Posted by Suzie on Feb 25, 2009 in
Diary 
Beech Huts. Acrylic & Water Colour Pencil on 13mm deep MDF Board. 30 x 10 cm.
The sun shone today. The walls in our office were awash with lambent streams of light flowing in through vertical blinds. Lovely! Despite my headache (self inflicted from the previous evening’s pub visit!) I felt a glimpse of renewal. The heat gently soothed my aching back, massaging me internally. The blue sky was a welcome change from the dull overcast shades of the past few months. We even turned the thermostat down!! Maybe it was because of my new piece which I was just finishing up, that Sol thought she would pop in? Cheery and bright is this little experiment which is unglamorously textured ceiling paint on MDF (yet to be signed), worked into with acrylic paints and watercolour pencils. Painting on such a gritty surface has been a challenge for me (not least for my poor brushes!) but the affect is visually interesting. It’s got grit and it’s got depth. Oh, I love beech huts! I wished I lived by the sea. Oooh, I feel a Dido song coming on . . . . . . . . “I’ve always thought that I would love to live by the sea, To travel the world alone and live more simply. I have no idea what’s happened to that dream, Cos there’s really nothing left here to stop me. It’s just a thought, only a thought……….”
Beech Huts Close-up
Tags: acrylic, beech, Dido, huts, MDF, sun, watercolour pencils, winter
Posted by Suzie on Feb 24, 2009 in
Diary 
Pancake Tuesday!
Mmmmmm. Yuummmmm! Syrup dripping, chocolate spreading, pan hissing, lip smacking Pancake Day!! What more can I say? We gorged ourselves silly on the most fantastic tasting pancakes ever, skillfully blended and tossed by my very own Naked Chef – Jamie Simpson! Well, maybe not Naked. At least not here! Hh-Hhm!
Tags: Jamie, kids, pancakes
Posted by Suzie on Feb 22, 2009 in
Diary 
Pure!
Meet my new girl – Pure!! I had fun creating her on a background I put together with a neat technique I have learned through Creative Textures network on Ning. The group is run by U.S. artists Jane DesRosier and Maureen White who have compiled their years of experience to bring about a series of ‘Creative Textures‘ workshops. It’s a great place, full of inspiring tips on ‘how-to’ and cheap to join as well, considering all the hours of tuition you get plus valuable videos from other members of their experiences. I can’t wait to move on now to the next video, and the next and …………… it’s so exciting!!
Tags: Creative Textures, Jane DesRosier, Maureen White, Ning, Pure, videos
Posted by Suzie on Feb 18, 2009 in
Diary 
Potato Love - Cupid Curry 2!!
It’s the school half term holiday here and we have been away with the kids for a couple of days visiting our friends Nige & Lou. Carrying on with the theme of Cupid Curry, Louise made the most beautiful curry (yes, it really was lovely!) and in it was some real lurve – this amazing potato she picked up on Valentine’s day!! Ah, sweet!! I wanted her to have the photo of it for her new blog, but she wouldn’t ‘cos she’s not ready yet, so we pay homage to her here by linking to it. Check out www.luluandblu.com over the next few weeks for further developments of Louise’s interesting journeys with her fantastic sock-puppet friend Blu. Read more…
Tags: curry, Jamie, kids, love, potato, school holidays
Posted by Suzie on Feb 14, 2009 in
Diary 
Unity - On the wall.
Love is in the air!!! St. Valentine’s Day is here! Life is soooo busy though. I had actually forgotten it was Valentine’s Day until nearly noon when I was almost ready to leave my honey and go out to help do some work for friends!! We had a little kiss and a cuddle though and I had not entirely forgotten as I have been busy making this piece for him during the run up. Read more…
Tags: Cupid, entrepeneur, friends, Jamie, nostalgia, photos, romance, Sue, unity, Valentine
Posted by Suzie on Feb 12, 2009 in
Diary 
My Dear Friend Peggy. Mixed Media. 30 x 40cm.
There are so many Social Networking sites about these days, it’s really hard to know which ones to join. It’s hard to guess which ones will be of value without frittering hours away gassing (not that I don’t like a good natter!!). Like life isn’t hectic enough already juggling work and family life. So of course, I joined another group today on Ning.com (thanks to Lou!) with Gary Reef, another mixed media artist! I’m still familiarising myself with it but it does look inspiring and he teaches techniques too which I am always eager to learn as I am still finding my feet. But I really must stop joining any more!! Stop it Sue – Now!! But I do intend to join Facebook, and maybe e-cademy!! Noooo – Stop!! Read more…
Tags: Gary Reef, girl, horse, mixed media, Pegasus, social networking, tree
Posted by Suzie on Feb 11, 2009 in
Diary 
Sunshine Girl by my 10 Year Old Daughter.
It’s been so cold for too long now (brr rr rr rr!), and although the snow has been lovely I’m starting to look forward to the warmer weather and brighter evenings. To help set us on our merry way I have added this very optimistic looking painting made by my 10 year old daughter. It’s been a really enjoyable experience to watch her create this. Read more…
Tags: collage, daughter, layers, mixed media, office, snow, stencil, Studio, summer
Posted by Suzie on Feb 2, 2009 in
Diary 
Work is Love Made Visible. 30 x 40cm. Mixed Media.
Here is the piece I mentioned before. The one I started months ago. It’s on Birch Plywood and I’ve burned the design into the wood using a pyrography too. It’s weird how you can leave something for so long and then come back to it with new eyes. I made such a mess of this that as a last ditch attempt to save it I painted black over the whole thing and literally re-worked the entire piece again. I’m glad I did! I really got in to it and then seemed to get results quite quickly, which I enjoyed. I’m happy with the dramatic effect. The quote (and inspiration for the painting) is taken from Khalil Gibran’s ‘The Prophet’. I love this book! I love how it can be dipped in and out of at any point in the book and always provides an insight which somehow seems relevant. The book was given by a good friend to Jamie and I as a gift when we had our Commitment Ceremony in 2005. Read more…
Tags: birch, books, Commitment Ceremony, embelishments, girl, hearts, Khalil Gibran, laptop, layer, love, plywood, pretty, quote, sledge, snow, stencil, work, Yorkshire
