I really love the style of Irene Jones' Tudor Ladies

Saw her works at Affordable Art Fair

This gallery has her works and bio online.
For more go to: http://www.hybrid-devon.co.uk/index.php?page=current-exhibition

Mrs Average and the Minotaur

In a previous post I posted a drawing I did at the cafe of the Watts museum where i joined together his minotaur and Clytie works.  Since then I have been thinking about doing more minotaur drawings.  When I went to the Affordable Art Fair on Sunday I saw several works including minotaurs.  Then yesterday an artist friend sent me an invite to her latest exhibition and guess what - the private view invite picture was of a minotaur with a women - well i thought it was until i noticed the title was Cat Loves.   I really like that idea, how our pets can comfort us - as i told her when i emailed again about my confusion.  
For more about her work and exhibtion:  http://victoriakiff.weebly.com/

Red Shoes

Had a friend staying and she like a very early painting of mine which made me look at it again, especially after having gone to the Affordable Art Fair where I had liked cute painting of shoes.  I've always wanted to do one of thick old leather boots and may do.

ShirleyG Artstuff ShirleyGStuff

test to see if having my name in post subject helps finding me in google search

roosvandevelde Beautiful ceramics, paintings, website and music

another great feed from designers block.   she loved the ceramics which i do too but when i went to the site i loved lots of the other work and the website is great with very beautiful appropriate music - a total experience. Definately going into my fav websites list.

http://www.roosvandevelde.be/

Mini banksy street artist Pablo Delgados

perfect way to create lovely street without getting up anyone's nose - would fit there though.  really cute.
http://streetartlondon.co.uk/blog/pablo-delgados-miniature-street-scenes-part-iii/

My friend Kim's amazing menopause quilt

Kim is doing some wonderful art quilts which can be seen on her blog listed in my fav blogs.  This one really spoke to me as after over 10yrs of menopause i am finally going to ask my doctor for hrt to see if it can fix a whole lot of symptoms.  Watch this space.

another great link from designers block - i will be checking out next time i'm in paris

a fairytale of interiors - wish i could read French - i think it's an interiors shop but it includes lovely bits of food as decoration - woud be great if thre was a restaurant like this.  (i just used google's translate and find this is a showroom by appointment only so maybe i will just look in the window)

http://www.une-ame-en-plus.com/decors-et-mises-en-scene/les-decors-de-ses-ventes-dantiquites-de-charme-a-paris/

The Vintage Emporium Brick Lane

Checked this out because it has free life drawing on Wednesday nights.  Lovely place.  Vintage clothing down in the basement and cafe on ground floor full of vintage/old furniture and a couple of friendly dogs.
http://www.vintageemporiumcafe.com/

1. staircase leading to vintage clothing in the basement

2.  Vintage clothes in basement

3. Cafe on Ground floor where life drawing is held - amazingly a nude model and anyone can come and go.

4. The biggest cup of tea in the world for £1.30

5. Some scribble i did there - the dog in the doorway and some pics from a  'people in watercolor' book, with my new cheap fountain pen and coloured cartridges.

Artists Studios: magazines, books and David Nash

Seeing pictures of Claire Basler's beautiful studio(see: my Claire Basler post)   inspired me to start to create a studio that wasn't just practical but also inspiring.  I have a long way to go, lots of painting, organising etc. (see: my studio post) I have found some lovely books and my friend Kim suggested a great magazine Cloth Paper Scissors Studios.   Coth Paper Scissors comes out 6 times a year with Studios coming out 4 times as a special edtions.   I am trying track down somewhere to physically look and buy in the UK.  In the meantime I may buy a few digital back issues of Studios online.   Even the main magazine looks great.  Am trying not to go mad on magazine subsricptions but i might just need to have this one too.

1. The magazine.   UK Subscription  http://www.uniquemagazines.co.uk/WomenAndWeeklies-344834/Subscribe-To-Cloth-Paper-Scissors-Magazine-Subscription

2. I also jointed their online site for some great ideas.   http://www.clothpaperscissors.com/
They have 6 copies of the magazine on cd as well for about $20

3. Books on artists studios and houses  in my amazon or library wishlists:

4. David Nash's Chapel Studio
I was starting to worry this exploration was an excuse to daydream about an artist's life rather than doing the do real workbut yesterday I saw a film about an artist, David Nash,  and the importance of his studio in influencing his work.  (He had been able to rent a huge chapel in wales for £300 a year in the 70s which allowed him to 'live with his works' - his huge chainsaw sculpture found trees.  Some beautiful works. Unfortunately I see I missed his huge retrospective at Yorkshire Sculpture Park last year which i could have seen on my way to the Lake District. He often burns his works in a slow controlled way so they turn to beautiful black charcoal shapes.  Now  I don't need a huge chapel but it emphasises the importance of one's environment on the act of creation.
http://www.ysp.co.uk/exhibitions/david-nash-exhibition

Nash's Chapel Studio in Wales

'Forces of nature' - he planted and controlled the shape of these trees as they grew, not topiary, somethng new.

