Summer Of Colour - Pink

We're through another week... where's it gone?  Summer Of Color  (Kristin's American spelling) this week is PINK.  Not my favourite colour for using in art, although I have, on occasion.

I am fortunate to have a fabulous view of sunsets from my kitchen window and deck, and often they are incredibly pink.  Such as....

... that inspired this  (although not my best work).

View From The Deck 

The garden also has some wonderful pinks.

My favourite oleander

However, pink lends itself more to jewellery and beads...

 So, I guess there's a certain amount of inspiration in 'pink'. 

Technology Familiarisation

As you can see I've been mucking around with the blog. This is all still relatively new to me so be patient. I'm trying out all the gadgets, widgets, whatever, in order to make access to my work more 'user-friendly'. Don't you just love all these buzzwords that the new age has thrown at us (NOT!).

It took me ages to come to grips with Adobe Photoshop too, but I think I have it working for me now, as the following might indicate.

GLASSHOUSE MOUNTAINS

WINDOW DRESSING

MAGNOLIAS

TECHNOLOGY

Am still only using basic controls but practising, practising, practising.  All my images are based on photos I've taken myself, so at least they're original.

The 60's - Was It All Fun?

This week's Scrapiteria challenge is "The 60's".  It seems we all remember 'flower power', etc., but there was more to the 60's than just that.

Food for thought?

Another Summer Challenge!

Doing these 'summer' challenges is very therapeutic. While I'm sitting here shivering, you lucky people on the other side of the world are swimming and picnicking.

Well, we do have those things  when YOU are knee deep in snow. Note the following...

R soaking up some sun.

However, for the Inspiration Avenue 'Summer' challenge I have done this....

"Absorbed" - Photoshop

...and this...

Yellow mother of pearl, and glass pearls... summery colours.

Might still do a 'summer' collage if I can find some extra time.

Summer Of Colour - Green

R reckons I do too much.  All these weekly challenges on the net!  Well, it's only three... Summer Of Colour,  Scrapiteria,  and Inspiration Avenue.  Oh, I forgot Liberate Your Art (but it's only a one-off swap of postcards of your art),  AND A Letter A Week.

Of course this is above and beyond the work needed for the usual run of winter exhibitions, and I need to paint for an exhibition at Studio 4  in October. 

Most of the net challenges are run from the USA, and it has been a wonderful introduction to many creative people working on the other side of the world.

As a new 'blogger' this year I have been doing this to help familiarise myself with the world of 'blogging' and it's been fun, fun, fun... if a little hectic. I suspect I will not take on such a load next year and concentrate on my real work.

That said, here's this week's collection of GREEN for the Summer Of Colour  (well, it's winter here... but who cares?)

Riverbank - painting

Bamboo - digitally enhanced

The Cricket Match - Photoshop

Handmade choker using imported foiled glass bead.

I think that's enough mucking about with green.  Next post will be another 'summer' theme for Inspiration Avenue.

Weekly Collage...

Scrapiteria theme this week is - 'scary childhood memories'.  There is so much to consider in this one but a universal truth is that all children are afraid of the dark.  There are monsters under the bed, in the cupboard, outside the window.  We all needed the door open a little so we had an 'escape', or a nightlight left glowing to banish the creatures back to wherever they lurked.

Night Terrors

After doing this, it's brought all those memories back.  Now I'll probably have to leave the light on.

Hooray A Sale!

After thinking that I'd come out of the Lions exhibition with lots of kudos but few $$$$s... a sale!  My painting of whales, a favourite of mine this year, sold!

Whale Watching

The painting was Highly Commended in the Open section and I hope it's gone to a good home.  It's a largish work (90 x 90 cm) so will need a fair bit of space.

Back to the drawing board (so to speak) and let's hope for a few Firsts next year.

You Win Some...

Last Night was the opening for the 'Lions For Leukaemia' art exhibition at Nambour. It's a good cause and was well attended. While I occasionally win a prize in these things I did very well this time.  Two 2nds, one 3rd, and two Highly Commendeds.  That's all well and good, but only 1st Prize wins any $$$s.  So close.... yet so far. As First Prize in any section can be from $1,000 to $150 it's worth being on top of your game. My only consolation is that the standard was VERY high this year, so my work is obviously 'up there' in the vicinity. Better luck next time.

Most of my recent work has been posted on this blog before but perhaps you haven't seen this...

SUMMER

This one received Highly Commended in the Mixed Media section.  The other prizes were... 2nd and 3rd in Abstract, Highly Commended in the Open Section,  2nd in Miniature.

Romantic Inspiration

Inspiration Avenue theme this week is 'So Romantic'.  I missed the last week's theme for some reason  Guess I was too busy.  Soooo, I decided to use a photo taken at a friend's wedding as an image and redo it in Photoshop, adding a quote from Elizabeth Barrett Browning. 

While I guess that is pretty romantic, I really wanted to MAKE something too. So here are some earrings for the romantically inclined,

That's my fun for the week, now back to the studio.

U, V, W, X, Y, Z

At last!!! All letters done (some better than others). A colourful lot as always.

Am putting them all together on a black and white striped canvas. Have tried various arrangements... in alphabetical order, neatly arranged, higgledy piggledy, etc. The most successful is....

However, am still deciding whether to cut their corners off to make the arrangement flat, or attach them overlapping. They will sit in my studio thus until a decision is reached.

Scrapiteria Theme - 'CHEAP"

Cheap...cheap... what to do.  I sound like a chicken.  Reading the local property magazine inspired me.

Real 'Real Estate'

... after all you can never really believe what you read can you?

ICE Collages

At last!  Have found time to photograph the collages I received in the 13th International Collage Exchange

The whole exercise was VERY rewarding.  Not financially of course, as only one of the works I submitted was available for sale (and it didn't sell).  However, I received works back from all over the world and it has set up a dialogue between me and those artists.  LOVE this modern technology!

My photos might not do them justice, as it is not really my forte.

Noela Mills - QLD, Australia

Mary Ellen Long - Colorado, USA

Csaba Pal - Budapest, Hungary

Sandy Styer - New Jersey, USA

Carol Staub - NY USA

Laura Lein-Svencner - Illinois, USA

Annais Allan - New Zealand

Richard Fulham - QC, Canada

L.M.Noonan - QLD, Australia

Shirley McElhaney - Ohio, USA

Jean Tock - New York, USA

Jeanne Mankinen - California, USA

Margaret Conte - Florida, USA

Bonnie J Allan - Ohio, USA

Bruce Smith - Texas, USA

As you can see it is a mixed bunch of individual techniques.  Mostly from the USA, as this is where the whole project began, although now it is organised by Dale Copeland in New Zealand.

I received more than my allotted 12 in return as I sent more.  I work in series, and sometimes find it hard to break those up.

Am already working on next year's collage idea... Anyone else out there want to join me in the 14th Annual Exchange?  Just contact Dale at the link above.

Summer Of Colour

Kristin of  Twinkle Twinkle has begun a 10 week blogfest called 'Summer Of Colour'. This is a 10 week challenge to produce work in a different color theme each week.

While I said I would probably do collage, I have so many 'irons in the fire' that I will probably mix it up a bit.

This week's colour is 'blue'... so where do I start?

Collage?...



Moon Fish

Painting?...

Big City Blues

...or jewellery?

Fused Glass Pendant

Of course I could have added a digital image, etc., etc., and so forth... but you have to stop somewhere.

Exploded Collages

Poor Jean Tock, an American participant in the 13th International Collage Exchange this year received an empty torn envelope via US mail, with apologies from the postal service.  Disaster!!! She was sooo disappointed .  Dale Copeland, who organises the annual event from New Zealand, sent out a distress call to all those whose collages had been in that envelope.  She hoped we all would send replacements, but wasn't pushing the issue.  Of course I came to the party, putting myself in the recipient's shoes. How could I not?

Thus came about "Postcard From Little Mountain" specially made for Jean.  Hope it's at least as good as the one she was supposed to receive.

It's great to be part of this amazing network of artists who communicate via the net.

... and the winner is.....

Not me but hey, how fortunate to be part of the Lethbridge 10000.  The winner Lucy Bonnin was extremely deserving with her painting "Jumper, Jumper".

She's quite young and already amassing a swag of awards.

The gallery was PACKED for the opening and presentation.  I was glad we arrived early so we could get to see all the work.

Mine is top row, second from left on facing wall

I am even on the same wall as the winner.

There were so many people they were spilling out onto the footpath.

I'll certainly give it another shot next year, and by then I'll be doing better work.  'Each painting better than the last' is my mantra.

STAIN

How very convenient this week's  Scrapiteria  theme is.   I am immersed in the project A Letter A Week, that involves me making a 7 x 7 cm work each week based on a letter of the alphabet.

There are two alphabets during the year and one should be 'black & white, and ? something else', the other is the artists free choice.

I am on the home run for my first alphabet, free choice, so have the letters for the word 'stain'.

The object is to present the completed alphabets in a way that is suitable for exhibition.  Am still working on that, and should have photos for another post tomorrow.

Forgot!!!!

Meant to post the invitation for the COMA (Collaboration Of Maleny Artists) exhibition at Rosetta Books in Maleny.  Do visit... we love to show our work.  That's my work on the far left.

In case it's too small to read.... 43 Maple Street, Maleny  Phone: 5494 2882

Love to hear from anyone who visits.