My Creative Space

 When I saw the planner Alisa did, I was totally inspired to do my own.

So I took an old folder

divided it up

made monthly diary pages

added a section for notes
a space where I jot down ideas for blogging

a place to keep photos,
an address section and some nice sketch paper

 space and place for everything!

e voila! my 2013 planner/journal

its a work in progress that will be finished by the end of the year

more creativeness in the new year can be found over here

 

Studio

I am currently inspired by these Angelwings I found in Company Gardens. First sketches are done, lots of ideas are floating round my head... the experiments will begin tomorrow...

for more creative spaces visit here

My Creative Space

Currently I am ....
....On the last row of the Shawl I was busy with last week  --- and yes! sadly, I am one of those dreadful people who put their knitting down in the middle of a row..especially if there are hundreds of stitches and I am casting of for several hours..
....Sketching a lot for a new project
....Finishing some Jewellery pieces


For more creativity visit our creative spaces

My creative space...

After getting myself this book- ( oh it is so brilliant!! I am still speechless, once I regain the ability to talk about it rather then just drool or get hysteric I shall tell you more) -
I have been playing around with watercolors.
But I am still busy with the throw... 294squares done... 6 more to go

Watch this space there will be at least a couple of finished projects sooooon! In the meantime visit kootoyoo for more.

Girls and Umbrellas

I always thought about having a journal.. a sketching diary or whatever you call it. But never really kept it up. Trying to put something on paper every day simply did never happen. I had it totally written off, forgotten about it, except when I saw pictures of other peoples gorgeous creations.
I totally admire the fact that people can actually keep drawing in the same journal- I am such a perfectionist that I always end up disliking some of the pages and give up. In the last couple of years I started keeping doodle books- simply ideas jotted down... slowly they became more sketch books. In June I joined the Moleskin Exchange, while at it i bought myself a small moley and it is my first 'official' sketchbook, that I actually like and work on quite regularly. Which I am quite proud of, to be honest. Despite its total imperfection and 3 pages that I rather would tear out.
Still every time I see pics like these:

via on Pinterest

via on Pinterest

I think about having a journal... so at the beginning of this year I decided to start one. Feeling rather brave actually. To give my ever procrastinating self a push I gave myself the task to do at least one page a week. Not much I know, but if I don't feel inspired I still can manage.
Made two so far (ahm, I know two is not a huge number but I am still on track)... last week I did the above sketches. First the one with the tree. But two things went wrong: I really don't like the dress and I grabbed the next best pen, which is the stupid water soluble -the one I bought wrongly ages ago, which I should have thrown away or something but kept it, and still got it, don't ask me why- so I smudged it a bit. I started a fresh, second sketch- without tree or bird... which retrospectively I wish I would have added again. I was not sure if I should do a third try. Was not even going to finish the above then I saw these:

via on Pinterest

via on Pinterest

Aren't they amazing? Sadly I could not trace the artists! If you know please enlighten me! These beautiful, so different and yet so similar, paintings left me with an answer and a question:
I will finish both my sketches and even consider a third try...and....

What is it about Girls and Umbrellas?

xo

PS: It is List-it-Tuesday over at Aimee's - don't miss it!

Finding time for my art

inside my moleskin

These days I am trying to sketch daily. I am exploring Wisterias at the moment. I am just sketching as it comes, will see where these sketches will take me. The last sketch is today's, its not finished yet, I am not sure where I want to go with it, so will finish it tomorrow. Even if I just glue photo mosaics into my moleskin or visit the Clay Cafe - I managed to fit a little time for my 'art' in every day for the last week. Journaling in someway is a great way to get one going. Being in the swing of it, makes it easier for me to simply get going the next day again.
On days when I think I won't have time or I am not really inspired I visit Aimee. She is doing Art Every Day Month. Each day she amazes me, makes me laugh and think. But most importantly I get myself to find time for my art - her take on this... Inspiring isn't it? Someone around blogland said, she thinks that, Aimee is a secret super hero - I think maybe, it ain't so secret anymore....

So find time for your art- you never know what you will discover!
xo

Moleskin

I am taking part in an International Moleskin Exchange, which is organised through a Ravelry Group (Ravelry link).
Everybody gets a moleskin of their choice, then they are sent in a round system to each of the participants, everybody does a couple of spreads and at the end it will come back to the owner.
This is round four, my first time. So I doodled in the first couple of spreads. I also decided that I want a theme for it. Tomorrow it will go on its long way around the world. I cant wait to see what everybody comes up with!

Discovering INK

I always admired ink drawings and a couple of weeks ago I decided to try my hand on it!
Some time ago, I got a nib and some ink for a little project I was doing

So I went to the Art supplies Store to get another nib and some more ink. Naturally I forgot the nib at home and since I have no knowledge about ink drawings I had no clue what kind of nib I had, for fear of doubling up I only grabbed a bottle of ink, I thought at least I would have two colours....

And yes! I got another bottle of navy acrylic ink! This meant I did sketches in navy:

First couple of doodles

I quite like the first one, but I don't really care much for the second one. While these aren't very great, they opened a little window- at least I had tried and it made me feel like it is possible.

Last week I got the navy ink out again:

two more sketches

Naturally they are not near as good as many artist's works but I do like them. I like the feel ink sketches have. I decided to get some non-navy ink and maybe even another nib. There will be certainly more exploring in this medium in the future.
Do you have any tips for ink drawing?

Weekword

AROMA

This weeks word was Aroma. And the first thing that pop in my mind was coffee- so thought i'll take a photo of a good cup of steaming coffee... that clearly didnt happen
Then suddenly yesterday I remembered my student years- we had to make flavourings- or as we called them aromas- like fish or onion, my worst was strawberry, because it doesnt smell or taste like strawberry and the sweet smell makes me feel sick. And worse having to learn all those formulas- most of which i have forgotten
So today i painted- the bottom thing- stands for the cup (aka coffee), the funny bobbles is an imaginary formula- but the colours are for the aroma and its nature. Aroma travels and unfolds spreading itself... opening up a world of experiences and memories .....and then slowly vanishes.

If you want to get more aromas visit Caroline, she has a list of wonderful wiffs!

Weekword

CAMPING

my rather abstract and terribly late contribution to the weekword... 

If you wanna go for some more camping click here!

Happy Camping!

Weekword

DETOUR

What's life but strings of wonderful detours?


Aimee chose the word this week and she's posted the list of the other blogs who participated.
Ejoy your detour!

Weekword

WANDERLUST

The word was chosen by me this week. And it was inspired by my own yearning for travel, which quite frankly is and always was a constant in my life. I love wandering about the surface of this world, discovering and admiring its astonishing diversity and beauty. I had so many ideas for this, but i was sick most of the week and really not in a let's be productive state. So i doodled this quickly this morning...


I am off to see what the others have done with the word... care to join me? then look here: aimee, fruenswerk, frayedattheedge, alexandra, sandra, linda sue, valentina, anairam, e, cindy

should you have participated and are not in this list, leave me a message and i will correct it.

Weekword: REINVENT

  

This weeks word was REINVENT

After a week of baffling about this word- and drawing a complete and utter blank- I woke up this morning and felt like I needed to reinvent myself- went to cupboard and voila! I know that's a bit superficial but it made me feel a wee bit different. Am off to work on the deeper issues

For more reinventions visit Valentina, she has chosen the word and also listed the participants
Have a great weekend!
xo

Reminders

Dandelion

After painting fun and girly pictures I decided to be explore the medium a wee bit more seriously. So what what else to paint than flower? My first attempt was the dandelion, and i couldn't resist the tags, hence it came out a wee bit girly again- but through all my fun and trial pieces I have learnt something.

Blossoming

I am quite happy with it- except I managed to make a smudge (again!). And serious watercolour is not quite as much fun as my earlier doodles- the sense of achievement (despite the lack of greatness) is huge though. I guess I will do a bit of both?
Due to my errors I stopped painting for a few days, sat down and thought about my watercolour experience.
I have build up a few tips for my self, which I hope will help me to get better. Since I seem to stumble the same errors each time:

Asiye' s Watercolour Reminders

• Be patient
  
• Don't hurry - let the paint dry when needed, you will see the end colour and won't smudge as a result!
• Be patient
• Plan you painting roughly before you start
  
• Be patient
  
• Paint from back to front
  
• Don't take it too serious
  
• Enjoy it
  
• Don't be too much of a perfectionist
  
• Be patient!!!
• Have fun and keep going

Do you have any tips for me?

ps: the weekword this week is REINVENT, in case you would like to join it!

Last of Girly Watercolours

Watercolour is done last week. (Thursday)

I am really pleased with the bird. And this might be the last of the girly paintings for a bit. I decided to paint more seriously...
And will share what I mean by that later this afternoon
Have a great day
xo

Weekword: TIME

In those rare moments in life

when time stands still


take a deep breath

and enjoy it



because when that moment passed

it will be rushing by again!



This week the word was chosen  by Anairam and she has posted a list of all the contestants. It's  realyl fun! So take the TIME  & enjoy it!

Autum

just a quick post of sundays watercolour...

Fantabulous

Fantabulous dancing on a hippopotamus

The Word of the Week was Fantabulous! Kirsti chose it and she has a list of the other participants as well. Enjoy the different interpretations of fantabulous... I have added it as a favourite to my vocabulary.

Have a fantabulous weekend!

Wednesday Painting

I am convinced that it was the coldest day of 2009 yesterday!
This is what I painted as a result, I am sure it snowed on some mountain in South Africa yesterday (?)
Been dreaming of snowboarding and snowmen lately... maybe I'll visit Heidiland in the winter, haven't seen snow since we moved to Cape Town!
I like the painting except the snowflakes didn't come out quite like I wanted, they would have been nice in iceblue or icegrey. (another reason to go to the Art shop ;))
Back tomorrow with the Word of the Week - it's FANTABULOUS (in case you wanna join in)
xo

Watercolours

Berries

For an entire week I had tasked myself with painting one watercolour sketch a day. It was really fun, and I decided to keep it going. But because the watercolours got more and more elaborate and detailed, i will just spend time on them every day, which might mean that I only will do one every couple of days at times.
As usual I got to a stage where suddenly all my insecurities kicked in and I got all worried about the fact that I don't know much about watercolours- I got no technical knowledge whatsoever- and no art training... but then I got nice comments and i thought it doesn't matter I enjoy doing it, it inspires me and kept on going. I discovered that my little moleskin watercolour book has paper I like, doing the Word of the week sketch on my (otherwise beloved) sketch paper was a nightmare!  Am a selfconfessed artshop fetish ; I love looking at pens, paints and papers. And now I got a reason to go and get somethings, I am sure I will make use of it very soon ;)
Mostly I loved trying something different and feel great that it worked out not too bad. Reflecting on it and looking at my sketches I feel that the whole experience unlocked something new in me, and I am looking forward to explore it more. I got quite a few ideas already. So watch this space!!

Thank you for all your support!

Have you done anything new lately?
Oh you must check out this post- it made me smile and really be grateful this morning! A bit of sunshine for a rainy day