This is my first time participating in the Monthly Painters Challenge, hosted on Facebook.  And it definitely was a challenge for me!

Each month, a different subject is chosen.  This month’s subject was breakfast, and the challenge for me was not the painting itself, but coming up with an idea for the topic.  I’m posting this a day late, and it wasn’t due to the time it took to paint, but the time it took for me to think of something!

In the end, this is what I came up with – an image of baby birds being fed a worm by the mummy bird.

Breakfast for Early Birds

The idea came about from the saying “the early bird gets the worm” – lucky mumma bird was early!

I created this painting using watercolours on watercolour paper.  Lots of people ask if the black in my paintings is ink, but it is actually black watercolour paint as well.

I’m happy to invite constructive criticism for this piece.  In particular, I was wondering about the addition of leaves – I nearly left the branches bare.  I’m also concerned that this looks more like sunset than sunrise, which I had intended.  Please let me know what you think!

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I’m excited to participate for the first time in Palette and Paint, a weekly challenge hosted by one of my favourite artists, Tracey Grgic Potter.

The painting I’d like to share is called Midnight Cat:

This painting was actually inspired by a few enquiries I had at The Handmade Expo, looking for wearable art pendants featuring cats.  It’s the first time I’ve done a painting because I wanted to make jewellery from it – usually it’s the other way around.  I hope to have some brand new pendants available at this Saturday’s market.

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It’s been sitting unfinished for a long time, and to be honest I wasn’t sure if I would ever finish it.

I started this painting last year when I found out I was pregnant.  When I later miscarried, I put the painting away because looking at it made me sad.  They say that time heals all wounds, and while maybe they never heal completely they do hurt less.  Last weekend I finally picked up the brush to finish this work.

After all that time (it’s been nearly a year), the meaning of the painting has evolved.  When I started it, it was a symbol of the life growing inside me.  Now I see it as a symbol of the fact that I haven’t given up hope.

Sorry for the sad (and maybe too personal) post.  I debated with myself about sharing this with you, but ultimately I think I needed to explain the meaning behind the painting.

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There were lots of reasons for it including work (my day job is teaching) as well as some difficult things I was going through. I just wasn’t in the mood to paint, and when I did give it a go I wasn’t happy with the results.

For one reason or another, I seem to have gotten my ‘groove’ back, and have lots of new ideas for paintings running around in my head.  I’ve decided to finish off any unfinished work before I get to the new stuff.

You might remember a while back that I started a commission for some friends of mine.  The challenge was to create a large acrylic on canvas version of my painting Colours of Nature.  Well, I finally finished it!  All those little swirls took quite a while but I’m very happy with the result.  I can’t wait to see it hanging up!

After finishing this painting I felt such a sense of accomplishment, I wanted to do more!

First I painted this one, which I’m calling “Rainbow on a Cloudy Day”.  It’s a LOT smaller than the one above – it’s only 4″ x 6″.  It can stand up on its own so can be put on a shelf instead of hung on the wall.

After completing this one I really wanted to have a go at some other new ideas in my head (and play with some new paints) but I thought I should finish off some unfinished work.  So…

I finished this one, which has been sitting and waiting patiently for more than a year for some attention.  Well, it’s nearly finished anyway – all I have to do is spray on a coat of sealant and it’s done.  I have done many watercolour paintings in this style, but it was a challenge to create the same effect with a canvas!  I’m eager to try to do more like this.

Finally, I also finished this painting:

There was really no excuse for not getting this painting finished earlier, as all that was left to do was the tree trunks and branches – all of the detail work in the swirls was already finished.  I’m very happy with how it turned out in the end!

Hopefully I will be able to keep you up-to-date with lots of new work in the future!

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Today was a holiday for Brisbane due to the Ekka, and I finally got a chance to paint!  I’ve got a few things in progress, but here’s one I completed:

Under the Milky Way

I’ve really missed watercolours!

I’ve also been busily uploading wearable art pendants to my etsy page today – I’ve uploaded quite a few but I still have a lot more to go!

Thanks to those who’ve stuck with me even though I’ve been quiet – I’ll try to make sure I’m not away so long again!

I’ll be at The Handmade Expo this Saturday – hope to see you there!

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I do feel quite helpless right now as it’s very hard to us to go anywhere because many of the roads near us are still cut off by floodwaters.

One thing I can do to help, however, is be a part of the fundraising effort for the flood appeal.

I’m holding an auction on my facebook page of this painting:

I will pay to post this painting (to Australia or overseas) so that ALL the proceeds can go to the flood relief appeal.

If you are able to, please bid – if not, please spread the word.

"Twilight Rain" - Watercolour on watercolour paper - 9.5" x 12.5"

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To illustrate this topic, I’ve chosen to do a ‘zentangle’.  I found out about zentangling a while back through DUST (my fellow Aussie Etsy sellers), and have wanted to try it ever since.  Especially since I realised I’d been doing this kind of artwork years before it was ever given a name -  for example this artwork was completed when I was at uni, more years ago than I’d like to admit.

This fits in to the “resolutions” theme because it’s the first painting I’ve done in a long time that’s for me – and it was one of my goals for 2011 to have a go at some of the ideas that have been rattling around in my brain for the past few months.

I’ve called in ‘tangled’:

My plan was to add colour to this when it was finished, but after painting the background blue I decided I liked it the way it was with the patterns black and white.  I’m still interested in tryingo one with colour though.  What do you think?

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- In 2011 I plan to start the year by painting for me again – I finished out 2010 with a few commissions, and while I really enjoyed the challenge of completing them and was really proud of the results, I had a bunch of other ideas in the back of my mind that I didn’t get a chance to try out.  So this year I’m going to try to get a few of those ideas down on paper or canvas.

- Speaking of too many ideas running around in my head (no wonder I’m having trouble remembering what day it is) – I also plan to keep an art journal close by, so I can put down ideas as they come to me, so when I don’t have time to paint they don’t end up getting forgotten.

- This year I’m also looking forward to starting a commission for some friends of mine.  Last year I sold one of my favourite paintings, Colours of Nature, and while I was thrilled to have made a sale I was just a little sad to see it go.  So I’m really happy to be painting a big version on canvas for friends – that way even though I’ll be saying goodbye to it I’ll be able to visit!  I’m looking forward to getting started on it.

Colours of Nature (SOLD)

- I plan to participate in prompts like Illustration Friday as often as possible.  It’s a great way to push me out of my comfort zone to try something new.

- I’m going to try to paint at least once per week, and update this website at least once per week.  OK I know this is the type of resolution doomed to failure.  Sometimes other things (like working full time in a demanding job) get in the way.  Nonetheless, it’s a goal I’m going to do my best to achieve.  Now just stay tuned to watch the excuses come rolling in.

- Finally, one of my biggest (and scariest) goals for this year is to actively seek out places to exhibit my work, and to consider doing a solo exhibition.

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Looking back, I think 2010 was a great year – there were a lot of new beginnings and achievements I am proud of, including:

Completing 4 large commissioned paintings

Presenting a talk about my art to the Springfield Lakes Art Group (I was so nervous but was happy I did it in the end)

Participating in the Etsy DUST team’s swaps – these were so much fun!

Using my art as a way to help the community – I donated works to raise money for The Variety Club, The Cancer Council and the Cerebral Palsy League

Participating in the Handmade Expo markets and the Soulful Spring Sounds market.  One of the best decisions I made all year was to participate in these markets – they’re a much more personal way to sell my work than online.

Participating in the Summer Salon Art Exhibition with other members of Art Salon.

I’m looking forward to 2011 being just as productive – In my next post I’ll share with you some of my plans and goals for my art in 2011.

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Here’s my painting:

This painting is available to purchase via My Etsy Store.

Happy New Year everyone!
I 2011 is all you could wish it to be.

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