Come over to the dark side

Michelle’s challenge for the Crusade’s this month was to journal on black. Excellent! I painted a couple of pages in my visual diary and then things got busy…weeks later, I finally got back into it this morning. I did two pages; one is about dragonflies, thinking about their wings and playing with iridescent colors. The other is a “proper” journal page, recording some thoughts on my life with Tony, my husband of 17 plus years.  

I enjoyed working on a black background, which I suppose should not surprise me, as I often use plain black cardstock as the background in my scrapbooks. I used acrylic paint this time but the surface is a bit too slick – I think next time I’ll use black gesso.

At the framers

This one is at the framers as my husband wants to hang it somewhere. Because it is for him, he took it t the framer and chose the frame, matt colour etc. It will be interesting to see the final results. It’s done on a half sheet of Colorfix using mainly Art Spectrum pastels.

Back home, and off again

I have been away at the annual LIANZA (Library & Information Association of New Zealand Aotearoa) conference, held in Christchurch this year. I flew down 36 hours early so I could visit our daughter Yasmine, her partner Adam and our 2-year-old grandson Rory. It was wonderful to see them. The photo is of Rory and I (also known as Grandma Cath).  [I can’t believe I am putting a photo of me on the internet – yikes! Amazing what a grandchild makes you do…]

As always, Conference was very inspiring – I have a had full of ideas, things I want to try, people I want to email, new services to trial. Of course time, money and resources will mean there is some serious prioritising to be done! The flip side of all that is that I am very introverted, so being with so many people for 10 or so hours a day is just exhausting. I have done the Myers Briggs personality test twice, and both times I have scored the top score possible for introversion. It means that at the end of the day I head for my hotel room and lie in the dark for a bit – no radio, tv, lights – nothing – just me and some peace and quiet.

Tomorrow Tony and I are heading of to Wellington for two nights in a good hotel for some r&r. I don’t remember the last time we went away together. My sister is Mum-sitting for us, which is much appreciated.

NZ Art Guild Challenge #11

Title: Inspire me.  Size: 10″ square.  Medium: acrylics, ink, collage, rubber stamping, gel pen.  Inspiration: I bought some new art books from Amazon recently, and have been learning some new techniques – books and learning new things being two of the things that inspire me. The book cover collaged on at top left is one of the new books I got, called “Taking flight” by Kelly Rae Roberts. The style of this piece is what she teaches in the book.

Melting ice – another snow painting

Here’s another in the series of four which has headed off to Auckland and been hung in the Cross Cut hair salon. The salon owner was apparently delighted, as the works are a bit different to what she’s been hanging lately. Glad to have made her day…