In and out the dusky bluebells

Today is the the first day of 'Summer of Color' on-line yearly challenge.

It is my favourite on-line art challenge as each week of June a colour prompt opens the door to all sorts of colour exploration.

This weeks prompt is very fortunate for me!

Blue+ Blue+Green.

Fortunate in that over the last few weeks I have been our searching for bluebells as a reference for a bluebell collage/ painting

I was reminded of the childhood song ...

In and out the dusky bluebells
In and out the dusky bluebells
In and out the dusky bluebells
Who will be my partner?

Tippy tippy tap tap on your shoulder
Tippy tippy tap tap on your shoulder
Tippy tippy tap tap on your shoulder
You will be my partner

we called them dusky bluebells although I think some versions of the song use the word dusty. We also used the phrase 'won't you be my master?' not too politically correct these days so this is the friendly version ;)
  I thought creating a bluebell wood at dusk would be beautiful,So for the past few weeks I have been photographing bluebells while on my travels.

Bluebells are so  beautiful and fit perfectly with the 'Summer of color challenge'

In and out the dusky bluebells. mixed media on canvas

2014 review, a paper rainbow roundup!

Well Christmas is almost here and another year almost done....

When it gets to this time of the year many of us look back and reflect on what has been. It helps for me as I think I like to see where I have been, so as to decide where to go next.

 So here is a quick round-up of my years creative highlights.

January, the year began with my mermaid bowl, created with all the discarded Christmas wrapping paper pieces which I glued onto a plain bamboo dish.

February, I finished this large canvas. 'The stag and thistles' incorporates fabric, paint and paper pieces. This canvas was finale of the on-line '29 face challenge' which I took part in, making 29 faces in 29 days. I have completed the challenge several times in the past and to be honest I did get a bit of 'face fatigue' I am not one for quitting and did make it through to the bitter end, although it is unlikely I will do it again. (Famous last words) I know many artists who love the challenge and I admire them greatly, I just think that painting faces is not something that drives me.. I am much more at home representing wild open spaces....

 March, and I was busy decorating small wooden panels, Collaged and painted, some with small dragonflies made from discarded plastic which I heat treated to form the delicate wings.

April, and my little area in Skyeworks gallery made me very happy!

May brought another canvas off the easel, 'messages in the breeze' Made from torn handmade papers and acrylic paints. In ancient folklore Dandelion seeds were said to be able to carry messages to those we love, either in this world or the next.....

June and I took part in my favourite on-line challenge 'the summer of color' This colour combination was red and teal (I think.)  I love the 'summer of color' six week challenge as subject matter is not on the agenda, it is all about working with certain colour combinations, maybe using colours we are frightened of using!

July and some citrasolv paper featured in the foreground pebbles of this canvas 'the island'

August and another on-going theme this year, wild flowers and windswept hills. 'Summer breeze' Paper collage with acrylic paint on canvas.

September and buttercups were my inspiration for this canvas, more torn handmade papers form the flowers.

place to rest (DETAIL)

October and an exciting charity exhibition at Skyeworks housed several of my pieces, one being this
'a place to rest.' Money raised from the exhibition went towards the Skye mountain rescue team.

November, a hark back to summer with 'Wild shores' collaged papers on canvas

December and a return to my first love, textile art. This piece is a paper, fabric and paint, machine  stitched collage.

 My 2014 christmas card

And finally on my workbench today ( sorry to all my WOYWW friends for the gap in my posts ;) ! )  My Christmas cards have just arrived!! I didn't have time to design a special Christmas card  this year so I adapted sketchbook page I made earlier in the year, putting a snowy filter over the top.... Hey presto and a wintry stag!

This is my last post of the year, as like so many of you, for me time is short at this time of year!!
Lots of mince pies to eat and presents to wrap....  ;)

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments over the past year, they mean so much.
May I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New year.

