dabbling

I have been inspired to pick up my paintbrushes again. This should be easier than it is, but it's not as painting a picture relies on taking tiny risks all the time, and asking questions constantly, and keep this altogether to create something worth doing. hence for many people their art work gets chucked in the bin. If mine turns out to be disappointing, I have been known to stick the whole thing under the tap, and wash off the paint (using water based paints of course!) and then rework it again which is how my roses aceo turned out.

But I have been using some amazon packaging to paint on too as I like the idea of using discarded materials and have been inspired by Hundertwasser. This guy does some amazing work and pretty much broke the rules every which way to produce something fresh, colourful and fantastically timeless.

I wanted to work with a limited palette and I have been slaved to the idea of painting direct from nature (this goes back many years ago!) and while this is great I wanted to work with memories and imagination.

So I produced these two - quite small, and one is an aceo. I used gouache, household emulsion, pencil and a bit of ink.

Painting also teaches you how to look. Just watching the sunlight play over the cherry tree next door - a few weeks time and it will be covered with barbie pink blossoms like a massive tutu.

I have spent the Easter weekend opening another online shop. I put so much effort and energy into making things, I am also wondering about my other passion. I have a weakness for vintage knitting patterns, having discovered a small suitcase full at a car boot sale a few years ago. I went and sold them all on ebay whereas I should have been a bit smarter and sold copies! Wah! I just don't have the space to hang on to things but enjoy a few moments as they pass from me to somewhere else. This weekend I did pick up some old linen half embroidered and put away, never to be touched again, probably about 50 years ago. Someone after my own heart!