TGIF

 Hi Everybody!

It's Friday, hope it's a good one. Yesterday we had yet another bus/tram strike here, the Trade Union is going crazy. We are all fighting Covid on all fronts, and they keep calling out strikes in all public services, not only transport but also in clinics, Kindergartens etc. I think this is really irresponsible at this time. Apart from that it's cold and damp, and I still haven't got any heating. Things can only get better!

During the Lifebook Taster Course with Effy Wild we made a little book with 4" x 4" squares - I used coasters. I decided to make another 4 squares to complete my book. One side was painted with acrylics and decorated with some washi tape. The reverse was covered in a coordinating designer paper with an added quote. I stamped images using the linocuts I carved 2 years back, stamped and embossed them onto white tissue paper, and then stuck them down with potch. I added some details with a white pen:

This is the complete book with the old and new squares:

And I have been busy with collage. I got a beautiful free catalogue, very nobly made with photos on good paper, 134 8 x 8" pages:

I am using it as a journal. Each double page gets lightly gessoed with a brayer so that the background remains visible:

Then I did some painting and collaging and made an autumnal / Halloweeny spread. The tree was quick to paint, and I kept the colours as transparent as possible, so that the printed background makes a surreal layer behind the scenes:

I am linking both pieces to Art Journal Journey, Chris' 'hold the line' challenge, and to Paint Party Friday.

The photos are mostly sunrise and sunset scenes, my fave times:

May the light be with us all!

Have a great day, take care,

and thanks a lot for coming by!

Knobbly trees and faces

 Hi Everybody!

Another day has raced by, It's still cold here, the heating hasn't been repaired, so I've been keeping myself busy with my art and even did a bit of the dreaded - and sorely necessary - housew**k. And I gathered all of the papers and instructions etc that I printed off for the Lifebook taster courses, and put them all into a ring folder to get them safe for further perusal, as there were some ideas there that I would like to repeat. While making holes in the paper to file them, I accidentally got my lovely silk scarf caught up and made several holes in it, sigh. But I have gained lots of silk for crafting other things....

Today I am sharing 2 more lessons from Lifebook. The first one is a lesson from Kassi Martin about 'the knobbliness of trees'. Kassi is a wonderful person and therapist, and shared lots of valuable insights on living and how we (should) see ourselves. I also enjoyed painting my knobbly tree. I made a textured A3 background and painted my tree onto it, adding a sparkly hologram glaze at the end:

The second piece I am sharing was made after a lesson from Andrea Gomoll

about plant spirit girls. These are both painted on A4 watercolour paper:

I am linking both pieces to Chris' 'hold the line' challenge at AJJ

And here are the rest of the photos taken this week in Ratingen:

The lion is the heraldic animal of Ratingen:

I loved this decoration with the old wash stand:

This sculpture is in the remains of the swine herd tower on the town walls;

The stream is the old moat:

 

Have a great day, take care,

and thank a lot for coming by!