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

Having A Go...

For a long time now I have tried to work on my product photography.

I never realised just how tricky it is to photograph artwork for putting in an online shop and anything with a reflective or shiny surface is an absolute nightmare!

During the lockdown I've tried to sharpen up my very basic Photoshop skills and had a go at 'mocking up' a photo so that I could show my art prints in a frame, so that it would help to suggest how the prints could look if they were framed up.

My daughter helped me take the photo of me holding the frame and then I had a go!

I know that I have such a lot left to learn but I did have fun!

Hope you all have a fab weekend chucks X

 

New Ways Of Working...

Technology scares me.

I mean, really scares me.

It's this intangible entity, that in one moment can be our best friend, the next our worst enemy.

I still can't believe that I actually have an online shop and that Instagram has become such a wonderful community that means a great deal to me.

Technology has become a huge part of my life but I have had to get through many a wobbly moment, as I suspect many of us have had to also.

It's been like that when I decided to try and learn how to use Photoshop. 

It took me years to pluck up the courage to begin, because for years I simply told myself so often that I couldn't do it, and so, in a way, it became my truth.

Now, I'm never gong to be a master of Photoshop, and I will probably only ever use about 1% of its abilities, but I do enjoy slowly learning its tricks (thanks to my amazingly patient friends and some fab online tutorials!)

This past few months I set myself the challenge to create a zine, initially for some teaching prep, but it has evolved into more of a passion-project that I would possibly like to develop further in the future.

I've really enjoyed creating a series of digital-collages that include snippets of my own artwork and scanned vintage papers. 

At first I began trying out some of the new techniques that I have learned, but I think that the theme of 'womanhood' and the different roles we have to play in our lives has started to emerge.

A book that often surfaces through my work in a myriad of ways is 'Women Who Run With The Wolves' by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, and the digital collage of a woman having to wear her protective 'Mama Bear' mask echoes the influence that this amazing writer has had on me over the years.

I hope to finish the zine soon, I purposefully haven't planned it out and I just want to let things emerge - it may be a little strange, but then, so is Life!

Wishing you a wonderful week chucks X