Reflections on 2015

Well, what a year 2015 has been for me....let's start with my art then my health.

Art 2015

Butterfly Blessings

Mixed Media on Watercolour Paper

35cm x 57cm

In June I did the Beautiful Faces online class with Jane Davenport.

In August I did the Exploring Watercolor Portraits online class with Guada.

In October I did the Book of Trees online class with Guada.

These are the girls I created from January to March:

My Health - in March I was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma and had several cycles of chemo, in September I had chemo and a stem cell transplant. I lost all my hair but it is now growing back.  I have good days and bad but I'm getting stronger.

Hopefully 2016 will be a better year for me...and a great one for you.

New Art and New Hair

I am doing another online course with Guadalupe Brizuela Cabal aka Guada called Book Of Trees. We have made a book with great backgrounds to create our faces, hands and flora on.

Here's Week 3 - a 3/4 portrait with watercolour and collage branches and nest.

Here's Week 2 - a front facing portrait and tree.

Here are my backgrounds:

During the week I bought a wig:

If you are new here then here is what I have previously looked like:

Have a great week...

I'm Home after Stem Cell Transplant

Hi everyone, I'm home from hospital after some nasty chemo and a stem cell transplant. I'm very tired but look forward to getting better and getting back to my art and normal life over the next few months to a year. I've also lost all my hair...

I did a little art whilst in hospital but developed a temperature and felt like doing nothing. I concentrated on doing what I knew and not trying something new.

The above is based on a couple of photos I found on Pinterest...

I have joined another online course but need to go shopping for a few special supplies, maybe some art treats.  :D  I look forward to showing you next week or the week after.  Now it's time for a nap.  ;)

Ciao!

New Faces and Myeloma Update

I have been busy creating new faces before I go into hospital next week for chemo and a stem cell transplant. I will take a bag of mixed media goodies with me into hospital in case I feel like painting as art heals...

I also might have Carpal Tunnel Syndrome as my hands are numb and hurt at night but will have to look at this after I come out of hospital.

I will be in hospital for 2-3 weeks and will not be taking my laptop or writing any blogs until I'm out and feeling up to it. Take care....

Meet Helena and Helen

A friend commissioned me to create these two girls.

Helena

Mixed Media

30cm x 42cm, 12" x 16"

It was challenging to work to a client's instructions and to lose creative control over my work. But I love them both and now see the artwork as a partnership.

 

Helen

Mixed Media

30cm x 42cm, 12" x 16"

Mixed media - monoprints for the clothes, hat and hair, watersoluble crayons, acrylic paints, pens and pencils.

Exploring Watercolor Portraits with Guada

For the past three weeks I have been participating in an online class taught by Guadalupe Brizuela Cabal called Exploring Watercolor Portraits. Guada was very generous and gaveaway two places in her class and I won one!

I had a great time and learnt so much, and I really loved Guada's style of teaching.

This was such a fun class and I'm able to paint the girls in my own style too adding some great headwear.

I even got some compliments on my girls from my husband and my mum!!  :D I can't wait to create some more.....

My New Buzz Cut

This week it was time to cut my hair off. It had become thin and scraggly, there was a lot on my comb and a lot on the bathroom floor too, so I decided it was time. There were no tears and no party as I imagined it to be, just hubby and I having a good time!! This is my favourite photo taken by my husband of me feeling my buzz cut for the first time. Love that feeling!!

Here's some before, during and after photos:

I ordered some caps to wear:

At the moment I'm feeling quite good, have recovered from the stem cell harvest and go into hospital for the transplant process on the 25th Aug - 11th Sept.

Take care, I'll be back next week with some girls I've created in Guada's Exploring Watercolor Portraits class.

ICAD 2015 and Myeloma Update

Index Card a Day 2015 finished today and here are my 61 index cards!!! The aim/challenge is to create a little piece of art on an index card for 61 days - I managed to create 61 cards over 61 days but I will confess there were days when I was too busy or too sick to create but I did think about the cards.

For more info on ICAD 2015 check out this blog:  http://daisyyellowart.com/vividlife/icad-2015-index

Here are my favourite ones:

Here they are :

Here's how I binded them:

Healthwise - at the moment I am going through the stem cell harvest process which means that I have high dose chemo then injections to get the stem cells to multiply.  I'm tired and my hair is still falling out but I still have some!!! I'm doing ok, ups and downs, swings and roundabouts....

Myeloma Update and ICAD 2015

Myeloma update: Last Thursday I developed a pain in my ribs on my left hand side, on my back. It was a steady pain then it would get worse and then there would be shooting pain. Anyhow I went to the hospital on Saturday afternoon after spending Friday night on the recliner as I was more comfortable there than in bed. The doctor sorted out my pain medication and I went home on Sunday afternoon. I did have an x-ray taken, they are looking for a lesion - where the cancer has 'eaten' away at the bone - causing bone pain but have found nothing and I may need a CT scan. I have been pain free since Tuesday lunchtime but this morning my rash has returned. :(

This is me on April 1st before I began treatment and on July 1st - the moon face is from the steroids I take.

Index Card A Day 2015 Update:

Day 28

I really liked this page from an old book that I had brayered paint onto especially the title "What Every Woman Knows". Then I found this quote - "Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters". How true.

Index Card A Day 2015 - the aim is to create a little piece of art on an index card, everyday for 61 days.  Here are my first 30 days/cards.

Day 29 and 30

Days 19 - 27

Days 9 - 18

Hope everything is going well with you in your life.

Beautiful Faces

Here are some of the beautiful faces I have created in Jane Davenport's Beautiful Faces class.

Here are some other faces I have created: