Resource #2: Drawing into Paint - exercises

oh I am having so much FUN with these!

This is what I ended up doing with my first page using three colours and three different ways of applying paint (no brushes)

Can you read what it says??

It reads "Renew Your thinking"
I was inspired to add yellow as the leaf (of the fern) reminded me of the Kowhai tree which bares yellow flowers in the spring. Incidently, he symbol of the Women's Refuge movement is a Kowhai flower and it stands for beauty, resilience and the ability to survive in difficult places.

Exercise 3 - painting with music (I was listening to a FlyLeaf CD)

 Purple paint applied with a scrunched up nylon netbag. The blue, with cardboard and the green paint, with a serated knife. When the paint had dried, I stamped the wording "New Beginnings Start Now" because that's what I feel I'm doing...

 The koru symbolises new life, growth, strength and peace.

 

wow...I just looked at the CD to see what it was called 

and look what's on it..Korus!

Photo inspiration: Drawing into paint

 Old Oak Tree- love this tree and it is my inspiration for my next painting (exercise 4) ---started but yet to be completed
 I took my camera out while walking our puppy early tuesday morning when I realised there was misty fog here in Whangarei. It was amazing and so beautiful!

 This is my background... grey paint was applied with a sponge

 and the black, with the bristles of an old paint brush

Patterns in Nature - Visual diary

 These are some of the many photos I have taken recently.

I'm very inspired by mature..and it's colours, textures and patterns.

Some charcoal rubbings

left page: basket weave (top) conifer bark (bottom)

right: clockwise from top right - trampoline mat, 1 inch square wire on aviary, concrete, tin trunk, trampoline spring, chicken wire

...another background..... Watch this space!

Total time: Friday/Saturday - 6 hours

Rssource#2: A day or so on...

Ok...so it's not looking quite so bad to me anymore..so I've stuck it into my visual diary along with the pic I was inspired by.

 I like the idea that I'm "Renewing my mind" and my thinking in doing this art course...and was going to use it as part of Exercise 3 but going to let the idea evolve at bit more...and I'm excited about where it might end up!

Disappointing result

I spent several hours this afternoon working on something that I was really happy with..until I sprayed it to "fix it"...the ink has bled leaving my work looking smudged. I'll try again tomorrow using a slightly different technique.

Resource #2 Drawing into Paint

Resource #2 Drawing into Paint

Exercise 1

 Using different objects to apply paint to paper

 close up of the left side

 close up of the right side

 I really enjoyed doing this so much that I work on another page...

 close up of left side

 close up of right side

Exercise 2: Choose 3 of those objects you enjoyed using and apply 3 different colours of paint to a sheet of paper

 blue paint-using bubble wrap, 

green paint- applied with a fern, 

magenta-dabbed on with crumpled paper

a close up photo

total hours over the weekend = 10 hours

Resource #2 Drawing for all your Worth

Resource #2 Drawing for all your Worth

Exercise 1

 A sketch of my boot - not looking at the paper

 A sketch of my boot - this time looking at the paper

Exercise 3

 Draw a circle and a square with eyes closed

 Drawing of hand - not looking at the paper

Sketch of hand -  looking at the paper

another quick sketch...

The Weekend (21st/22nd July)

Sometimes life just gets too much for me...and where I would have once "punished" myself with withholding food and over exercising, I now retreat to my bed. I pamper me.. I have an old television with a DVD player set up so I can watch movies/DVD's and yesterday I decided that I would immerse myself in watching the Resource DVD's until I fell asleep. I even got out my sketch book and tried a little drawing...but in the end I think I needed to just rest...unwind and reconnect with my inner peace by just being...and not doing ..or performing in some way.

Then I was woken during the early hours with Cameron needing me. He'd had a bad dream...so he ended up in bed next to me and we talked about growing up things and how that impacts us as we get older. My heart hurt for Cam as he shared his confusion, fears and struggles as he becomes a young man. I'm so privileged to have these special moments with each of my kids as they've got older! 

It is now early afternoon on Sunday and I'm home alone...I had planned to make soap today but that takes a LOT of energy plus I was supposed to be meeting up with someone (who wants to know more about home-schooling...she is struggling with her 14 year old daughter) but I haven't heard back from her. So in the light of uncetainty and rainy weather I think I'll clear off the table, get my paints out and work on some of the Resource 2 exercises instead!

My Travelling Egg Project - An Update and feedback

Sadly, my egg didn't make it to my mentor in Takaka, Nelson in one piece. It arrived scrambled... oh well. I'm glad I took lots of photos. It did have to travel a loooong way and probably had something really heavy sitting on it. Rachel phoned yesterday to give me a bit of feedback. At first I was a little worried about what she might say...but her comments were really encouraging and positive...that I'm progressing well, and did a great job on the colour analogues and my TEP...even though it broke.

These a few pages from my visual art diary that I worked on last week

 Kaeli's feet...getting a bit better

..I've enjoyed drawing her features much more than my attempts at drawing humans so think I'll will stick to animals for the time being. 

One of the things I've always wanted to draw are plants/flowers/trees etc....so maybe that is something I can work towards doing.

The Warehouse Stationery had a sale on canvases..60% off ...so I've picked up several of the smaller ones to have a play with for my next project. I'm very excited about it too....

Off to watch Resource #2 DVD now...

Resource #1 - update

I watched the DVD again and have been reading through "Go! The Art of Change" book and found inspiration in what Jonathan shares. 

After a particularly stressful day yesterday, I ended up going to bed and drawing. At first, it was hard...and I felt really frustrated with everything I tried but I kept on working on my sketches building up toning and erasing back for the light..and in the end actually felt satisfied with my attempts. 

(will take pics and upload them tomorrow)

Today I have been working (voluntary) at The BACH where I sell my soap. I thought I was going to be on my own for the first time (I've only done a few Sundays...and this was my fourth) but when I arrived Glenda (the founder of the BACH) had come in for the day and said I could go home if I wanted to. I decided to stay and in the end it's been a good day. I've learned a lot about the history and purpose, and been artistically and creatively-inspired which is great for the soul....

One of the things I learned about today was that Glenda is very passionate about Hundertwasser's work. Whangarei is proposing building the HUNDERTWASSER ART CENTRE next to The BACH which will be great for artisan sales. She had some of his work on her laptop and I realised, with reading his writings about his specific style, that one of the reasons he inspires me is HE DOESN'T LIKE LINES AND SHARP ANGLES ....wow! Me neither! The other is his use of colour. Glenda uploaded the Hundertwasser files onto a USB stick and when I got home I spent some time looking through them.

So I'm "buzzing" and I can't wait to start on Resource #2 tomorrow!

My Art Womb

My Art Womb is finished! It has been an amazing journey...but one I haven't been able to rush. Like birth itself, I feel I have been labouring over it's delivery as I consider the aspects of the EGG, what it signifies and what it mean to me.

It has been a journey of discovery and acceptance and I hope it is the NEW BEGINNING I desire and need (artistically speaking)

I hope my Travelling Egg gets to Rachel, my Mentor safely!