Having a go at painting landscapes in acrylic

Had a go at painting with acrylics last night. The paint is so different from watercolours but I am enjoying the process of learning from a Frank Clarke book.



I went on a bike ride to the local lighthouse at Hale this morning to take loads of photos for future paintings..at one point a sparrowhawk flew very close it was such a beautiful sight. I love living so near the Mersey Estuary.




Here is a photo of me looking daft but warm in my cycle helmet and dayglo jacket...

Princess Greyce

Did another quick watercolour painting... this time with rolled up grunged papers, sewing, lace and buttons. All these paintings are approx 5x5 so are fairly quick to do. I think I am going to put them all in a little book when I have finished..dont know yet!

We all went to another christmas fair today this time at the school. We had a fab time and my two youngest held a barn owl and a large snake around their neck! We were looking at all the toys and we bought another planetarium for shining stars on to the ceiling..this is such a great idea to get them off to sleep! As I was buying that they put out an old easel..so of course I had to buy that as I was looking for an old easel..just had to glue a little piece on but its lovely made from old beechwood with a Paris mark on it.

While on FB noticed that a new event is coming up called the 12 days of whimsy..looks like a lovely thing to join in with and it starts on 1st December for 12 days...

Have a good weekend everyone!

Raven Blue

Did another painting today..this one is called Raven Blue and is dedicated to my Italian friend Palma who loves ravens! I have used moulding paste again in the hair but have also added blue glitter too for a change. Various scrollswork stamp images added and glitter fibres sewn on the top.

In case your wondering how I quickly paint a face each day..here is my secret..prepare lots of backgrounds with blank faces then paint each face and add different elements to each depending on your mood!

Roses at the window

Another face painted with watercolours..this time a brunette and I have added corrugated cardboard and molding paste for texture. The watercolour paper was quite flimsy so have sewed all my recent face paintings to some card as a frame.

Botanical Blonde

Here is another face I have painted using watercolours, napkin flowers and various papers for the background. On the hair I have used modelling paste and added lace and buttons to the bottom. Quite like painting faces at the moment. We had another busy weekend as on Saturday we went to another church christmas fair and had lunch with my mum in law and her friends as it was at her church. We bought loads of board games for 50p! so I have been playing endless games of Simpsons scrabble and Sorry with my sons. We also bought a wormery for 50p and have been digging up worms and adding leaves and soil to it..it has been around most rooms in the house as it has become my sons new pet!

Vintage Madonna ATCs

Made some ATCs tonight for the yahoo group I have just joined. Ribbons, stamped arch, vellum, beads and ink. Just reading some of the comments..I was brought up with strict old style Catholicism with catechisms, incense etc so I think that is what influenced these! with the beads echoing the colours of the stained glass windows and the old stone arches. We are going to another christmas fair tomorrow at my mother in laws church so hoping to pick up lots of books and of course my sons will buy more toys..hope everyone has a great weekend.

Fiery Red

Had a go at painting a whimsical face with watercolours last night..she is called Fiery Red. I like the way watercolours allow other paper layers and napkin flowers to show through.

Just to explain I like to put up smaller photos of my paintings due to possible problems with sites like Pinterest where others could print off my paintings and sell them..hope you understand...unfortunately this is a problem that we all need to be aware of!

Vintage Christmas ATCs and Tag

Decided to make some ATCs this morning for a new yahoo group I have joined called

Vintage Photo Images. I used some offcuts of mountboard I had from cutting my own mount frames for my watercolour paintings..my house now looks like a gallery!

I also made a tag for UK Stampers which my friend Linda is hosting. Its very cold here at the moment so am carrying on with crocheting my blanket to put around me when the house is cold..I have nearly finished and am down to my last 2 balls of wool.

Practising painting moving water and more rocks

Had another go at painting watercolours today..this time painting moving water and more rocks. I love painting watercolours but found painting water very difficult so its not bad for a first attempt...going to practise some more soon. I went to the art shop this morning to buy more watercolour pads as I have finished the first one..cant believe I have done 12 paintings already! I also bought some mount board so going to have a go at cutting them out. There are a couple of workshops starting on Monday 14th....a free mandala course and I have signed up for a she-art workshop as love the paintings and I have found that I quite like following workshops and meeting new artists out there as long as they are reasonably priced of course! Have a look at the links just to the right. We are all looking forward to going to the church christmas fair tomorrow as they have a great Santa there and cook the best scouse in Liverpool..lovely to have a family meal all together and no doubt we will come back with all kinds of toys priced at 20p! Hope you all have a great weekend.

Botanicals twinchie box

Altered the smaller of the book boxes today with some napkin floral paper. Have painted the inside in one of my favourite calming blue colours and added a tassel and some prima flowers to the outside. The inside has a little twinchie with the word smile on it..I want to make quite a few twinchies as I have a frame that I want to alter to fill with twinchies..so this little box will be ideal to keep them in until I use them! The challenge over at just for fun is fav colour so be sure to check out the other entries too.

Chinese quote box

This months alter it monthly challenge is things with drawers, doors etc. I decided to alter a little book type box to hold all my recent Chinese gifts given by my friend Linda. The little box inside holds little washi paper cranes sent to me a couple of years ago while next to it I have made a little book to hold all my yogi tea quotes. Be sure to check the other entries too for some more inspiration...

practising painting boats...

Have needed a lot of calm in my life lately so have started to have a go at painting boats. I would just love to sail away on one of these to a lovely warm climate instead of the cold we are starting to have now..

Ultramarine Blue and Burnt Umber

moon river....



calm..

I have just used two paints in my latest watercolour paintings. With these I wanted to leave out paint and have more white showing and use less paint. I am very pleased with the way these have turned out and am quite surprising myself!..the secret as with anything is keep practising....

(my husband has just come in and has told me to keep doing this and not change to something else like I usually do!! so expect a lot more watercolours this month! I think one of the reasons why I took up watercolours was that I could prove to myself that I could do "proper" paintings as well as abstracts, mixed media etc etc)