Farewell 2012! Reflecting on the Year That Was...

Hi There

~~~~Happy New Year!!!!!!!~~~~

Can you believe yet another year is over? I'm in a state of shock that it is the 31st of December. How'd that happen? I consider my shock has not been helped as a result of my eight year old bouncing into my bedroom at 7.00am this morning, waking me with an over-exuberant "Yee-ha! Pinch and a ~punch~ for the first of the month - White rabbit! HAH!  I said "white rabbit"!  That means you can't get me back now. Tee-hee-hee!". (He later claimed that his confusion of dates was caused by the fact that this year was a leap year and that because of this, today really would in a normal year have been the first of the first.  Smart alec.  I'm lying in wait for 12.01am tomorrow morning... ;-))

Anyhoo, I can't believe that this is the *second* time that I've had a chance to reflect here on my wee blog about my artistic year that was.   Upon reflection (and we all know by now how much I *love* reflecting!) I can say I've really enjoyed 2012,  artistically wise anyway, even though my overall output has been a little down on last year.  Output, shmoutput, right?

I can say I truly feel like most days I paint and draw and colour and create, I'm not really making any progress or developing my technique. In fact, on a bad day, I feel like I'm going backward.

I'm so pleased however, to realise that when I compare where I am now, as of 31 December 2012, against where I was in February 2011, I can really see that I've made progress and that makes this whole journey incredibly worthwhile.

To show you what I mean, I've decided that I'll wrap up 2012 by showing you a comparison of artworks from this year, against paintings from early 2011. Brace yourself...

Picture one is a pastel of Twinkle Eyes I've created this year:

And here is my attempt at painting Twinkle Eyes in 2011:

Don't worry, I frighten myself every time I look at that picture too!  (Is it just me or should that painting be titled I'm Coming to Get You (followed by creepy music)?)

Goodness, I'm on a roll now!  Here's another one, especially for you (oh, all right, for *ME*) to further illustrate my progress.  Below is my pencil drawing of "Chucky, the (not so) Wonder Baby", drawn in 2011:

And here is a picture of my cutie-pie nephew from this year:

Awwww, bless him, isn't he cute?

Looking at these couple of paintings and the progress of my artistic journey, I can only but wonder what 2013 will bring.  Hopefully lots more improvement coupled with an ever increasing amount of joy.

I'll finish with thanking you from the bottom of my heart for stopping by and visiting me on my blog this past year.  I've loved every visit and every comment you've taken the time to write. I look forward to sharing more of my artworks throughout 2013!

Kate
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It's a Colourful World...

Hi There

Sorry you haven't seen much of me lately.  Life has been tough these past couple of weeks. I won't go into details because the purpose of this blog is not to for me to have a whinge, but to create and share my art with you. As such, I'll  just say it hasn't been a barrel of laughs for me and my little family.

As of yesterday, I'd moved past the "sniffling stage", along with the "get a hold of yourself, girl" phase of misery and decided that I was well and truly over myself.  As such, I decided I would adopt the "fake it 'till you make it" approach. To counter this, when I went to art class last night, I told Ms Kathy that I wanted to create something that was "Super bright, crazy and fun".  She pulled out the oil pastels for me (as I adore using different mediums), and I set about creating.

What I ended up with after a lot of scribbling, is this:

I can't pretend to say that I think she's fabulous.  She's not - I know that.  That said, I *do* like the fact that she is free, that she's a little wild and yet, she still kinda works. I mean, I look at her and feel like I'm looking at a face first, wild and zany green hair, orange skin and purple eyelashes second. Or is that just me and you see it the other way 'round?

Anyway, thanks so much for stopping by and seeing what I've been up to! I am feeling a little better now. I guess it sometimes just takes time to feel better, along with a lot of creating to do the trick.

Kate
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Inspired by Erté

Hi There

I discovered Erté in art class last week.  My goodness, what can I say?  This man sure knew how to design, draw, paint, colour, inspire and create beautiful masterpieces.  I must confess to just a touch of awe looking at his creations and feeling a hint of jealousy upon seeing a photo man who looks better in a frock than I do.

Seriously, if you love clothes, interior design and all things art-deco-ey and fantastically over the top, you *must* check him out.  

In honour of this artist, I offer you today's 'masterpiece', inspired by one of his gorgeous designs:

This painting was extra fun to create because I'd decided that I wanted to try something new in art class and Ms Kathy suggested that I try using ink.  

Mmmmm, this medium was absolutely delicious to use.  (Hmmm, that last sentence was odd.  Maybe it is because I'm feeling a tad peckish.  No, in case you worry, I didn't actually drink any ink.  I don't tend to consume odd food-stuffs.  The weirdest thing I've ever eaten was a piece of chalk and a tub of perkins' paste when I was a kid.  I can recall it being very chalky and paste-y (in that order).  Word of warning - don't try this combo if you happen to be suffering from constipation is all I can say!)  

Sorry I digress - back to the artwork!  The ink colours are bold and I liked the way the medium doesn't run the way water colour does.  This was really exciting for a novice like me.  The only thing that I found to be a bit of a negative is that the inks are quite a permanent.  Once they go down, they're down and not going anywhere (kinda like bubble-gum). I had my heart in my mouth as I painted her and I truly felt butterflies in my stomach.  I sighed a big sigh of relief when I finished her.  She wasn't perfect, but she'd do.  Phew!  

Thanks very much for stopping by and seeing what I've been up to.   I'm off to bake dinner!

Kate

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The "Don't Know if I can Bother Finishing It" Painting

Hi There

Ever have one of those days?  You know the ones - You start something, feeling full of energy and gusto, yet as you work, you can slowly just kinda feel the energy draining away until you reach a point of  thinking to yourself "Think I'll stop now and have a packet of crisps."  (Can you tell I'm trying to be on a diet? ;-)

The "For some strange reason, I think it probably looks better here than in real life painting"
AKA "The Kate got bored painting"

Is it because I have finally reached the point of having painted enough sunflowers to last me a life-time?  Is it because I am psychic and when you clicked open this post and thought to yourself "Stop Kate!  Enough with the $*&!@ Sunflower Paintings, already!" I actually "heard" you and that is why I put down my pastels?  Or is it just because I'm in one of "those" moods? Who knows. I can't be bothered trying to analyse it.

