Look! There's a Turner in my Home....

....almost. Nearly?? What i made this arvo:-

Warm-up painting (modern abstract mumbo-jumbo-whatever)

 

Acrylic on old book board,

from one of the thrifted books i use for Scribble Shop (free painting surface!! -

except i didn't bother to gesso prime this one, hence the black streaks in the sky part)

Le originale - Venice: Looking across the Lagoon at Sunset

Watercolour on paper, 1840
by Joseph Turner

Just for fun! =D

Super Sunday!

It's Super Sunday today. Got home after badminton session and found myself in this Storque article (the Storque is Etsy's Blog name) about bookmaking, quite by accident. Another check with Craftcult later led me to realise, not only was the article responsible for the GINORMOUS increase in Scribble Shop's incoming traffic, but also i was on the Front Page again! For a little while anyway.

1 Storque article + 1 Front Page features ----> 30 new item "hearts" & 17 new shop "hearts".

Front Page List

A little more reflection and then it dawned on me. I made a comment in the forums about Etsy's new shipping tool option (offering a suggestion and inadvertently making my presence known) and the forum's poster Etsy Admin member JulieinCharge took notice. She was the one who wrote that Storque article.

He He He....Mighty happy. =)

Road Map Envelopes

Things have been quite slow in progress in terms of Scribble Shop additions. August has been a busy month, especially with my new art course. We're given homework and though it doesn't seem like much, it certainly takes up my time.

I feel i should be focusing on my art education and so, i've been trying to do some self-study as well. At the moment, i'm reading 2 useful books on watercolour painting, and pattern design. My plans for the immediate future are:

1. More frequent art sessions - e.g. a painting a day, quick sketches, plein air studies in the Park


2. Organising my crafting areas - find suitable vertical storage, orderliness, separate creating & mailing spots,


3. Better housekeeping (uh-huh)

Also, my niece is coming in about a week. As in, coming into the world. Yes, i think it's a girl. We don't know, only the doc does. My Mum will be visiting and staying for 2 months to help with the baby. And a dear friend of mine is getting married.

Looks like September will be a very interesting month. =)

New Listing

Finally, i have a brand new listing in the shop. More fancy envelopes are here.




I've been up to my ears with class, work and life. Art class is going alright. Last week, we were practising tones and gradations using gouache and the set homework is similar. I'm having a difficult time with gouache having never used it before. Its properties are somewhere between watercolour and acrylic paints. Most people call it a thicker, more opaque watercolour spin-off. I just hate how long it takes to dry and how much lighter it turns out to be when dried. Ugh. Impatience.

EDIT: You may have noticed the blog makeover. I think i shall stick to this template. The previous one was a little bit too fancy. I must be the only craft blogger who likes to use the fancy templates instead of the plain ole Minima White 3-column goodie. Oh well.

Tipping the Scales

What was it that *Bridget Jones said?

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that when one part of your life starts going okay, another falls spectacularly to pieces."

It's been quite a month or so in Scribble Land. Even though i haven't been creating as much as i would like to (due to 2 bouts of the flu/cold), the shop's been getting quite a lot of exposure and coverage. 2 Gift Guide features and 2 blog mentions later (will post soon), i am still surprised at how things have come along.

That, of course, is the part of my life that's "going okay". "Spectacularly to pieces"?

Let's just say some upsetting family matters is making us all....well, upset. That and coupled with having my own troubles and having to keep it to oneself made for an unhappy Carolyn for many weeks. Not to mention a carpet accident involving black acrylic paint and beige carpet 2 days ago (UGH).

Thankfully, today, it does look like the clouds are starting to part and the sun is coming out. Come now, repeat to self...(it's just carpet, it's just carpet, it will grow back...oh wait, no, that's hair. It's just carpet....).

In other news, i've finished my art classes in Bondi! It was just for the one term but i'm going on to another art school further away in the north from August onwards. I must say, the classes were very well worth it. Wanna see some of my paintings?

Acrylic on Canvas Panel

(based on a photograph i took near Wollongong a few years ago)

I did this landscape painting in class, over 5 sessions. It was refreshing to return to it week after week with new eyes. New eyes means looking at a painting in new ways. You could paint in stages over a period of time or look at a painting's reflection in a mirror. Sometimes when you're fixated on something for too long, it's best to move away and come back to it again after a while.

