Witchetty

Looking forwards while looking back.

I have been busy house hunting over the past two days so I haven't had a chance to catch up here, so I thought today would just be a quick update post. Still no luck in the house hunting department but I think we are getting close.

Firstly, I was very excited to learn that I had won Mixed Media Monday's art of the week for the topic of Monocromatic.  Wow, there were so many fantastic entries so it was an honour to be chosen.

Those of you that are regular visitors of my blog may have noticed that I have given my blog a little face lift. It is something that I have been meaning to complete for a while now and when I woke up on Friday with a headcold I decided to spend the day doing some much needed 'house keeping' here on the net. I tidied my Etsy store and marked a few canvases down to clear. With the impending move I thought it would be better if I didn't have as much artwork to pack, so if you are interested, you can view the specials here.

I also finished the design for my blog and I am really happy with how it turned out. I moved all of my blog links onto a page of their own here on my blog and created a button in the side bar to find them. It gives my sidebar a much cleaner look as I think as it was getting a bit cluttered. I also designed and created buttons for my Etsy store, email, and my new Madeit Store. Madeit is a website that was created to give Australian designers a place to sell their work and to network and advertise themselves. I have heard some really wonderful things from other Australian artists and thought that it was time to create my own store.

Which brings me the the heading of this post...."Looking forward while looking back". With the completion of my new design here and my new Madeit store I feel as though I am really moving forward in a positive way and it reminds me of where I have come from. I remember how nervous I was to show anyone my work when I first start painting and I felt so many times like a fraud pretending to want to be an artist. What a difference a year can make and I owe a lot of my confidence on the many wonderful and generous visitors that leave comments about my art here on my blog.

I also wanted to revisit an older piece of art because it is my favourite painting and the first to be listed in my Madeit store.

The Two of Us - I have always been blessed with a close relationship with my Mother and I absolutely adore my daughter Jade. I think every women knows how special the bond between a Mother and her daughter can be, whether you are a daughter or a mother, it is a profoundly deep bond that can never be broken. Even at times when desiring independence and needing to be recognised as a women in your own right, your Mother is one of the most important people in influencing who you become in this world.

xx Bee

Sisters

 As promised I have created another monocromatic piece for Mixed Media Monday, but it also fits in with a couple of other challenge blogs. The theme this week over at Thank God It's Friday is Brothers & Sisters, hence the title of this piece, and over at Theme Thursday the challenge is People with wings. So.....

This is another little 5" x 7" mixed media on canvas. I am really enjoying working with the smaller size as it creates fun little paintings that fit within everyone's budget. Jade also enjoys working on the smaller size which means I am back to 8" x 10" until I get to the art store to purchase some more smaller canvases LOL.

And again I was having fun playing with charcoal, I just love the way it mixes with the paint, so yummy!!

Available now in my Etsy Store.

xxx Bee

Hope

"When you despair, I bring hope".

This weeks Inspire Me Thursday topic is Art in Everyday. I like to think that everyday we are guided and protected by angels, here to give us love, protection and hope when we need it most.

Have you ever had that feeling that someone you loved and who has passed over feels so close they are almost present in the moment.

Available now in my Etsy store.

xx Bee

Oops.....a little editing was required.

After having my new banner up for a week and proudly showing everyone I know a little blooper was detected. A friend of mine came over for a coffee and a catch up the other morning and I enthusiastically showed her my new look blog. After a few minutes she did what I had failed to do....read the text in the castle on the banner.

Now this was part of a page that I chose randomly from an old novel with not much attention to detail:

Yikes....the word condom appears 3 times in the space of the doorway. Oh dear....some swift editing was required and I am just thankful that nobody bought it yet from Etsy to hang in their child's room...not a surprise a want to give my customers.

Anyway....what is happening in the studio at the moment. I am actually working on creating some ACEO's for my etsy store. The theme this week for Monday Artday is Supernatural so I am using that as inspiration to create some little characters for original OOAK ACEO's. Hopefully I will have them in store by Monday.

Have a great day

xx Bee

Bee-lieve

Bee-lieve - Acrylic on canvas - 8" x 10"

This painting is a painting I have been going to paint for a long time, based on a small pencil illo that I created last year and have been using as my avatar. I am really happy to see her come to life.

She was also inspired by a fellow 'bee Soul' Karen Mowrey. I am a huge believer that the universe sends us messages when we are floundering a little on our chosen path. Last week I recieved a lovely email from Karen at a time when I was starting to doubt the decision to become an artist. Karen is a self confessed 'bee-soul' and was so encouraging in her emails. It continues to amaze me daily the generousity of the many visitors to my blog and thank god for the invention of the internet. I would also like to thank the many caring people who so generously left comments for my daughter on her IMT post last week. A very proud nine year old read each and every comment.

So today I chose to Bee-lieve that I am on the right path.

UPDATE: I am really happy to say that this painting SOLD not long after it was listed on Etsy.

A bit of Moulin Rouge

Well, as yet this painting is not named as I just can't come up with anything that doesn't sound really lame.

Acrylic on canvas it measures 40cms x 30cms.

The past few days have been really insane here as the school term finished yesterday and I have been so busy. Last night I had to put my grumpy self to bed at an embarrasingly early time of 9pm on a Friday night, but it has meant that I have woken early and felt refreshed and inspired enough to paint for 4 hours today.

So the Ebay actions will have to wait until Monday now and I am so looking forwards to having some time to concentrate on my painting over the vacation period. Total bliss.

Away for a while….

...as our house is due to be finished any day now and my life is filled with manual labour to make the house livible with some packing thrown in for fun. The time has come for my art room to be packed away and this will mean that I won't have the time or the means to get creative and maintain my blog.

 So I will leave you with a little painting that I finished on the weeked. I is just a fun little painting of a Frog Prince....painted to go with Princess Puss and it will be one of 3 painting created for my daughters play room in our new house.

 The photo is rather tragic I am afraid, but I am just too stretched for time to spend trying to get a better one. Acrylic on canvas and embellished with sequins and beads:

Totally addicted to paint

I am so addicted I am even painting in my dreams, which is probably a good thing considering there just isn't enough hours in the day.

So Princess Puss is finished...

Over the past week I have been working on a mixed media portrait inspired after I received a canvas from Danni at She-Essence as part of a RAK. It was such a thoughtful gift and it inspired me to create a painting showing the ESSENCE of Bee. It represents my inner goddess and belief in myself.

 I still have lots of work to do on her face and hair, as well as some layering and collage to finishe her off, but I am having soooooo much fun!!!!

WIP (work in progress) - Acrylic - Princess Puss

I finished most of the brush work on this painting last night. Really just need to put in her whiskers and work on the jewels for her crown and collar and then varnish.

It isn't a great photo due to the flash reflecting and the fact that it hasn't been varnished and looks a bit flat, but you get the idea.

WIP - Acrylic - Princess Puss

I have been playing around with acrylics for the past week, it is a medium that I love for the beautiful colours and the versatility. So I figured the best way to learn how to paint, it to actually put brush to canvas and just do it. I know I will learn as I go from my mistakes.

 So this is a little acrylic work in progress on canvas. Very simple design to begin with, but I am having so much fun. I have just got most of the design and colours blocked in, and will now start building the details etc.