Whatever the reason may be I don't feel like finishing this painting, I just have to say that it this ability to stop any-time I want that is one of the things I really like about my experiments this past year or so with all things art.

Thanks for stopping by to see what I've been up to these last couple of days.

Kate
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PS: I am pleased to announce that I did actually manage to finish eating the packet of crisps.  See, I can complete *some* tasks!

Juice or Tea?

Hi There

I don't know about you, but I love a hot cup of tea first thing in the morning followed by a fresh cup of orange juice with my breakfast.  Such is my love for tea and juice, I decided to paint this little study in honour of my long time breakfast tradition.

I know that in the art-world, the practice of painting fruit such as oranges for a still life painting is pretty standard.  I have to be honest and say I have no idea what possessed me to think "I know, I'll go and instead of painting a tea pot, I'll paint a tea bag - It's sure to be a winner."  One of life's little mysteries I suppose.  I do like to be different sometimes, you know.  Maybe that explains it?

Juice or Tea?

I'm not sure what I think of this one - I think I may have gone a little far in the "creative stakes" this time.  I'll have to think about it.

One thing I *do* like about this artwork is that I've used a slightly different style of pastel painting from what I've been trying lately.  It's slightly more "free" and impressionistic in style.  It was fun trying something new to keep my artistic journey fresh.

I'll finish up here and say thanks for stopping by - I'll see you soon.  I'm off to have a cup of tea!

Kate
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Peekaboo, I See You! (Finished)

Hi There!

I know that I usually wait a couple of days in between posts, but my little peekaboo possum was just so cute, I thought I had to share the finished product with you all!

I hope maybe this makes you smile just a little.

This little picture has been painted in honour of all the wildlife carers out there who take look after our injured native animals.  I can tell you that it takes a very special and incredibly dedicated person to take the time and make the effort to look after these precious creatures in order to give them a second chance of life.  Thank you, from me to all of you! :-)

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Kate
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Peekaboo, I See You! (Part 1)

Hi There!

I hope that you've all had a wonderful week full of fun, love and adventure. (Don't you just love it when I'm in an optimistic mood?  Must be because the kids are actually cooperating this morning as they get ready for school.  A miracle, perhaps?)

Today's offering is the start of a pastel painting I'm creating of a baby possum wrapped in a blanket:

I ask you, what is it about babies being wrapped in a wee little blanket?  It just makes them so adorable!  This little baby has been created using a mix of pastel pencils on Mi Tientes paper, with a violet/grey type hue.  It's taken me around two - three hours to get it to this point so far.  Time flies when you are having fun!

Wish me luck as I continue on with this little artwork.  The next part to tackle is the little knitted blankie that the possum is wrapped in (which is the outline you can see).  Given I've been known to drop the odd stitch or miss a row when I've tried knitting in the past, I have a feeling it might become a bit of a battle.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Kate
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My (Hopefully) International RAOK - Finished!

Hi There

Well after a lot of posting about her, here she is - the finished pastel painting of a lady from Mozambique:

The only issue I'm having now is that I worry she isn't up to standard.  Not only that, I don't think she looks like my model.  See:

I *so* want to say a filthy word right now.  But I shall try my best to control myself. (*$!#&@#)

The idea of creating a painting of someone and then anonymously sending it to them is indeed a wonderful and noble Random Act of Kindness gesture.  However, I'm a tad worried that this isn't good enough and may well have the opposite effect and inadvertently impede world peace if I was to send this painting to Mozambique.  I'm thinking that maybe this is a good first attempt and to try again?

Sooooo.....In order to determine what I should do with this painting, I am going to conduct a wee poll.

You'll be able to vote if you look over to the side of the screen.  Voting closes Saturday, so be sure to have your say.  It's a simple case of majority winning!

Thanks for stopping by.  Talk to you soon!

Kate
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POST EDIT:  The poll results were 80% in favour of sending the lady to Mozambique.  This shall happen over the next week or two - I'll provide you with an update if there ever is one.  Thanks so much for participating with my little poll!

Very Nearly Finished Girl!

Hi There

After months of waiting patiently for me to get my act together, I bet you were starting to think I'd ~never~ finish my latest painting, didn't you? For a while there, I must admit that I was starting to wonder myself.

I confess that I was living in a near blissful state of procrastination with my half finished painting on my easel until Mother Nature managed to make me so feel incredibly guilty, that I just had to get my act together. I bet you are wondering, 'Kate - How on earth can the big M.N. be responsible for this?' Well, it's like this...

All the beautiful jacaranda trees around Brisneyland have been in spectacular bloom these past few weeks.  Because of this, from the moment I look out my bedroom window first thing in the morning, until I close my bedroom curtains at night, all I can see is this beautiful haze of purple. A haze of purple which continually reminded me that I hadn't finished my latest jacaranda painting.* Way to go, Mother Nature for making me feel guilty inspiring me to take action!   Following a couple of hours work this morning, I present to you my nearly finished painting.  The current working title for this artwork is "Don't You Forget About Me"  (Love my 80's Simple Minds music!):

Don't You Forget About Me (I'll Be Alone, Dancing, You Know It Baby...)

Looking at it now, I think I like this painting.  It's hard, because I'm so used to it that I currently can't see it with fresh eyes.   To try and rectify this, I'll put it away for a couple of days and then bring it out, to see if I can see any little spots here and there that require attention.  In the meanwhile, what do you think?  Like it?  Stuffed it up?  Any areas that require particular attention or parts of the painting that are "rooly special"?
I'd love to know!  Don't be shy now...

Anyway, thanks ever so much for stopping by, I'll be sure to see you around again soon!

