This one might actually be my favourite one yet. I mean in terms of pencil and tea. I loved the donkey as a pencil sketch on its own, not sure if the coffee improved it, but this one works. The patchy cow and the splotchy background are a perfect match.
I’m happy with this.
Seems I’m on a sort of barnyard animal streak. Not sure how long it will last, but I’ve always loved animals and cows, donkeys and hares have always been favourites. Though I’d never tackled a hare before.
By the end of this month I think I’ll have to work on finally selling stuff online. The sketches are small at a little over A5 size, easy to post, and totally affordable, even if I sell them with a mat board.
I’ve been looking into restablishing my etsy shop, which has been opend and doing nothing for months or looking into an art online shop. Its a lot of reading and research and testing and it will take time to work it out.
On a positive note, my new smaller/newer/more portable laptop has arrived finally and this is the inaugural post using it! YIPPEE! And so far it seems the WordPress app actually words properly on it!
Its so much better and faster than this ancient old tablet and so pretty! I’m donating the old tablet to a nephew to play games on. He’s happy. I’m happy. Win win.
They say it takes 30 days to form a habit. Let’s see… maybe after a month of daily art I’ll keep at it and not take long unproductive breaks. Hope springs eternal.
Then again, with summer coming up and with it being the busy season on a tourist island, who knows…
Today I share a quick sketch of a hare looking startled to be featured on a blog. This time I got bored of working with boring ol’ pencil cause I can’t really smudge and work it with my fingers, and can’t get the depth of tones I’m used to with pastels or charcoal.
So, I started to wonder what I could use to give it that extra dimension, given I’d already donated the crappy acrylics to some underage budding artists, and had no other art supplies on hand.
I found tea bags. Handy as a beverage and an art material.
Never one to knock back the chance to work with tea (having stained my share of fabrics and doilies with it) I decided to give it a go. Thing I discovered about using tea as an ink is that tea gets darker as it dries, so bits I thought looked too pale and went over ended up a little darker than expected.
Still, I rather like the effect. Art meets clumsy tea drinker.
Meanwhile I thought I’d give coffee a go as well. Since we don’t have any instant coffee at home in Athens (my go-to for coffee staining) I asked mom to make me a greek coffee to paint. She thought I was going to paint the coffee cup and even put it in a nice cup with matching saucer. Instead, I dipped my brush into it and added a bit of dimension to the donkey I drew on Day 1.
Its a totally different colour and unlike the tea, it doesn’t darken as it dries. Its more of a WYSIWYG medium.
(‘What you see is what you get’ for those unfamiliar with the old fashioned graphic design term. Pronounced wiz-ee-wig.)
I got my new acrylics today but not sure if I’ll jump right in or if I’ll play with tea a little longer.
If it wasn’t for the last minute nothing would get done around here!
Today’s contribution is a pencil sketch of a donkey. It brought back memories of art classes at Campion school, working with soft lead pencils. Its been a long long time since I worked with pencil only.
Even before art school I sketched with charcoal. There are so many types of charcoal to chose from… willow, konte, pitt, in stick or pencil form… there’s never been a need to pick up a plain old fashioned pencil for anything other than scribbling a quick note.
A few months ago I saw a shop that sold more than those horrid HB pencils, so I got myself a 2B and a 4B. Since the traumatising experience with the crappiest of crappy crap acrylics I bought by accident, I had no choice but to venture down memory lane and remember how to work with pencil.
It not only brought back memories of high school art classes, it also reminded me of sitting at my desk in 4th grade, sketching horses and tall skinny girls with my best friend as the teacher droned on about history or math.
It wasn’t too painful… (sketching with pencil, that is. Math was painful!) I might try it again.
Although I ordered proper acrylics to pick up tomorrow.
z
ps… I worked on the donkey a little more, adding a touch of greek coffee to give it a bit of depth. Seems rather appropriate – greek coffee for a greek donkey.
A little late in the day, but better late than never.
In fact, so late in the day that I almost backed out of my idea of drawing/painting one picture a day for the month of March. I mean, I hadn’t told anyone I considered doing it, no one would miss it… no one would know I chickened out!
Well, except for me
But somehow I managed to force myself to do something.
All this time in Athens I’ve had withdrawals from the projects I’d started on Paros last month… but I didn’t have any art supplies here. So this morning, while in the city, I visited an art shop for some stuff…
I opted for acrylics, thinking I need practice with them and I didn’t feel like gouache or watercolours.
I’m kicking myself now cause I didn’t pay close attention to the actual paints I bought… ugh. I opted for a box of small tubes since I only need a few things to keep in Athens. I’d been looking at the mini Amsterdam tubes and thought I’d picked up their mini set. Instead, Id picked up some crappy brand. And I mean real crap. This stuff is like the paints that come in big bottles and have absolutely no substance, body or pigment. The kind you give to kindergarten kids. I am so annoyed right now.
With the thin consistency and transparent quality of the paint, it dried way too fast to blend or it would turn to mud if I applied it liberally in an attempt to blend… Still I tried to create something just because I was p’d off.
Here it is. Amazing work.
On the upside, it can only go uphill from here, right? Huh?
On the downside… do any local art shops sell quality watercolours or am I going to have to try pencil work till I get back to Paros?
I can’t believe I haven’t shared this on my blog!!! I posted it on Instagram and Facebook but totally forgot to share it here… how could I do such a thing?
Its been a busy time and there is always so much on my mind, I think my brain is just overloaded. The renovation, being there for mom, worrying about finances and decisions about my future, my dreams vs reality, and my art and the need to find ways to make it work for me financially as well as emotionally.
So much to think about, but perhaps that’s a post for another day. Right now, its just an explanation how something as simple as sharing something I love as much as this can slip my mind!
So, without further ado, here is ‘cat on a chair’…
This is a large piece, almost a meter high, much bigger than anything I’ve ever attempted before in acrylic. I’m not currently on Paros, so can’t give exact measurements. I used a recycled canvas of some kitch island art destined for the trash, which unfortunately had some tactile elements, so the first thing I did was to eliminate that texture by covering the surface with vintage book pages.
This achieved two things – it covered the previous work and provided me with a textured background which suited the crumbly plaster wall I intended to paint. Plus it added in a mixed media element which also played into the recycled aspect of my work.
In some areas of the painting I allowed the type to show through because I like the effect.
In other areas I used the texture of the book pages to create the feeling of a weathered old wall, showing cracks and chunks of missing plaster.
In other parts, I worked to create the patina of an old wall, with the faded colour and accumulated grime of years.
In order to create the texture of the wall, I used paint, water, a sponge and anything I felt would give me the effect I was after.
For the chair and the cat, I had to add more detail and form, so I used a brush as well as a palette knife. Its nowhere near the kind of detail I normally put in my work (despite spending years combating my tendency towards perfect imitation of life) and I am really pleased with the result. I’ve always admired artists who can paint something so real without actually describing it in detail. The impression of detail is enough, our mind fills in the rest.
You can see brush strokes, palette knife marks in areas. So unlike most of my work where I tend to blend more, leaving fewer visible marks.
This is the first in a series I am working on using similar techniques and experimenting with ways to prepare a surface and apply paint. I will share another finished piece soon.
I’m really enjoying working this way. Its so different from my small watercolours on marble or even my pastel animal portraits. Its like a challenge to be more of what I can be… like maybe even a REAL artist.
I apologise for the crappy images… they look much better on my phone… Hopefully it’s my monitor that’s out of wack and they look more clearer and crisper on yours!
This is one of my newly finished projects – a mix of pastel and acrylic on a piece of board. I quite like the result of mixing the two mediums and the feel of applying them to a board I prepared with some chalk paint as background.
Something simple and fun. This one is not large, about 32 x 20 cm. It was an experiment to see how the surface will work. And its worked out pretty good so I have more pieces I will paint in the future. I may even have a go at some watercolour on the chalk paint background to see how that works.
For now it’s only had a coat of fixative, but I will give it a coat of matt varnish to seal it. Then I have to figure out the best way to add a hook or wire to the back so it can be hung on a wall.
Thats all I have to say for now. I have to prepare for my return to Athens tomorrow… tidy the house a bit so I don’t return to a mess (though at least its my mess and I know I’m the only one responsible for it!), pack my bag, then just make sure I haven’t forgotten anything. I have clothes and another pair of Blundstone boots in Athens, so I really don’t need to take much with me. Just me, Lainee, my phone and tablet and all the chargers.
I’m already missing my own space and my projects in progress, but I must go see how the renovation is going and make sure it’s going to be finished sooner than later.
When I first got back from Athens, I admit I fell into a kind of lethargy reserved only for the laziest among us. I spent an entire week doing as little as possible. But then, slowly, I began to get the itch again. The creative itch. Not just to paint, but to make over something useful, to MAKE something. Since the itch struck, I’ve been in and out of the zone, starting 7 projects and almost finishing 4 of them.
Not bad. If I wasn’t going to Athens I’d be doing more, but not much time left. Perhaps I’ll be able to work on a couple more works-in-progress, but doubt I’ll finish anything more till I get back. I will share a bit more on those projects meanwhile however, so stay tuned.
A good friend has been clearing out her house of things she doesn’t need, and I was lucky enough to get these two large trays from her. They’re the kind used in taverna’s here in Greece, the biggest one is quite large, often wielded by muscley-armed waiters, holding lots of dishes at once.
Of course, hers were in almost new raw timber condition. Not an oil stain to be seen on them!
I wanted to make them into something I can sell, something islandy, something people can use but also display in their homes. This is the first tray, the smaller of the two:
I ‘ve never painted the sea before so it was a challenge. I’m still not sure if I like the effect I achieved, but it’s not terrible… However, it did need something more, a focal point, hence the starfish. I like the starfish.
This tray is all acrylic paint, and before its ready to sell, it will have a coat or two of polyurethane to seal it so it can be used as intended.
My second attempt is a mix of acrylic paint and pastels. I wanted this one to be a little more fluid, but again, it needed a focal point, hence the shell. To be honest, I’m much happier with this type of blended colour background. It’s the sort of background I’m comfortable with and use very often in my work, whether its watercolour, acrylic of pastel.
In the close up of the shell, you can see the pastel, though I have worked over it with acrylic paint in places, to give it extra depth.
This will also get a coat of polyurethane to seal it and protect the artwork.
The weather has finally come good again after about 2 weeks of freezing cold winds and rain or hail. It’s great to be able to take Lainee for a walk on the beach without being blasted into the middle of next week.
This is the sea I love… flat as an oil slick. I’m not a wave kinda person. And today the sun feels almost warm enough to swim. If I was braver I probably would… but I’m not that brave.
Instead of swimming I came home and began tidying up in preparation to return to Athens and face the ongoing renovations there. All I can do right now is hope that it’s moving along since I left. I doubt there will be much change except the destruction of the old bathroom, as mom witnessed that in the form of noise that lasted a few days. The bad weather kept the workmen away for at least one whole week.
I’d never have believed it possible, but this is my third renovation in Greece. I’d renovated 3 houses in Australia, now I’m even in Greece. Who knew I’d survive that with my mind intact and only the occasional bout of despair, desperation and hair pulling?
A while ago a friend asked me to paint a large fruit bowl for him so I went ahead and bought some paints for porcelain online. These are the ones I bought:
Now, I’m not saying they DON’T work… I’m just sharing my experience. Please tell me what I did wrong, cause they sure didn’t work for me!!!
I bought a platter (not shown here), a large deep plate and used a small bowl I already had. I washed them as it said, by hand. I rinsed them well and after they dried I also wiped them over with a towel.
In order to find the best type of porcelain to work on, I bought a shiny platter, my bowl was shiny and the deep plate had a kind of matt finish.
I then drew on them using both the paint and the pen I’d bought.
It was just an experiment so I didn’t concern myself too much with the design. Once done, the instructions said to dry for 4 hours. I had to go out so I left them overnight. The next day I put them in the oven and turned it on to 160 degrees C for 90 minutes. Then I let them cool before removing them from the oven.
The day after I got the guts to try using them. Firstly, I used my fingernail on the small bowl with the blue fish – it came off easily when I scratched it. The matt platter wouldn’t scratch off so I felt hopeful.
However, this is what happened when I put them in plain water, or water with dishwashing liquid…
Hope the videos work ok for you… If not, let me know and I’ll upload them to Youtube and link them through there.
Suffice it to say that it took no elbow grease to completely erase my work from the surfaces.
Contrast that to the sharpe experiment I did about 3 years ago:
I drew on 2 of the small bowls using a fine line sharpie as per instructions I found on Pinterest. The drawings have faded and in some places have rubbed off a bit where I’ve used the hard side of the sponge, but for the most part they remain intact. Three whole years later and with regular use.
So… those who may have used Kruel porcelain paint… what have I done wrong?
You know how I said how impatient I was to get home and get stuck into painting again? How I was ‘in the zone’ after so long?
Ha. I jinxed myself, ’cause I haven’t touched a brush, pastel or bit of cardboard since. I haven’t even felt the urge to get up off the couch and touch my artwork… let alone tackle the paperwork I MUST do.
Mind you, Sunday was horribly hot. I groomed a dog in the morning, then rushed to the PAWS (Paros Animal Welfare Society) annual general meeting, then had lunch with friends and it was all I could do to get home and lie on my bed with the fan on. I got up around 6.30pm and did a few handy-type things around the house (maybe I’ll share one day, but they’re definitely ‘zefi’ things, ‘don’t try this at home’ stuff), before heading down to visit with my cousins for a bit.
