Oh, hello there!

Love what you have (Pencil, watercolour, paint, coffee stain etc)

{ For Illy Friday purposes - self awareness is Power }

It has been a long time! Since January in fact! I started off 2013 training for a half marathon and planning on spending every Friday doing creative things. It's good to have plans.

Instead I was lucky enough to fall pregnant pretty early on, which we feel really truly lucky about, but MAN, did it blow any ambitions to do anything apart from eat, sleep and try and overcome the 24/7 hangover feeling! Then once that section passed, it was heads down, bum up with my work and trying to finish off so I can have a little break pre-baby.

Which is where I am right now. Nearly 36 weeks and getting back to all those things I had either started or had in my head over the past few months.

The above picture I started in mid May. It was Gold Cup weekend. Finally finished it now. It is a bit more blobby and dirty looking that I would prefer but it is what it is.

I can see it as a tea-towel actually. 

The Sole Sisters are part of the Open Garden Weekend exhibition at Caroline Hills in November, which means there will be more creative things to come! I am excited.

It hasn't been all uncreative in that time though. I seem to have done more home style projects. Must be nesting. And addictive Pinterest making me believe I can create anything. We made a huge dining table, entrance table and various other things as below.

One weekend I decided I will make a teepee. I can sew cushions and sort-of straight lines. Didn't really think about where I would keep it, our house is pretty small. The pets are enjoying it at the moment anyway.

Brought a Clover pom pom maker and tidied up the poor previous attempts of pom poms on my mobile. I know it's only a pom pom, but they are so neat - I am impressed.

I have been pondering the idea of making a table runner (once again, I can sew sort-of straight lines so should be ok here). Experimenting with washout glue and fabric dye - even trying for a slight ombre. 

This is where my inspiration comes from for this

Will have to see how these end up before I tackle a decent sized bit of fabric. Also, it if does work how it is looking in my head, I may do some pieces for the Caroline Hills exhibition. Will see...

Anyway, it is great to be back.

I have the ink out on the table, so it's time to go and fiddle with that again :)

b

Peonies

A quick little sketch and digital colour while I am quoting on some projects. Would like to spend some time this year studying flowers, and taking time to draw them nicely. This can be my reminder.

Love peonies. Especially just before they open when they are a big fluffy bud. 

{IF} New

Happy New Year! It's been a while. Sorry blog.... got married and stuff...

My first Illustration Friday for 2013!

Whenever I see blossoms I think of something new growing / new beginnings so it made the most obvious subject for this weeks Illy Friday plus I had to break myself into this drawing thing again slowly too :)

Pen sketch, watercolour/paint scans and digitally coloured

Sole Sisters & Friends [ Mix Tape ] Exhibition

Our Sole Sisters and Friends exhibition opened on Friday August 31st to a HUGE crowd! Thanks to everybody that came along, and who have since popped in over the last week to check it out. It is on this week from Wednesday to Saturday 11am - 2pm at the Old Mount Gambier Gaol, so make sure you come and check it out if you have not yet.

Have included my pieces below... very pastel this time around...

Dream Catch Me

Newton Faulkner

Version 1

$400 (framed)

Pencil and watercolour combined with digital techniques.

Archival Pigment Ink on Cotton Rag Paper.

"There's a place I go when I'm alone

Do anything I want, be anyone I wanna be"

...

"Dream, catch me when I fall

Or else I won't come back at all"

If I stumble upon this song while station surfing on a road trip, I must listen, and belt out the tune. Even if the above lines are all of the song I know. The rest can be happy humming. 

Peaches

Presidents of the United States of America

$400 (framed)

Pencil, ink and watercolour combined with digital techniques.

Archival Pigment Ink on Cotton Rag Paper.

"Millions of peaches, peaches for me 

Millions of peaches, peaches for free"

...

"Peaches come from a can, 

They were put there by a man 

In a factory downtown"

Bet you are singing this song in your head now, aren't you. That's ok! I love these guys. Only rediscovered their CD in our collection when I started this illustration. Great memories of Year 7. Love the irony of millions of peaches for free, then the belief that peaches come from a can. 

Dream Catch Me

Newton Faulkner

Version 2

$400 (framed)

Pencil, ink and watercolour combined with digital techniques.

Archival Pigment Ink on Cotton Rag Paper.

"Dream, catch me when I fall

Or else I won't come back at all"

I really like the above line in this song. I guess we are all afraid of not reaching our dreams, or getting lost along the way. Deep, I know.

A peek of how they look all framed up nicely, thanks to Talie for the photo. I keep forgetting to take pics! Will do that this week before it all comes down!

I am pretty attached to my art this time. Was weird when I sent it to print as I felt like it wasn't quite me, I usually go for bold looks etc, but the way they are framed and presented has really settled me. Had a lot of nice comments too, that is always good.

And here are all of us (minus Simone and Lana)! Impossible to get 9 people together!

me, Anna, Ben, Kristyn, Julia, Mel and Talie

Busy couple of months

I am still here! Been working on a few things like our upcoming art exhibition, wedding stationery and little projects for both wedding and home. 

Once I get a few things out of the way I am going to whip out the sewing machine (that is untouched) and make some cushions as I ordered some fabrics from Spoonflower. Can't wait! Hope I can sew in a straight line, it's been a long time since year 8 home ec!

Some snaps....

A few artwork progressions, some winners, some losers... 3 weeks til I have to get work to the printers and I still have a million ideas running around in my head

Wine barrel head project. With plans to become a cheeseboard afterwards. Thanks to Tobes for his awesome work making the handle!

Ok, back to it.

Ciao! 

b

Doodling & {IF} Hurry

I seem to always be in a hurry when I am mocking up a concept for myself to remember for when I go back to work on it with more time, but then I end up liking the rough version. Which is what I have been doing tonite while I wait for my cake to cook! These both appeal to me for different reasons. Would make cool tote bags or something.

Pen sketch, coffee stain and digital colour

{IF} Faded + Exhibition Sneak Peek

I am really loving faded colours lately. I used to be such a black and white with hot pink girl, but lately it seems all of my work is featuring much more muted tones (still pinks of course).

This is a little sneak peek into some artwork I am creating for our upcoming Sole Sisters Collective exhibition in August. I thought that it tied in with the Illy Friday theme a bit as the feathers seem to be falling away from something, plus the colour scheme helps a bit!

Still a long way to go for an exhibition piece too!!!!

Pencil and ink feathers, coffee stain, digitally coloured

{IF} Sight

A quick sketch of my whippet (sighthound) Myfanwy - yeah, she's Welsh. Love whippets ever since my cousin introduced me to them - best dog ever! Sexiest figure ever.

Pencil sketch on my work notepaper, digitally coloured

{IF} Hitched

Today is exac-er-te-ly 6 months until I get hitched. 10.11.12 

Better get ticking off those funny little wedding lists!

Quick image using pre-drawn blossoms (because I love them) and handwriting -
busy week and I don't want to stop Illy Friday while on a roll :)

Jen and Ally { Commission }

This had been a work in progress for ages. It certainly was a learning curve. I did learn that I really struggle to draw people to look like the actual person. In my head, I can find the similarities that make me recognise them, but it's not the case for everybody. Still was fun doing this pic and they are both happy on the outcome. Lovely present idea.

Lead pencil sketch and digital colour.