A few more drawing exercises and a canvas

It's been a busy week/weekend and

 I had hoped to get more photos up before now

but life just kept on getting in the way!

 I think it was Friday that I worked on these..

This one was done using charcoal

showing tones with just black or white.

I've used a mid-tone as well 

as it didn't look right to me!

Time: 1 hour (22 Feb)

It was my daughter's 17 th birthday on Sunday. Sarah had asked me if I could take her and some of her friends out to the beach on the Saturday while the weather was still warm enough for swimming. Though I knew I probably wouldn't get time for any art, it was lovely to get out of  "suburbia" for a few hours. I was a bit annoyed with myself as I forgot to take my camera...duh! *slaps forehead* 

Sunday was spent doing food prep and cake making.
We had family and friends over for dinner.
Sarah said it was a really nice birthday
and she had had a lovely weekend.

With all that going on though, it didn't stop me "thinking" about my canvas project. It's kind of my Project X...or another one, as I'd thought about doing this canvas project back when I had finished the Travelling Egg. I wanted to use some or all of the materials I'd used for my TEP on a canvas with a focus on New Life/New Beginnings. So all weekend I had the canvas sitting there on my desk and I came up with the idea of including a koru which I ended up cutting from this painted back-ground I did in August, last year. Every time I walked passed, I dream up a little more and by the time Monday came I was rearing to go LOL!

First, I applied a coat of Gesso.

(The paint and background paper 

had been adhered before Christmas)

I purposely left some of the paper show

through as the words represent my thoughts,

many of them...constantly "talking"..

I try to block them out, 

just like I have here with the gesso.

Blocking out the messages I received

and believed as a child...

Then I draw and cut out the koru 

from the green painted background

I just LOVE my koru...

I love the texture, colour 

and design...very happy with it!

....and I like the fabric heart

with the shell button.

But some time after this things 

started to "go wrong"

For some reason I choose black paint 

for the wording HEAL THY HEART

with ART! Then I did the stamped border,

arrows and small text to the left of the heart. 

PLUS I decided to ink the sides of the canvas.

...and SPRAY it with hairspray to seal it.

BAD MOVE...

I watched with HORROR as the ink bled! 

My heart sunk..and I just wanted to cry!

I think it's all that black that doesn't work for me.

 I wanted the colours to represent my 

emotions but I think it's over-powered 

by the wording. I don't know. 

I ended up ripping the paper off the canvas

and will repaint it and start over...

I'll be interested to hear what Rachel, 

my TLC mentor has to say.

We are going to be having a catch-up 

by phone early next week.

Time: 6 hours (25 Feb) 

(includes photo editing/uploading to blog)