Hung!

Today I pitched in and helped hang all the artwork for.....

Everything looks lovely all set up. Fellow artists Sandra Temple, Cathie Howie and Lousie Saunders all set to welcome visitors.

Even though I look a little bushed I am so thrilled to have 4 of my pieces "hung "

I shall be there Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday....working on my latest piece. Lots of other artists demonstrating also in other mediums.
I just had to sneak out and photograph these gorgeous waterlilies.....

Despite the humid sticky day, I am one very happy scribbler.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Scribbling

I have been procrastinating for ages about a new piece I wanted to do for a loved one....trying to find the right reference photos and composition has taken some time. I took SO MANY photos of Pandanas! Finally I chose and cropped this one.

I had to have a feathered friend included of course and so the prelim work has begun.

Not a lot to see yet, but I am hoping it will work out very nicely.....lots of work and layers on the fruit and leaves ahead. I am a bit of a fan of the blue faced honeyeaters and love it when they visit my garden. They love the Jacaranda blossoms.
Over the past weekend as well as stitching I spent time with my journal....it helps me often to do mini pieces for future inspiration or to work out how things look......composition etc.

Sometimes when I am stuck just browsing through will spark some creative memory and send me down a new path to a new project......love my journals!  I bless the day when my friend Janeen introduced me to journaling.....especially art journals!
NOW just a little BIG reminder.....

These brown paper packages contain my offerings.....labeling and protective wrapping to be done.

I will also have a few of my favourite pieces in greeting card form there too.

I am really excited to see the beautiful pieces of art at the exhibition and just a wee bit humbled to have a couple of  my artworks hung along side them.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Ralphie

This little sweetheart is now completed. He was such a joy to draw.

Hope his humans like his portrait.

He was worked in coloured pencils and Pan Pastels in the background.
Back to my lions now.
Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Three Favourites

Today I would like to share a trio of my favourite artists and pieces I love.
Firstly Australian artist....Ainslie Roberts....RAINMAKERS......Quite apt with the way it is pouring down here at present.

I am always captivated by his work......amazing! You can look and look and still see something new.
The second Michael Parkes....an American artist. I bought my Daughter a print of this as she was born on a Tuesday and was a dancer......TUESDAYS CHILD. Beautiful fantasy pieces, once again with lots of details to explore.

Lastly the lady who inspired me to draw as a child. Peg Maltby. I was gifted her Fairy book and I just about inhaled those gorgeous drawings. Time just disappeard within these pages. I poured over her illustrations and my imagination went wild......one of my favourite pages was this one.

You will also note that there is beautiful stitching in this picture lol! This book was lost to me until a couple of years ago when a dear friend found it in a second hand shop....a much later version but the drawings were all there.....along with some coloured pencil drawings of the previous owner lol! Seemed perfect to me.
Now I am not an afficiando of high art......my knowledge is quite lacking but I know what speaks to me and these live in my heart. All 3 are so different but all have details and secrets to discover.....which I am sure is what attracts me.
How about you?

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

Scratching Away

I feel like I may finally be getting somewhere with my lion scratchboard. I have added some colour and worked on the top layer of fur.....next finish tackling those darn huge pieces of rock!

Work on my little puppy is progressing too. I love having this cute little bloke staring up at me as I work. Big lesson...white is not white!

A bit more work, adding detail and definition........having a very nice time with my art lately!

An old friend has come back to her Summer residence.....under my house lol!

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx 

Pastel Pencils

Today I attended a workshop in Pet Portraits using Pastel Pencils. I have had a set for ages but didn't know how to use them properly. So I thought it the perfect opportunity to learn. Our tutor, the amazing Sandra Temple.
My subject was a gorgeous Kelpie called Teddy. We met him.....or I should say...he met us, at the Silverton Hotel in outback New South Wales.

So he was my model.

Our tutor checking our reference photos before we started.

This was a very interesting process.....the beginning....

And the end result.....very happy scribbler....may even want to do more.

We all had a great day and some beautiful pieces created.

I am missing 2 lovely pussycats...they escaped my camera lol!
A very nice way to spend a Sunday indeed.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx

So Very Cute!

My latest project.....an extremely sweet little boy.....
The prelim sketch.

Putting the first layers down. Cream and white animals are never just that....many shades are needed. Still lots more work to go.

I am planning on a darker background to make this little guy shine.
Loving this cutie pie. He definitely has stolen my heart.

Namaste and Blessings Michelle xxx