Kate
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* I swear, the feeling was worse than when I hear the following exciting exchange between my children in a car trip to the shops: "Mum - Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? When will we get there? When will we get there?  OUCH - You hit me!  No, it *wasn't* an accident! I'm gonna dob!  No, *you're* not dobbing, I'm dobbing!  MUM!  MUM! WAAAAAAAH!!!"

My (Hopefully) International RAOK - Part 3

Hello There Beautiful People of the World!

Today's foray into 'Kate's Crazy Art World' (I so should copyright that phrase!) brings Part 3 of my quest to do something nice for someone I don't know. (For anyone who is not aware of the background story, click  here to read about my incredibly noble intentions.) I'm sad to say that whilst I still think this is a great idea, I'm starting to lose confidence that it is actually going to work.  Boo! Don't you just hate it when that happens?

The big thing is - I think the actual painting looks kinda OK so far.  The problem is more that I'm concerned my painting doesn't actually look like the lady I'm trying to render.  Here, have a look so you can see what I mean. Just here is my lady, to the stage where I've nearly finished her face (still a bit of hair and earring/ear rendering to go):

And here is the reference photo:

Botheration and <Sigh>!   Looking on the bright side, at least her eyes are looking a little more balanced than my earlier posts about this painting.  Surely that outweighs any "likeness" issues, right? ;-)

There's quite a way to go yet before I can call her finished, but I have to be honest with you all and say that much to my dismay, I'm not sure this one is gonna make it to the final grand post-office send off...  Still, I'm won't give up just yet, I'll see what a bit more pastel and hopefully a lot more inspiration can achieve.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Stay tuned for an update over the next few days where I hope to unveil the finished picture.  I think I may put it out to vote whether she flies across the ocean or flies across the room into the garbage bin.  Whatcha think?

Kate
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My (Hopefully) International RAOK - Part 2

Hi There

Well after starting my well intentioned attempt at a Random Act of Kindness (RAOK) artwork for a lady who lives on the other side of the world (you can read the background story here), I've managed to find a little time this afternoon to progress my painting of her a little more. Unfortunately, after today's effort, I'm now at the point where I'm starting to think that whilst the thought is incredibly noble and just, the reality....?

Don't you just hate it when that happens?!

Still, in the interests of accountability and being honest with you all as to how she is progressing, take a look at where I'm up to now...

What do you think?  At this point, I like her nose and lips but I'm feeling a little concerned about the placement of the eyes - I think I'll need to have another look at this tomorrow morning (or the next time I get to find time to create).  I hope that it is only a minor fix, or "eye" have a feeling eye'll be feeling pretty cantankerous.  (What I've discovered with pastels, is that unfortunately, that can happen really quickly if you aren't careful.  One moment you've got beautiful luminosity, the next - MUD.  For a newbie like me, it is a very fine line to tread.)  

Cross your fingers for me this doesn't end up in the bottom of the bin!

I suppose I'd better go now.  I've got to go and get ready for a dress up 1970's disco I'm going to tonight.   "Ah--hah-hah-hah-hah Stayin' Alive... Stayin' Alive....!"  :-)

See you around soon!

Groovily yours,

Kate
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My (Hopefully) International RAOK

Hello there!

Today's post is my attempt to start creating an artwork which I'm hoping will eventually be able to used by me to make someone else happy through a Random Act of Kindness (RAOK).

My fellow artist-wannabe classmate Ms R (you know who you are!) recently went on an overseas holiday to Africa, which included travels to Mozambique.  Whilst she was there she took the most beautiful photographs of people who lived in the village where she was staying.  When I saw the photos upon her return to Brisneyland, I just knew I had to try and paint them using my not so trusty pastels.

Ms R and I got talking and I mentioned that painting of this nature is, for me, more about creating an inner feeling of personal satisfaction, not about making money.

I then suddenly had an idea....  I pledged to Ms R that IF I can manage to create a painting that by some miracle, actually manages to do the beautiful people who feature in the original photographs justice, then I would take great pleasure in sending the painting(s) across the oceans as an artistic Random Act of Kindness gift to the individual(s) whose beautiful face inspired my painting.  She loved the idea and told me that the village is so small, that provided I get a good likeness then if she were to send it, the recipient was sure to receive it.

My only proviso is that if the paintings are a disaster, that I would not send them...

So... this is my first attempt at a pastel painting of a beautiful woman from a little village in Mozambique.  Stay tuned as I work on her over the next little while.  Cross your fingers for me that I can do her justice!

See you soon,

Kate
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RIP Blobber :-(

This week has been a sad one for my little family.

Blobber the smallest and scaliest member of our family passed away. Blobber was our family's first ever goldfish and he was the best little pet any family could ever ask for. One of the things I loved best about Blobber was that he had "attitude" and he wasn't afraid to show it. (Well, as much attitude as any goldfish could possibly have, anyway.)

My three little darlings discovered him in the late afternoon. They were heart-broken and I was so sad to see them sad that I clearly wasn't thinking straight. As it was nearly dinner time I thought to myself "I'll cook something really easy as I need to comfort them during this sad time" and turned the oven on.

'Feed me! Feed me! Feed me!  What did I just say?!'

It was only as I pulled the "Birds Eye Crumbed Fillet of Fish" box out of the freezer and reached for a tray that I realised that this may not be the most sensitive choice for dinner that night.  Thank goodness I was able to swap the fish for schnitzel!

In memory of Blobber, my boys asked me to create a couple of paintings for them so that they can remember him always.  What you see is my attempt at capturing Blobber's looks and attitude using watercolour paint.  I felt sad painting him, but happy to do something for my boys to ease their pain a little.

'Talk to the fin, baby!'

Thanks for being a member of our family Blobber - you'll be fondly remembered and in our hearts always!

See you soon,

Kate
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More Pencil Practice on a Grumpy Day

Hello

I have the grumps today.  Don't worry, I'll spare you the details.

