Tag: Design

The eyes have it

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Put a picture of an eye or eyes up on a wall or building and crime drops. People are apparently influenced by an image of an eye. Perhaps that is why the story the handmaid’s tale uses the phrase “under his eye” as part of its narrative.

Eyes are all seeing, interrogative, piercing, but also are described as honest, kind, thoughtful, gentle.

Eyes are the windows of the soul. The look of longing, watching, friendship. Caring eyes. Intelligent eyes. So many descriptions. Your eyes weep, cry, shed tears.

Eyes linger on a sunset, watch the television, look back in anger. Using your eyes to see. Recognise your friends and family……

Dont let your eyes darken, grow clouded, become opaque with cataracts. Blink away tears.

Glance at the sky, watch a bird in flight, look at your watch, wear mascara. Stare at the world. Close your eyes, and, sleep.

Lifeline

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So many years ago, 2003 was when I did this art work. The hand print was a photocopy of my hand I think. Then I used photoshop to add colours using flood fill and a drawing tool. Finally I used one of the texture tools to break the image up into shards.

16 years on its at my studio at Spode. I really want to do more experimental stuff. I have been trying to get in the front room where my computer is but it’s full of my partners train stuff which I don’t want to move.

Life can be complicated. You have to have give and take. That’s what my lifeline was shining I guess (although I don’t believe in that kind of thing).

Cat sculpture

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My cat sculpture that I bought from a local blacksmith has moved since we had the shed put up. You can rest a plant pot on its tail. I love the glass eyes that she put in.

I would love to do a blacksmith workshop and learn how to do some basic twirls and twiddle.

I was so impressed by the skill of my friend. She has also got the ability to translate a 2d sketch that I did to a 3d sculpture.

Swirls

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When I have had a long day I enjoy doing something creative. These were done with a couple of apps, sketcher free and picsart.  I don’t know why I like swirls and spirals so much.

Anyway here are three iterations. The first was the most complex to create, the second and third led to the first. I started with bright colours and then reduced them by using the curves option, changing each colour to a more muted one and eventually grey.

I think I will just finish here. Today was very busy.

X

Fairies

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I saw lits of fairies made of wire at a place called Trentham Gardens recently.

I was intrigued by them so when I saw a wire weaving kit to make a small one I decided to get it. I opened the box to find a small mackette of a figure and three thickness of wire together with some pliers.

I’m nervous of even starting! There are apparently YouTube videos to help but I’m not sure what I will end up making. I’m better at painting in two dimensions than creating in three. Wish me luck!

Butterfly

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The black and grey ones could be turned into prints to go on bags, badges, coasters or tee shirts. That’s what I would like to do, create designs for printing onto things including cards.

I was contacted a few years ago by a company that would have done it for me. But when I looked into the ratings for them they were not good. People were not getting things delivered on time. Artists were not being paid. The quality of the printing was not up to scratch. I decided against working with them but I would like the opportunity to do something like that. I’m chatting with a friend about what to do.

Goodnight, x

Patterns

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Patterns, that’s what I like, I make them out of trees, out of skies out of water.

Nature makes it easy to create something interesting and different each time. Sometimes you can see faces and animals in the patterns.

Each time I take a photo I think how it would appear if I turned it into a pattern. Some pictures are easier than others, photos with a lot of strong diagonals, or lots of sky and just a small corner with the side of a building in it can also be interesting.

The pictures I took today have strong contrasts because of the bright low sun. The light delinated the branches and made them stand out.

Most of the time I turn each picture four times, but I don’t have to stick to that format. For instance the third picture in this series is slightly different, see if you can see why.

How much?

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Watching daytime TV you see all sorts of advertisements. There are life insurance plans, double glazing, furniture, Bath seats for the elderly.

The latest one is model building kits. Buy now, first issue is £1.99, then £8.99 per issue ….. But the models of famous ships or complex robots or classic cars are made up of sometimes 120 parts. So that’s 120 issues of the magazine that comes with it. If you do the maths that’s around 4 years of magazines and parts and over £1071 in costs!

I can imagine someone who loves model boats or trains might start doing one of these. But will they continue making it? Can they afford it? I do think it’s a bit of a rip off…..

Blow the wind

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I love the illustrations of little cherubs , cheeks puffed out, blowing ships across maps or in ancient paintings. That was the inspiration for this digital drawing in ArtRage oils. I had the metallic option set to 100%. You have a choice of 4 paint brushes and a sliding scale from 1 to 100.

I also love the song “blow the wind southerly” I think this would make an interesting illustration for it.

This is a free app I downloaded a couple of years ago. I have deleted other apps, but I kept this one because I like using it so much. I think it’s in Google app store or Google play if you look… I’m never quite sure how to find things there though.

Red and Green

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I took this today and noticed how much bright red was in it and subtle greens to compliment it. Even the plant food and bits of the labels on the washing up liquid are red. Splashes of colour lift this photo, making it zing. I was going to crop it, but I also like the door handle on the left side mimicking the curve of the tulip stems. The green leaves and sponge and washing up liquid are complementary. Even the cloth on the cupboard helps to hold it together. More if a still life than a photo. Objects can just spring out at you. Especially when you get a bit of sunshine to enhance the shapes of the vase and tulip flowers.