Illustration Friday - Surrender

This little lady is definately NOT going to surrender....

well maybe not until mum or dad really push the issue.

art play

I had a great day yesterday making lots of little animals with my watercolours. I started out on a project and it just wasn't going anywhere so I took a break and just let the brush take me where it wanted and these little critters emerged. The kangaroo on my last post was also one of three.

There was a general meeting of the ministry of bugs and

it was decided someone just had to tell Francoise that he wasn't a beetle!

No-one wanted to take responsibility for the telling however.

Lady McAnt

Things that fly

Ducky

There were horses too!

Please remember all images are copyright protected

Happy Australia Day everyone!

For all of my Australian friends and family I hope you all have a wonderful Australia Day whatever you chose to do today!
We are blessed to live in such a wonderful and beautiful country.
:-)  xoxoxoxo

Illustration Friday - Dusty

This is Dusty, so named because of his colour although most of his friends call him Ginger!
He is pleased to meet you!

Happy Anniversary Honey - Andrews anniversary card

Happy Anniversary Andrew, I love you!

Not usually one for big public displays of affection I did want to acknowledge my wedding anniversary (yesterday) in a special way.

I am lucky to have a wonderful husband who loves me very much, who supports and encourages everything I do, who is protective of me ( in the right ways) by upholding my rights , standing by me and standing up for me and who is a wonderful and loving dad to our daughter as well. We’ve been through a lot of good times together and some hard times too, you have been beside me for all of those and we have shared the burdens and the laughter and that’s what marriage is about to me.

Love ya.

Janet

Illustration Friday - Chicken

Hello all, I decided to depict 'life in the coup' and this little group have been at Mrs Pullet’s school of flight just before this image was made, Mrs Pullet seems to have inspired a few but some of the others just aren’t getting it yet.

I used photos of yellow pom poms for my chicks bodies. They had just the right amount of yellow and fluffiness I thought.

Stylish Blogger Award -

Yah! I am so touched to have received a stylish blogger award from Susanna http://susiart.blogspot.com/
Its a bit of fun but it also really means a lot to me as it tells me someone really enjoys my work. That is magic for me.

Here are the 7? things about me.


1.  The first thing is I take many things very seriously, and want to put my best into them, (unless it’s something like house work etc) so I apologies in advance if I don’t give you 7 things about me and 15 blogs to pass the award onto, it’s not that I don’t care it’s just that as I ponder over it for ages and I use time I probably should be using for many other things, so there’s number 2 –

2. I am time poor! I work full time and try to do art and I have a family who need me and… but many of us are so I am sure most of you can relate to that

3. I am unpredictable – even to myself so might even end up doing all 7 things about me and 15 blogs – I won’t know until I am done!

4. I’m finding it hard to do everyday things today – much of my country is experiencing severe flooding – extreme in parts and there has been loss of lives and property and its really very tragic and so out of anyone’s control.

5. What I could say in 5 words, I’ll probably say in 35… I’ve always been that way. It amazes me when people do essays and things like that and say "how can I possibly do 2000 words"…. Maybe quality is something I should think about tho :-)

6. I love my friends and family – they are my life blood. Trouble is I don’t see too many of them often enough – Distance - :-(

7. I love emoticons

These are the blogs I would love to pass the award onto if they are prepared to receive it. Number one for each is their amazing art which I enjoy immensely. Each though has brought something else to me in some way.
A few people might already have one too but I figure they deserve a second anyway.

1. Chris http://forrestillustration.blogspot.com/
2. Jack  http://jacktoon.blogspot.com/
3. Melissa http://melissalibanillustrations.blogspot.com/

Each of these people came into my blog very early on, when I first started illustration Friday posts and they have taken me from someone who loves to draw to a member of a very lovely supportive and nurturing global artist community by making me feel a part of that.