I took the photo during a lunch break on the way back to Sydney. My coursemates and i were on a field trip to the south. There was an ugly dustbin right beside the bench, which i've omitted in the painting. Artistic licence. But other than that, it's very similar to the actual scene. It's true! My teacher agreed with me. =) (Well, of course he did...he helped you know..hehe..)

Watercolour on Paper

(Friends of mine - based on a photograph)

Remember how i was saying i wasn't any good at watercolours in school and in the beginning of this course i took? Well, surprise surprise. During the last 2 lessons, my teacher went "Oh...Carolyn...that looks rather lovely....". What can i say. Sometimes i'm a quick learner and sometimes i'm a late bloomer. Being more relaxed figures into it somewhere as well.

So i felt confident enough to try to paint a portrait of friends of mine. I met Catherine and Vincent through badminton club. She was/is my coach. Nice, friendly folk. I've learnt a lot from both of them.

They liked it! And now, i have to paint portraits of my family. It will not do to paint others other than your family members, first. Right? I don't want to be ignored at the next family dinner...or worse yet, get served blue soup. =p

Will write more soon. Tata for now....

*Bridget Jones - new-age heroine who makes blue soup

Herpetology

Yay - a pair of those Mini Sailboat Notebooks were sold and shipped earlier today (pun not intended this time!).

On the way to the post office, i saw this sign in a boutique window: "Turtles for Sale - with tank, UV light, water filter". I'm guessing they must be Aussie freshwater turtles. Any other kind would be illegal. Those close to me know that turtles, terrapins, and tortoises are my favourite animals. When i was younger, Ihad a pet terrapin whom i absolutely adored (....RIP Shelly-Back....). I was a bit mad about it then. Took Shelly-Back for walks in the garden ("exercise"), cleaned his shell with a toothbrush ("polishing") and even took it for unauthorised swims in my dad's large fish tank where he sometimes managed to catch a few guppies (if not, i caught some for him anyway - Sorry Dad!).

Anyway, the sign reminded me of my love for the shelled-ones. Here's some turtle love from Etsy:

Fine Art Photograph by PamlicoBee

Ninja Turtle Hat Crochet Pattern by beachbunny

Sea Turtle Original Art by Rushing aka biggirl4664

Turtle Round Ceramic Dish by SayYourPiece

ACEO by littlemonkeys

The last is my favourite. =D

Art

My adventures in visual arts so far have been very enjoyable. I love my classes (ok, maybe i only like the watercolour class), and i love experimenting on my own at home too.

The drawing and painting class is my favourite. We've covered the basics and it's surprising how much you can achieve and learn in one class. We did the traditional still life fruit of bowl drawing, in pencil/charcoal and then in acrylic in the first 2 classes. I can't find the pencil drawing. Oops.

This is my classmate.

Then we had a life model come in - numerous quick 2-minute sketches here and an hour and a half sitting later in the session.

I was worried about nothing. The whole thing is rather sedate.

The model dozed off in the midde of the session.

My portraits class is quite fun too. Easily the liveliest classmates i have, even though they are also the oldest bunch at several decades older. In chronological order:

Ruby, a classmate

An attempt at Cate

The eyes are not quite right...

My teacher, Jasmina, looking rather sleepy here

(nearly all the models do, probably something to do with the light in their face)



Lady Model (forgot her name)



Graham Johnson, Professional Gentleman Model for 30 years (interesting dude)

Fareed, the handsome guy who was in yesterday's session

(he was rather sleepy too. He doesn't look this old but I got the eyes right =D).

Do you see any improvements?

My watercolour class is more like a workshop. Most of the other students already have some basic-intermediate skills in watercolour painting whereas i'm floundering in all the water (pun not intended). The teacher doesn't teach the basics etc, but rather each week she explains and demonstrates painting methods/styles e.g. botanical painting, landscapes, still life, buildings, etc. Usually, the class starts with an hour and a half of talking, as well as lots of ooh-ing and aah-ings over several pretty paintings. I picked up a few tips from these lectures but mostly, i've had to learn by myself from books and the Internet. Oh well...

I've got more paintings i made at home, haven't taken their photos yet. Will do something about that soon.

