Saturday 26 December 2015

2015 round up





Yes, it's that time of year when I do a bit of a round up of my creative year.
This helps me to see where I have been and the direction I am heading. It also may let you catch up on a few bits you may have missed.
January

January got off well with me discovering how much I enjoyed working with papercloth. This was to be a life saver for the months to come, as January began to go downhill rapidly as I became ill with pneumonia
.After a miserable few weeks February began...only to see me breaking my foot after a tumble down some stairs. Stuck in a plaster cast unable to bear any weight on my foot for weeks on end sure focuses the mind......

get well daffodils
Painting and gluing was almost impossible because of mobility issues but I discovered I could machine embroider with my foot elevated,



wild sewing

So that is what I did, relentlessly!!! I made loads of little panels which I call wild sewing pieces. I also learned to crochet via you tube! 

April poppies
By April at last things were improving, I was starting to walk and paint again! Yipeeeee

April forget-me-nots



May at Abbotsford

May and I was back enjoying life, painting outside in the Scottish borders, Spring was horribly wet but after being cooped up inside for so long every sunny day seemed magical!
Buttercup hare
I worked hard during May and June creating many new pieces for Skyeworks Gallery.

Bluebells in May

And also a few new pieces for galleries in Lancashire. This piece
was made for Drift gallery in St Annes.

June
June saw me trying my hand at glass fusion, my first attempts.

July

July and Skyeworks has made a wee space for my bits and pieces... I really like them grouped together.

August
August continued to be wet and unseasonably cold..... Summer is usually the time when I am out and about taking photos and drawing outside... most of August looked like this....

Wet day in August


September
The days were beginning to darken and I began to work on a new series of work for exhibitions 2016. Most of these I will keep underwraps till next year although I did finish these two canvas collages for Skyeworks.



October

November

And finally December.
We have arrived at the years end....This piece was made for a winter exhibition in St Annes in Lancashire.


First snow detail
I
first snow

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy new year,
What am I wishing the new year brings?
calm waters,
blue skies,
bright horizons.



Sunday 20 December 2015

Christmas, glue and sparkle





Hello!
 December is as ever a busy month!
I finally managed to find a little time to make my christmas cards. This year a bit of a cheat. I planned to carve a snowflake linoprint, however found this snowflake decoration made of wood and foam type material. It was the right size to print using white printing ink. Then added some ribbon, buttons and  liquid pearl accents, super quick and easy. I know many of you out there take months making beautiful cards, I would love to have had more time, but I am quite pleased with my improvised cards.


 Earlier in the month I hosted Drift gallery's Christmas party night.






lots of glue, paper and Christmas sparkle mixed with some tasty festive food. An opportunity to make wooden or slate gift-tags or tree decorations, and perhaps use some new materials. The object of the night was very much, forget 'less is more'.. just go for more!



I have also been working on several new pieces. Here is a sneak WIP peek.



At last Christmas tree is finally up....


So I'll take this opportunity, to wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas.