Meet My Chub Babies

It has been quite a few weeks since I have felt inspired enough to create fresh artwork. It feels great to have done something after such a long break. When I get that creative block it often leaves me feeling restless. I cannot stand that feeling. In an idea world I would be able to move from project to project without pause.

What names should I give my Chub Babies?

My Nanna

One day ago my Nanna passed away.

It is difficult because I only really just started to get to know a bit more of her history. I already miss her.

Nanna's name is Elizabeth and is sometimes known as Betty. She originally came from, Portarlington, Ireland. She twice lived in England and later moved to the state South Australia where she spent the remainder of her adult years. Nanna married Timothy Garry, whom came from a neighbouring village back in Ireland. They met at a local dance hosted by the village that Nanna lived in.

My memories of Nanna...

• She kept a pressed flower set and because of that I began a childhood hobby of pressing my own flowers between the pages of books.
  
• Nanna grew strawberries and she used to let me have a couple each day for morning tea when I visited for the holidays as a child.
• She had a collection of willow china. So now whenever I see willow china I associate that with Nanna.
• I have a collection of postcards in my old photo albums that came from Nanna whenever she visited Ireland. The below postcard was the last bit of mail that I received from Nanna.

Colour Madly

Feeling Sort of Blue

This is how I am feeling today.

Blue Moment

I am having one of those blue moments, where I just can't see it happening for me. Darn those rejection letters! What they really should be called is "infection letters", because those singular pieces of paper have such a paralysing affect. Words are so potently powerful and even if written politely a person can still be thrown off balance and are left feeling doubtful in their own artistic abilities.

I wonder if Andy Warhol ever felt like this. Were there moments when he considered throwing in his screen printing inks after reading an "infection letter"?

Fashion Illustration Sunday

These are my contributions to  today's "Fashion Illustration Sunday".

For the majority of these illustrations I began with a grey lead, then added the colours, and finished off with black pen for a more striking effect.

Fashionable Apple Blossom Girl

This is my Saturday morning contribution to my blog. The more I have fun in Photoshop, the more I learn.

Fashion Illustration Sunday

I am starting a new art project. I will dedicate my Sunday's for my hand drawn fashion illustrations.

And beginning today I bought a little sketch book from which the above illustration is my first practice piece.

Pleasant Surprise

I have had a bit of luck today in Photoshop. I already knew how to create a brush, but I did not know how to manipulate the brush into complex patterns beyond the standard stencil effect.

So today I did some fiddling around in Photoshop determined to uncover it's hidden treasures. The result of which has been this image which was one of my first samples of a scattered paint brush effect.

This is a very proud and happy moment for me.

Get Well Soon Loobylu

This is a get well response for Claire Robertson (aka Loobylu). I hope you feel well soon and that this illustration helps you to feel better.

Do take care of yourself Claire!