Berry theme reveal for Art Elements

Karen from the Art Elements team hosted this months themed challenge, the first one of 2020.  You can see her post HERE

It has been so long since I took part in a challenge as my motivation to do anything art related has been at an all time low.  So much has happened over the last few months and I am worn out emotionally and mentally, throw in the cold and grey days and I have celebrated getting out of bed in the morning and getting dressed!  

Time has come to push oneself to do something other than wallow in self pity and greyness, so I decided to start small.  Don't think too much, I told myself, just think berry and do a little something once in a while.  So I did.  Here are my three little somethings that came about because I was thinking of the berry challenge.

First up is Strawberry Nellie.

I had my first Facebook show of 2020 and was making characters (in glass as beads) for that.  It was a struggle to get going and find my whimsical muse but I am pleased to say that getting into the studio and just turning on the torch has kicked started my arty needs and the grey days are starting to become a bit brighter.  

The other 'somethings' are really just 'doodles' but art is art and creating is good for the soul, even if it is on scrap bits of paper! 

I threw everything at this doodle.  On watercolour paper, I started with a dip pen and some ink that Secret Santa from the team sent me for Christmas.  It is a delicious green ink - which you probably can't see because I then layered over it many times as I got 'into the groove' and found that time stood still and I enjoyed 20 minutes of 'arting'.  I grabbed the Arteza watercolour pens on the desk, I wanted a bit of brightness in my life, but it was too bright, so I dulled it down with a white Posca paint pen which I admit I over did it so I grabbed the purple Posca paint pen, then I went back to the dip pen but this time with black ink.  I stopped just in the nick of time I think, I rather like this mixed media piece and I am going to cut it out and use it as a book mark as it has all the qualities of art I like, colour and lines.  It is simple and it is over worked but I will use it to mark the pages in my book so I remind myself that all 'funks' come to an end eventually.

Lastly a Posca paint pen doodle on wood.  It was a Sunday afternoon, it was grey and miserable and damp and dreary and again I wanted some colour.  The great thing about Posca pens is they are so vibrant, the down side is they are so vibrant!  I enjoyed messing about, again for probably only 20-30 minutes, mixing, layering, smudging....  

A doodle a day keeps the misery away ;)  

No doubt everyone else that has taken part in this month's challenge will have produced something a little more significant than my doodles so join me in hopping the blogs below....

Art Elements Team

• Laney
• Karen
• Cathy
• Lesley

Our Guest Contributors

• Sarah Raines
• Karin Grosset Grange
• Divya
• Bay Moon Design
• Tammy Adams

Countdown to Christmas.

I know its a bit early, but I had a play with some Christmas ideas, I currently have some penguins and reindeer fused glass suncatchers to finish off but will be photographing those soon.

 

So who has the hump for Christmas?

Whose got the 'ump?

 ...and you just can't not have a cute elephant called Holly with a Christmas hat ....

 

Holly the Christmas Elephant

anyone for a cute penguin?...

 

Ebay auctions

Its only 16 weeks and counting!

 

Laney x

For the love of sculpture

Woburn Abbey Gardens

 

 

I love sculpture, in all mediums and I think that is quite plain to see in my glass.  I don't do girlie, but I do do dramatic!  In my teens I was quite keen on colour, mostly clashing colours lime green with pink, purple with orange...I didn't know then that my 'clashing' colours are really 'contrasting' colour, or opposites on the colour wheel.  In painting, to get that blue or purple to sing, add a dash of orange somewhere in the painting, it will bring out the bluey purples, or add green to a red painting and watch the colours pop, I love contrasting or complimentary colours. 

When I started to draw, that was just what I wanted to do, just draw.  I wasn't interested in colour, I loved form and wanted to be able to recreate a 3D image in 2D form in graphite.  Colour came later when I was encouraged to use coloured pencils as a medium, but even then I tended to use coloured pencils with graphite or an ink pen, later using the ink to sketch with, which is my prefered way of sketching, ink and wash, and back to the simplicity of just line and form.   

Trunk Tied, Elephant sculpture focal bead


Colour still plays a part in my sculpture work, and I still love contrasting colours, like in this gorgeous baby dragon, lilac with deep green and pale blue.  I think this gorgeous dragon is very well going to go to the gallery (more on that news another time!)

Its been a busy, and wet day, here at Chez Izzybeads, I have been soaked twice, once on the dog walk and once on the trip to the post office, I have been in the studio though and made some more sculptural beads and even a trip to the vets for Iz's yearly boosters.  Both dogs go to the vets, their boosters are 6 months apart, so they both go, both times and both get weighed. Its a good way to keep a check on them.  Being big dogs and being Golden Retrievers, they have to watch their weight so they don't put too much stress on their back legs in older age.  The vet was thrilled with our Iz, perfect teeth, perfect eyes, perfect ears and perfect weight...PERFECT :O) she is a healthy 33.8kg and at 6 years old that is brilliant news.  Defi got weighed too, he has gained 4kgs and is now 31.5kg, which is about right for his age of just 2.  He should get to about 35-37kg when fully grown I reckon.

The perfect duo...Defi and Iz


Laney x

 





 

Back on the bums!!

As well as making the glass flowers I have a bit of a passion for the fun and whimsy side of bead making..and life!  I am inspired by so many great whimsy glass bead artists, Maybeads, BeastieBeads, Blue Mountain Magic lampwork beads to name but three.  Of course if you are talking whimsy beads you can't forget Sharon Peters whom must be the goddess of silly sculptural beads. 

 Of course, my girls inspire my chicken beads and my cats and dogs inspire my ...well...cats and dogs beads!! 

Marmalade...and toast!

Claude and the glassy mog!

As well as chooks, cats and dogs I like to make what makes me smile and I refuse to throw away some of my favourite childrens books, the pictures in those bring characters to life.  Why don't adult books (and I am not talking rude ones!) still have those little doodles at the beginning of chapters? 

Ellie the Elephant

Billy Button

Fish ear ring pair

A day at the seaside

 The fish ear ring pair of beads were inspired  from looking at old Venetian bead designs.

And just to round this blog off nicely, some more chooks, this time for big holes to fit the popular bracelets.  You can never have enough chooks!