                                                                        Morag xxxx

linking up to WOYWW
and Paint party friday

The colours of summer; round up

 The' Summer of color' challenge has come to an end for this year and yet again I find that it is by far the most fun Art challenge around.  I thought I would do a little montage of my six pieces of colour. I tried to vary the mediums I used and experiment a little... have fun basically which is what I think the challenge is all about.

Week one, neocolor water soluble crayons

week two, gouache on watercolour board

Week three, stencilled modelling paste, acrylics and embroidered 3D dragonfly on wood panel

Week 4, acrylics on heavy acrylic paper

week five, acrylic, citrasolv papers on canvas

Week six, gouache, ink, machine embroidery on heavy watercolour paper

Thank you Kristin for organising the challenge and all my lovely followers for their wonderful comments, you really do brighten my day...


Linking to paint party friday

Summer of color; Tangerine wheels

This week is sadly the last Summer of color week,
The final colour selection is the very summery.

Raspberry/tangerine and lemon

A very fruity combination, in fact looking at them makes my mouth water!
I decided to do a fruity collage piece.

 Using tangerines as my design inspiration.

Once I had collaged and painted the design I covered it in pieces of orange and cream organza and machine embroidered through, emphasising the scratchy lines.I wanted to trap the segments behind a membrane just like real orange segments.

I wasn't too precious about the lines as I wanted them to be wild and free.

I have recently returned from a little trip to York to visit my Daughter. For those knitters amongst you I thought you might be interested in this wonderful window display on circular knitting!( I have never heard of circular knitting but this book they were advertising seemed to show all the techniques)
I couldn't resist adding it to my post as it is  in the SOC colours .....

The shop is called Knit and stitch and they have lots of great looking workshops which I will have to check out for next time I visit.

Linking to the final Summer of color.

Many thanks to the wonderful Kristin for yet again making the whole event possible.

Summer of color; The island

This weeks summer of color selection of red, royal blue and pale blue had a big hurray from me!!!

It gives me a chance to show you this canvas which I have been toiling over for weeks now.

 It has had a little bit of digital fiddling thanks to pic-monkey to enhance the tones and fit in with the colour prompt.

colour prompt

This is how it began a few weeks back.

Inspired by this wonderful view of Staffin bay on the Isle of Skye.

I had lots of fun dribbling paint, and used less collage pieces than I normally do, concentrating on making the paint work on its own, letting it run and flow using acrylic flow enhancers.

The rocks are made from pieces of citrasolv papers, which I collaged onto the painted canvas and then protected with acrylic medium. I often look at the papers and think how much they remind me of pebbles.

And this is the painting in its true colours, a little more muted.

'The Island' Acrylic, collage

Linking up to the summer of color
click HERE to check out all the other wonderful entries this week.

Summer of color: pink chrysanthemums

Two posts in a day!!!

well I am feeling much better after being under the weather for a few days and now up to full speed and able to post this weeks summer of color piece.
Each week a colour prompt is published over at  Twinkle twinkle and artists and crafters scurry away to make something fabulous.
I'm not sure my piece could be called that, but the colour prompt of...

Pink, apple green and a smudge of dark green

Made me think of flowers....again :)

As if by magic these chrysanthemums were in a vase on my mantlepiece already....

It would be rude not to draw them,

It is tough to just use three colours, I cheated a little and varied the shade of pink a little with some white... I know... slapped wrist!!! :)
I do really like this colour combination and it is one I feel at home with...

Can't wait to see what next week brings.

Summer of color ; Forest Dragonfly

This is this weeks Summer of color piece.
below are the colours of this weeks palette. As you can see I did something a little different this week.

Lavender/grey/plum

I used a great woodland mask I have and usd only part of it to paste modelling paste onto a wooden panel.

I also used a sequin waste sheet to stencil through circle shapes to add more texture.

Then some spray inks and embossing powder.

The dragonfly is made from silk which I machine embroidered and then stiffened with sparkle modpodge.

I made several wings for use with more projects :)

Linking up to summer of color

and also paint party friday