I don't like feeling this way, so to try and *calm* myself and restore my sanity, I decided I would undertake some pencil practice.  I figured it has been a while since I have properly sat down and worked on my drawing skills and I have very recently been given a beautiful book on how to draw by someone close and dear to me.  It seemed only right to put all my newly acquired knowledge to good use!

I did wonder, given my dour mood and my general lack of pencil prowess, whether perhaps this idea wasn't  the brightest one I'd had all day.  I worried it would be a disaster and the end result would be that I would then throw a tantrum fit to rival the best a two year old is capable of having when they don't get their own way.  (Anyone who has been around kids knows that means it would be pretty big and very impressive.  If that happened, I may have needed to put myself in time out!)

Despite my concerns, I pushed my grumpiness to the side and focused on the lure of that sense of "creative calm" that transcends me as I work artistically. That lure over-ruled my sense of grumpiness and made me pull out a pad of paper and a pencil.

I worked for about fifteen minutes on this drawing.  In order to "let it go" I drew a girl who looks as pissed at the world as I felt.   Strangely enough, I think she actually looks reasonably good.  Even better, I now feel (somewhat) calmer.  Pencil Power Works People!

Because of this experience, I'm now wondering whether the reason why we always read about these "brilliant but tortured artistic souls" is because they feel the need to be permanently pissed and at war with the world in order to create?  Perhaps they can't/couldn't create as well when they are/were happy and at peace?  Is it just me, or is that just so very sad?  (Oh *great*!  Now I'm swapping grumpy for sad.  Darn emotions!)

You know what?  If feeling such an intensive, negative emotion is the only option for me to be a truly successful artist, I'll think I'll take "happy most of the time, grumpy some of the time, sometimes mediocre, sometimes half OK, wannabe artist" all the time. It's just not worth it to live any other way.

Rant over.

'Till next time when it is all sunshine and roses,

Kate
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Half Finished Girl!

Why Hello There!

I am pleased to announce that further to my "Quarter Finished Girl" post last week, I have moved on to complete some more work on my latest painting of a jacaranda.  Here...... Have a look:

I am looking at this painting and am feeling like I'm making some good progress.  The thing is, I'm still not happy.  I can't help but feel it needs more light, more movement, more energy.  Still, I'll keep working at it and hopefully I can come up with something that I'll be happy with in the end.

Now, I know you are probably wondering what happened to the pencil drawing of the beautiful girl I was also completing in my earlier post about quarter-finished-artistic-pursuits.  I have to say she was coming along swimmingly well, until dinner one evening a few nights ago when I accidentally spilt some spaghetti bolognaise sauce right in the middle of her face.  Oooopsies!  Don't you just love it when motherhood and art collide?

I tell you, it's one of the perils of art and working at the kitchen table when hungry.  C'est la vie!

Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope to see you 'round here soon in the near future.

Kate
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Kate's World Record Attempt!

Hi There!

Bet you don't believe me, do you?  How on earth could I, Kate, possibly have anything to do with breaking a world record in relation to something to do with art?

Well it is simple.  I took part in a world record attempt in Brisbane last night for the biggest ever "art class" to take place at one time in one sitting.  Except it wasn't really an "art class". Guinness made them say that. It was actually a record attempt at life drawing (or "rudie-nudie drawing" as my children prefer to call it).  It seemed like such fun, that a group of friends and I went along to try and break the record!

A 15 minute sketch.

As I'm still pretty new to this art journey business, I can honestly say I've never done any rudie-nudie drawing from real life before.  And because of this, I have to admit to you I was a little scared when we arrived at the Greek Club, where the record attempt was being held.

A series of 1 minute sketches

Most of the time, I like to think of myself as being a mature, worldly woman.  Last night however, all that worldly maturity left my body, so much so that an in depth discussion ensued with my fellow brave rudie-nudie artist friends to calm my nerves.  It went something like this:

Kate: "Oh My!  What if I have a bloke stand here and then drop his robe right in *front* of me and his 'delicate parts' are suddenly right there in front of me.  And you know I mean right *there* in front of me?  What on earth should I do? I mean I have no idea what the right facial expression is for such a moment in my life. Indifference? Glee? Excitement? Horror? A wink?"
Fellow Rudie-Nudie Friends:  "You'll be right, Kate.  Here's a brown paper bag for you to breathe into if it gets too much."
Kate [getting increasingly anxious]: "OK.  But what do I do if he drops his robe and I involuntarily start to giggle?  Honestly, it's true, it could happen!  It won't be a giggle meaning to hurt his feelings, it would be a giggle because I'm nervous.  You see, I can't help but feel it's a pretty personal thing to do within three seconds of setting eyes on each other for the first time.  Should I at least say hello and introduce myself first? Would that make things more comfortable?"
Fellow Rudie-Nudie Friends:  "Breathe IN two-three-four; OUT two-three-four; IN...."

5 Minute Burlesque Sketch

After what felt like ages, the models came out and disrobed.  My eyes may have widened slightly, however I am proud to say that I merely raised a slight eyebrow and then set to work drawing what I could see.

It was really interesting to me that over the course of the next hour or two, "body parts" seemed to disappear and lines, contours, light and shadow became far more of a concern than what I was trying to draw at any point of time.  (Well, *most* of the time, anyway.)

These sketches are a few of my drawings that I completed last night.  I know, they aren't very good.  And I have to admit I felt just a twinge of sadness when I looked around me and saw all these people who could draw beautifully and mine felt like something a first grader could do.  Still, I just reminded myself that this is my journey and it didn't actually matter at all whether I can draw beautifully yet.  All that really matters is that I enjoy the process while I am doing it and take a moment to rejoice in the beauty and wonder of the human body.

Thanks so much for stopping by, I'll see you again sometime soon!

Kate
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PS:  Sadly, we didn't break the record.  It didn't matter though, because it was still great fun and a really interesting experience.  If you ever get an opportunity to take part in something like this, I'd urge you to get involved!

Quarter Finish Girl...

Hello!

Long time no see.  In case you were worried about me, I haven't stopped creating and painting.  No sir.

