Mapping friendship

Doubly inspired - by both Orly Avineri's class and my beautiful friends on our round robin journal swap, I created this piece that maps our friendships. Layers of maps, letters, postage remnants and scraps from here and there* while the watchful eyes offer up the gateway to the soul.

Our round robin has wrapped eight friends together through art. Next stop on the journal's journey is the original owner, so I'm incredibly excited as I anticipate the arrival of mine back in the post any day now.

We have resolved to share all through a little blog party, so watch this space to share in the globe-trotting wonders.

While we're on the subject of parties - I'm sharing this with the Paint Party Friday revellers.



(*including one from Orly - or it might have been Teesha - it's the transparent piece over the right eye with the 4 on).

I've got me an iPad3!

Look what I made with my new iPad! I was using a cheap little app called Art Set.

It was great fun, although a little limited in colour and functionality. I used the pencil, pastel and marker pen tools to create this eye. I am so excited by the fact that I can create art anywhere now without having to cart around a huge stack of supplies. I can even wear my best clothes!

I was also pretty excited that I drew this with no reference. I guess I've painted enough eyes to know what one looks like now... I was trying to teach my son the art of looking when it comes to art and seeing and sharing my fascination the intricacies of colour and shade... but he prefers to play with cars or shoot things... Ah well....

Any other iPad artists out there can recommend the best apps? I've heard that Brushes and Procreate are good for beginner digital artists (I found this good reference site here). I could easily become hooked!

Sharing for Sunday Sketches.

A sense of something...

I didn't know what to write about tonight - more especially, how do I illustrate with words this piercing picture I just knocked up for Sunday Sketches?

I figured maybe I'd just sling in a few totally random thoughts.

First up, something strange is happening with my sense of smell. Yesterday I caught a splash of Gardeners' World on TV (channel surfing... honest!). There was actually a quite fascinating feature on Christmas trees and the more I watched, the more I was convinced I could smell Christmas- you know that wonderful waft of pine that tickles your nostrils when you come downstairs to say hello to your indoor tree at this time of year...*

(Want to smell it too? Check this out - about 45 minutes in.)
Then today, the Hairy Bikers were cooking up the new 'traditional' British grub - Singapore noodles! I swear my nose was in the room with them. Sense of smell began conspiring with taste buds as ginger, garlic and spice pirouetted around my conscious.

(This one starts getting smelly at around 40 minutes.)

As much as I was enjoying smell-o-vision, I was beginning to become a little concerned. Would it be safe to watch a documentary on cattle farming? Right now I can smell mango. No, I'm not watching a tropical drama or even another cookery show - it's mango body lotion on me... I smell delicious!

So, we've discussed taste and smell. Sight is clearly represented by the sketch I did this evening (gesso over advertising material, topped with coloured pencil). I'm listening to Michael Buble croon softly in my ear and fingers feel the smooth keys as I type frantically away. Most of the letters on my keyboard have worn away. It's fine for a touch typist like myself, but drives the rest of the family mad when they try to use it. I won't bore you with listing what's left, but if my keyboard was scrabble tiles, there's only very high scoring letters left.

*Although I hate to ruin the story - ours is artificial! I'm going to buy some of Heston's pine-sugar-dusted mince pies when I can be bothered to trek across town to Waitrose.

3i

I used to work for 3i. They are a venture capital company. However, don't panic, I'm not about to start talking all finance with you. It's merely serving as an introduction to today's artistic postings. Three eyes!

First an albino eye - for Inspiration Avenue's 'black & white & pink' challenge, then some intriguing ones. Hmm, what's going on there I wonder. Just who do those eyes belong to and, more importantly, why are they looking at you like that? Should you be worried? Who knows....