Sunday 17 February 2013

Happy Sunday my lovelies.  I hope you've been out enjoying the sunshine today.  It felt almost spring-like here in the Black Country.  It was bright and breezy and perfect weather for drying lots of towels on the line outside.  

I have great news to impart!

The craft-pod is DONE!!

 Its finished and complete and lovely and shiny and dry and insulated and  bright and airy and has a lovely laminated floor and shelving and.... is lovely! (!)  I'm so pleased!  At last I can move my stuff in.  Lovely man finished putting the electrical supply in today which was the last job to be done. This was important so that I can have heat and light in there, particularly as I'm most likely to us it during the evenings. I know it sounds like this project has been going on forever - but the bad weather coupled with him only really being able to work on it on Sundays because of work/sleep commitments has extended completion by a few weeks.  Its all good though.  I just have to be ruthless now and throw everything away that I'm really not going to use, instead of pretending that it will come in handy for a future project.  I'm guessing that some hideous papers which haven't been used in five years are highly unlikely to be used in the next five years either!  Photographs of my little play den will follow in a future post once all my stash is in situ.

I managed to get some crafting done today - just a little play in my art journal but it does my equilibrium good to do it.  Sundays and I don't get on very well really.  I'm ok up until midday but then I'm constantly watching the clock and willing it go more slowly.  I'm really finding out now how much art journalling is like a form of therapy.

I've never been able to draw.  Ever!  In fact, I used to despair of myself in school art classes when everyone else was creating masterpieces and my still life of a bowl of fruit looked like a tarantula who had taken mind altering drugs had done a tango across my cartridge paper. Particularly as I used to sit next to a girl whose artwork, even at a very early age, was truly mindblowing.  There was no way I could have ever competed.  Its only now that I realise that I didn't really need to.

Anyway.  I have recently challenged myself to do more drawing.  We bought ourselves (man and I) a  children's book which gives the basic principles of drawing and I followed the tutorial for drawing faces.  I sketched the basics of this face a few weeks ago but was a bit reticent about sharing it on my blog.  Today I took a paintbrush to it and thoroughly enjoyed mixing and shading and splashing acrylics and water over it.




These pages are dedicated to releasing my artistic inhibitions.  My journal my rules.  Therein - there are no rules!  

Ooh I say.  

I'm feeling strangely empowered!  

Thanks Journal! 


12 comments:

  1. Before throwing hideous paper, look at our post today, hideous paper does not come more hideous than what we managed to use!

    Your drawing is good, your person looks like a person, we achieved an Ungraded in art at school, hence our love of rubber stamps and cut outs!

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    1. Thanks bears - I have some reaaaaaally horrid papers though - perhaps I should challenge myself to use them!

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  2. Ooh Kim I can't wait to see the pictures of your crafty den! Good luck with the drawing, am impressed so far ...

    Thanks for popping over to me and have a Happy Monday!

    Love Claire xxx

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    1. I'm sorting out my stash Claire - I can't wait to move in - if only work didn't get in the way! Thanks for visit x

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  3. My Dad used to say: "Of course you can draw. You just put a pencil against paper and move it around."

    Of course he COULD draw - very well. And he made sure we always tried to draw too. So eventually I started turning out a few things that I quite liked. It's just practice, you know. Observation and practice.

    Releasing your inner artist is a very good way to start. Now make sure you don't lock her away again.

    (This wasn't supposed to sound like a lecture. It was SUPPOSED to sound encouraging. I blame Monday morning.) :)

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    1. It was indeed very encouraging AJ - I just need a kick up the backside!

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  4. Good on you, and I think she's lovely! I have troubles even with stick figures, not so easy if you can't draw a straight line! lol

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  5. I have craft pod den envy before the unveiling!!! I'd love one, must ask/nag t'other half a little bit (more!)
    BH x

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    1. Hahah - I'm dying to get in there now. I have to wait until the weekend to move all my stuff in - stupid work getting in the way! x

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  6. Crikey, if you think your lady is you not being able to draw you are very wrong! She is lovely! So pleased your pod is ready for occupation, I am really looking forward to seeing it. As for hideous paper, dont chuck it, it can be used for many things - cut it into masks for spritzing over; ink it/paint it/stamp it to make something you like; create flaffers etc with it; make rolled jewellery; use it to cover your workspace when being messy; decoupage it onto boxes/waste paper bins/pen holders/mini drawers etc. and breathe. Can you tell I don't throw stuff out? (I don't do anything with it either but that's my secret.) I really need to get rid of the fibres and ridiculous stickers I bought. Now they ARE hideous!

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    1. Hello Sweetie lady - how lovely to see you! Thanks for visiting and thank you for your tips - they are very welcome. Yes fibres - whatever were we thinking?!

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