More than anything, birthday party planning and execution (I use that last word in the good way context, not in the bad way going to gaol context), school carnival helping, working, working some more, holiday mayhem handling, contending with bouts of gastro and sorting out tantrums (mostly mine) has seriously impeded my ability to be calm and have enough time to pursue artistic output these past few weeks.

I know, I know.... Poor me!  (Well, not really.  There are many other things in the world to feel sorry about, me not getting my act together to paint or draw really doesn't qualify.  I know that.)

Still, I've tried to snatch a couple of moments here and there to calm myself down and set about creating.  The biggest problem I've discovered I'm suffering from at the moment, however is "quarter-finished-itis".  This sudden malady seems to have come out of nowhere and is now so bad that everything I start, I get a quarter of the way through and then suddenly think "Nyeh - think I'll leave it for now" with the pure of heart intention to go back and finish it - without actually doing so.  To prove it, here are just two of the works that I have managed to start these past few weeks and have only a quarter finished:

Yep, you are right, the first is another painting of a jacaranda tree.  I so love these trees and after I sold my first painting that featured jacaranda trees earlier this year, I have missed it so much that I thought I would paint another.  This one is going OK, but there are some problem areas I need to address and of course, there are many areas which are only under-painted.  Sigh!

The second is a pencil drawing (using only a pacer, because I couldn't be bothered trying to find all my other pencils) of a Namibian girl from the Wet Canvas Reference Library.  Yes, she does look mighty grumpy here, probably because I haven't finished her I'd imagine.  I'd be pretty annoyed too if someone bothered to draw my eyes, lips and nose and then didn't bother to draw some hair on my head.

I chose to draw her just to see how my skills are coming along.  So far, I'm not really thinking they are that much up to chop.  Oh well.  The worst thing about quarter finished itis is that whilst she's looking strangely bald, she's starting to look to me like she's meant to be that way - I think my eyes are waaaayyyy over adjusting!

So....

Wish me luck getting past this little malady!  And bits of advice you can give to assist me with getting over the hurdle toward finishing these artworks would be greatly received.  (So far my strategy has been with other works to go "Rip - Scrunch - Toss" not a particularly satisfying result.)

I'll see you around in the near future!

Kate
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[Edit:  To see an update of what happened with these artworks, click here.]

I'm No Rembrandt! (Part 1)

I know.  It's obvious to you that I'm not.  I mean, I'm a girl for starters...

The thing is, I really did had high hopes that I would  be the next up and coming modern day Rembrandt as I tore of the security sealed plastic on my first every box of Rembrandt branded pastels earlier this afternoon.

I really did.

Honestly.

And yes, I still believe in Santa Claus in case you are wondering.

And the Easter Bunny.

And the Tooth Fairy.

A girl has to dream.

Anyway, for just a moment as I opened the box of the famous Rembrandt brand pastel sticks (well famous amongst pastel artists anyway), I thought these little sticks of pigment and binder would somehow give my fingers magical pastel super powers and that I'd suddenly emerge as the next. Hot. Thing.

And guess what?

They didn't.

I'm still me, darn it.

Part 1 - under-painting of some agapanthus

Perhaps the problem is I should have worn a beret as I opened the box?

Oh the perils and heartache of being a wannabe artist.

Stay tuned for the finished piece over the next day or so!

Kate
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Baby Ballerina: Part 2

Hey There!

Thanks so much for stopping by and seeing what I've been up to with Baby Ballerina.  I'm feeling quite pleased that despite a number of social engagements this past weekend, I've managed to find some time to pull out my pastels and complete some more work on this little cutie-pie.  (Put it this way, on Saturday alone I started talking at 8am at my children's game of football and I think I finally stopped talking around 11.30pm that night - you've gotta give me credit for social stamina or robust vocal chords I say!)  

I'm currently at the stage of the creative process where I find myself wondering "Does B-B look great, or does she look rubbish?"  and "Does she look human, or does she look like an alien?"  I'm really, honestly not sure.  The thing that frustrates me the most is that I'm aware that you, out there somewhere in blog-land, can more than likely look at Baby Ballerina and think to yourself "Eyes are off, nose is wonky, yada yada yada" and quite possibly wonder why I can't see it too.  Grrrrr to inexperience!

I'd be willing to bet that this is going to be one of those situations where I'll re-read this post about Baby Ballerina in a year's time and think to myself  "How could I have missed THAT?"  I guess that is the joy of learning and the benefit of fresh eyes, right?

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what I've been up to.  I hope to reveal my completed Baby Ballerina painting over the next few days.

See you soon!

Kate

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(PS: If at this point you realise that like me, you are incredibly nosey and that you missed reading my first post featuring Baby Ballerina, you can sate your curiosity by clicking here.  I know, I know, I'm just so incredibly giving!)

Baby Ballerina: Part 1

Hello!

No, I haven't been hiding a secret baby from you all.  This pastel portrait is of a little girl who I discovered in the Wet Canvas Reference Library.  I love that website!  Go and have a look if you are into anything and everything art.  One of the great things about its library is that whilst  I'm not allowed to reproduce the photo, I do have permission to use the image to create artworks.  I'd even have permission to sell them if I wanted to without impinging on any copyright issues.  Isn't that cool?

So far I'm relatively happy with baby ballerina.  I still have a long way to go to be able to call her finished, but I thought you may like to see a progress shot.

I have a feeling that this may very well take me ages to finish - I've posted this after four or five hours worth of work.  You can probably notice that there are barely any parts of the painting I would consider finished at this point.  Oh well.  Sometimes creating can be taken at a slightly slower and more relaxed pace.

I just hope I don't stuff it up.  That's the dark side of art.

Stay tuned over the next little while to see progress shots of baby ballerina.  Cross your fingers that she works!

Have a fabulous weekend,

Kate
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Not Throwing Paint: Finished!

"Life is a blank canvas, and you need to throw all the paint on it you can." 

~ Danny Kaye

Hello!

