Beach In My Backyard Series

This series has been in the works for a while with more in the pipeline! The first two prints are now available via my online shop. Both will have a limited edition of 30 hand painted prints.

SGSG 1

Make Your Own Travel Journal

Keeping a journal while you're travelling is a great way to capture your thoughts and adventures to enjoy once you're back home. You can even leave spaces to stick in your travel photos to make the journal complete.

Finding time to write while you're on the go is a challenge. These tips will help you to journal successfully.

The Pages

Collect coloured papers, used envelopes, inspiring quotes, birthday cards, magazine clippings, and anything else that makes you happy. The pages don't even need to be the same size. 

Smaller pieces can be glued onto larger ones or be used as tabs/dividers.

Cover

You don't have to have a hard cover on your journal. It could be soft-covered like a paperback novel or magazine. Here's some ideas:

• Use cardboard from a cereal box. Then cover it with wrapping paper/contact/sheet music/a poster/painted paper/stickers... anything!
• Wrap your journal in nice fabric from an old scarf or skirt instead of a cover.
• Make a simple drawstring bag for your journal.

Contents

Your journal: Your rules. You can have anything in it you want! Photos of loved ones and pets. Pages to draw on. Pages for writing. Envelopes are always great for storing ticket stubs and other memorabilia.

The power of watercolours...

Add interest to white pages with splashes of watercolour washes. Pick two or three colours for a page and use sparingly. Let the colours run together in some places, then leave flat to dry.

Pre-filling Pages

I often struggle to get time to sit and write when travelling because I'm off trying to cram a thousand things into each day! So I make forms on some of the pages before I leave. That way I can fill out a form, so that I'm sure to capture the important details of the day whenever I can grab a short window of time.  

Here's some examples. You're welcome to download these and use in your next journal!

[Click on each image to load the full size version, then right click and save as. You can then print out at whatever size you like.]

Binding Ideas

You can be really creative here. Anything goes. It doesn't have to be uber professional, just functional. Here are some options for joining your pages together:

• Use staples (you can even get coloured ones!) or brads/split pins.
• Use a hole punch, punching a few pages at a time. Make two, three or more holes along the spine and then tie a string or ribbon through each hole.
• Borrow the heat binder from work/TAFE/Uni.
• Borrow the ring binder from work/TAFE/Uni. Or even just use it to punch the holes, then get crazy with those friendship band skills you developed in Primary School and thought you'd never use again. Weave and knot the pages together.
• Buy an awl (They're $2 from Spotlight) to poke holes through your pages and then stitch the pages together.
• Punch one hole in the top of each page and slip onto an o ring binder. 

In the studio

I've been a busy girl but sometimes life takes over. Since we've moved house, I have a studio room set up, but I seem to spend a lot of my time making art out here:

Such a great place to create!

I'm totally inspired after doing a collagraph workshop with Magali Dincher in Fremantle. Here are my first efforts:




I've since made a HEAP of new printing plates. Surf inspired ones - and can't wait to use the press again to get some printed. I'll be tinting them with watercolours and selling as limited edition prints.

I'm hoping to get in there in August, then I'll be putting a sneak peek on here. So much planned for the next couple of months!

Hooking

So this is a slightly different post from the usual. I started crocheting a few months ago. Just one step further into nanna-ness. Anyway it's super useful and cheap. Been making mates slouchy beanies as free patterns are in abundance. Wanted to make a pair of fingerless gloves for a friend's birthday and set about finding a pattern I liked. In the end, I developed my own. I'm including it here...

8 ply wool, 6mm crochet hook
Work flat in rows, turning your work at the end of each row.

Row 1: Chain 25
Row 2: hdc into 2nd chain from the hook. Hdc to end.
Row 3: Chain 2 to turn. Hdc entire row.
Row 4-7: repeat row 3.
Row 8: 1 chain to turn. sc entire row,
Row 9: As for 8.
Row 10: chain 2, dc in same stitch. Skip the next stitch, *2 dc in same stitch, skip the next stitch* repeat * to * til end.
Rows 11,12,13: chain 2, hdc to end.
Rows 14: As for row 10.
Row 15: chain2 to turn. hdc to end.
Row 16: as for 15.
Row 17: As for 15.
Row 18: As for row 10.
Row 19: As for 15
Row 20: as for 15
Row 21: As for 15
Row 22: chain 2 to turn, 2dc in same stitch. Skip next stitch. *3dc in next stitch, skip stitch* repeat * til end.
Row 23: chain 2. *hdc2tog, hdc in following stitch* repeat * til end.
Row 24: chain 2, hdc in next stitch. hdc in each stitch til the end.
Row 25: chain 1, sc in same stitch, sc in each stitch til end.

