A Passion Project...

 

During the first lockdown I set myself a personal project, as I really wanted to look inward and pause, I wanted to create imagery that had meaning, even if that imagery meant something else to someone else.

I created a zine (I'll show you that later on if you fancy a peek,) and from that I developed a deck of cards that could be used to focus upon when writing affirmations and intentions.

I'll discuss some of the cards in more depth during the summer (I've set myself the challenge to learn a bit about iMovie,) and hopefully I'll make some short films about them.

 I've learnt so much from this project, not just about techniques such as photoshop editing, but about myself.

I'll be launching the decks in October - November time, hope you like them!

X

Babooshka was so tall and strong she could reach up and borrow a star or two to help her cast her healing spells.

To thank the stars for their help, she would warm them by the fire until they were glowing brightly again.

She would then pull on her woollen mittens and gently put the glowing stars back into the night sky.

 

Letter To A Spider...

Dear Mrs Spider,

I've noticed that you have taken residence in my hallway window.

I am normally not a fan of spiders in general,

 but I have been watching you at work.

You never stop.
You seem so purposeful and focused.

And even though I am itching to dust the window ledge,

I just can't do it.

You are building a silky palace all of your own.
You will be the Queen.

And I will watch.

New Year Tradition...

I like to start the New Year doing something creative, and this year I felt a huge urge to get out my crayons and paints.

As usual, I didn't know what I was going to draw, but for some reason the story of Icarus came to mind and this young woman quickly emerged with a very determined expression.

I hope you enjoy my daft little story to welcome in 2019...

Icarus And The Blackbird

One Winter's morning, the sun was shining so brightly in the icy sky.

 The quiet country woman noticed that a beautiful white bird had become dazzled, and was flying too close to the sun.

She became so annoyed about the Sun's cruel trickery that she leapt up high into the air.

It was as though she had the wings of Icarus, but hers were made of courage and determination, instead of wax and vanity.

She reached and grabbed the bird, saving it from the Sun's cruel heat.

And even though the poor creature had become scorched, the woman and the blackbird became the best of friends.

The Birthday Party...

Mollie wasn't sure about birthday parties.

She sometimes didn't know what to say and she wasn't very good at games.

Her dress wasn't sparkly and she couldn't afford a big present.

So she put on her rabbit ears and took a deep breath.

When she walked into the room full of noise and people and music,

she noticed another girl in rabbit ears, and she knew it would be alright.

I've really been enjoying making these collages and I'm thinking of having some digital prints in my online shop next year, including this one maybe.

I hope your Christmas preparations are going well, I'm leaving the present wrapping until the very last minute (as usual!)

festive wishes to you chuck 

X

The Circus Horse...

After I made my customised book cover at the fabulous Lisa Stickley workshop at Hope & Elvis, a little story began to formulate in my head...

(Thanks Louise from Hope & Elvis for taking this photo.)

This collaged lady is hidden inside the book...

On one side of the book there is the circus horse, and on the other side is his 'shadow'.

The elements of this little piece had no forward planning, and evolved because of the beautiful materials available in the Hope & Elvis studio and the inspirational techniques and encouragement given by Lisa Stickley.

The Circus Horse.

There was once a magical circus that travelled far and wide.

The performers would amaze the audiences with their skill and daring.

One night, Miss Aurora, the horse riding ballerina, fell in love with a young farm-hand in the audience.

They would meet secretly after the shows, and they vowed to elope the very next night before the circus had to leave town.

However, Miss Aurora's father, the Ringmaster, heard of his daughter's plans and made the circus leave that very morning.

Miss Aurora's trusty horse escaped with a note tucked into his mane.

'Giddy up. Giddy up'

Aurora whispered in his ear before he set off.

But the journey was far and the horse became tired, and he knew it was his time to sleep in the heavens.

And as he closed his eyes he turned into a shimmering constellation of stars.

The young farm-hand saw the message in the sky and he found Aurora.

And very soon they were wed in a midnight ceremony illuminated by the circus horse up above.

X

Mrs Whipple...

Mrs Whipple ran a boarding house for retired circus and music hall stars.

