New Interest

I have been absent for a few years busy with life in general as we all know it changes from time to time.
I have developed a new interest involving wood carving via a friend who creates lovely pryography and being a lover of cutting lino I felt this would satisfy the need to "carve" also providing me with a new challenge.
This was vying for first place interest against the adult colouring book craze which in the end I succumbed to and pleased I did as the desire to work with colour after so much black and white (mainly)in the printmaking has been very relaxing.
To choose the "same " colour but use in either pencil, watercolour, gouache, acrylic, graphite and anything non oil based material can achieve very nice effects. The vibrancy of one particular set of pencil I received from a dear friend for my last birthday really does compliment the whole picture. I wrestled with "using" another artists design but realised that especially with patterned images I could add to it by using colour as another dimension. The challenge to have the use of so many choices of materials and colour tones can take me weeks to decide as I view them as I would my own original pieces, live with them awhile before moving onto the next step.
The following are from book number 1, Christine Lovatts 'Inklings' which included mazes and puzzles so three times the fun . Love these shapes and designs and these are only a few.

A gentle blending of colours.

 

Feathers of a different kind.

Once I started  I found the pattern which wasn't always as obvious at first.

The orange effect cooled with green.
 

Pretty in blue hues.

 



 Book number 2,my favourite.



Glasgow Fine Arts, Charles Rennie Mackintosh

 



Art Deco Jewel. Some pages are mirrored images which gives the colourists the choice of opposing colours or matching as I have done.



 

 

Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The simplicity of his design is very appealing.

 

Tiffany Lamps and Motif. This one I chose complimentary colours.

 

 

Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Love this one.

 

Art Deco Illustration, Vogue front cover.

 

1920s Art Deco door.

Art Deco Motif.

Art Nouveau Tile, page dedicated to my friend using my gift so became an exercise in colour alone.

Art Nouveau Motifs. So much can be achieved with colour in one image.

This book has all the relevant information re the images from jewellery, tile motifs, furniture, buildings, gates, cars, planes, flowers and magazine covers. This is a real bonus as can be Googled  for ideas. As a printmaker the shapes and designs are what appeals to me the most and in no way is it nearly finished. I have done 21 of 89 images including doubles.  Presently I am working with one image of 6 designs though two are the same so I intend to change its' style by approaching it using colours applied in the opposite to the other one and with the rest I'm doing tonal in cool to warm colours.

 

BIRTHDAY LUNCH.

Was celebrated with three friends at lovely hilltop hotel bistro looking over the ocean. This pyrographed gift along with a bottle of my favourite wine  and the set of colouring pencils and blending stumps certainly made it a memorable day.

Jacranda .

 

WOOD CARVING.

I am such a newbie at this but really enjoy the process and the friendly chaps and ladies  who all do some amazing works with timber.

 

Leichardt timber block, 23cm squared by 17cm high. This is to eventually sit my computer screen on as at present a large book on fishing and two smaller blocks of wood suffice so my aim was to make something useful. This is a nice yellow coloured timber , soft to carve without much pressure (yet).

 

First carving and of course an art deco design. I was trying to be  adventurous but not too intimidating

  with the design , hopefully allowing for ease of carving but gave myself a bit of a challenge re the sharpness of the petals and the narrowness of some areas, never mind all will be well and it's only for myself.

 

Second day carving and cutting deeper around the image pre deciding how deep I want it before sanding.

I had thought I could practise some patterns on the side from articles I am reading about on how to create them with the tools.

Stay tuned to find out if it's successful.