Fasten off.
Lastly slip stitch long sides together, right sides in. Else you can stitch with a tapestry needle, if preferred.
Beginning at top edge and using the photo as a guide, slip stitch edges together for 1 in. (2.5 cm), leave next 1 1/2 in. (4 cm) open for thumb, slip stitch remainder of side edges together. Fasten off and weave in ends.

stitch detail

Surf Check

I've finally finished this painting. I used friskett/masking fluid to cover the washing line and girl's hair when I was doing the washes for the sea and sky. I've been working on creating even washes and it certianly helped being able to brush over the whole area quickly, rather than filling in small areas while other parts are drying rapidly. I did, however, learn the hard way to be careful when peeling the dry fluid off the paper.

I was inspired by the muted colour scheme of yellow/oranges, clear blue and a sea foam green of this artwork by John Culqui. (While you're there, check out the cool blog & art of the Boda Surfamily) John's work is simple lines and colours, but so evocative!! I ended up using a few more colours than I'd planned but I think I'm happy with it. The overall mood is pretty close to what I was aiming for.

I'm looking into doing another short course, this time in drawing. There is a 'drawing for beginners' or an 'illustration for children's books', but I don't have a lot more info. The children's book course sounds pretty interesting. Nice context for learning and I would like to develop that illustrative style rather than a life-like, photorealist style.

My next project: a painting of my mate's kombi!

Ocean treasures

Recent watercolours I finished since coming back from our trip.

I learn something every time I paint. Wet in wet. Wet in dry. When to use which. Blending, shading, colours. The biggest thing with watercolours is learning to leave it alone. The shell above was my first go at using masking fluid. Learned you have to take a bit of care pulling it off.

Treasures from Gnaraloo. So inspired to try a still life like this. Then I saw some work by Sue Kalab when visiting my Grandfather in hospital. Sadly I couldn't find any of her ocean inspired work online. I'm pretty happy with my limited colour pallette and the secondary shadows work well.

Rainbow in the storm

Things are pretty gloomy today. A huge front is passing over the City. It feels like winter.

I spent the whole weekend painting and drawing and these are some of the results.
Pulled out the sewing machine for the first time in about 2 years. Feels good. And my needle was sufficiently worn in to blast through the watercolour paper.

After I completed the one above I came across this amazing website with tips on controlled washes and graded washes and the like. So I have been pracitisng my technique. The writer talks a lot about using the 'bead' of watercolour and not letting it dry out. Makes sense. Worth checking out if you're a beginner like me. The section on common mistakes has been invaluable. With any luck I'll now have smooth washes instead of blotchy ones and no unexpected water marks. watercolour techniques

Elementia Series

A series of artworks that I completed for an exhibition a few years ago. They all sold, bar one. Click through on the image to see a larger version on Flickr.

New painting!

I have finally finished this! Been blue balling it a bit. You know when you procrastinate because you don't want to make a mistake? I do it all the time. I don't know why. It's not like I can't just start again...

So I bought better quality paints and then had to wait for them to arrive, then realised I needed to get a bit familiar with them before blasting straight into painting this.

So anyway, it makes me happy. It reminds me of girls' only trips to Lancelin (2 hours north of where I live). It's one of those tiny holiday/fishing/surf towns that don't have a proper supermarket. Lots of scrub and sand dunes. Relaxed and low key. The weekends are always carefree and full of too much good food and filthy language and, with luck, some super good waves. The toughest decisions centre around which board and which thickness of wettie/rashie to wear.

Trees

Fermenting

Lots of ideas are rolling around in my head, but now I think it's time I stop procrastinating and start pulling things off shelves and out of boxes. It's time to make a start.

Over the last couple of years I've really moved away from textiles and into mixed media and photography. Now, how to combine them all...

I'm really feeling a desire to get back into free machine embroidery.

Managing a recent art competition has been really inspiring, seeing all the great work. Dampened slightly by a sensationalised story in the paper that has rather destracted from the wonderful event and participation of so many artists. Sometimes I'm just so disheartened by our society. The media in particular. It's only good news if it's bad news.

So I'm off to hunt some waves this afternoon! The storm has passed, leaving banks, offshores and swell in its wake. That is sure to sooth my soul and wash away the week.
Hope you're finding waves and inspiration in whichever part of the world you grace.

New hobby

So not much painting of late. Or collage or textile work. There just aren't enough hours in the day. Plus having to work really cuts into my 'me' time. :P It's finally starting to feel like we're getting close to Winter and so I have been doing a suitable activity.

A workmate started teaching a friend and me about three weeks ago and we're unstoppable now. It is so easy, I recommend it to anyone that wants to learn. Being a lefthander, I did feel a bit challenged. Generally I'm pretty good at reversing instructions but this was pretty confusing to mirror. I found a few nifty vids on youtube giving left-handed demos of how to do different stitches. Helped a lot.

