A new dawn

Thank you for all your kind and inspiring words on my post yesterday, it really meant a lot to me. Yesterday was a day of realisation, and sometimes those times are not always nice. But I am filled with hope for my future and I feel invigorated for what I can achieve.

I found this quote which I think kind of sums it up really, and I do love a quote or two.

Nobody can go back and start a new beginning, but anyone can start today and make a new ending - Maria Robinson

I hope you all had a good weekend and have had a nice start to the week xx

Sunday Sketches

This week I wasn't particularly creative mainly down to time and also I'm at the brink of starting a long road to changes in my life. These will soooo be worth it in the the end, but I know it will be quite hard and challenging at times, not to mention stressful. So the thought, the worry and knowing the stress it can bring, has just unsettled me alot. Still Rome wasn't built in a day and usually the things you want the most can be the hardest to achieve.

Anyway, my Sunday Sketch is of a bird, which is kind of symbolic for me.....the bird represents the freedom to follow my dreams, the heart because at my core is the need to be creative, and the flower...well just because I love Daisy's.

I'm off to Sophia's blog to check out the other Sunday Sketches and then I shall be filing my tax return online!!!

Happy Sunday to you all.

Helen xx

4/52 - More studio pictures

My picture this week is of my desk again.
It's been a funny week, a bit unsettling and the next few months are going to be quite tough. But worth it in the end.

Trying not to feel the strain and wondering if I'm going to find the time to be creative!

Happy Friday to you all xx

A bit stuck

Well I'm a bit stuck. I randomly started this layered watercolour painting of flowers with a bird, and I wasn't sure where I was heading with it. Just really wanted to see the transparent layers of the flowers over each other, so I pretty much let the painting just flow. And now I am not sure what to do.I feel like it needs to 'pop' a bit more, but then again, it's nice to have soft gentle colours. So I'm debating whether to outline it......it certainly needs something!
So any ideas are well and truly welcome.

Hope you all are having a great day.....I'm glad you enjoyed the Kelly Berkey interview, she really is just the sweetest person.

Helen xx

Blogs from Around the World - Kelly Berkey

Well I am so excited to unveil my latest project. The blogging world has connected me to so many wonderful and inspiring people and it got to the point where I wanted to share the love. So here it is....my Blogs From Around the World, in which each month I will be featuring a blogger who inspires me. Bloggers who I can't wait to read their posts and see what they have painted, drawn, been up to or anything else.

So without further ado, please grab a cuppa, a favourite biccie and read all about the wonderful Kelly Berkey, who I may say, radiates sunshine even when she is not feeling it!

Oh and by way of a coincidence, it's her birthday today too....so Happy Birthday Kelly.

Courage

How did you get into making jewellery?
When my son moved out to attend college, I was a lost soul. My hubby kept hinting to me to find a hobby, then gave me Sally Jean's book, 'Pretty Little Things'. I was hooked!!

If there is one thing you learnt in 2010, what would it be?
To trust in myself as an artist. To stop reading other's blogs and comparing myself. Once I put myself on a 'computer diet' and spent more time just playing in my studio, I really began to improve in my skill and began believing in myself as an artist.

How do you plan your workload alongside your part-time real job, your busy life and your marriage etc?
Well, I say on my blog that my job is 'part-time' even though it's a regular 40hr a week job because when I was self-employed, I worked twice as many hours. So I like to think of myself as a full-time artist, with a part-time day job. Kind of a spin, don't you think? But life is all about our perceptions, and I like to think I'm a full-time artist. So, thought, word, and deed. I think I am, I say I am...then I have to paint and create more than 40 hrs a week to be. Get it? We are the master of ourselves, we just have to work at it!

My busy life really consists of my studio. I rarely leave my home, my friends pop on over here to see me, and I no longer have kids to take care of. As far as my marriage, my hubby is retired and 5 years ago took over everything domestic. I only cook on Sundays, do very little laundry, never clean, and don't grocery shop. Now, don't hate me. I've been married for 25 years and 16 of those years I worked 80 hr weeks, ran multiple flower shops, was a premier wedding planner, did all the cooking, all the lunches, all the laundry, all the cleaning, everything! My hubby could barely make toast without burning it. He taught himself to cook with the help of 'The Food Network', built a gourmet kitchen, and has turned into quite the chef. It keeps him busy, us healthy, and allows for me to work more in my studio. My hubby is also very artistic, so he loves to sit on my couch in my studio and watch me work, giving me his input, and building my ever expanding studio to help me accomplish my dreams. He is my biggest fan and supporter and without him I wouldn't be able to be an artist.

