seaside blue dragonflies and thistles

 Another thistle and Dragonfly panel. This time I used iridescent  blues and heather colours. I think it has a bit of a seaside feel.
As usual I do find it difficult to get a true photo of the colour as I use light reflective mediums,
 ( does anyone have any advice on photographing reflective pieces?)

began with a collaged wooden panel.

Added a bit of cosmic shimmer over the paper, moulding paste and Gesso

worked out where to place the fabric elements.

Close up of some textures. Silvery accents around the wings. The textured effect is made up with layers of foil, the foil shows through in places creating a warm glow.

It is Mayday holiday in the UK this weekend so I plan to take a few days off and put my feet up. :)

Linking to Paint Party Friday

playing with cosmic shimmer WOYWW

A couple of things on the go this week.
Another collaged panel. I am preparing the background layers and will later add some thistles and a Dragonfly ( If you are reading LLJ hope you like the colours so far ;) )

bit of a close up to show you some of the texture, much of it will change with layers and sanding but this gives me a starting point. I use a lot of cosmic shimmer inks, I love them! They are however devilishly messy, but I don't mind about that.

 Secondly, this week another little person started life on the bench. I like to have several bits on the go. I flit between them so when one is drying I can work on the other.

 No... she is not a mermaid!....
To be honest the piece of wood I found as too small for a tail so I gave her a little dress instead. She was blonde... for a while, but as many young ladies do, decided she fancied her hair darker.

Much better....

and this is how far I am up to....

 She now carries a little heart. :)
nearly finished.

Linking up to WOYWW where lots of creative souls share what the week has brought to their workdesks.

Gallery news

Today a little show and tell.

Here is my new space in Skyeworks Gallery on the Isle  of Skye. Set up in time for Easter.

I have been working on lots of little pieces recently and this is their new home at the moment.

Skyeworks is a beautiful natural light gallery above the Isle of Skye bakery company.

It specialises in local Scottish art and crafts

Skyeworks Gallery
(lots of exciting things!!! )

You may have noticed my newest piece beside the stag I posted a couple of weeks ago.

New piece 'Wild Angelica'

It is torn paper and acrylic on canvas.

Detail

And two more small panels just finished. Again using torn paper pieces and acrylic.

Light reflections made these tricky to photograph.

Thought you might like a look around Portree in the spring Sunshine where the Gallery is situated.

Portree is the largest village on the Island having a population of around  2,500 and is the main centre for shopping, having a couple of banks, a bakery, newsagent, several hotels and a couple of supermarkets. The roadsign is in Gaelic and reads 'Welcome to Portree mind how you go.' Scottish Gaelic is spoken in the west Highlands and Islands of Scotland.

The main village square

The pier and harbour. Boats trips from here can take visitors out to watch Sea Eagles which nest on the rocky outcrops around the bay.

The shale and shingle beach

MacKenzies bakery and the Bank!

Portree Bay

Hope the sun is shining in your part of the world.

Linking up to Paint party friday

Spring has sprung WOYWW

Not much activity on the work desk today. These pieces still need finishing. ( The eagle eyed of you may be upset by the very messy heatgun :) )

The weather has been too nice to spend too much time inside so over Easter I took loads of Springtime photographs instead. I adore spring, its colour and fresh scents filling my head.

The wood is filled with a carpet of beautiful yellow celandine,

C.S Lewis mentions celandines in the Lion witch and the wardrobe, when Aslan comes to Narnia and the woods change from ' January to may in a few hours'
the children notice 'Wondrous things happening. Coming suddenly around a corner into a glade of silver birch trees Edmund saw the ground covered in all directions with little yellow flowers- Celandine'

The trees are brimming with blossom.

 Everywhere new life appears.

Isn't he gorgeous! :)

Linking up to woyww

Dragonfly and thistles

As you know I have been sewing lots of thistles recently.

These ones are made from silk, I then glue them onto small wooden panels which I have collaged with papers and textured pastes and glue.

The dragonfly is made from silk too.

 I covered the wings with sparkle modpodge glue which stiffened them and meant I could place the dragonfly partially over the edge of the wooden panel.
 Finally to finish two little beaded eyes.

Linking up to paint party Friday

Clay mermaids (WOYWW)

Busy week on my workdesk, lots of bits to share!
Last week I gave you a wee peep at my new seashell mermaid which I had just started.

This was how she looked last Wednesday. The background framed her form which is blocked in with gesso.

And now she is painted with acrylics and varnished she is ready to swim!

liberal  amounts of crackle medium have given her face an aged porcelain finish.

I loved making her so much I have have just finished shell mermaid number two!

I started like this with a wooden shell substrate which is given a coat of gesso and then a bit of blue acrylic.

I tried Gelli printing the background this time.

Lots of nice texture!

Slowly a new sea-spirit is emerging.......

now she needs hair...

I thought I would try and short-cut a little with raffia. I normally cut loads of strips of paper for hair and twist them. I wondered if raffia would work. Alas no, it didn't stick too well so I went back to the tried and tested paper hair tendrils.

I think she looks rather like she is juggling with the shells, I am guessing that mermaids have a lot of free-time. Lots of time to refine circus skills
.....and why not... :)

The light is better outside so I took them off the desk to photograph and into the garden.


linking to WOYWW   where artists and crafters share their newest projects

and also  paint party Friday a great place to connect Artists from around the globe.