Some fun design ideas

 1. Some more nice ideas from Designers Block.  Designers block page
How's this for cheap/chic interior design.

2. Designers Block blog also got this from.  Making lace biscuits. http://www.tarasloggett.com/food/.

This site has some lovely simple design ideas like this lovely drawing on a bathroom wall.

Good DVD Beginners Introduction to watercolour: Watercolour Painting(made easy) Granville D Clarke

Just finished watching one of the dvd's i got from my library yesterday.  Ole Granville is a dapper dresser.  He's also a good teacher.  In 1 hour he goes over paper, brushes, colour, applying watercolour, getting in quick sketches, his own egg and snake approach to composition and getting things in place so starting isn't so hard, distance, light, how to hold the brush, using masking fluid or taking colour out etc, all succintly and to the point.  It makes it all seam possible At the end he takes a landscape from sketch to finish showing you when to let things dry between washes and when to paint into wet areas.   I wish i had seen this before going to classes.  He concentrates on landscape but most of it could be applied to watercolour application in general.  We're not talking edgy work, just nice pretty impressionist landscapes.  There are a few things i am going to try and i'm def. going to get a a blender brush or 2 made of goats hair, fantastic. (just realised this blogging lark is good for keeping a journal of what i am planning to do - i am less likely to lose this blog rather than the scraps of paper i make lists on)

It no longer seems available on the website on the back of the dvd ww.summersdale.com but it is available on amazon for £12.99 new or £1.38 plus about £1.29 postage.  Oddly summersdale is selling it there too for £1.45.  I may put into my amazon basket if i don't get enough time to watch again and make some brief notes before returning to library.

Amazon link:   http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/offer-listing/B000QEIPZW/ref=dp_olp_new?ie=UTF8&qid=1313346475&sr=8-1&condition=new
Or maybe you can find it in your library.

Always something to learn Eric Fischl - Glassines

took books and dvds back to library - in shopping trolly - art books so big and heavy - unfortunately found lots more and carried full trolley back home.    One was on artist Eric Fischl, an american artist i had never heard of.  It wasn't so much his style of painting people but how he set them in the environment that has given me ideas.  On his website he has a section on works on paper including glassines which as i found out is simple the  transparent archiving sheets that go between photos or works of art.  So it's just like drawing on tracy paper, tissue paper or baking paper - all of which i collect with intention of doing something with them as i like their texture  It's kind of like drawing on each layer in photoshop and seeing thru them all.   the link below is to his glassine drawings.   
http://www.ericfischl.com/works_on_paper/Glassine/html/glassines.html

also on his site is watercolour paintings of people - it encourages me because i think i have done a few that aren't too bad compared to these, though i do like the one i've included here.

Wow what a rug

From designers block blog.

http://designersblock.blogspot.com/2011/08/wanted_12.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FCGMt+%28designers+block%29

LIDL supermarket UK - next week is arts materials

Cheapest canvases, brushes etc - not sure about the quality, but ok for me, so i always get a few canvases at least:
http://www.lidl.co.uk/cps/rde/xchg//SID-5459B0C0-B716D204/lidl_uk/hs.xsl/4222.htm

it starts next monday 15th aug for a week.

they also have wood/leather burning iron for £9 with different attachments.  Might get that to see if can do interesting burning on paper etc

update:  didnt see the wood burner but got 7 canvases, large, medium and small and some brushes for about  £30

Thankyou Elizabeth for showing me my painting on your wall

It's amazing how a work can look better with a good frame and some lovely wallpaper behind it.  I can see why you thought the colours would go well together.  I look forward to seeing the whole room when all the decorating is finished.

Windsor & Newton enewsletter - see interactive mediums finder

http://tre.emv3.com/HM?a=ENX7CkeD3I4y8SA9MOBb5sbnGHxKQgjXofcStGb5lw8W0bBhOG5mpqVsje_HheHJMVPZ

looking at what mediums there are, and there a lots, that you can add to your basic medium (eg watercolour etc) is both enlightening and bit overwhelming

Digital Painting on Ipad

I have this listed on fav videos on the right but i want it to link so it shows on the page so here we go.  This is one reason i'm getting ipod or ipad.

The Detmold Twins - Maurice and Edward. Sad story.

One day I am going to research twin artists I came across in preraphalite exhibtion  The Detmold Twins, Maurice and Edward.  Not much written about them as far as I can see but they were famous from 16yrs old on. They drew Kipling's Jungle Book pics working on pics together. Edward committed suiced at 23 while Maurice went on for few decades, went out of fashion, and committed suiced in wales, in his 70s where he had lived almost unknown - in the late 50s .  I don't write much these days and don't have time but it would make a great film script.  Would have to take artistic licence as I don't think large parts of their life were known.  The book from library called The Age of Enchantment (about Victorian fairy fantasy works including Beazley and other preraph era knowns)  say they don't know why Edward committed suicide and when I checked on net for the maurice- some sites say they dont know how Maurice died and other one says he committed suicide.  I will try to track down Ian MacPhail's unpublished biogrophy, to see whether its worth getting death certificates if they exist, and go to wales or find people who know them.  Anyway since i've got lots of art stuff to do it will take me years even if i do get round to it.  It would be an adventure even if I don't write it up. Let me know if you know anything.  Here are some pics of there work: