Photography this week

This weeks photos are from the Hamilton gardens again.  The gardens were full of lots of little rooms and doorways into each room.  With the theme view in mind I captured some of the many entrances to these little rooms and views through the many walls inside the gardens.

Skechbook challenge: 7 days of drawing

This months new theme is imaginary animals.  When I heard this theme I thought oh my goodness.  The last time I tried animals I wasn't very successful.  But when I started I realised I can do this!

Yak

Deer

Fish

Seal

Frog

Dragonfly

Eyes

Snake eyes

"

The good and the bad

I woke up today feeling ready to tackle the world.  The sun was shining (for a few minutes anyway) the kids were all on task and the house got cleaned.  It was so nice to have a clean backyard again and the washing all under the porch drying.  I love having days where the morning goes well and everything goes according to plan.  But we really can't have this everyday because we would never recognise the difference between the good and the bad.

It is a bit like this with art work too.  Good and bad days come and go.  They need to,  so we can appreciate the good and find challenge and work though problems in the bad.



I had a bad couple of days working on this piece of work.  I have put about 10 layers of paint and texture on this page before I got it right.  I wanted to have it in a monochromatic  scheme (all one colour)  but that didn't work.  The tones were all too similar and too dark. So I tried a analogous scheme (2 colours that are next door to each other on the colour wheel) but I couldn't get it to come together.  The tones where all too similar still and to mucky.   I tried adding white and silver to lighten the page but still it didn't work.



So I walked away from it over night and looked at it with new eyes this morning. (pardon the pun) As soon as I walked in I knew I needed a complementary colour.  So out came a leaf stencil and orange paint and some black paint and voila it worked.  A fresh perspective is sometimes all I need to get a piece of art to work.  A new day and a new set of eyes got this page finished. 

Photography this week

More photos from my few days away with my man. 

The colours of spring.

Skechbook challenge: 7 days of drawing

I have got some painting done this week.  Yah!!!! I have had lots of fun layering paint again and making views through the paint to see lots of different textures and colours.

View through a window

View through a window

View through a garden

View through a garden

View of a flower

View of a flower

View of the sun

View of a leaf

View through a garden

Quilting on time restraints

My plan today was to have my haircut and spend the day quilting......sigh!!!  It didn't happen.  The haircut took longer than normal and then when I got home I found a bird that had hit the window of the house that needed medical attention so I had to turnaround and go back into town (30 min round trip) to take it to the vet.  So I didn't get back till lunchtime. 



Then family things took over. They were all good thing to do but it left me feeling discouraged that I still hadn't got into the studio today.

I am only able to snatch very small bits of time for my art and quilting at the moment.  I really value creativity in my life everyday. It helps me to refresh my soul and give me breathing space.   It is imperative for me to have this time every day but what happens when that space isn't there or when other people are snatching away my time?  Or there are bird emergencies ? Does this sound familiar?



I have come up with a few things that sometimes help me....

I find that

• Making small spaces of time helps.  It is amazing what one can do in 5-10 minutes.
• Getting up 1/2 hour before the rest of the house
• Taking my lunch break in my studio and putting all the kids down for a rest for 1/2 with books.
• Fine tuning house cleaning chores so they can be done faster and more efficiently
• Making time for art.  Having that mental priority helps to get into the studio more
• Taking small projects with me when I have to go out.
• Having work to do while I am watching t.v with the kids
• Having quilting reading material in the toilet :)  It takes a few days to get through a book but it is a good way to get something done
• Let go of unnecessary obligations.  Do I really need to attend every Christmas party in December........
• Celebrate what I can get done not what I can't achieve.  Making a list of what I have accomplished sometimes helps me to see this more clearly.
• Have an area set up that can be used without having to worry about getting things out or putting them away.



I would love to know what helps you? So would you post a comment below of you have anything that works for you?  It might help me through this time or help someone else.

Maybe tomorrow I can get some times to quilt.

Photography this week

A few more photos of my wonderful break away. 

This week they are the birds I saw.

ENJOY!!!