She would listen intently to their stories as she served their breakfasts,

and would sway from side to side as they sang their songs at supper time.

Sometimes, when she swept the floor she would find an old sequin glinting on

the scullery tiles,

and Mrs Whipple would become misty-eyed and sigh longingly to herself.

This is another one of my collages that I'm possibly going to make into giclee prints, hope you like her.

Wishing you a very happy Sunday me dears.

x

Imbolc ...

When the first day of Spring arrives,

she will whisper to the birds,

and the creatures,

and the flowers.

She will gently shake the branches of the willow tree

to wake them from their slumbers.

And she will prise open the petals of the snowdrops

to tell them that she has returned.

Just as she promised she would.

I hope you like this collage, especially on such a snowy day!

I'm hoping that I will be able to sell prints of my work in the near future, I've really enjoyed making them.

Hope you're keeping warm, I'm sure that Spring will arrive soon!

x

The Queen Of The Moon And The Stars...

As the sun begins to rise, the Queen collects the moon and the stars from the sky.

She carefully wipes away the tarnish left behind by the night

 and makes them gleam again as she gently polishes.

I'm hoping to make prints and cards of the recent collages I've been making, and I'm also facing my fears and trying to learn the basics of Photoshop!

It's all rather a steep learning curve right now but that's all part of the fun isn't it!

Hope you like!

X

Be A Good Girl...

'Straight back.

Shoulders down.

Be a good girl.'

(Something tells me that this young lady isn't going to do as she's told!)

...And I don't blame her!

I'm really enjoying preparing for my Mrs B's Paper and Collaging Weekend at Hope and Elvis on May 5th and 6th 2018.

(And if she isn't out gallivanting and causing shenanigans, this naughty lass might be coming along for the party!)

X

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Passing Storm...

When the storm clouds are approaching,

take the birds out of the trees

and give them shelter.

It will soon pass by.

Wishing you all a very lovely Sunday my friends x

The Queen of Midsummer...

The birds decorated her gown with flowers

and grasses.

They gave her their most colourful shimmering feathers,

 and asked the beautiful dragonflies

to hover around her skirt.

For then she could be the Queen of Midsummer.

The Tale Of The Blackbird's Daughter...

Next month I'll be holding a little online exhibition.

Some of the paintings have their own stories, here's one about the blackbird's daughter...

The Tale Of The Blackbird's Daughter.

There was once a kind and hard-working carpenter and his wife who lived in the middle of a forest.

Although they were very happy, they longed for a child.

One morning, while feeding the birds by the back door, the carpenter's wife wished for a daughter.

The very next day, a beautiful blue speckled egg dropped down the chimney.

To their astonishment there was a tiny baby inside the broken shell.

As the years passed by, the baby grew into a beautiful young lady.

Every evening, as the sun went down and the forest grew quiet, she would sing the most beautiful song.

And if you saw her in a certain light, you could just see from the corner of your eye, the slightest glimpse of her shadow wings.

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The Lonesome Bear...

It's only as the animal or person emerges that sometimes they tell me their story.

Some characters are very shy, and I have to remember that I can't force their secrets from them, otherwise they might disappear back into the paper or canvas.

But some characters can't wait to tell me all about it, and this rather handsome bear was one of them.

You see, at first I had planned to make a lady bear, but it wasn't to be.

I did enjoy making his dungarees, but he had a rather wistful look in his eye.

As soon as his outfit was finished he told me his tale, and he asked very politely if I could make him a bunch of flowers.

It had been a long and bitter winter but now the Spring flowers were beginning to emerge and the warm, gentle currents of air coaxed the bear out of his slumber.

He let out a sigh as he began to remember the dream that had never left his heart throughout those long and lonely months.

He gently hummed to himself as he picked a small bunch of flowers that grew on the mountainside..

'Will you be my sweetheart?

Will you love me true?

Will you be forever mine?

Will you say 'I do'?'

He wore his very best pair of dungarees, began to walk along the path by the stream, and tried to hold his nerve...

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Once Upon A Time...

A little while ago I posted a photo of this piece of work in progress.

A lovely Instagram friend of mine called Diane wrote the most magical story about this girl.

I asked her if I could blog this story to share with you all.

Please make yourself a cup of tea, get yourself comfy, and enjoy...

So once there was a young girl who lived in the Breton countryside.

The place was quiet and the pace of life was slow.

Lapin was an only child and both her parents worked all day, retting, spinning, weaving and bleaching the linen.

When the linen was woven, it would be spread out on the fields and the sun would work its magic, and the cloth would bleach.

Lapin's parents were so tired that they would be late going to collect the linen spread out on the grass. It was Lapin's job to make sure that the rabbits didn't run across the cloth as they would mark it with their paws and droppings.

As Lapin had no other friends she would watch the rabbits and only gently shoo them away.

One evening when she came back from the fields with her mother and father, she pulled some of the beautiful creamy coloured linen over her head. Two corners flopped down over her back and when her mother looked an idea came into her head.

That night she stayed up very late, the night was warm, and as always quiet. She carefully cut out a shape and stitched away with some linen thread that she had spun. Eventually she went to bed delighted with what she'd made and so fell asleep with a satisfied smile on her face.

The following day, before Lapin went out to sit in the fields to watch over the cloth bleaching in the sun, her mother handed over a piece of folded linen. Lapin thought maybe it was some bread and cheese for her to eat. The folded piece is too light to hold anything... Lapin shakes the piece open and finds that her mother has made the most beautiful hood for her daughter to wear.

What is so special about the hood is that it has long ears hanging down from the crown. Lapin immediately pulled the hood over her head, there was an opening for her face and the hood fitted snugly down her neck.

She kissed her mother and then ran and ran and ran out to the fields. As she ran the beautiful gentle ears bounced up and down.

Later, as she crouched on her knees with her arms stretched out in front of her and her head resting on her knees she saw the rabbits coming to nibble the grass and play in the late sun.

Lapin was very happy.

No longer did she need to shoo the rabbits away as they came nearer and nearer to her.

Nowhere in those fields was there a happier little girl and such contented, calm rabbits.

Thank you so much Diane, it's such a beautiful story, I really think that the little community we have online is really special and supportive of each other.

X

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The Girl Who Didn't Care...

There once was a girl who didn't care what others' thought.

And if she put her bodice on upside down, she wouldn't change it, someone had told her once that that would mean bad luck for the rest of the day.

And she didn't comb her hair because a friendly blackbird liked to nest in there, and who wouldn't want to hear beautiful singing all day long?

And her petticoats were often covered in dirt because she loved to grow flowers and dig in the earth.

And the girl who didn't care what others' thought lived a happy and joyful life.

X

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The Tale Of Mrs Bracken...

Recently I have been playing with paper, trying out ideas for my work and future workshops perhaps.

I really enjoyed drawing and collaging her, I like experimenting with the contrast between the detailed drawn sections and the flatter, more graphic collaged areas.

Mrs Bracken, the kindly fox,baked the most delicious pies.

Every morning the birds would bring her berries and the ripest fruit from the forest.

Mrs Bracken gave them their breakfast and would scatter the crumbs from her tattered Pinny.

Every evening, the animals would feast on pastries, pies and other delights while the birds sang, and afterwards the squirrels would sweep away the ashes from the oven with their tails.

X

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Moonlight Serenade...

I painted this during the half term, and as always I didn't have a clue what was going to appear!

The under layer was painted in really bright colours, and I had a whale of a time flinging the paint around!

As I started the darker top layer I remembered one of my favourite things when I was at Infant School.

Every 5th of November we would draw a Bonfore Night picture, and we would always cover the paper with bright wax crayons of every colour. Then we would cover that in a thick layer of black wax crayon, scratching out firework patterns using a pin.

I used to love doing that so much, and I'm sure those early art classes have influenced my work all those years later!

She seems a little wistful and it reminds me a bit of a 1940's film.

I think that she has just been to a dance and a handsome American soldier has just walked her home and kissed her under the starry sky...

Sigh...

Who says romance is dead!

And even though I don't know all of the story, I do believe there was a happy ending.

X

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