Beauty on a budget

On Saturday morning I managed to sneak down to the local market for an hour. It was a bumper, special French affair this week - don't know why, but it was a lot of fun with stalls laden with cheeses, salamis and pastries. I entered a prize draw for a hamper of such goodies, but didn't win :o( But I DID buy a delicious lavender soap and these amazing lilies! Can you believe I got this huge armful for a fiver??? They have filled the room with their heady scent and they are just so exuberant, they make me smile every time I walk past them. Of course my favourite poet was right - a thing of beauty IS a joy forever - but an added delight is when you get all this amazing beauty for next to nothing!!

A wet and windy Wednesday

Well, I needed to do something to cheer up this dreary day.... Here's a couple of spreads from a wee art journal I did a few weeks ago - what makes you think I love Teesha and Tracy Moore's zettiology stamps??? That couple are just so wildly creative - and are so gifted at encouraging such creative freedom in others... Anyway, I had a blast making these pages, and the whole little book is just something I will treasure... At least the kids will be able to see what their mum did with herself on wet Wednesdays in October...

This weekend

This weekend my friend Jane got married to Martin. Here's the card I made for them - I do wish my scanner did a better job!! I couldn't post it before the weekend, just in case Jane checked out my blog... Anyway it was a really lovely service and a great party afterwards. Jane looked like a medieval princess. But of course I forgot to take my camera - duh! But I did remember my tissues - weddings always make me cry!! Thankfully the wet and windy weather waited till the evening to hit our part of the country, so there was gorgeous, crisp autumn light for the wedding pictures!!

My gorgeous talented boy

Here's Sam's take on L.S. Lowry - I think it's a fabulous composition! Clearly not just my beautiful girl can wield a pencil! It's easy to overlook how artistic Samuel is as he doesn't sit around drawing and painting like Esther does, but when he really gets into something he clearly excels at it!! We are also wildly proud parents this week as we learnt Sam has passed his 11+ and gained a place at the boys' grammar school here in town for next year! He also took an aptitude test for another local school and passed well enough to be awarded one of 12 science & computer technology places on offer there too! So we're in the fortunate position of being spoilt for choice! Every parent's dream!

Fabulous fun for one

I'm enjoying a unique opportunity - a whole weekend of solitude as Nick and the kids are away on a YMCA weekend away! I've spent the whole day continuing my new love affair with colour - just playing with the paints and brushes I've acquired over the past few months... it's the first time I've actually had them all out where I can see what I've got!!I've prepped some journal pages ready to play with tomorrow... I've no idea what these two pictures actually are - but the colours look fabulous - very 'real' and organic!

Today's art class

I spent two whole hours today mixing colours - and I had a ball!! Oh, I could spend my life doing this! There is just so much to learn about everything - I really do need a second lifetime!
I'm also now a bone fide artist - I bought my first real paints! And with these 3 wee colours I can create literally 100s - how amazing is that??!?
The other amazing thing was walking to school to collect the kids this afternoon - a walk I have made 100s of times - it truly was as if someone had turned a light on - all the colours were sooo bright! I found myself looking at the grass and wondering if it was more of a blue-green or a yellow-green... and looking at the bricks in the walls I passed wondering which shades of red I'd need to mix to get their colour... and don't even get me started on what paints I'd need to catch the incredible colours of the lichen-covered wall at the end of our road.... and all because I spent two hours playing with paints this morning :o)

Exquisite craftswomanship

This beautiful handmade sketchbook arrived all the way from Nova Scotia yesterday. It is so beautifully made and the leather is soooo soft!! I don't know if you can see on the photo but the leather is actually torn across the front - a gorgeous touch! Rhonda kindly wrote out information about how it was made and the type of stitching used - I just LOVE this kind of thing! I've added a link to her ebay store where you can see examples of her work, she does the lot - renaissance, medieval, 17th--18th century and japanese bindings - all using the loveliest materials! I just cannot praise her work highly enough and whatever artwork I may add to this beautiful book, I know I'll always treasure it!

My talented daughter

Here's Esther beside a fabulous drawing she did over the weekend - it's of a character from her favourite TV show W.I.T.C.H. (she's even wearing a t-shirt with all the girls on it!). She copied this from a small picture and how on earth she managed to scale-up so perfectly, I have no idea! She drew it all freehand in grey felt tip, then coloured it in. Her natural talent never ceases to amaze me, and I just love the ease and confidence with which she draws - and she's not even 9 years old!!

New CD

I don't usually buy CDs from hearing part of one song on the radio, but as soon as I heard this guy's new single 'White Hare' I had to buy the album! He is a fabulous vocalist and musician and is just soooo talented (not to mention rather scrummy :o)) I've added a link to his website where you can see videos of some tracks and footage of his summer tour. Go check him out!!

This week's class

Here's another attempt at drawing a person... this week the challenge was to place a person in a setting. I really liked the composition of this piece with its strong lines. Esther thought it looked like the president - it's actually just some guy in his office. Anyway I have to say drawing streets is much easier - people are HARD!!! It took the whole 2-hour class just to do the drawing - I did the outlining and adding colour at home.

Last week's art class

Another attempt at perspective! I really liked the composition of this Parisian backstreet - it's from the book Atget's Paris - a fabulous collection of fin de siecle photographs by Eugene Atget. I really enjoyed painting the drawing and injecting some colour into the original image...

Never too old...

... to blow out candles on your birthday cake! Needless to say the cake just wasn't big enough for all 49 candles!!

Fun Saturday

I had such a fun day yesterday with my friend Clair. Her DH is away on a course for the weekend, so we had the whole day to catch up and play... I didn't toally neglect my own DH - I made his birthday card for the big day on Tuesday. I wonder if he'll pick up on the ticking clock and the falling leaves - a certain big 5-0 birthday comes around next year... Of course people think he barely looks 40 let alone 49!!