You create beautiful jewellery and paintings but is there something else you would like to try your hand at?
Hum, I think the only thing in my life that I've wanted to do and haven't was teach dance. I was never able to make that happen, and now my desire for it isn't as strong. Lately I've been itching to teach mixed media painting. I have taught floral design classes in the past and enjoyed it, so maybe I'll be teaching painting someday. Oh, and I'd love to be able to speak French. I've just started learning it and my gift to myself when I become fluent enough is a 3 week trip to France. Wow, I'm a bit all over the place, aren't I?

I really enjoyed participating in your weekly sketch challenge last year, do you plan to do another one?
The weekly stretching to sketch challenge was so much fun. It was also a lot of work. I had said I would pick it back up after the new year, but I really don't have time for it. Plus, I got tired of looking at myself, didn't you? I'd log onto my blog roll and every other post would be a photo of me, I even googled myself and my image popped up on blogs all around the world. I felt like I was getting a bit out of hand.

Not to get off subject, but this is funny, so I have to share. A few weeks ago, darling hubby picks me up from work. On the drive home he says, "I googled you today". I'm all, "WHAT?" Anyhow, I think he was a bit shocked. I reminded him that he was the photographer...he was very sweet and said he thought all my photos were artistic and tasteful, but he was a bit surprised as to how "popular" they were after all this time! So, we will wait a bit before we start another "Stretching to Sketch Challenge" and hopefully a few of you out there will volunteer to be the model every other week!

If you could use three words to describe yourself, what would they be?
Passionate, Joyful, Driven. I feel sometimes that I suffer a bit from creative ADD, but remember my statement above about perception? So now I call myself "creatively re-directed".

Congratulations on having your work shown in a gallery...a great achievement. How did it feel to stand back and see all your work displayed for people to buy?
A bit proud, scared, excited, overwhelmed. I'm proud to be one of the artists featured at the Gallery Off Broadway. The owner, Kathleen Fenton, is a wonderful woman. She had a vision to create a whimsical gallery that only sells art that is affordable to everyone. She has an art academy that teaches classes to all ages and levels. Children get to create art and sell it at an event called The Art Crawl. They are expected to represent their art and are encouraged to talk about their creations. Sales from The Art Crawl go to charity, with a small amount going to the artist.

What a wonderful vision to have and I'm happy that Kathleen asked me to be part of it. My originals are featured there along with my line of jewelry, frameable art cards, magnets, and now they have requested prints of my work.

The Gallery Off Broadway is located at 110 S. Main Street, Excelsior Springs, MO. If you are in the area, please stop by and say hello!

Do you have any tips for running an art business either online or otherwise?
Etsy is a wonderful online venue to sell art. It is inexpensive, easy to use, and the traffic there is wonderful. Also, don't be afraid to list your work. Everything you create won't be popular or sell right away, but keep believing in yourself, improving your shop, refining your listings, and showing your passion for your work. Your enthusiasm for your art will help it catch on!

What’s next for Kelly Berkey Designs?
Figurative Oil Painting is where my heart is at. I love mixed media and have found that I really love the look of an acrylic mixed media background with my figure in Oil. There is a contrast there that I find beautiful to look at. My biggest goal is to continue to work on emotion in my paintings. In my latest work, 'Courage', I finally felt that I've achieved that goal. Art for me needs to be more than beautiful, I want that emotional connection. If the viewer glances at my work and walks away, then I've failed as an artist. True art pulls you in, tickles your soul.

And lastly, thank you for being such a source of inspiration....who inspires you (blogging wold, non-blogging world etc).
Thank you Helen! I'm honored that you picked me to kick off your interview series this year. My 44th birthday is on January 24th, so for me this was a great honor and a wonderful present!

There are so many individuals that inspire my work, too many to list. Here are a few of my obsessions/inspirations right now:
Pauline Adair
Terri Smith
Diana Mulder
Martine Alison
Juliette Crane

Thank you Kelly for being so open, honest and inspiring! You can find Kelly's blog here, and browse her Zazzle store and her Etsy shop. Please drop by and have a look at her work, not only is it fabulous, but I am sure would make lovely gifts for friends, family or even yourself.

Have a great day!

Helen xx

Sunday Sketches

Here's a little folk style art flowers. Just random doodling and then added some colour using watercolour pencils.
I've had watercolour pencils for years but never really used them until recently...but they are quite fun to use.

Off to another children's party today so not much time to paint.

Right, I'm heading over to Sophia's blog to check out the other Sunday Sketches before I head out.....it's well worth a look to see everyone's sketches.

Helen xx

3/52 - I love my studio

My photo for this week is a glimpse of my desk. I am a messy artist, and although this looks relatively tidy(ish) I did move a few things out of the way to take the picture.
There's a saying 'happy as a pig in muck' and that is what I feel like when I am in my studio painting and being creative. Time whizzes by even faster than it should. And as I have spent a lot of time in my studio this week, it should only be that this is my picture for this week.

Have a brilliant, creative Friday and here's to a wonderful weekend!!

xx

Little Red Riding Hood

Well here she is:And doesn't she look miserable. Either she was looking at the wolf saying 'give it your best shot', or she really wasn't impressed with me!

Still it was fun to splash the colour on to see what she would turn out like.

I am very excited as I have a new monthly project in the pipeline...all will be revealed next week!

Have a great day!

Helen x

Kelly in Watercolour

I created this watercolour sketch last year, during Kelly Berkey‘s sketch challenge, but for some reason I didn’t blog about it (or send it to her). I did enjoy creating this, especially as I shy away from faces. I seem to be doing a lot of faces lately, mainly whimsical, but still, faces all the same. There must be a reason for that somewhere!

I’m off to bring my Little Red Riding Hood to life now.

Have a great evening, whether you are being creative or not :o) x

Sunday Sketches

My post for this weeks Sunday Sketches was drawn at work on a scrap bit of paper during my lunch break (so please excuse the creases and quality). I had hoped to be able to use it as a basis for a larger sketch/painting and to post that up this week, but I ran out of time. I have drawn it again, but it didn't come out very well in a photograph as the pencil was too light.

I am thinking about starting some paintings or drawings on the theme of children's stories, and this one was based on Little Red Riding Hood. Another whimsical picture....I seem to be heading this way with my art and I am just letting it take me there.
I am off to Brighton today for a children's party, but if I get time when I return, I will see if I can paint my drawing of this sketch and update this post. If not, it will follow in a day or two.

Have a great Sunday and I'm off to head over to Sophia's blog to check out the other Sunday Sketchers.

2/52 - Chalk and Cheese

Week 2 of my 52 week project and I'm still following my creative theme.

I'm having problems with part of my Escher painting, so there's a whimsical sketch for some light relief.

A short and sweet post, but it's been a really busy day and I am so looking forward to going to bed anytime soon.

Night to you all....hope your Friday was good and that you have a great weekend ahead!

To Kindle, or not to Kindle....

I don’t know what’s up with me this week, but I am sheer exhausted. I am definitely not over doing it, as I am having early nights, eating properly and taking care of myself, just as I pledged I would at the beginning of the year. Hoping it will pass soon.

I’m in the midst of a great book called Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts, which is almost 1,000 pages long and to say it’s an epic of a book is putting it mildly. It’s a great read and I would thoroughly recommend it....but I only have one problem, the size of the book. It’s so big and heavy that it makes reading it on the train a bit cumbersome. Which has made me appreciate the new concept of reading books, via an iPad and Kindle etc.

My only problem with this advanced technology is that you can’t beat the feel of holding a book and reading it. No computer screen to look at, no battery to die on you....just the smell of the pages, the feel of the cover and the whole ‘reading a book’ thing to enjoy

I love the idea of having a Kindle as if I finish one book mid journey, I have another to hand, and it sure would make travelling lighter, but I was brought up in libraries when I was a kid. I love buying and reading books and the thought of not being able to do that scares me a little. How great it is to walk into a second hand book store and find the book you’ve been looking for, for years, as happened to me recently, and how great it is to borrow or lend books to friends.

As much as I love technology, I do hope we keep some traditional things going....

Hope you’ve had a great day,I’m off now to cook for a friend who is coming to dinner – take care x

Quilting and fabric envy...

I was looking at Julochka’s blog the other day as she has just started quilting and is using up endless fabrics she has purchased along with any remnants of previous projects ....and boy am I jealous. Not only because what she has produced is colourful, funky and unique, but because she has all this material to use up in the first place.

I love brightly coloured fabrics and I can’t wait to find some gems which I can store up like the squirrel I am. I am desperate....DESPERATE, to get out my sewing machine again and use that as my paint brush or pen for a bit.

I don’t know if you have seen any of the Kirsty’s Homemade programmes on Channel 4 but there was one episode where she used a free style technique on a sewing machine to create her teapot picture....it looked so much fun that I am dying to have a go. I watched them recently on 4OD so it’s well worth having a look.

So in between working my day job, I will create as much as I can, whether it’s by sketching, painting, crafting or sewing. The possibilities are endless!