I hope this finds you well and happy.  I'm happy!  The sun is shining.  The birds are singing.  The kids are at school...  At this precise moment, life is good.

I've had a lot of fun working on this painting the past few days.  Honestly, every time I pulled out my paints I smiled.  You've gotta love that about art.

I must admit that I got a little stuck for inspiration initially after I posted my half finished picture here last week.  I just couldn't for the life of me work out how to make it look interesting and full of vitality or how to pull it all together.  I think the reason is because I got a little frightened.  Just to be clear, I mean 'frightened' in an artistic sense, not in a scary two-eyed-six-legged-monster-with-big-claws-and-fangs sense.

You see, I think I've reached that point of artistic development where I now realise that I can be off to a tremendous start with a painting and then suddenly have everything go terribly wrong quicker than I can say "Supercalifragilisticexpealidoscious". Or "Darn it!" even.  So, I took a big breath, steadied my breathing and calmed my shaking hand and set about throwing paint on the canvas.   Throwing figuratively I mean, not literally.  Don't get me started on *that* issue again...

This little artwork is very different from how I usually paint, so I'm pleasantly surprised to say that I really like it.  It makes me smile.  Hopefully it makes you smile.  If it does, that's enough for me.

Anyway, thanks very much for stopping by and seeing what I've been up to.

May the sun be shining and the birds be singing where you live too!

Kate
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I Heard Pastel Was In Fashion This Season...

I did!  I really did!  I heard the jewel tones of last year are on the way out.  Bit of a shame really.  I was getting quite attached to wearing emerald green and bright pink!

Still, I took this fashion revelation to be a sign that I should drag out my pastel pencils and give painting another try.  After an hour or so of creating, this is what I came up with:

Whatcha think?  I think I'm getting better at painting eyes, however this painting made me well and truly realise that currently, I am truly crappola at painting hair.  This annoys me.

In fact, my "lack of-hair-prowess" annoys me so much that I'm going to confess something slightly "dark" about myself:  I'm jealous of people who have perfect hair - both in real life and on canvas.   If you have perfect hair or can paint perfect hair - yes, I'm a big enough person that we can still be friends, however you should know that I will always look at your hair (in person or on canvas) and say "Dang!  Why can't my hair be like that?!"

Oh well, there's nothing wrong with a good old cow-lick right on your part, right?

Thanks so much for stopping by!

I'll see you 'round soon,

Kate
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Not Throwing Paint - Part 1

"Life is a blank canvas, and you need to throw all the paint on it you can." ~ Danny Kaye

Hey There!

I liked this quote so much I thought I'd give it a try.  So I did.  And it was REALLY fun!  I have to be honest here and disclose that I did not actually throw any paint.  I decided Danny was a little misguided if he thought my 'throwing' paint around would be a fabulous idea.  Actually, it may surprise you, however I'm seriously against the idea of any 'throwing around paint' practices.

Really.

Seriously. 

In fact, I'm so much seriously so against it, I've decided to take a stand against the suggestion of this practice and instead offer you the two following case studies to consider why I am right and Danny is wrong:

Case Study #1:  I'd challenge Danny to spend two hours of his life, like I did a couple of years ago, scraping tiny speckles of paint off my brand new timber flooring using my thumb nail following a "fantastic five minute throwing paint experience" that my then four year old decided to try in a moment of "free expression".  Remember Danny, that's two hours of my life I can't get back.  Gone.  Forever. Two hours gone when I could have been watching Neighbours, or Home and Away instead.*  It took ages for my thumb nail to grow back and worse, it totally wrecked my manicure.  This alone should be enough for my argument to be an open and shut case against any throwing business.  However, I know I need to ensure that I really get you all onside.  As such, I offer you in addition;

Case Study #2:  You may marvel at Jackson Pollock's "Blue Poles" and I agree it is incredibly thought provoking painting.  However have you ever considered his poor wife?  Have you ever thought that maybe Jackson made an awful mess and poor Lee (his wife) was then forced to use her thumb-nail to scrape tiny paint splats off her brand new austrian blinds and newly installed wood-panelled feature wall?  You can bet the words "Jackson, I'll tell you what you can do with your poles!" left her lips more than once as she also wrecked her manicure, that's for sure.   

See?  Danny, I think I've made my point.  If you're going to suggest people throw paint around, you could at least add something about using lots of newspaper or doing it outside on grass. OK?

Still, despite its areas of deficiency, I really liked this quote.  So I decided instead to focus on the part of the quote that states we should all use heaps and heaps of paint.  

Today's offering is the result. 

It's not finished yet.  I know it needs more, but I'm just not sure what it needs more of.  Any suggestions?  Do let me know!  I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Sorry...?

Pardon...? 

Oh...!  You think Danny was being philosophical about this 'throwing' business?  Not literal?


Ohhhhhhhh.... ;-)

Anyway, have a great weekend everyone, I'll see you soon!

Kate

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 *Only kidding!  I'm not going to to tell you what I watch.

Sometimes I Just Want To Be A Pretty Face...

You know, it's strange, but I caught myself saying "I'm not just a pretty face, you know!"  to a couple of people today after they complimented me on a speech I gave at school this morning.

I'm not really sure why this quote suddenly appeared in my consciousness and popped out of my mouth. I mean, it's not like I'm movie star gorgeous or anything (although my hubby thinks I am, bless him.  I consider that to be part of his husbandly job description duties though). I'd say I'm average.

The stranger thing about me saying my "pretty" comment is that the people who paid me the compliment on my speech know me well enough to realise that on occasion and when required, I have the capacity to be able to string more than (two) one-and-a-half words together.  Sometimes any_ _ _.

Anyhoo, after some serious thoughts aka "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?" I realised it is likely I said it because I made a real effort with my hair and make up this morning and wore what I think is a pretty dress.  I think it was because I was having an odd "middle age is creeping up on me and my looks are fading" moment where I felt like just for a little while, darn it, if a hundred people are going to be looking at me, yes, I DO want to be a pretty face!  Well for five minutes anyway until the speech was over.

