This month the themed challenge over at the Art Elements blog was hosted by Marsha. The theme was 'Swirl' and I almost didn't manage it!
All month I 'ummed and 'ahhed over what to do. I came up with nothing. Nada. Zilch. I will admit that with less than a week to go I was seriously considering opting out and that made me a little miffed. I felt I had let myself down.
This month I have been busy, not just with the last few days of the wonderful heat wave - we are now back to traditional British Summer weather and as I look out of my window on this Bank Holiday Monday in August I see grey clouds and the dull greens of the trees and hedges. It is a little depressing, even if Autumn (Fall) is coming and the leaves are slowly turning their glorious russet reds and golden browns, the glorious sunshine seems a thing of the past. Other than lamenting about the weather, another traditional British past-time, I have been moving all my art 'stuff' into my newly decorated studio room and sorting out my new space. The boy person isn't coming back now, his place has been taken by a fabulous antique oak desk I found on eBay and LOTS of books, paper, paints and pencils. This is my room! So I haven't had an awful lot of time in between organizing my studio room and being in my glass studio creating beads to think of challenges but this one was always at the back of my mind.
I thought about getting out my yarn - now moved into my new room - and practising some free form crochet. I used to love doing that last winter, but I wasn't inspired. I thought about getting out my wire, again now in my new room and playing with twisting metals into shapes but that isn't something I have a passion for. I thought about creating a 'normal' bead with swirls for decoration but was bored just thinking about that as my beads are not my beads unless they have a funny face and tail.
Then....
I was reading Jill's blog Kiln Fired Art (she is taking part in this challenge too) and reading about her new frame and of course seeing her art work. It was then I thought to myself, stop trying to create something that isn't you!
I have three passions in art, one is writing, one is glass and illustration. I had discounted the glass for this challenge so it was either writing or illustration... off topic muse I wonder who would be interested in reading a challenge that I devoted to writing... ummm....
anyway...
I decided that I would take inspiration from Jill and do some small illustrations of swirls. Just shapes and random ideas, then I looked up and out of my window and watched the wind bending the dull green trees and whipping up the dried and dead grass and leaves and wondered if Miss 'Mudge my only cat that was outside at the time, was still anchored on the ground! The wind was rather fierce that afternoon. I conjured up, in my imagination, Miss 'Mudge - this is her...
...hanging onto an umbrella, Mary Poppins style, and flying through the wind. Then I thought an umbrella would be too heavy for her paws - it is no wonder my family worry about me and my weird imagination - so she would be better holding a balloon.
Then...
I thought, VOILA!!! my challenge piece will be an illustration of the wind, all swirly on the page.
And so, here it is! I am not sure if it is finished yet. I may yet add some more illustrative lines to the wind, maybe darken a few areas?.... I am not quite so sure but what I do know that is that when faced with a themed challenge work to your strengths!
Hope you like my 'not quite' finished' piece and now I am looking forward to next months challenge, as long as I use the skills I have passion for!
Please come and hop the blogs and see what others have done with this challenging challenge, Swirl, was not an easy one, for me at least.
Until next time....
Guest Artists:
Art Elements Team:
