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

Getting sorted so I'm organised!

For a long time I have felt in a muddle

and I recognise I function way better 

in an organised environment...

So this is what I've been doing today
Getting Organised!

 This was my children's first school desk.
They are all too big for it now *sniff*
It is on the left on the dining table where
I (usually) sit to do my art work

This was my eldest daughter's desk.
It became Cameron's, when she finished
home-schooling and now that Cam is at
school..it's become MY desk.
My "other" desk...a girl can not have too
many surfaces to do art  LOL!

It's opposite the little desk, on the
right-hand side of the dining room table
so very accessible and handy..

 ..and the table, well...half of it
I've put all my drawings and inspirational
ideas/photos etc into my journal and the
scrapbook on the table is my "new" one...

Resource 4: Drawing For All 
Your Worth #4 (FORM)

 I photographed a vase to draw

..changed it to B/W
I'm now doing some drawing
of it and of my hand.
Be back with some pics later...

Time: 4 hours (Thurs 21 Feb)

Fabric Painting Lesson....Resource 4: Drawing for all your worth #4

Twice a week I give craft lessons. 

Usually it is sewing but occasionally

I'll do something "arty" instead.

Tuesday's lesson was experimenting 

with Fabric Paints.

The girls and I had fun!

We cut out shapes out of sliced potatoes

and also trying printing with leaves.

I hope to experiment further in this area

so watch this spot *grin*

Once the girls had been picked up 

I watched more of the Resource 4 DVD

and made a start on #4 exercises

My 3 Dimensional doodle

I tried drawing my hand.

Didn't work for me

so I took a few photos

then I changed them into B/W pics

Drawing from a B/W photo

seems to work better for me.

I "see" the tones better

for some reason...

Time: 4 hours (Tues 19 Feb)

Playing with pastels

I'm not sure how or even if this fits into my art course programme but going to share it becuae I had fun experimenting and think that's part of my problem. I'm afraid of myself. I'm scared to make a make a mistake. To ruin something. I'm not sure why i think/feel like that but it was something I realised yesterday...

 So I got out the pastels and set to work enjoying the process of applying to the paper and using my fingers to smooth and blend it...

 and experiemted with different colours...

 ...until i felt more confident in experimenting and letting go...

These are all A4 in size...a "safe" size

Then I got out the paints and I'm currently working on an A3 sized painting.

I'll share it once it's finished :0)

Time=3 hours (Friday 31st August 2012)