Wednesday 29 August 2012

Wednesday Workshop and Sunday Snippets

Next Tuesday I am flying out to New York City and then to New Hampshire to go to Squam Fall 2012 - an art workshop on Squam Lake.

Today was my last Wednesday Workshop with Neil Elliott, a local mixed media artist for 6 weeks so I thought I'd catch you up on what's been happening at the workshop.  Neil is a great teacher, very informative, always encouraging us to have fun and take risks and gives out lots of praise.

Here are all four StreetScapes that I did this year - using sewing patterns, acrylic paint and masking tape. Interesting to see how I changed as I played around with this style and technique...

Which is your favourite scene???  I like number three - Outback House - the best....

Outback House evolution pics...







Neil's House evolution pics....


Cardboard art I've been working on - background and finished painting:

Little Brown House:


Dragon's Head background - I can see a dragon's head in the background of this painting so that's it's title for now...





Here's Neil Elliott's Batboy!!!


Today Neil showed us his bitumen technique - more work still to be done on this test piece - shame I won't be here to see the transformation...





Here's a group piece we are all working on as a donation to a local school to be auctioned....paint needs to dry then more layers will be added next week...some bitumen too no doubt...a very stinky process...


I created one more Flower painting over the past couple of weeks...


My order of new postcards and business cards finally arrived from Moo - 2 weeks after their ETA...


Lemon Meringue Pie I made for a family dinner last weekend...





Here's what the dinner table looked like - as fancy as it comes in our house...



This is Who I Am pic - me with my new prescription sunglasses on....


So I think we are all caught up with what's been happening....now I can start packing my bags for my Big American Adventure - scared and excited all rolled into one.....any tips or advice is appreciated....

Monday 20 August 2012

Giving Back, Giving Flight



A year ago I started an online creative business course with Kelly Rae Roberts called Flying Lessons and it's been an amazing year since then. I started my own website, ordered some business cards and postcards, created and sold pendants and paintings. I also joined the Summer 2011 Flying Lessons Group aka my Fly Tribe - a Facebook group to connect with others doing the course - an incredible group of creative, inspirational and supportive women. 

Doing the course has given me a lot confidence and courage to display my art and to travel overseas to a Squam Art Workshop in New Hampshire, USA.  In two weeks time I will be flying to New York City and will spend the Saturday with some of these beautiful women touring art galleries and going shopping - it's going to be an amazing experience and I will meeting a couple of them at Squam too.

Here's a brand new painting I created for displaying and selling at a local winery in late October. It's titled The Birdcage - see the bird outside the cage looking at the cat?  Protection vs freedom.

The Birdcage, acrylic on canvas, 36" x 36" 91cm x 91cm

The Fly Tribe decided to celebrate the anniversary by giving back and donating money to send one person on the Flying Lessons course.  We raised enough money to send 8 people on the course and Kelly Rae said she would match us $ for $ so we have 16 Flying Lessons e-courses to give away!!!  Sixteen people will be given flight!!!  That's huge, enormous, wonderful, exciting - I'm so proud of the generous women in this special group and this means that 16 lucky people out there will be able to do the course and give their artistic dreams flight.

Interested???  Here's how...Check out the Fly Tribe blog post and leave a comment at the bottom.  How easy and how awesome is that????

Click on the links below to join in on our Giving Back, Giving Flight one year anniversary blog hop:

Rachél Payne http://wp.me/pWRyw-10P
Live Laugh Love Retreats http://livelaughloveretreats.com



Friday 17 August 2012

Glass and Bezel Pendants

Last Monday I made 50 pendants and took hundreds of photographs and lost the cable to my camera-computer when it got tangled up in the cords of the printer...now I have found the cable and can show you some pics...











I buy all my supplies from Annie Howes Etsy store and on her website is a tutorial.  I have found Annie's products and service to be excellent and she gave me a $20 discount on postage to Australia.












I had to cut down my business cards to fit into the organza bags...

I am taking these pendants with me to America to give as gifts to people I meet.  Any I have left I will be selling in October when I've returned.

Not everything went to plan as you can see from these rejects - they loose their colour if you put too much glue/Diamond Glaze on them esp before setting them in the trays...what I then did was soak them in warm, soapy water until the cabuchon, tray and paper separated and am making some more.




Sunday 12 August 2012

Shells' Sundays Snippets

My week in pics...








Joining in with {tinniegirl} and {sunday snippets} A collection of photos from your week. No need for words. Let the pictures tell your story.



Friday 10 August 2012

New Flower Paintings

Here are two new flower paintings I created this week for two upcoming art shows:





Four Flowers, Acrylic on Canvas, 75cm x 51cm


Flowers, Acrylic on Canvas, 75cm x 51cm



Here are some progress shots:





Sunday 5 August 2012

Shells' Sunday Snippets

My week in pics....








Joining in with {tinniegirl}{sunday snippets} A collection of photos from your week. No need for words. Let the pictures tell your story. Pop your link below if you're joining in.