So I have set myself the task of making a blanket. 10 squares by 10squares. That's 100 squares, kids. So far I've made about 15. There's just something about crocheted granny squares. It's so retro and nostalgic. It reminds me so beautifully of my childhood. You know those hazy, intangible memories that are more feeling than anything else? I spend half my life trying to recapture them.

Sketchbook

I made a series of scrap/sketch books a number of weeks ago. The concept was one I'd seen demonstrated by Traci Bautista who does funky, urban inspired art and bookmaking. So I've taken a pile of photocopies of my work, along with coloured paper, watercolour paper and some b&w photocopies and bound them using my zutter bind-it-all. 

It's actually been really liberating. I made sure I had lots of colour and lots of different sized pages. So now when have an idea or want to draw something, I open up to a little page that is just the right size and off I go.  It has also enabled me to make it a work in progress and I've been sticking in things: yoga stickers, festival flyers, cider bottle labels, lyrics. fun!

Ocean inspired collage in the background. Sketch inspired by camping trips down south to Denmark, one of Maddie Joyce's camping adventures and, well, all this.

Desert Lefts

Beach in My Backyard

Psychodelic 60s page - Sandtracks

Beach in My Backyard

Drawing Down the Moon

I've been beavering away drawing and filling my sketchbook. These are the first paintings I've finished on this theme. I'm a bit bummed because the watercolours I've used let me down a bit. They didn't deal with being diluted for a wash and became grainy. I've ordered some winsor newton cotman's half pans from the UK. I've done another drawing but don't want to finish it til I get the new paints.

We spent the weekend down in Margaret River watching the finals of the Drug Aware Pro. Kelly Slater got knocked out before we arrived, along with Mick, and Taj lost his quarter final. The swell died and the finals were a real struggle, waiting for waves. Courtney Conologue was great to watch. Couldn't believe that everyone left after the men's event finished and didn't bother to watch the women's finals. Says something about people's interest in surfing. I'd hoped it would be more equal. Pretty sad.

We've finally had some rain after the longest Summer we've ever had. It is very welcome. The image below is inspired by our last girls surf trip up north, back when it was 40 degrees.

Backyard Bliss

In the Zone

So something has happened. Maybe it's the change in season. Maybe it's this moon, but I finally have some ideas cranking and I feel like they're taking me somewhere!

About a year ago I had a total epiphany realising I could combine my art and my surfing. Kind of obvious, I know... But there are so many super super surf artists out there. I'm just blown away at the endless number of ways people find of drawing waves! What can I bring that is new? So I've really struggled to figure out how to make it mine. My style.

When I was painting my first surfboards I was trying to think about what surfing in Australia is like. How are the images and culture different? What's unique? So that's been rattling around in my head for a few months. Answers are now starting to fall out.

I'm drawing and painting and even have ideas for how to incorporate my textile work in a way that I think will work!

How do you find your own style? What's your point of difference? What is the unique thing you love about the place that you depict in your art?

Watercolour course - final week

 

Here's my finished painting with details added and the tones in the car darkened. Getting the right balance with light and dark has been a challenge. Plus figuring out what to try to paint in and what to leave out.

This painting was inspired by a photo by photographer, Ryan Tatar. His photos have a wonderful retro feel and are often themed around surf culture in California.
Click through on the images below to visit his flickr photostream.

Watercolour course - Part 2

We did flowers this week. I'm not totally thrilled with what I did, but I learned something. I like some of the poppies in the image below. I had fun working wet-in-wet and trying to create light and shadow by adding water.

This one was really just to play around with salt. meh.

This one I started in week 3 and have almost finished. I'm really happy with it and am stoked that I managed to draw a car. I spent a lot of time drawing before I got into painting. Since this photo I've touched up a few things and made some shadows darker.

This is the original photo by Ryan Tatar that I've worked from. He takes wonderful photos and you should check his retro world out here.

Watercolour Course Part 1

I've completed 3 weeks of my watercolour course now and it's been great. I've certainly learned a lot and it's really good to have the time allocated each week to practise.

These are still lifes from week one. The idea is to concentrate on tone, shades of light and dark.
Week 2: below. Still life and working wet-in-wet. At the start of week 4, I'm now finally starting to see when I can use wet-in-wet and when I can use wet on dry.

 
Week 3: above and below. I was so knackered but made myself come anyway. I'm actually really happy with my ghost gum and plan to have a go at painting some more trees. I really like the sky in the one below, but there are a few random things about it. That's called learning though, I guess. Each time I've completed a painting I've learned something. 

I've almost finished the piece I started in Week 4. I spent a lot of time working on the drawing and didn't finish it in class. There were plenty of times where I thought I'd bitten off more than I could chew. But I've surprised myself and am actually really pleased with how it's progressing. Who knew I could draw a car?!