Oh wait, i have one. Here is Harriet (acrylic). See what i wrote to my sister:

"Over the weekend, I made my first large wrap-stretched canvas and totally ruined it. As I was ruining it, I was thinking “horrible…”. So i called it Horace the Horrible, even though the colours are quite pretty. Then I thought maybe it’s a Harriet instead (am re-reading Emma). So now it’s Harriet the Horrible. Like Harriet Smith the character, Harriet the Horrible is pretty enough to look at, but seriously lacks substance. When I finished the base colours, I then put 2 black patches in to cover up 2 small holey patches. As you can see."

Hmm....i'm not sure what this proves. That i have the supreme ability to waste perfectly good canvas or that my e-mails are so boring. Arrgh.

Where have i been?

It's been a while. Where have i been?

I'm still around. Art classes are keeping me busier and though it doesn't take up many hours of the week, i have been finding it difficult. As in, feeling lethargic and just so tired. So i went to the doc.

He advised me to take supplementary vitamins, B1 and B6. OK, yes i'm guilty. I haven't been eating properly regularly. I came home, and searched through Wikipedia. Symptoms of deficiency in B1 and B6: -emotional disturbances, fatigue, lethargy, poor concentration etc. Yup, sounds like me....

So i really need to take care of myself a lot better. =(

I'm still crafting and have come up with some new ideas. Excited about it, can't wait to show them in Scribble Shop.

I promise to show some of my art next time..have learnt lots and am very glad i signed up for the classes. Oh, and next week a male model will be posing nude...! I wasn't totally keen on the idea and am still tossing up between going or not. It costs $10 extra per session with the model as well, so it's also a cost factor. I'm on a really tight budget at the moment. Art supplies can be pretty dear.

Toodle - oo, eat well, sleep well, craft well...

I thought Summer ended 2 months ago?

Gee, it's been 10 days since i last wrote. Apologies. While i've been able to list 2 new items in my shop 2 days in a row, my blog's been sadly neglected. But here i am now! =)

Yes, it's been very sunny this past week, here in Sydney Australia. So blindingly sunny that i did 2 laundry loads in a day and they both dried in one afternoon. Summer decided to make one last blast at us. Actually, this autumn hasn't been very cool at all. GLobal warming perhaps?

How was your Easter? Mine was quiet, nothing special. I have however, been catching up on a lot of reading. You can always count on your favourite books to perk things up, after a lapse of period of them sitting on the shelf. Appropriately enough over Easter, i was reading The Big Over Easy (poor Humpty), and then its sequel. Check them out. I can't wait for Jasper Fforde to drop by Down Under again. =)

New items up in my shop ----------------> Check them out~ another map notebook and a set of 4 mini notebooks. I still feel weird when i do a search on Etsy and see the things i made come up. Teeheehee....

Another exciting matter! At my op-shop (thrift store) job, i discovered 2 genuine LV bags (amongst other designer bags) during sorting, i priced them and then sold them that very day! Heeheehee.....i practically shoved them in front of a few customers. It didn't take much persuading.

And remember my art courses? Still can't wait to start. But i gotta get organised. I will be much busier with 3 classes a week, so must summon all my time management skills. Anyway, what i really want to say is that i don't have to worry about the funds for the materials at least. Aside from getting 10% off the art shop near the art school (as a student), i got a tax bonus courtesy of the Aussie PM. Yes, the stimulus package, designed to encourage Australians to spend spend spend to rev up the economy once more. Thank you Kevin Rudd. I shall spend it wisely. =D

That's all folks! Talk to you soon.

This and That

Over the weekend, i had a lovely breakfast:

Steaming cuppa Milo and a piece of brioche loaf

I baked some choc chip cookies:

..and i made myself a visual arts/inspiration/idea journal.

It's made from old envelopes and paper i dumpster-dived out of one of a certain university's library's paper recycling bin. I've since decorated the front cover with some watercolour pencil painting....if you guys are nice, i'll show you next time. It's pretty.....strange. But no matter. I'm going to improve my painting skills!

That's right! I am tackling my love-hate affair with the paintbrush in a few weeks! I've enrolled in a few art courses namely:

1) watercolour painting

2) drawing and painting

3) soft pastels portrait

I can't wait to start in May and get ready my art supplies. =)