Yoga Girl….Colorized

Posted this picture back in January with my Yoga Girl One post.



Brought in color.  I thought it would be cool to have a more batik looking outfit with a lot of color movement.    Watercolors can pull this off rather easily



I thought I’d balance the red in her outfit with the opposite color….Green.  But it did not turn out well.  Much too dark.



I pulled up a lot of that green with a brush and water.  A unique element of working in this medium.



I like the mat better here, a lighter shade of green.



I stalled on this project for about a month because it was hair time.  I tend to do that a lot.  But what I really need to remember….is to keep the crown of the head’s hair darker, by putting many more lines (strands) in.



Last thing to do before completion is this hand.  It’s not watercolored yet, just showing the w/c pencil stippling now.  Hopefully, I’ll be able to blend this better for a more realistic impression.



My kitchen table!!  Soon to be cleared off…. close to completion…..   

Ugly Christmas Sweaters

IF I sent out Christmas cards…..I think this would be the one.



In honor of those Ugly Christmas Sweater days!



I don’t know when I stopped wearing my ugly Christmas sweaters, but I did rack up a few.



I did this all in watercolor by brush. 



We are all missing our eyes here….we appear a little zoombie-ish.



Merry Christmas everyone!

Illustration….Girls

Since I’m in an illustration obsession….I thought I’d draw another one.



The shiny stuff is the masking fluid.



What cracks me up about this drawing is that the head sizes from left to right kept increasing.  The first head (far left) is much smaller than the last one (far right).



Watercolors only allowed.  Plus marker to sharpen those edges.



I was surprised that I liked how the curly hair turned out.  Gotta stay loose when drawing this hair type.



Just fun and colorful!  It won’t win any awards but that’s not the point!

Illustration….in watercolor

Since….I’m kinda likin’ my watercolors-by-brush and I wanted to keep going while I had the momentum.



I thought I’d try some illustration.  What’s nice about fashion illustration is….I don’t have to be so exact and I get to play with colors and clothes!  What more could a girl ask for?



I used the masking fluid again for the flowers on the top and highlights in the hair.



She’s a bit barbie-ish….since her proportions are exaggerated!!



I didn’t know if I’d take to this kind of drawing so I grabbed a piece of cheap drawing paper….not even watercolor paper.  As it turned out it started to buckle up on me.  Next time I may try it in me-moleskine cuz this was fun!

Interview with Artist….Sheila Arthurs

As much as I love to blog and frequent my own blog to see how my latest color-sketch dimensions are really playing out on a piece….I’ve become quite sick of me!!

To infuse this blog with some entertainment and creativity I’ve asked 5 artists from varying backgrounds to be interviewed throughout this month. I’m very excited about their work and their agreeing to be put on the spot here.



Today I’d like you to meet another Flickr friend, Sheila (who lives in the UK).  I spotted her work in a doodling group on Flickr.  Sheila not only can doodle with world class flair, she incorporates actual figures into her doodles.  I would spot animals, fish, people in many of her doodles.  It was a bit like a seek-n-find!  Absolutely aMaZiNg!!



1. What word best describes your art/style?
These days I think of myself as a mixed media artist but at heart I am a doodling illustrator, dabbling in everything from stitching to paper sculpture.



2. What advice/quote do you respond best to?
There are two quotes which constantly pop into my head, one is by Henry Ford who said “if you think you can, or think you can’t, you are probably right!” and as I am Queen of the Procrastinators the one I have to say to myself every day is “if not now, when?” especially as I realize the years remaining are not limitless and I want to try everything.



3. How has your work evolved?
I began work in the 1940’s as a commercial artist now more grandly called “graphic designer” and it has been my joy and frustration to live through so many changes – “From ‘Letraset’ to Photoshop” could be the title of my memoirs! I have designed packaging, games for Chad Valley Toys, picnic ware and toffee tins to name just a few and then I retired and discovered a whole new world of fabric, collage, beading, felting and the freedom to explore them all via the internet.

Doodling has become an obsession, from simple shapes to imaginary landscapes and to designing my own doodled font, which has probably been the most fun of all.



4. What interests do you have other than "art"?
Over the years I have been involved with volunteering locally and am a Trustee of several local Charities, one of which is Active Arts Castle Vale a group dedicated to raising aspirations through involvement in art. This year to coincide with the London Olympics, there was a local Cultural Games week and as part of the art exhibition I enrolled local women to crochet or knit a Rainbow Reef. The response was overwhelming, we ended up with nearly a thousand pieces and no two were identical.

I am a voracious reader and collector of art/craft books and never come home from an exhibition without bags stuffed full of new gadgets because it’s not as if my house is not already overflowing with stuff I am going to use next week to try a new ‘direction’!



5. What is your favorite blog post or piece of art that you'd like to share?
Probably my favorite piece is the animated video that my daughter in the Netherlands made using my doodled alphabet. It was her first attempt at animation and I think she made a great fun video. It is on my blog, posted on Sunday 5 Feb 2012



Isn’t Sheila just fun?  Wouldn’t you want to see how she decorates?



To do this kind of work…..with needle, thread and beads on fabric….stitching & stitching & stitching…. takes an extraordinary amount of patience.  What beautiful creations she has made with fabric!



Thank you Sheila for taking the time to answer my questions and to share all your Beautiful…Creative…Versatile Artwork.

Please check out the links below which will lead you to more of Sheila’s work.
Blog: http://2smart-clothencounters.blogspot.co.uk
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bostinstuff/

Interview with Artist….Rachel Awes

As much as I love to blog and frequent my own blog to see how my latest color-sketch dimensions are really playing out on a piece….I’ve become quite sick of me!!

To infuse this blog with some entertainment and creativity I’ve asked 5 artists from varying backgrounds to be interviewed throughout this month. I’m very excited about their work and their agreeing to be put on the spot here.



I’d like you to meet a very talented artist….Rachel Awes.  A blogger friend.  I was not only drawn to Rachel’s fun, whimsical artsy style, I totally love the quotes and the thoughts she puts in her drawings, as well.  I’m so glad she’s agreed to share her thoughts and work with us today.

1. What word best describes your art/style?
i..just..want..to..love..people..up



2. What advice/quote do you respond best to?
From SARK; about being as true and as you, as you can be.  And then show it to us all.



3. How has your work evolved?
From abstract and more effort and slower TO more defined and easier and so fast that i can't sometimes keep up with my own feet. I seem to increasingly need more naps!




4. What interests do you have other than "art"?
Psychology. Walking/running/swimming. Being in nature. A great book. Time with friends. Time with my family. Movies. Looking for agates (a swirly rock found in northern minnesota). Writing. Praying. Thanking everything of beauty. Bowing. Napping.



Above photo courtesy of Carissa Paige. This book is now in Rachel’s etsy shop.  You can pre-order now. The book will be available by December 1, 2012!!!

5. What is your favorite blog post or piece of art that you'd like to share?
Hard to pick a favorite but I will choose "the world waits" because it's one of the deepest invitations I want to extend to people's hearts. I also must add the blog post that is airing october 1, 2012. A book i have been working on for four years and is a culmination of all the love I can think of spilling into the world is in this book and I announce it on this day. endorsed by authors/artists SARK and KELLY RAE ROBERTS,...I am so thankful.

Thank you Rachel for taking the time to answer my questions and to share your Beautiful Artwork and Book.  I believe Rachel’s art and words make this a better world to live in.

Please check out the links below which will lead you to more of Rachel’s work.
Etsy Shop: http://rachelawes.etsy.com
Blog: http://allididwaslisten.blogspot.com
Facebook Page: 
http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/all-i-did-was-listen/110783468961315
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/rachelawes/rachel-awes-art/