I highly suggest you head on over to Julochka’s blog, as not only will you find it full of colourful pictures of her handiwork, you will also find a good read there too.

Hope you've had a great day - I'm exhausted, so off to bed now x

Sunday Sketches

I've decided to take up another challenge - got to keep those creative juices flowing - and join Sunday Sketches as hosted by Blue Chair Diary.

Other than keeping up my drawing and sketching ability, I also would like to fill up the billions (ok a bit of an exaggeration but you get the picture) of sketchbooks I have lovingly purchased and looked at over the years, but never actually filled with anything. Those for a penchant for art supplies will know exactly what I am talking about. So now is my chance.

I haven't a clue if one week they will be representational of the subject, a whimsical picture, or maybe even an abstract offering .....all I know is that it will keep my creativity in full force and on the path I want to be on. Exciting stuff!

So without further ado here is Lala...named by Ollie as he thinks this looks like his older sister. A whimsical start to the challenge. Not sure who she is, or why she is just standing there in her stripey socks looking mischievous...it was just one of those random drawings from within.

Please nip over to Blue Chair Diary's blog for the other sketches.

Have a creative and relaxing Sunday xx

Maddie's invite

I’ve had so much fun this week making the party invite in photoshop. Lovely Jim helped me with some of the technical stuff I wasn’t too sure on and then came up with some great ideas to make it a really special invitation. It was fun working together with him on it especially as it made a really nice change to be creative using a pc and not a paintbrush.

I’ve been so tired too as going back to work after some time off over Christmas is taking it’s toll. But I will not let this stop me from being creative in the evenings and weekends....just need to make sure I plan things right and look after myself too so that I don’t burn out (ooh am I really living and learning from my past mistakes)!

Now the invite is done I will look at finishing the Esher painting I started some time ago, then there is just one more to complete in my series. And I already have a new painting project bubbling away which I will share once I work out the details. All exciting stuff!

Anyhoo, here’s the invite and if anyone would like one designed for them, just drop me a line.

Have fun and be creative x

Ps, I've changed some details to protect the innocent ;o)

52 weeks, 52 photos

I've decided to take up another photography challenge which I feel more confident in completing. A picture a week for 52 weeks!

Last year I did the 365 photo project, but being ill for over a month kind of put paid to wanting to take a photo every day, and so I didn't finish it. I tried hard to not let it get me down, as I had managed to take a picture every day for ten and a half months before disaster struck! On the positive side I learnt heaps about photography, my camera and my subjects, so all was not lost. Plus the people in group I joined on Flickr were amazing, very inspirational and really friendly.

I also want to encourage myself to be creative every week in addition to taking a picture, so I have decided to give myself a theme of creativity for the entire project. Which means that every picture has to be of something creative, either what I am working on (which I aim to be working on something every week) or what someone else is working on or has worked on.

So without further ado, my week one picture is the mock up of my children's party invitation which I have worked on this week. I do realise that this picture has already been posted, so I have jazzed it up bit in Lightroom. The finished invite has been approved by the client (almost 5 year olds know what they like) and I will share that with you soon.

Have a great weekend and let the creativity flow x

It's Charlie & Lola time!

This week I need to complete a 5 year old girl’s pyjama party invite which may sound easy, but I am toying between painting it or using photoshop to create one. Painting it is fine as I have created a prototype and it works really well, (and the little girl is pleased with it) but I am worried how well it will look when scanned. The photoshop one will work better when printed but I will need to learn a few photoshop techniques from my lovely Jim in order to create it....and I don’t really have the time for that! Hmnnn decisions.....

The little girl in question is my best friend’s daughter and she is adorable so I really want to make her something she is chuffed with.

I will post an update when it’s finished but in the meantime, here’s a glimpse at the ideas so far.

Have a great day x

New year wishes...

Well we are a few days into 2011 and I have been thinking about last year and what I aspire for this year. And no matter where 2011 takes me, I know that I am very fortunate to have such wonderful family and friends.

Things I have learnt in 2010

It is ok to say no
Live in the moment and enjoy it
Sometimes you have to realise that it’s their shit not yours (and believe me, this has been a massive learning curve for me)
Gratitude is a humbling thing
Being creative is at my core and I will embrace it
Love, tolerance and compassion for others

To do this year

Learn to use resin on paintings
Fall in love with my sewing machine again
Keep in touch with friends
Follow my dream to be creative
Be healthy
Take an online painting class
Learn pottery
Embrace and celebrate my 40th
Be more creative
Open an etsy shop
Take my art to another level

I wish you all a very happy and healthy New Year.....and let the love flow :o)