Mixed Media Monday - Paint!

Natalie is the guest artist for this week at Mixed Media Monday and she has challenged us all to post art that incorporates paint in some way. I'm posting a piece I had published some time ago in Stamping & Papercraft - it uses some lovely asian paper as a background and I have stamped the oriental poppy image on a page torn from an asian book (I have several especially for collage purposes). The poppy and border are painted with wonderful Twinkling H2O paints - they have a lovely gleam that doesn't show up very well in the scan. I love using water brushes when I am using these paints.

So a little "Melbourne Art Retreat Preparation" update for anyone that is interested - I leave in less than 48 hours and will be gone for eleven days in total (two days are just travel though). I am doing three day long workshops with Misty Mawn, Traci Bautista and Nina Bagley - just in case anyone reading my blog has managed to miss that bit! I am staying in three different places while I am gone. I am catching four planes. I have not packed yet. The weather is completely different in Melbourne at this time of year (significantly cooler than here - we are expecting a warm 30 degrees today whereas Melb is only expecting 19!) Consequently I haven't worked out what to pack yet. I haven't sorted out my workshop supplies and equipment yet (and that is a big task as it all has to fit in my case and be leak proof and within airline limits). But I have had a few very relaxing days doing art and floating around. Good, hey? You would not want to be here by tonight though when the panic sets in.

Trades from the Art Retreat

I've run out of time tonight so thought I would just share some eye candy. Today was the first day back at work after a fortnight's wonderful holiday and I am trying (desperately) to hold onto that holiday feeling. Here are the trades from 8 wonderful women at the Art Retreat that I attended in Fremantle just over a week ago - I didn't get mine done before the Retreat so will be sending them on this week.

In order starting from the top left and proceeding then in rows from left to right, the trading cards are from Julian Buttenshaw, Gale Wickes, Marie Cifuentes, Jhodi Bennett, Kelsey O'Mullane, Heather Crossley,Kathy Thompson & Marg Bryne. Thanks again to you all!

Some Scans of Recent Creations & Experiments

I haven't let anyone know just yet about this blog of mine - I feel as though it needs to have more content first!

So here are some scans of recent creations and experiments - two are pieces I made in Dale Rollerson's Frescos and Fragments Workshop last Sunday at the Art Retreat. I am sure that I will be using the techniques a lot - the bigger one is just a background piece and is the reason I am now in love with Adirondak Color Washes!

This week I have also been playing with Lutrador (painting it mostly ready for further experimentation), dyeing/painting fabric, making more fresco backgrounds (only partially completed as I have run out of black webbing spray and can't find any locally unfortunately) and also trying Beryl Taylor's fabric paper technique from her gorgeous book Mixed-Media Explorations. These are my first two experiments with the fabric paper - both just a little (!) over the top colour-wise. It will be fun to chop them up and use them like fabric.

Well I have joined the world of bloggers!

OK, I know I said I probably wouldn't ever have the time to blog (too busy reading other blogs!) but the time has come. I want to be able to share my art and my life and to connect with like- minded people.

A lot of my motivation to create this blog comes from the experience I had last weekend at Artistic Journey's Art Retreat in Fremantle. It was a wonderful event and provided me with heaps of inspiration. 2006 was an "off" year for me creatively and taking workshops with Nina Bagley, Lesley Riley and Dale Rollerson has reignited my urge to immerse myself again in paper, fabric, canvas, paint, transfers, etc etc... I met lots of people, caught up with art friends that I rarely see and made a new friend (hi Sue!). In short, it was a very special time.

I have also just been invited to join an international exchange and nearly everyone else that is involved has either a website or blog where others can see their art so I thought I had better "lift my game".