It's all part of the journey ...

My non-functional desk

Last week I was feeling really fed up that my desk 'work space' had become a dumping ground, see picture above. It is a by product of trying to squeeze in making bits and bobs into unrealistic time slots and hence when I have to clear away or leave things to dry or gather my itty bitty stamps and various papers. When my time is up, I finally have to surrender and just fling all of that stuff onto my desk - the only safe place for it to go away from little hands and away from spaces that have another function ie our dinner table. 

The desk in its state pictured above was not inspiring me to work as I knew I needed to have a sort out before even getting down to work, probably leaving me an hour maximum to be creative! So, the desk remained like this for another couple of days until a dear friend of mine sent me a message reminding me that she had commissioned a piece of work from me that she needed in a couple of days for a gift. She generously gave me the option to have more time to work on a piece but suddenly my heart began pounding with excitement at the challenge of a deadline. I love a deadline! I love it in as much as it motivates me to get the job done, no hesitation, no excuses. I am in a constant state of forgetting and then remembering that this is how I thrive, I thrive with a deadline in place. It is a useful thing to know about myself, so why do I forget this? 

Anyway, knowing that my dear friend would be coming over at lunch time on friday, on thursday night last week I packed the kids off to bed and set to work. The photograph below was taken at 23.51 hours just as I was calling it a night, hence the poor light. I was tired but so happy to be ending my day having made something new plus the process was so effortless and enjoyable, sometimes doing is so much better than thinking. It also really helps to have beautiful people in your life who place value on what you do and what you make, I am forever grateful for these gifts.

This is what things looked like at 23.51

Mixed -Media on A3 size canvas

In the ants house the dew is a flood

Reciprocated Gift

It is such a delight to receive an unexpected gift in the post and even more so to know that someone has taken time out of their day to think of you .... and then they act on that thought! I was thrilled when a thoughtful friend did just that some months ago but it's taken me some time to repay the gesture.

Creative Burst

I'm loving this whole paper collage on canvas thingy that I'm working on at the moment! So much fun!!!!! Over the last few years whilst trying to find my creative self once more, I think at times I've simply forgotten that it's all meant to be good fun. The Fine Artist in me does get a little addicted to angst but currently I'm taking much inspiration from the arts and crafts community. This community has expanded massively over the last ten years and blogging I'm sure has a lot to do with its success and rise! I've just been having a looking here and here and I'm swelling with inspiration!!!

The photos you see here are taken from a new canvas I've been working on. It's larger than I've done in this series so far, this one is 9" x 12" just over A4 size and I love the extra room it gives! I ended up getting carried away photographing the canvas as each shot seemed to give fresh ideas for a card series I'm also working on. I'm really looking forward to some extra time so that I can get a little production line of canvases and cards, then hopefully I can find some buyers!

I've also been feeling a little nostalgic. The text which you can see in the photograph below reads 'I lie awake at night, listening to you sleeping, I hold your hand so tight, And see what you are dreaming'. It is taken from a sweet, sweet song titled 'After All This Time' and till this day it is one of my favourite songs EVER!!! It was one of the earliest songs that I sang solo in a band I was in called 'The Peaches' when I was seventeen. The song was written by John a.k.a Lofty whose surname escapes me now!!! It's strange the world you live in when you're seventeen, I can't remember John's surname and yet I spent hours and hours in his and the other three guy's company for two solid years!!!! Those were great angst filled years, so Rock 'n' Roll .... or so we thought! I've only got 'After All This Time' on cassette, one of 'The Peaches' early demos. I may have to dig it out to share with you ....

Hubby is the only Rock 'n' Rolla in our house right now after a very successful gig last night, which I was very sad I was unable to attend (NO CHILDCARE). Hubby rocked the house with an old school tape player and cassettes (and phat beats amongst other clever stuff!!!) .... and to think when we first met he would look at my tape player and cassettes with loving pity! I can't listen to this unless it's on cassette, otherwise it's just not the true way I heard it right back at the beginning.

'Fly' 2011 paper collage on canvas 7" x 5"

A gift for Missy

Paper collage on canvas

I know snail pace is better than no pace at all but I'm still a little frustrated that I started these A5 canvas works nearly two weeks ago and haven't had chance to get back to them to finish them. However, at least I now know that the various papers that I have been using to collage do indeed stick to the surface of the canvas, I wanted to make sure that the collaged material wasn't going to lift and that the glue was going to do its job. I'm going for a mixed-media kinda look and really like the idea of these hanging on walls in multiples, two's, three's or four's. Just got to make them now!!