Illustration Friday and Inspire Me Thursday

So before you think this has turned into a craft blog, here's my latest painting. Yes it's been a while but with so much upheaval last year I just lost any will to pick up a brush. Knitting and crafting became almost like therapy, its easy to pick up and put down and requires no emotional involvement whatsoever. But now, 2008, we have moved house and settled in and ready to face the new year and all it's challenges. I haven't set any new year resolutions as such except for one. Focus. If I don't achieve anything else this year I want to look back and say I gave it my all. 100 %.

Momentum - IF and IMT

It's been a while since I've taken part in either Illustration Friday or Inspire Me Thursday and I've realised lately I've kind of lost my momentum where my art is concerned. I have been concentrating on my crafts and building up my etsy shop but on reflection this has got a lot to do with the fact I have lost my way a bit. I've started a few canvases but get so far through them when I get stuck and don't know where to take them.

Illustration Friday and Inspire Me Thursday were both instrumental in pushing my art forward when I started blogging so what better place to go. Momentum is the theme for IF, limited palettes the subject of IMT, the above is the resulting artwork, a digital collage, all original photography. Not sure what it's saying but I love it.

Fragile

Remember this? I bravely started a new painting with the intention of pulling together all my different skills on one canvas and here she is. You can tell from the previous photo she has undergone a transformation, in fact she was completely scrubbed out and re-drawn. When I started this I didn't have much of an idea which direction I was going to take - I have trouble doing paintings for the sake of it, they need a story or a theme to exist - which is why it has taken me so long to finish it. However Inspire Me Thursday this week is about tears and emotions which fitted in with her look, she looks calm and serene on the outside but there is a hint of pain so I added a little poem and the broken butterflies to suggest inner turmoil. I'm not entirely sure it's worked, I'm out of my comfort zone so will put it away for a while until I make my mind up what to do with it.

Inspire Me Thursday - Architecture

I have been trying to complete a piece for Inspire Me Thursday for weeks now but the week flies by and it's Thursday again. This weeks topic is art and architecture which spurred me on to finish an abandoned painting started last year. This is about windows, a favourite motif of mine although I couldn't necessarily tell you why. I do like the idea of framing and structure and the idea that you are looking into a place different to where you are standing. Make of that what you will!

Inspire Me Thursday - handmade christmas

It has become a bit of a tradition for a couple of years now that Kamal (with a little help from me) has made everyone cards and presents, partly because we are always short of cash this time of year but I just feel it's nice for Kamal to understand that Christmas is not just about money and what toys you get. This year he has decided on jewellery for the girlies in the family and models for everyone else and they are all his own work.

Gorgeous christmas card designs, at this rate he will make a million long before I ever do! But not to be out done I have a little drawing to give to nanna and papa. Merry Christmas everyone!