Girl with Golden Hair

I’m really getting in to painting girls again – I just love painting girls, and I love experimenting with mixed media. Here I started out with some left-over pink acrylic paint which I had previously spread about as a background on to paper. Then I applied some antique decorative paper from the inner leaves of an old book as the border around the face. Then I layered up using stamps, acrylic paint, modelling paste in the hair and pencil crayons. I ‘m pleased with this portrait. Autumnal shades yet a glowing warmth are right for this time in the year!

Corkscrew Goddess

Here we have another Diva, (maybe she’s the Goddess of Wine?). I have been wanting to work on something ethereal for a while now, with an ‘out of this world’ element. I really like the idea of my work being used for something like Goddess cards but was wondering “Does everybody want to do that”? This little lady is cloaked in a diamond studded rich red velour shrug, ready for a special appointment. Who could she be?

Lady in Blue Mantle

Here we have another sketchbook image done in the same layered technique of acrylic and pastel. I produced the image about a year ago in graphite and it has just sat there in my book which I was flicking through earlier. It just seemed to shout out “Paint Me!!”, and so I obeyed. I think it’s made an improvement upon the original drawing, but just wish I had photographed it before paint to show you. N’mind!

Daffodils in Vase. Tissue, acrylic and gutta. 30cm x 40cm on MDF board.

Oh My!  Nearly 2 months since my last post.  So much has happened.  I have purposely been trying to take life a little more slowly so made a conscious decision not to worry about my blog but to adjust gently to the move with a ‘come what may’ attitude.  And so……. we came, and so did life and lots has occured.  We got here in Derbyshire at the end of May, and it is a pretty place.  I do love it here.  The children are settling well into the Steiner school (with a few bumps along the way, but I think that is expected), and we too are adjusting as parents to the changes.  I don’t for a minute have any doubts that we have done the right thing.  Our kids seem to have become ‘fuller’ and so much more of themselves already.  They’re growing well with their new challenges.

Jamie's Space

Sue's Space

I have some studio space set up in the house this time, sharing a work-room with my partner. (Mine’s the messy end!)  It is nice having it back home again and I am getting used to doing ‘a bit here and there’ when I can, fitting in it with my role of motherhood.  I saw a link in Jane DesRosier’s blog to this documentary film concerning motherhood as well as being a creative.  I resonate with it all: www.whodoesshethinksheis.net

I only started to paint again last week as I have been so busy with home-making and putting down new roots for myself and the family.  So, here we have my first piece from my new space.  I must admit that the initial outburst of creativity came out of frustration.  A little bit of anger and resentment which I was feeling was due to the fact that I had worked like a dog since I got here and hadn’t actually taken the time to do anything ‘creative’, sparked this piece.  And then it just seemed to flow.  It just fell out of me.  I like this piece – I translated that enegy in to something joyous.  But the harsh lines!!!  Why do I always end up creating such rigid paintings.  I guess that is just my style – authentically me.  But what does that say about me?  Uptight?  Contained?  Orderly?  Contol Freak??  Who knows?  I keep trying to blur edges and then forget again and get back into the habit of definite out-lines.  Old habits die hard or what!  I took up mixed media painting about a year ago to try to get me out of the habit of being so ‘perfectionist’ about my art.  In my previous incarnation as artist I was mentally torturing myself with finecky details and actually not being that creative at all.  You can see my old work here: www.susan-rhodes.co.uk.  In Steiner schools they have a very interesting method of painting without lines, especially in the earlier years.  They just use paint (natural pigments), wet on wet, and everything blurs and blends.  I think they are trying to teach children to create without boundaries, which is a wonderful means of expression.  These paintings have an ethereal quality and a sense of free spirit.  They are really lovely, – I think I need lessons!  Here’s one my daughter made:

Steiner painting without boundaries

Well, it’s been nice to have touched base with you all.  Will hopefully keep my blog updated now.  Although……….my children do break up today for the summer holidays so I am likely (like all mothers) to have my hands full at this time of year.  Never a dull moment!!

Tulips with Blue Glass.

Okay, just finished up on my most recent piece!  I’ve experimented with crinkled tissue paper, glue, translucent and opaque layers, dimantes and even toilet paper (for the frame!!).  I drew the lines on first with the black gutta and tissued over and started by blacking the whole thing (see below).  Then it has been a series of acrylic layers, trials and adjustments to bring the whole piece together.  I’ve learned a lot about technique through this painting – a lot about layers,  about adding then taking away and just leaving a residue.  I love how well the stencil turned out on the table cloth.

I’m striving to be original.  Granted, I have taken techniques which have been used before, some for decades – others are more recent, but others I would like to think are my own and are just what I happened to uncover through play and a curious mind.  But it is often hard to be original.  To just sit still and let it flow through you, without having to refer to source material by others time and time again.  I have my inspirations but it is tough to stand apart – to be authentic.  I do try and I am starting to succeed.  I think this has come about through zoning in, listening to the silence.  Taking time out to be alone and going into the quiet gaps in between, and if I don’t find those gaps – I make them.  It’s amazing what comes forth because of them.  Then I roll with it!

On a different but not entirely unrelated note (if we are still to have a planet to grow and enjoy tulips on!), I have come across Earth Hour which we have signed up to.  It is a campaign run by the WWF to make world governments take action against climate change. All you have to do is sign up and then bob your lights out for an hour on March 28th. Their goal is One Billion signatures  and actioners by 28/03/09 – go on!!!!  Do it – it’s easy!  Even whole Cities are pledging to do it with lights out at some of the world’s greatest sites such as Sydney Harbour and The Golden Gate Bridge.