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☺️

Sketching and Health Issues

Hi there again, another girl completed in my handmade sketchbook with handmade paper which I think could be Khadi paper but I am not sure.  It is A5 size.  I was really happy with this one, I used Diamine Shimmer Ink which is a fountain pen ink.  At night under a lamp the dress has a sparkly gold shimmer which can’t be seen in daylight unfortunately.

My health has been bad lately though it’s not Covid so that is something.  Making small paintings like this allows me to carve out a small piece of light and life that alleviates the darkness for a short time.  Deep down I know I will get better eventually with patience and persistence but it is still tough.

Next time hoping for a lighter post🙏

 

Animal and Floral Painting

Hi there again!  So here are two more floral paintings, one with a bunny and another with a puppy and I was happy with how they turned out.  They are both painted with Gouache and Watercolour on Arches Hot Press paper and they are about 7 x 5 inches.  I am really having fun with the florals because I have really been able to loosen up and not worry about getting details correct. Although there are artists I admire who are much more loose with their painting and I would like to get to a point where I am not worrying about the painting being correct at all and just letting it come out of me and onto the page but I guess that will come with time.

I have another painting to share but I haven’t scanned it yet so I will show you next time😊

More Floral Illustration

Gouache/Watercolour on Arches Hotpress

7 x 5 inches

Floral Cat Illustration

7 x 5 inch Gouache/Watercolour on Arches Hotpress

So Cold

Christies Beach, South Australia

A sketch made with Schmincke Watercolour and Gouache in a handmade paper sketchbook.

More Portrait Illustration

Watercolour/Gouache on A5 Arches Hotpress

Gouache/Watercolour in a handmade sketchbook with handmade paper.

Winter Now and Indigo Portraits

Just some girls painted with Watercolour and Gouache.  It’s winter now and it has been raining a lot lately but I am glad of the water because it was so dry for so long.  I do like all the smells in the air in winter.  I find so much to love about all the seasons.  Winter is a good time to watch all the surfers at the beach in the late afternoon.  I will be back soon with some more paintings😊

Portrait Illustration

Some art made with Watercolour and Gouache made mostly on A5 Arches Hot Press paper.  I hope you enjoy it.😊

Merry Christmas

I made thes artworks for family and friends and they were made using Watercolour/Gouache on Khadi paper.  They are actually cards that came with envelopes which was great.  I really like working on this paper. 

I hope that wherever you are that you have a safe and happy Christmas even though the circumstances in the world at the moment aren’t great.  I also hope the coming year is much better for all of you.  Goodbye for now ☺️

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.

 

Girl With Salvias

Watercolour/Gouache on Arches 300gsm Hot Press Paper

I am no closer to solving my naming problem.  My girls are like all actual people to me, with their own personalities.  But still I am unsure whether to give them names.  I like the mystery of them not having a name and I like not interfering with how the viewer might see them.  Naming my paintings has always been hard for me though for some reason.  I’ll sleep on it again :)

 

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. 

Flowers

This artwork was made with Watercolour and gouache in an A5 Moleskine Watercolour Journal. 

Sketch

For this one I used a thick paper by Khadi who make handmade paper.  It has quite an uneven surface but was smooth at the same time(if that makes sense?).  I like how this paper feels and the deckled edges, also it doesn’t buckle so much when I use a lot of water.  I’ve had this paper for a long time and was a bit scared to use it but I think I will continue with it.  It really encourages me to be looser with my painting.

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.