Painted!

My paintings from yesterday. The small ones have ribbons attached so they can hang from a Christmas tree.

Close up of one of the larger ones. Two bottle kilns side by side, at night, a frosty gleam on them and a patchy, cloudy sky with stars peeping through. The shape of the wisp of smoke mimics the curve of the moon. I used acrylics and glitter glue to give the frosty effect. The smallest canvases are about 1 x 1.5 inches. The bigger ones are around 6x 4.5 and 4.5 inches. They are on display at the Waiting room gallery, I’m pleased to say they are there with other works that I have done for the next week.

Preparing to paint

Eight tiny and four small canvases waiting to be painted. Despite my shaking arm getting worse, and my right hand starting to shake too. Life has to go on.

I’ve been asked if I want a small table at a craft fair, and I said yes (foolishly). Now I’m faced with these blank canvases. I have an idea for some images, I just hope they turn out OK. The trouble is I’ve put this off for weeks and the fair is tomorrow. Luckily I have some old paintings waiting at my studio so I should be OK. I just need a bit of courage. X

Branches

Pattern made from tree branches manipulated digitally. I could list all the steps but that might be boring. I like adding different steps to see what the outcome is. I have saved a lot of these on Instagram @mallabandbrown

I add a lot of art there and here, it’s always there. I may not be painting a great deal but I do like playing with patterns. What I want to do is print out some of them but they didn’t look good on ordinary paper, the ink sunk in and was not very glossy. Perhaps I should use photographic paper?

Overgrown

A thicket, overgrown, a hedge tall and wide hiding the house behind it. Who lives there? No sign of movement. The gate locked shut. Curtains and boards up at the windows. Abandoned? Hidden, a haven for birds and wildlife. The smell and calls of foxes. But a house in need of care.

He looked through the hedge and wondered. Where had his family gone? Inheritance had finally happened and he was the only person found. He would start by cutting back the trees and hedges, but gently. He wanted to keep the wildness, but with some flowers and vegetables. It would take time.

He looked for a long time. Yes he could do it. Nature and garden would be in harmony. Life would be preserved and given its chance.

Smashed

Digital drawing

Playing again, filters, digital finger painting. I really like complicated patterns, but adding a filter of broken glass and a burst of light made it different. But I still see shapes that turn into things, in this case the blue squiggles remind me of someone playing a guitar? Or running? My mind is strange.

Bauble

Illustration idea for a Christmas bauble to hang off the tree. Just a doodle really. Using sharpness and blurring tools, a bit of a texture tool. I guess it would be nice to have patterns printed onto baubles but I don’t know how. Anyway I like it. I would call it an illustration? I guess these patterns could have the hues changed and be put on Christmas cards maybe?

Staring

The dragon stared, it looked out at me, the forest had hidden it until I got close. I didn’t know what to think? Where was it from? How had it got there? Was it real, mythical, mystical or magical.

I stood quietly. Waiting to see what happened. I didn’t have to wait long.

It spoke!

Who are you human? Why are you here? Its questions were the same as mine. Then it said, how can you see me? I am invisible!

Of course I replied that it was not. That I could see it perfectly. Then it said I must be young, or believe in stories. Grown ups rarely see dragons!

That’s how we became friends. A chance meeting. We had many adventures. I might tell them one day.