Then today at work was a day from hell. Complete with a visit to the dentist at the end of it.
So, here’s something I prepared earlier. Prickly pear on marble. This is a larger piece than I normally do and right now its sitting in the office on the bookcase.
I should put a big sticker on it with a price. Maybe someone will buy it for the big villa they’re buying!
I mentioned the dentist, didn’t I?
You know how people are always saying ‘where did all the money you earned over summer go?’ (well, they ask me that!) ha. Today I paid 400e for a tooth. The one I had problems with before summer. I’m getting it crowned. The one I’d already paid 300e for previously for a root canal treatment. Whammy.
Next up: Implants – double whammy.
Unless I go for a dental plate. Great.
This post suddenly took a dark turn… time to get off here and do something useful. Maybe wash a dish or two. Maybe water the plants and fight the mosquitos. Maybe just lie on the couch and watch Netflix or Stremio.
Hey, now there’s a funner topic! What have you been watching?
Since I disappeared from blogland, I’ve watched a ton of stuff. I watched all of Chicago Fire till I ran out of episodes, and I have all of Chicago PD and Chicago Med on a hard drive thanks to a friend, so I have weeks and weeks of viewing ahead!
I watched Better Call Saul.
Misfits (an english series about people with odd powers).
I got caught up with Greys Anatomy and the Good Doctor. And the Walking Dead.
I’m currently watching Russian Doll, and started watching House of the Dragon.
Next will be the Umbrella Academy series 3.
I tried The Imperfects, but I’m not sure I like it.
I know I’ve pulled the biggest disappearing act since Harold Holt went for a swim back in 1967… but I’ve had my reasons.
Did I mention I have a new job? Yeah, another summer, another job. But this time its a job that lasts all year round, not just the season. Which is good and bad. Good in that I have an income all year round. Bad in that I can no longer do what I please for the winter. No more galivanting to destinations near and far. No more free time to spend making art while the wind howls outside. No more time in Athens with mom. I have to go to the office every day, 6 days a week.
Yep. Not quite what I dreamed of. I don’t think anyone thinks “Hey, I’ll go live on a greek island and work in an office 6 days a week!” But I have dreams and I need the money. What little of it there is.
So, given the job isn’t going to save me, I’m still grooming. I bit the bullet and registered as a business – which basically costs me more than I make grooming in a year – but at least I am legal now and don’t have to look over my shoulder when I groom. And I can advertise and build up my business. So that one day I can quit my ‘day job’ and concentrate on the things I love: dogs and art.
I dream of a house with a studio on our land in a quiet area near the beach, where I can work with dogs and make art and make stuff and upcycle stuff and remake furniture and do whatever the heck I want to do in my own time far from the noise of the busy road and the obnoxious neighbours who have no respect for other people who may have to work the next day or whatever.
Remind me to tell you how much fun they are.
Its been a crazy summer. Working in for a real estate agency has been quite educational. I now hear someone mention a 250,000 euro budget for a house and laugh. I can’t help myself. Prices have gone so high that we have next to nothing (or at least nothing you would want to live in) for that much any more.
Sure, compared to other countries, we might still be cheap, but you don’t get much at the low to mid range any more. I’m so lucky I bought when I did. I’d be living under a bush on a blanket with Lainee if I hadn’t.
Rentals are an endangered species. It was already bad when I got here 3.5 years ago, now its impossible. Owners want to rent everything as an air bnb and no one wants to rent their property on a yearly basis. People are desperate to find somewhere to live that they can actually live in 12 months a year – not to move in in September and leave in June. Its ridiculous.
Anyway, I’ll get to a lot of that stuff in later posts. I have a ton of thoughts, criticisms, observations, social comments and other goodies to share.
For now I just wanted to show a sign of life to start with and share a couple of marble pieces made while my brother was visiting. Did I mention he came to visit from Australia? No, I didn’t cause I was in my disappeared mode at the time. Work, grooming, a visitor and the beach. How much more could I possibly do?
Turns out, I could do a few bits of marble. Not the best photos, but the are what they are. They are gone now – gifted.
After Peter left I went into a couch potato mode for almost a whole month. All I did was work/groom/eat/watch Netflix. Thats it. Oh, and go for a swim, water the plants and do the occasional load of washing. Having one of the hottest Augusts in living memory didn’t help.
Now, I feel rested and the weather cooled down a bit (though it will apparently heat up again) and I’ve got the itch. I’ve started painting again and suddenly I can’t wait to get home to get stuck into it.
Which is great!!!
Anyhow, its nice to be back! I’ll be sharing some stuff I’ve done over the last few months, but its not a ton.
junk4joy 