And now for something completely different

Or maybe not so different if you have known me for a while.
Today, I decided to have a day off and play with my Gelli plate.

Here is my gelli plate and palette and space for cleaning off my brayer.

And behind me I have paper set out in piles and I also have Joan Bess' Gelli Printing book open.
I planned to go through the book page by page.....

These are bits of card that I covered with excess from the gelli plate.

These are baby wipes from cleaning up.  I can never bear to throw them out!

And a drying rack covered in prints!
As I said, I intended to go through Joan's book technique by technique, but I only got to the third technique!

Here are some of the prints.

These were very basic prints with the exception of the second last, leaf shape print.  the leaf print showed what I spent a lot of time on - painting onto the plate!

I painted this with a credit card.  For all of the painting on the plate, I added glazing medium to the paint to give it more open time.

This was my first effort with a paint brush.

And my second.

And my third.  This one I did after lunch, being inspired by a yellow tailed black cockatoo which we saw (and heard) out the window when we sat down to lunch.  It was very freeing to have to work fast instead of putting lots of detail in as I would in a painting.

So I had a very creative day!

I even got my stitched square done for Art Every Day Month.

Happy Creating!

A mixed bag

Just a quick one tonight as it has taken ages just to upload a day's photos!
I was unsuccessfully trying to download most of the day, and backing up my computer, which also takes ages, so now it is quite late.

My daily drawing sketch is the nectarine branch finished from a few days ago.

My warm up pages.

My journal page, with one of my favourite quotes, by Emily dickinson.
I also spent a little time today sorting foundation squares of fabric, batting and felt as well as scraps and bits and pieces for my AEDM challenge, which starts tomorrow (For me).

Happy Creating!

The kingfisher

Yesterday was very busy, and thanks to a very slow internet it was way past my bed time when I finally got my pictures uploaded, so here are yesterday's pictures.

Today's sketch is a kingfisher.  This one is known as a sacred kingfisher.  Google it and you will see how gorgeous it is.  It is mostly turquoise and has some green and cream feathers.  Although I live close to a large creek and knew these birds were known in my area, I had never seen one.  I have now and it was a very sad experience as I found this one on the ground, saturated after a heavy storm.  Sacred is apt as they are so beautiful.

My warm ups - both collages

And my Journal page.  This one I am linking to Art Journal Journey, the theme for this month is 'in the forest'.  I have really found this theme useful on  those days that I didn't have an idea in my head!

Next month is a few days away, now and last year I joined in Art every day month at Creative every day. This year I have been thinking of a small project to do each day.
I have finally decided on small fabric and stitch embellishments/collages.  This was inspired from three different places.  The first is liz kettle who has been doing stitch meditations on an off through this year (Search for liz kettle on instagram) and Lynn Krawczyk's  petite stacked collages in her book ' intentional printing, and of course, the third is my own work and need to include stitching every day.

For my personal challenge, I will make one 4"  square stitched collage each day.  These will later be mounted in a 5x6 grid on  either a plain quilt, or felt.  Wish me luck - and join us on AEDM with my challenge or your own!

Happy creating!

In the forest

Here are a few steps in my art journal page, which I am sharing at Art Journal Journey for the October theme of Deep in the forest.

I use old books for my journal, and usually start with some paint or gesso

Today I added some leafy texture with this little stencil.  The paint looks black, but is actually deep purple.

Of course after that I got carried away.  I painted some branches and leaves in and added some text.  It says "Like Art, forests just have to grow."

A few close - ups

Here are the rest of today's bits and pieces!

I finished the shell drawing.  I am quite happy with it.

My 5 minute warm ups

And I finished the free motion stitched feather!

Happy creating!

I ummed and ahhed about whether or not to delete the following epistle, but ultimately decided to leave it in.  I have put it down here so that you don't have to read it if you just want to look.


I have been thinking lately that my posts are becoming repetitive and that I should make them a little more exciting, but as I was taking my daily walk I really thought about my priorities with blogging.
As it happens, I had been wondering recently whether I wanted to continue blogging, for just this reason, the pressure to produce something of interest to other people.
And then of course I came back to the reason I started blogging - not to get lots of followers or to BE someone, but to just keep a record of what I do, and to see what other people are doing.
I don't know how many of you out there are aware of my situation, or where my life is at right now.
I live a long way out in the bush in a tiny town of about 300 people.  Not only am I isolated in this way, I am also isolated because  I cannot drive due to panic attacks, so I really only exhibit work at two nearby shows each year and cannot attend any larger art groups for the same reason.
My blog therefore is my life line to the art world.  Without it I would never have met a wide range of artists and crafters from all over the world and my work would not be anything like it is.
Basically I have decided that I need to blog, but, rather than blogging being  the aim of my work, it is best to simply make the work the aim and the blog a simple record.
It is like the dilemma when you choose between making the art that is inside you and making the art that buyers (or readers) want.  I already know that when art making becomes a job, for example with commissions, It is harder for me to be creative.  For me it is best not to go down that road.  Perhaps if I was still young and just setting out, then I could develop that discipline, but not this late in life.  I am set in my ways.

A trip away

I have been away for a few days visiting my mother, who lives at the beach.
Unfortunately, I was travelling light, so no sketching or journaling, but I have been back at my desk today.
My warm ups and daily journals are starting to mount up! and it is getting so much easier to do the daily stuff without procrastinating.
This sketch was from Wednesday.

Today's warm ups

And Journaling

And I am catching up with my online courses!
Let's see if I can get some stitching done tomorrow!

Poppy passion

Today was Our weekly quilt group.  Of course me being me, I was crocheting!  but we all do different crafts when it suits us.
Yesterday My other half and I had to go into town to take one of my pieces for an exhibition, so this evening, after two down days, I got my act together and did my bits and pieces.

Daily drawing. Today a poppy.

My warm ups.  Poppies again

And something different for my art journal today.  Today I started on 30 days in your junque journal with Julie Balzer and this is my first entry in my newly bound Junque Journal.  I am really enjoying this!