Be direct

This simple page made me think about being stuck between two cogs. The 'wheels' were from cleaning off a stencil that had been sprayed through, and I liked the imperfect patterns it made, so kept the rest of the background simple.

Sometimes, as a vicar's wife, I find myself caught between two people who should really be speaking to each other. Or often people will ask me to ask my husband something. I direct them to ask him themselves wherever possible. I don't know whether they think that I will have more sway with him, so if their request comes from me it's more likely to have a positive response.

Too often, people will complain about someone to a third party rather than going to the person involved and solving the issue that stands between them. We need to be firm and redirect people when they do this. It isn't always easy, because we don't necessarily immediately see what is happening, but when we do, let's not gossip, but be part of the solution, repairing relationships instead.

It's official!

It's official! Last night I attended the opening of the 'A Place to be Safe' exhibition in support of the Zahra Foundation Australia, which works to help people in domestically violent situations. And here's my first ever entry in an exhibition catalogue!

Sales were good at the opening, so let's hope that continues for the full run of the exhibition (it's on until Nov 5th at St. Oswald's church, Parkside, Adelaide, open 11-5 each day) and we raise heaps of money for a good cause.

inktober round-up

Inktober days 20-26. Above, a netsuke mask.

Male face from photo

Female face from imagination

Sofa

Floral doodles

Giraffe

Ostrich

I think I'm gaining confidence in going straight in with the ink and not pencilling things in beforehand. Sometimes you just have to go for it and learn along the way. The more you do, the more skill you gain.

How?

There are times where you just can't see a way through.

How will such and such resolve itself?

How can I move forward?

How do I get from here to there?

Sometimes you just have to move forward in trust.

Corrie Ten Boom: Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.

Opportunity knocks

So, a few weeks ago an unexpected opportunity came up. Someone came to see me and asked to see my journals. She asked about my process, too. A few days later she asked if I would be happy to place a couple of journals in an exhibition that she and her husband were planning. Also, would I design an interactive element for the exhibition so that people could join in?

Would I!

So next week my work will be seen at an exhibition called A Place to be Safe. For me, my art journals are a place to be safe. I can play, thought-spill, and not worry about the end result. It's all about process. If you're in the Adelaide area, drop in and have a look and maybe produce an artwork of your own on the theme of safe places. The exhibition is being presented by the Soroptimists in support of the work of the Zahra Foundation Australia, which aims to assist women who have been threatened and abused at the hands of their partners, and mothers who want to save their children from violent homes. The goal of the foundation is to empower these women to stand on their own feet.

And as it's Friday, don't forget to check out all the wonderful work over at Paint Party Friday. 

Inktober round-up

Inktober days 13-19. The gelli-printed pages sometimes present a bit of a problem when they have dark colours on them, but then I just use a thicker pen. And the long thin format can be interesting :) But surmounting problems is what pushes us to be more creative.

So here we have a tree frog.

A twofer - two aspects of a skull.

A hand.

Some doodled flowers.

Horse-shoe crab.

A face, done left-handed.

An owl.

Check out what other artists have been producing by checking out #inktober2016.

Looking forward...

This page was inspired by Toni Burt. I watched a few of her time-lapse vids and loved the vintage colours. They're not the sort of colours I would normally put together, but it's always good to try something new.

The background has all sorts of collage and then I just went in with stencils, pens, brush marks, bubble-wrap, and my fingers :)

You have to live in the present, not dwelling in the past, and not constantly trying to live in the future. But you do have to look forward every now and again to stay on track. You need to know where you're heading towards so you can take the steps to get there.

Breath

It's Friday, so there must be a Paint Party!

This week I tried out a new posture for a face. Not perfect, but good enough and I had fun doing it :) What new technique, material, or subject have you tried lately?

Inktober round-up

A round-up of the last week of #inktober2016 drawings. My favourite is the chameleon, though I'm pleased with the one above as well.

Whatever flower...

Whatever sort of flower you are, bloom!

Be yourself. Don't worry about what sort of bloom everyone else is producing. You are unique and you are necessary and you add your own beauty to the garden.

First sunshine of spring

After torrential rain, storms, blackouts, and floods over the last couple of weeks, there was a taste of sunshine yesterday. I know that it will only be a little while until we're all melting in the summer heat, but right now this warmth is welcome.

And with this sunshine comes the knowledge that Christmas is coming (even if I still can't get my head around it). I'm making ornaments and the like for the church Christmas Fair so things are pretty busy around here, but I'm still making time for art journalling. It keeps me human :)