Day 139: Drawing 5

Not to shabby, this one:)

Day 138: A fan for Gina

This is Sunday's project, a fan to celebrateWhee Gina's blog. Gina makes one fan every day and is a great friend and support for all of us in 365ers Facebook group. I wanted to make a fan but didn't have any lolipop sticks so I googled for a fan and this came up. It can be retracted into the tube, very clever!!! If you would like to make one here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLTFmVgfkd8&feature=related and if you are looking for inspiration and would like to see some lovely fans here is Gina's blog: http://wheegina.blogspot.co.uk/

Day 137: Drawing 4

This one is a bit better. i am enjoying this so much. It calms my mind from rushing around, I can sit for a moment and just think about light and shadows:)

Day 136: Drawing 3

Not great this one. I was supposed to work on creating a mass of leafs but not that easy, as it turns out.

Day 135: Drawing 2

Learning to draw the roots.

Day 134: Working on those drawing skills

I have a new book that I am very enthusiastic about: Drawing problems and solutions by Trudy Friend. I know, the title gives nothing away but it is a really good book to work from. I finished my drawing on the left side of the brain-book but still have problems with things like textures which this book addresses so I will be doing the exercises from it and hopefully improve:)

Day 133: The most life-enhancing choice (MLEH)

I have decided to live my life according to a new philosophy (it's old really, new for me). In every given choice situation, no matter how bad choices are, I am going to try and think what the most life enhancing choice is, for me or someone else. So today I decided that the most life enhancing choice (MLEH) is to enjoy our garden. These flowers (no idea what they are) I had in a pot last year, I grew them from bulbs, then my cat decided they were great to sunbade on and squished them. So I used my proven gardening technique then: put it in the ground, it either will or won't, and here is the glorious result that I had to capture on camera. 

Our garden is truly magical at the moment which makes a difference to our neighbours garden where they have ripped everything up. The old lady decided then to mow the grass without cleaning branches from all trees and shrubs they have destroyed...and it broke :) They have managed to destroy an entire habitat for wildlife and they refer to our lovely bees as 'wasps'..and they have two annoying little yappie dogs that never get to go for a walk...but the MLEH is to ignore that and focus on our beautiful garden. I should really share a picture of my compost, I am very proud of it as it is a source of much food for birds and I love digging in it. It represents all that is good in life. The rubbish turns into beautiful, rich, black soil that feeds everything:) I had a good MLEH day today.

Day 132: Bolivian pompoms:)

My fellow 365er frances Lewis makes a sun every day and Sunday was the day we took inspiration from her blog. Very fitting as it was the day of sun eclipse and we celebrated that event in a small way, great coincidence:)
Frances creations are ligh-hearted, cheery and really pretty so if you would like to make some pompoms (and hers are much more accomplished then mine) or just want some sun in your life here is her blog: http://frances-suns.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/11-april-2012-bolivian-pom-pom.html

Day 131: Dancing Shiva

Just a quick doodle. I was busy all day and absolutely exhausted in the evening but dancing shiva is on my mind at the moment. I would like to paint it in icon technique but not like this, more properly. My icon painting has taken back seat for a while now, expenses of gold have gone up a lot so I haven't been able to get a any. I have three icons waiting to be finished so I should really get going before I start this one..

Day 130: Granny squares are multiplying

I keep my crochet with me when I go away somewhere because it is light and undemanding. So I had a great opportunity to expand my granny square collection when the car broke down by no reason at all and we were there for two hours while the RAC man huffed and puffed. At the end he refilled the water and the car just took of, not a glitch after that. I wasn't annoyed at all...Thank god for granny squares. The total is 16 for now, I am aiming at a whole blanket but not stressing about it, but it would be a nice grand finale for 365 project:)

Day 129: Another hare

Day 125-126-127 and 128

I have left my blog for few days now as some very sad and very unexpected events have happened. For days I felt I was at the loss to what to do. Our 365 group has regular projects together on Sundays and I was excited to do that but then life just floored me and I could't find any creative energy.

Today is the first day I have felt like going into my studio and working. As loss is on the forefront of my mind I created this series of images. This is the shadow hare from Watership Down. When I was a child I saw the cartoon on the telly and the black hare has never left my psyche. When I think about death this is the image that comes to me. But it is not an un-pleasent image, it is more ambiguous one. A mixed message of unknowing, fear and comfort. I asked my husband once, how is it that we don't know what happens after death. Because then we would not have the motivation to choose between good and bad, he replied:)

Day 124: Sheep

I intended to make a painting of a sheep but then that thing called time just run away so I ended up with a drawing:)

Day 123: Progress on elephant eye painting

Day 122: Progress on Queen series

My clever friend Gina Hampen -  http://wheegina.blogspot.co.uk/
put a quote from Ira Glass on our 365ers FB page. Basically it is motivation for struggling, creative and desperate souls to carry on. In the quote it says: do a LOT of work, so I am:)

Day 121: Molly

Molly is a beautiful little girl with such angelic expression. I have never done portraits before but wanted to have a go at this. This is drawn from a photo and the ambition is to make it into an oil painting.

Day 120: Angel-boy finished

Day 119: Daily creature

This Sunday's project was inspired by Kenneth Provine and his daily blog where he makes a creature every day. His creatures are very creative and often very funny. You can see his work here: http://365creativecreatures.blogspot.co.uk/

Meanwhile, this is my contribution, my chinese zodiac sign is mountain goat so here it is :)

Day 118: When in hurry - draw a horse

Day two of yoga workshop and this is all I managed before collapsing in bed.

Day 117: Horse and foal

This is the front for my new yoga journal and I managed to scribble it down before the first day of three day yoga workshop started. Could have done better with colours though...

Day 116: Start (and half way) elephant eye painting

This is a close up of an elephant eye that I have started recently and got quite well on with it. I am actually painting it from a photograph by Karl Lindsay who is a very talented photographer. The original photo as well as more fabulous photography you can find here: https://www.facebook.com/karllindsayphotography

My aim with this painting is mainly to work on my technical skills, hence copying a photo. It should look better once the lashes are on:)

Day 115: Cheeky Chaps

Two cheeky chaps!

Day 114: Wonder-Fox!

All that swea...I mean sewing payed of and I am really proud to present WONDER-FOX!! Like Wonder Woman just canine/feline (I always think of the fox as half-half animal).

I never buy expensive materials for my projects so this is a mix of one felt square, a scrap of velvet and a buttons from car boot sale. 

My worry is though, as charity shops are getting quite expensive, where am I going to source fabric next?