Today's post is a quick watercolour and pencil sketch titled "Just a Pretty Face".   She was quickly worked on ordinary paper, rather than watercolour paper, which is why the paper looks patchy. Nothing wrong with a blob here and a blob there though, in my opinion.   I'd say she was finished in fifteen minutes flat.  I was actually quite surprised that her face actually looks like a face.  Wonders will never cease!

Thanks for stopping by and reading about my mid-life crisis "fading looks" rant.

'till next time,

(I'm very much more than just a pretty face and a try hard wannabe artist) Kate
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How I Horrified My Art Teacher

Yes, I know it's a dramatic title for this post, but sometimes in life, you've just gotta do what you've gotta do.

Even if it means horrifying the best art teacher in the whole wide world.

Please know that if there was any way around it, of course, I would never deliberately try to horrify Ms Kathy.  And I promise that I do feel guilty.

The thing is, I just had to do it.  Even if it means that Ms Kathy wails "NoooooOOOOOOoooooo Kate, please - Don't!".

You see, I painted this face of a lady at last Thursday's art class.  And Ms Kathy was very proud of me. She thought that I'd captured a real sense of mood.  (She was also proud that I'd managed to paint her nose so it didn't look freakishly weird and that I'd painted her eyes so they actually looked like eyes.)

Yay!  Progress!  I guess practice really does make a difference.  I looked at her little face and thought to myself "Not bad for an hour and a half Kate.  Not too bad for a beginner."

So all was going great. Fantastic even!

For a moment.

It was all going splendidly well until I looked past her little face and then noticed how it covered barely a quarter of the canvas I had painted her on.  I then realised very much to my dismay that her little face was way too small in relation to the size of the canvas.  


She looked like a pimple on a pineapple.  Hmmmm. Or is the saying "pimple on a pumpkin"?


I don't know.  Regardless of what object the pimple was on, I realised that suddenly her little face on my big canvas Just. Wasn't. Gonna. Work.


Darnation.  

So I proclaimed at the end of the class I'm going to paint over her and start again.

That was the moment Ms Kathy's eyes widened and those fateful words left her lips.

The thing is, in that moment I realised that sometimes, even when something is 'good' I've just got to make the decision to trust myself that I can do better.  

At least I hope so.

Otherwise I'll be kicking myself.

By the time you read this, she shall no longer exist on canvas.   Please, don't be sad.  You can stop by here and visit her any time you like.  That's the joy of the internet.

Think of it this way - she was a pimple and she had to be popped.

Whilst this can be a momentarily painful thing to do, please know that I'm very proud that just for a little while, she was MY PIMPLE.  And she was a darn good one too.

Thanks for stopping by and seeing what I've been up to (zit analogies and all).

Stay tuned for another update in the near future,

Kate
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Mmm... What a Delicious Pear!

Goodness me, I really must stop reading Shades of Grey.

After reading numerous double entendre's for the last couple of hundred pages, this book has now affected me so that my blog post titles have become smutty.  Sorry about that.  This must stop, or what will become of my blog?  I shudder to consider the notion! Think pure and pristine thoughts, Kate.  Pure and pristine.  Perhaps to counter the filthiness, I should go back to reading Enid Blyton with Dick, John and Fanny?

Today's little offering is an acrylic still life of Pears in Blue Bowl.  I know, my creativity for a painting title is utterly astounding, isn't it?  I painted it in Miss Kathy's art class on Thursday over a couple of hours.  It was very relaxing and I really enjoyed the experience.  I'm now trying to think of what fruit I should paint next.  A banana perhaps?  An artichoke?  Now that's an interesting thought!

I can honestly say that after my experience, I'd encourage everyone to grab a couple of pears and give still life painting a try.  You never know, you may just find your inner goddess!

'Till my next artistic adventure,

Kate
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Not Happy, Kate!

Hello

I hope this finds you all well and happy!  Life has been chaotically busy these past few weeks, but after receiving a lovely gift of some oil pastels today, I felt like I really needed a quick art "fix" to restore my equilibrium.  Thank you very much secret gift giver for such a fun gift! :-)

I wasn't sure initially what I was going to paint today, so I was wandering around my house, art pastels and paper pad in hand when I spied my lovely old furry man - Mister Ninny.  Mister Ninny is 96 years old in people years and in his old age is starting to get ever so slightly cantankerous.  When the kids complain about his (c)attitude issues, I remind them that if they were his age, they'd probably be feeling pretty darn well cross at the world too. Particularly when presented with a bowl full of boring old Whiskers day after day.


"Hello, darling Mister Ninny!" I cooed, reaching out my hand for a scratch between the ears.  He promptly gave me an utterly disdainful look and then slowly (he is getting close to receiving a letter from the queen after all) and deliberately turned around and sat stock still, thereby presenting me with his backside.

I knew what he was doing. 

 I'm sure he knew what he was doing.

Mooning me.  

I guess he considers it payback for the seventeen odd children who were running around my house yesterday at one of my children's birthday parties, causing all sorts of noise and disrupting his attempted gentle slumber at the foot of my bed.

Mister Ninny was painted quickly in around 20 minutes today.  I think I'm relatively pleased with the free flow of the painting and I do feel like it has some great energy.  Proportions?  I'm not sure.  Still, I feel pleased to have captured this little moment in our lives.  It's one for the history books, that's for sure.

Anyway, thanks for stopping by and seeing what I've been up to.

I'll see you around!

Kate
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Useless Things Have Value Too: Part III

Hi There!

Yes, can you believe it?  I'm still trying to get this lily painting to work.  At this stage I'm starting to feel over it.

Ms Kathy (my art teacher) keeps saying "This has been worthwhile, Kate, you've learnt a lot" and I have.  It's just that I can't help but feel that the learning that has taken place isn't reflected in the actual painting.