4. http://rapturepetsitting.blogspot.com/ Erin's love of her animals is palpable. I adore it
5. http://mrspoqui.blogspot.com/ I love what Mr Spoqui does
6. http://cadernodepintar.blogspot.com/ My comment I wrote next to this blog when I was planning this was " sheer joy in her heart" - I think I will stick with that.
7. http://laineyparker.blogspot.com/  A very sweet and gentle blog with lovely artwork and sharing of experiences
8. http://rayferguson.blogspot.com/ I just love this, the art, the humour, the reality captured in the art….
9. http://edrianthomidis.blogspot.com/ Art and art information - love both _I'm like a sponge with other artists tips and teachings
10. http://www.willterry.blogspot.com/ I think Will is a wonderfully generous artist, he shares so much of his art knowledge with people like me through his blog. I admire him.

There are so many others but hey - I'm exhausted, I now need to go and have a good lie down, you will need one too after reading this post!

Did you make it to the end? Let me know :-)

Illustration Friday - Dejavu

I wanted to enter Illustration Friday this week but I just didn't know what to draw so I did a sketch instead - weird thing is, it just feels really familiar to me, like I've seen it before somewhere....I cant explain it...

Apologies to Leonardo da Vinci
I had such fun with this, I have been really busy so thought it would be good for a real quick little line sketch but once I got into it I was enjoying the process and I became really lost in her face making lots of corrections and seeing little things I had never noticed before. She did end up quite dark in this one, but Im happy with it.
The painting is so beautiful, oh to be able to paint like the masters...

While I am here I would love to say thank you to Sussana  http://www.blogger.com/profile/01319560771413924212 who gave me a stylish blog award - it means a lot and my recipient post for it will appear soon. Janet

Creativity Art Day

What a wonderful afternoon I have had catching up with a like minded friend  and concentrating on art all afternoon. Really very pleasant, very inspirational and very cathartic! So much so we decided to make it a regular event as it is a very special time designated to sharing art, ideas, tools, and experiences.
Lots of laughs, lots of encouragement, lots of validation and I cant forget, lots of nice food too. so as you can guess, all round a fun event.

Thanks for a wonderful time Lucrezia and I look forward to spiralsanddots springing to life soon, if that's what you end up going with.

Stay tuned for future posts of eventful sessions....

 

The christmas gear is packed away with care

Well the house is de-Christmasised for another year. Packed away are the decorations, each one has special reminiscence etched into its shiny surface. Some have many years of memories of laughter, magic, joy and shared merriment while others are new to the fold and just beginning their journey and collection of memoirs, but all are treasures that I hope will surpass many generations.
As each one is packed neatly into little boxes and bubble wrap nostalgic memories flood through my mind of past joys and lost loved ones, human and animal, I turn to my husband or little girl and say "remember when..." and we all feel the moment as if we were back there and for that moment that loved one is holding our hand.
I'm really saddened by how many people say they "cant be bothered" with doing the things that make Christmas special, I find it sad they feel that way. Its not just Christmas, I know a lot of people don't celebrate that Holiday. Its the effort of making something (what ever you believe) special in some way for yourself and particularly if you have them, your children. We have become so disinterested as a society... I  wish people would start to find ways to put their magic back. We should all embrace that child within us that sees the joy and wonderment in things around us and would never for one minute think or say "I cant be bothered"

Made about 10 years ago - my first ever attempt at this kind of thing.

As is my style I didn't use patterns or anything, just did what I wanted.

Perhaps using a pattern isn't such a bad thing but I still like how they turned out.

a nice place to live

I think I should start thinking about my portfolio and what to put in it so I have been playing with some ideas today. These may not make it into the portfolio but they are helping me to think along the lines of some of the sorts of images I might include. Mushroom house might... :-)

illustration friday - resolutions

We don't usually go in for resolutions much round here, just try to live well and treat people as we would like to be treated however there are certainly a few things Id like to do more in 2011, these are just some! :-)

HAPPY 2011 EVERYONE!