Art Journalling Group - Monday's @ The Quarry

This morning I attended the first Art Journalling Workshop 

at the Quarry. It is a weekly workshop which focuses on:

EXPLORING CREATIVITY, 

NOURISHING THE SOUL, 

and FILLING THE SELF.

This workshop is aimed at making a regular practice 

of self expression and exploration in a supportive women 

only group with permission to play, explore and notice. 

The emphasis is on process not product.

Our theme for today was: BEGIN

My "beginning" is freeing up, being there

and making the most of the opportunities 

that come my way each day.

Mixed Media/Art 

Journalling/Collage

3 hours

Drawing...Studying the Masters

I confess to having issues with drawing.

There, I said it.

I like it (to draw, that is)  but my inner critic

 has a ball at telling me otherwise. "I'm 'No Good',

 'Doing it wrong'...'Wasting time' etc etc

But after being away in Hamilton and having a little bit

 of time to reflect on things, I'm pulling out the "big guns" 

and shooting down anything that would discourage me.

So I'm putting on my "big girl panties' and sharing 

my drawings despite what The Nag says about them!

Resource 5: Studying the Masters

Leonardo Da Vinci: Copy one of his drawings

I "warmed up" with some quick sketches of the fetus.

..then spent a half hour working on The Womb drawing.

A close-up photo of my drawing.

I've combined coloured pencil 

with lead pencil to add extra tone.

Still Life/Life Drawing Exercises

I'll probably continue to work on this as I feel inspired to...
More pics to come!

Drawing: 6 hours

In my absence...

Hello..

Is there anybody out there?

Is there anybody in here?

 I am still here...been processing a 

whole "lot of mental stuff"

 that somehow has had a paralyzing effect

 on me, practically-speaking.

I had the immense pleasure of attending my eldest daughter's 

Graduation Ceremony in Hamilton during the week.

Rosanna is working towards a Diploma in Vet Nursing

and complete her first year certificate in 2013.

I'm so very proud of her and inspired by her determination.

 The words spoken by the Guest Speakers during the
ceremony really spoke to me and got me to
thinking about my own journey.  

I came home with renewed energy 

and drive to push through and achieve!

I have been working on some drawing exercises

and will upload and share some pics soon.

I was starting to get a bit discouraged...

Every now and again we hit a brick wall. Creatively-speaking, that is. Well, I hit a brick wall during the week but too be honest, I've been trying to find my way around this brick wall for some time now. It's silly really..but I get hooked up on not being "able" to draw. I become SO frustrated actually by my silliness that I went outside and dug in the garden! I find gardening a really big stress release for me and of course, satisfying when you get a weeded/tidy garden. The next day I had counselling so I brought up the situation with "this block" and when I got home, thought...just get out some paper and some pastels and start. Something. 

Anything!

Last year before Christmas I took some photos of a rose that I'd planted. 

It's very pretty, pink, fragrant rose.

And my plan was to try and draw it.

If...I could over "the wall"

Well..the gardening must have helped

  (or maybe it was the talk with my counsellor?)

 as I was quite happy with my first sketchy attempts...

The top one (in pink) is mine, the B/W photo below

 it is what I was working from

... next I work in pencil...

 and wow, I am REALLY happy with this!

*does a little happy dance*

To celebrate, I worked on the koru sculpture. 

 I continued at the frond centre, 

shaping  it into a smooth curve

 and rounding the edges....

..then suddenly I realised something....As well as 

representing a frond, lay it on it's back and it

 represented a wave! Very Appropriate given

 Northland is surrounded by beaches and waves.

Then today (Friday) I worked on an idea (I've had

 in my head) and cut a piece of wood into pieces...

...to make this frame. It's going to be 

for my pottery book covers.

I hope my "idea" is going to work!

Also, the other day THIS arrived! 

I scored it from Trade Me for $28 plus postage.

Time: Drawing 3 hours

3D sculpture 1 hour

Working again on these paintings...

 I added some strong black lines so better define the shapes

and really like how this Acrylic into Oil turned out.

 My second page using other objects to apply the acrylic

 paint (I used plastic trowel-like tool and my fingers)

I've brushed over the thinned down oil paint (using turps)

but felt it look a little too "friendly" for the stormy ocean 

I was trying to portray, so darkened it with a bit more 

black/blue hues. It's a bit hard to tell from the photo, though...

 Then I splattered it with paint to give a "raining effect"

I am really wanting to add some text to this. Possibly some 

freehand cursive but scared of "wrecking it"

While I've been practicing my hand-writing I've been soaking 

clay and paper ready for my next experiment with tile-making.

This time I'm going to make some frames so I don't have to 

"cut" the edges and end up with a hairy edge!

Time 4 hours (Painting)