I'm verging on using the "F" word.  I know I shouldn't, but I just can't seem to help it.  Perhaps if I spell it just one letter at a time, it won't be quite as bad:

F



L



O



P



!

Never mind.  I guess I can't expect every artwork to always be "my best".

Have a wonderful weekend, full of my favourite F word...

F


U



N


!


Kate
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Flaming Robins!

Goodness me, what a week.  Day three of the winter school holidays and I'm already spent.

To try and re-centre myself for the next couple of days, I thought I'd try a little pastel painting.  It's my artistic equivalent of "Mummy Meditation".

You know, when I think about it, I reckon all "Mummies" have (or at least should have) some kind of way to escape the world and unwind.  And we all seem to have different ways to achieve that calm, serene, 'all is well with my world' state.  Some meditate; some knit; some run; some have a stiff glass of scotch; some have a cup of peppermint tea; some go and chop fire-wood after drawing the faces of people who have annoyed them on the timber using a sharpie pen....

I bet you are glad I don't have a fireplace here in Brisbane.  Can't you just picture it now... Random person "Hey Kate, this looks like my face on the kindling!  Why's that?"  Kate: "No reason, quick, light the match!". 

I've seen a few of these Flame Robins flittering around my yard these past few days.  My goodness, they are tiny 10 centimetre bundles of gorgeous energy.  Honestly, I wish you could see the orange breast in person - it really is magnificent.

Oh Great.  I realise I now sound like one of those "bird watcher people" that I used to snicker at in my youth.   I tell you, from getting crows feet to suddenly being interested in a crows nest - ageing isn't pretty once it gets underway.

This little painting is shown actual size here, just for you.  (I know, I know, I'm so kind sometimes.)  I painted it on Art Spectrum paper and used a mixture of Derwent, Conte and Faber Castel Pastel Pencils and Conte and Art Spectrum Pastel Sticks.  I tried to put my WetCanvas "Edges" art lesson for the month into practice, sharpening some edges and softening others.  Is it starting to look three dimensional?

I'm not sure.  My five year old told me it was "Super!".  I guess only time will tell.


Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you have a wonderful, calm week.


Kate
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Finished! Little Girl Green (The Insomnia Edition)

Have you ever had the annoying experience where sometimes late at night, you feel really tired, but your brain just keeps on whirling and swirling?  And that because of all the mental "gymnastics" going on inside of your head, you simply can't fall sleep?

Oui?

Well, have you ever realised that the reason you can't fall asleep is because right before bed-time, you noticed something "funny" going on with your "Little Girl's" nose and chin painting that you'd posted on here earlier that same evening?

Well that's what happened to me last night.

After lying in bed with twitchy fingers, by midnight, I just couldn't take it any more.  I climbed out of bed, crept quietly down stairs so as not to wake anyone, pulled out my pastels and set about measuring, erasing, smudging and trying to fix the error of my ways.  (Yes, sadly, I think I did have one of my not-so-famous moments of "artistic beer goggle-itis" in Part 1 of this artistic adventure!)

After an hour or so, I posted her on Wet Canvas for feedback and then finally felt like I was able to go back to bed and sleep properly knowing that my little girl's "nose job" really changed her appearance for the better.

Goodness me.  Honestly, of all the reasons in the world to have insomnia...  I tell you, if I'm tempting you to go ahead and try a little "artistic exploration", you'd better watch out - this artistic caper can not only get under your skin, but cause sleep disturbances if you aren't careful!  Perhaps I could propose that all art books should come with some sort of warning?

Thanks very much for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Kate

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Part 1: Little Girl Green (& Purple & Orange...)

Hello!

I hope this finds you well and happy.  Today's post features my latest pastel painting of a little girl from WetCanvas' Reference Library.  For those not in the know, Wet Canvas is this amazing website that is inspirational and educational.  Best of all, you get to learn heaps and heaps for *free* (you should all know by now that I do love a bargain!).

I've decided to brave my pastel sticks and take part in June's spotlight challenge.  It is an opportunity for Wet Canvas members to come together and explore and learn about a different topic each month relating to all things art.  This month, the focus is on all things edges.  Hard edges, soft edges, disappearing edges, I have no idea what I'm doing edges...  (Can you guess where I'm at?)

I'm feeling a bit scared to consider putting myself 'out there' by posting my work on a website frequented by professional artists, but I decided to suck it up, be a big girl and ask for feedback.  It's in my best interests for future growth and development, right?  I mean, you do agree, it IS a good idea, right?  Right? RIGHT?!  (Oh gosh, what am I getting myself into?!)

As you can see, "Little Girl" isn't finished yet.  As you can see by her clothes.  And her hair.  I'm not sure about her face yet.  I wrote that comment about her face because the thing I've learnt about art is, to be honest, that I'm looking at her face today and thinking she's looking reasonably good, but I'm not sure I'm going to look at her and be horrified tomorrow.  For this reason I thought I'd better post her while the artistic equivalent of "beer goggles" are firmly in place.

She's formally titled "Little Girl Green (& Purple & Orange)" because if you look closely, you'll see her skin is actually comprised of all these colours.  You can see on her arm, for instance (or her hair where I haven't finished yet, that she is currently purple and green as well as that terribly politically incorrect "skin" colour pastel.  Although I'm actually yet to meet anyone with skin that colour.  Kinda like I'm yet to meet a person who has "Bandaid" skin colour.  Sorry, I digress.. 

Oh and by the way, this painting is my attempt to recreate a photo posted by Jocelynsart.  I have to reference the source when I use it in order to be a good girl and not break copy right law.  Sadly, I can't show you the original reference photo due to copyright reasons, but if you click on the Wetcanvas "Spotlight Link" I provided above, you can see it there.  So a big thanks from me, Jocelyn!  (If that is your real name....  Sorry,  am planning a 'Spy Party' at the moment for one of my children - everything has suddenly become incredibly suspicious...)

Stay tuned for my final painting over the next couple of days.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!


Kate
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