  I felt I had come to the end of a phase in my life and really felt the need to do something new and slightly different.  I have been playing around with watercolour and gouache paints and lighter subject matter.  I really wanted to move to more of a folk art style in terms of subject matter, painting more about my environment and my love of the country and nature and the lifestyle that goes with it.  My previous works were more confessional and personal and I wanted to move away from that.  I now am enjoying working with the paint, it feels better and more natural than the coloured pencil.

Thank you to all the people who supported me and my art this year, I so appreciate it!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas and that the New Year brings all good things!

The Escape revisited

The Escape

Prismacolor and Polychromos Pencil on Arches Hot Press Paper

33cm x 44cm

This is a drawing I posted earlier last year and I wasn't all that happy with it.  So I stored it away and only got it out again before Christmas last year and my Mum saw it and loved it and said I should take it up to the Gallery.  I decided that it needed extra work so I played around with it a bit until I was happy with it(you can see the earlier version of this in the post I made earlier last year).

My heart really goes out to all the people in the world feeling like the girl in this drawing at the moment.

This drawing is for sale at Willunga Gallery

Protection

'Careful They Might See Us'

Coloured Pencil on Arches Hot Press Paper

This one took a while to get out as I was struggling with some health issues.  I am really happy with how it turned out.  I don't like to elaborate too much on the meaning of it as the meaning depends so much on the person viewing the work.  Basically this is about protecting the things inside us that are sacred.

Cold Snap

It's pretty cold here at the moment but I've been getting rugged up in a coat and beanie to go walking as I need to walk and it's great walking weather, even if I get a little wet.  It's so nice to go and watch the ocean in weather like this but I haven't been able to walk on the beach as the tide is too high.  Coming down here always inspires me, it's really beautiful.  It was great to catch this sunset too.

Love

'She Could See The Whole Universe In His Eyes'

Polychromos Pencil on A4 Moleskine

For those who love :)

Pony Joy

'We Used to Race in the Vineyards'

20cm x 25cm

Prismacolor and Polychromos Pencil on Arches Paper

When I was a kid I used to race my pony in the vineyard.  It was a little like this drawing but with riding gear and a helmet.  Looking back, it seems kind of a dangerous thing to do but I felt invincible back then and never thought for a minute that an accident could happen.  It was lots of fun.  We were surrounded by vineyards and there were so many places to ride away from main roads.  I did get bucked off once.  All my pony wanted to do was eat grass and that was more important than anything else I might have planned, even if that meant throwing me off :)

This drawing is for sale at Willunga Gallery

One Step

One Step Forward

Prismacolor and Polychromos Pencil on Fabriano Paper

20cm x 15cm

Was thinking about my kitten.  Still feel her around but miss her at the same time.  I think she will be a fixture in my art for some time to come :)

This drawing is for sale at Willunga Gallery

In The Nick Of Time

'The Escape'

Prismacolor and Polychromos Coloured Pencil on Arches Hot Press

A3 Size

I came up with this concept in 2011 and just felt inspired to complete it.  There are times when I've felt stuck in a bad place or found myself in a scary situation and sometimes a way out has presented itself almost like a miracle.  Obviously this doesn't happen all the time and doesn't happen for everyone but it's such a relief when it does.

RIP Ishtar (Ishy,Bunny,Bunny Bear,Muffin,Button) 30/12/15

This is my Ishy.  She was almost 14 years old but she had stomach cancer and I had to let her go last week.  I miss her so much.  I am so used to her following me around everywhere.  She was my muse, best friend and part of the family.  She was so naughty but I loved her anyway.  She loved to 'help' me in the garden and come bounding out to the road with me when I put the bins out.  She loved to climb the rooftops and if I was outside she would stick her head over the edge of the roof and meow 'hello' to me.  If I was talking to a neighbour she would get jealous and meow at me as if to say 'hey, I'm here too!'.  She loved to find secret spots in the garden where she could hide in bushes away from the sun.  She rarely caught birds but would chat to them often in that chirpy, meow language that cats reserve only for birds.

I hope she is free now from the pain she was in and is gulping down lots of food on a rooftop in the next world.  We love you Ishtar and we will never forget you.

Early Christmas Pressies

Hi there ;)  As well as doing Christmas shopping for both big and little people, I got some things for myself.  I bought 'Show Your Work' by Austin Kleon as I find the idea of promoting my art kind of icky and needed some help there.  I've read a few pages and it sounds just what I needed so far.  I bought 'Infinity Net' which I am already about half way through and really enjoying.  I've always been intrigued with Yayoi Kusama and always thought, 'what's with all the dots?'.  Now I know a whole lot more.  I bought Eva Hesse: Datebooks 1964/65 which is a creation of two small datebooks in her own handwriting as well as a printed book of her datebooks.  It wasn't what I expected but beautiful all the same.  After I discovered Eva Hesse I fell in love with Minimalism and went through a whole Eva Hesse phase with my art but it just didn't satisfy me as much as doing more figurative work so I shelved those ideas.  Then I couldn't go past a new Moleskine sketchbook as I really love the paper(and the covers).

Thinking of Summer in Winter

Reminiscing to escape this cold winter about my childhood summers consisting of Ponies, Vineyards, McLaren Flat scrubland, wild flowers and so cute wildish animals to go with it all.

This drawing is Sold.

Dreams



Vineyard Dreams

25cm x 20cm

Prismacolor Pencil on Arches Hotpress

A much smaller drawing this time round.  I don't know why but winter always makes me think of the vineyards I grew up in.  Even though the vines were bare of leaves I have clear memories of playing outside with my friend making little 'creeks' in the dirt and rocks for the rain water to run through.  Also, though the vines were like sticks and twigs everything else was such a bright green which was so nice after a dry summer. 

This drawing is Sold.





Sometimes...



   

'Sometimes She Just Flies Away'

Prismacolor Pencil on Arches Hotpress Paper

So this is the final work.  It's kind of about freedom and breaking away from the societal/cultural things that bind us and hold us down.

This drawing is Sold.





Some Progress



So, I thought this drawing would be all finished by now but unfortunately I was unwell all week and didn't get as much done as I wanted, to my annoyance.  I guess that some progress is better than no progress though.

It's been such a long time since I drew a horse like this and it's bringing back good memories.  I was such a horsey girl growing up.  I grew up in the country on the Fleurieu Peninsula and was obsessed with riding and caring for horses.  When I wasn't around the horses, I would be drawing them while procrastinating about Science or Maths homework.

When I left school I gave up horses unfortunately.  I discovered boys and work and having money for the first time.  So horses were slowly squeezed out of the picture.

I still love horses but don't have the finances or energy to care for one, so I love them from afar.



In The Works

 

 

Thought I would give a sneak peek at what I'm up to now.  I don't usually post about my art mid-process because I am afraid of jinxing myself and worry that the drawing won't turn out if I let people see it before it is finished!  For some reason I'm starting to feel okay about it.  I admit that I love to see other artists' work process as it is so interesting to see how they get from A to B.

 

This drawing is much larger than I would usually do.  I am usually comfortable with about an A4 sized page but this one is about 45cm x 30cm.  I have some larger frames and had matting made to fit them so am aiming to work bigger for those.

 

 

 

Sometimes When Stuff Hurts

'He Left Me So Cold'

Coloured Pencil on Moleskine Sketchbook Paper

A4 Size

Hi there :)  I was listening to the radio while drawing this and was really loving 'Run' by Alison Wonderland, as well as the new Flume/Sam Smith remix.  Really seemed to fit the mood.