Well it is still January

Happy New Year!
I know I'm late, I'm always late, what can I say?
Better late than never?
Anyway, to me it still feels all midwintery as we have left the decorations up, for a while more, it's too dark here in the mountains of Snowdonia, we need the lights of the faeries to keep our spirits up.
That's a good reason isn't it?
We do take them down eventually, usually around Imbolg, we like to celebrate with the seasons and this seems fitting for this area.

This year I'm concentrating more on my painting and my fabric art 'stuff'.
As the room in which I work a.k.a. the kitchen, is full to the gills with paints and canvas, fabric and trims, I really do need to get on with these ideas to stop them just roaming around in my head.

I also need to get more organised with scanning and cropping etc so that I can actually show others what I have been doing , I mean, it might just appear to everyone that I am a lazy artist who just has ideas and no content, can't have that now can we?...he he he.

So here's one I prepared earlier...
I have been lured by the Siren's song yet again...

The sketch

First daubs

I know, she looks awful.
These are the early stages of the painting, where I can throw paint at the canvas and not worry about it too much.
I have the idea of what the finished work will be, so I just 'place' things where they should be without much thought, then I'm not too concerned about covering them up when I find the right place for everything.
The 'fish' are just blobs of fishythingys and will be changed completely later, they just need to remind me where I wanted a fish in the picture.

So, that's a little peek at what I have been doing, how about you?
Hope you have a lovely, creative year ahead, doing something you love.
Now, I really must get back to 'work'...the Muses are pulling my clothes again...:o)

How To Grow a Rose Faerie

Okay so maybe not actually grow a Faerie...it's my artistic license coming out and waiving itself about, so bear with me...

I have been asked how I 'come up' with ideas 'where does the inspiration come from?'...so...
I will let you into a little secret...I never come up with any ideas and I do not have any inspiration at all...naaah, that isn't true...the opposite is.
I can never ever shut off my damn brain and ideas for subjects to create are everywhere, always pulling at my clothes and nattering in my ears...they are doing it right now, telling me to move away from this evil machine and go and create something!
So, before they pull me into their dark, mysterious lair, I will share how this little lady came about...

1. Find a willing model...this is quite easy as the Fae are naturally vain and love to be sketched, if you do it quickly! If you're too slow, then forget it!
This lovely lady was sketched out on a big sheet of A3 paper with lovely black charcoal which we both enjoyed smudging and then getting covered in it.
She later washed herself in the birdbath...:o)

I then completely forgot about the sketch and went and created something else...
(I think it was either a miniature hatbox or an Art Doll...see what I mean)

I found this sketch tucked away behind the cupboards where it was covered in cobwebs, that's how long she had been forgotten...that's why she looks a little accusingly at me :o)

2. Find a pretty flower...this should be easy, there are plenty around...but not in the hay fever season oh no, because of the nasty pollen...and winter is a little too harsh for many flowers to poke their noses up...mmm...so that leaves the spring and autumn...but this is Wales, it rains most of the time...spring is always soggy and everything is droopy with rain...okay, so spring is out, that leaves autumn...nope, by then I have forgotten about wanting to paint a flower and am painting pumpkins instead...sigh...and another sigh...
So, look through your photo's and see if you can find one which will do for inspiration instead! :o)
No, stop looking at all of those other pics, you're looking for a flower, maybe a nice rose, not pictures of your children when they were little and cute...so very cute...sigh.
So, after a while you may find something which might do, if you squint at it, or use a lot of imagination...

This is Gertrude, not the most beautifully named but she smells divine :o)

So, now we have a model and a flower...what shall we do with them?

No.3 Try to fit your subjects together into a pleasing composition
Okay, sorry, that sounded like 'art speak' and we don't allow that here...
Because my charcoal sketch is big and I want to paint a small A4 picture I am going to have to get the old sketchbook out and see if the Fae will come and sit on the rose.
Easier said than done...although as the rose is so sweet smelling she eventually consented and it didn't turn out too badly. (Who needs critics when you can do it yourself?)
The sketch is now A4 and done with pencil, so that the lines are clearer-ish, (I never can stay tidy), so we are about to reach the next stage...unless some little squirrel in very shiny Armour comes by, then we will be off somewhere else with the Fae and this will become yet another forgotten painting (I should know, those armoured squirrels have sucked me into their dark wormholes many times).

 No.4 Decide which media to use... 
Although I love painting in oils best, for this picture I thought watercolours would be nice so everything in the sketch was copied onto watercolour paper and tucked away in a file to keep it nice and clean and away from cobwebs...can you see there's a pattern here?...
Then I went outside to play with the squirrel knight...

No.5 Remember the painting you started ages ago...
So, you're looking for something to do and because you don't know what you want to start, you go around tidying up your workspace...
And guess what you find?
Not just this picture but loads of other UFOs (Un-finished objects), just lying there in a box, who would have guessed there would be so many lovely things all ready for you to paint?
So, you say cheerio to Sir Squirrel de Wormhole and make a cup of tea and try to choose which one you fancy painting...
Because there is a rather pouty-looking faerie glaring from a big rose, you decide you should maybe choose her... and so the painting begins...after you have found a cookie to go with your cup of tea...

Almost finished, just a little blushing of the cheeks to do ;o)

I use old rescued plates and dishes as palettes, hence the rather fancy gold-rimmed painting equipment! he he he :o)

So, there we are, she just needs a little more eye-liner and she's good to go...I think...maybe I should add a little more shading here and there?
Maybe a little more green on the leaves or more creases on the petals?
Can you have too much paint?
Or, maybe I should just be happy that this one is finished at last...and she isn't looking too grumpy, well, not for the Fae anyway...

Do you think she has forgiven me yet?

Now I really must get my squeaky Armour oiled up...Sir Squirrel awaits...
I may be some time...:o)

One Upon a Time

One Upon a Time ...

At least that pumpkin is large enough for us to travel in.

Just when you thought it was safe to go back into The Land of Blog, who should there be tap tap tapping at the keyboard...but your little Old Faerie Godmother (aka Me)!
I have my wand at the ready to turn your autumn pumpkins into beautiful coaches...
Any little mice shall become horses...
You my dear, shall go to the ball!
Now, what do they wear for formal occasions these days?
Are poufy dresses still worn to the Royal Balls?
Ahhh never mind, in my head you are all dressed in the poufiest frocks I can imagine.
(And I can imagine really real poufiness!)

As you can see I have been swept away into my own world once again.
I think it started many years ago Doctor...when I first learnt how to fly.
Since then there has been no stopping me...

It doesn't help that the Fae are constantly begging portraits from me...and you know how much they like to flounce around!
So, here I sit, wand in hand, wondering if anyone out there is in need of a Faerie Godmother.
Do you feel in need of a little wand-waving?
Are your clothes all tatty and ragged?
Are you still looking for Prince Charming?
Fear not!
I shall endeavour to right this injustice!
Just say the word...
All you have to do is believe.
The rest is magic...:o)

Now, I really must finish these paintings...maybe I should take this poufy dress off first...

The ELF need your help!

Boo!
Hello out there in the Land of Blog...
I'm part of the E.L.F. (Elf Liberation Foundation) and I need your help!
This lazy 'Artist' will not finish us...we have been lying around this (very messy!) house and she just keeps ignoring us!
I have tried to look her in the eye to get her attention, I even put on my bestest sweetest smile...nothing!
Please, if you can help, or know of any help groups out there for lazy artists, please send us a message, we can now work the keyboard by using our feet and we enjoy jumping from one key to the next...and we can access her blog behind her back (we aren't as behind the times as she thinks).

To prove our point...

This poor creature has only had her head made, yes it is rather large we know, but surely that should not be a valid reason to leave her without a body!

And just look at the mess she makes us stand in!
We keep trying to tidy it but she always plonks her drawings down and covers us up!
Then she gets black smudgy pieces of stick and scribbles on paper and makes a black mess everywhere, there's no hope for her :o(
When she starts painting her Faery pictures she completely forgets about us...talk about fickle!

We also have a question...do you think we would look better in hats?
She gave some of us big fluffy hair and we aren't sure we approve...(it's so 1980's) and she only made me a hat (which is making some of the members a little envious)...

I have also been 'promised' (her promises are pie crusts) a little waistcoat, but I bet she's forgotten all about that idea...especially when she saw that naked Fae sitting on the flowers...her attention span is worse than a child's.
Oh...she's coming back...remember, she mustn't know about our conversation...keep it under your hat!
She doesn't come on this bloggy thing much so she will never notice...
Farewell people in the Land of the Blog and thank you from all of us...especially the ones we could not show you...they would make your hearts break...
Shhhhh...she's looking over here...tra la la la la...(I am the picture of innocence) ;o)