Fingerprint guest book personal touches.

Slapping my hands for not writing for a while………but I have a new puppy in the family, George (more about him later and maybe a pic :)

I sometimes get asked for little extras on the fingerprint guest books, bees, flowers, birds, owls, children and even airplanes (this was for a air traffic controllers wedding!). I like the little differences and personal touches that mean something to folks.

little bees and flowers

owls to represent family of twins and and a little girl for a baby shower tree.

owls for the wedding couple.

birds for the wedding couple matching their invites

                               Bi-plane with the wedding date banner

I haven't been asked for anything too far out yet…hmmm maybe one but will show that after their wedding so not to spoil their surprise. I am willing to draw most things although the whole dragons and fairy thing really makes me scrunch my face up :) But if asked I try my very very best to capture someones vision.

I have not done any new pieces in terms of my usual creations of dogs but have to devote some time to creating for myself again and maybe my new muse will help. Say hello to my little friend……

GEORGE

We think he is going to be a big dog, he is super sweet, super naughty and simply adorable. We don't know what mix he is as the father us unknown. We adopted him from some super ladies in Arboleas, their charity is http://helpinganimalsalmanzora.webs.com/homingpage.htm who had rescued him and his 3 siblings after they had been thrown away in the campo, covered in tics. The poor mother is still with her owner, and no doubt will be pregnant again soon, The rescue have offered to pay for the dog to be spayed but the owner refuses. This is a bang you head on the wall scenario and so frustrating.

Oh go on just another 2 photos

I have forgotten how puppies choose the worst moments to leave a little present or hide your shoes. But he is too sweet to fall out over these little things.

Spanish Craft Revolution: I love you!

Spanish Craft Revolution: I love you!: Como no podía ser de otra forma, hoy os mostramos una selección de los productos más llenos de amor y corazones de las tiendas de Spanish Cr...

Hand Drawn Ink and Painted Fingerprint Guest books

I have been working with some new tree guest books and here is one I have received some good comments on. Hand draw in ink, and with a painted and inked text. The tree has a love swing for the bride and groom to put their fingerprints on and the tree has their initials carved into it. Every tree created has a different outcome, each are individual and unique.

The following 2 have Edwardian Script lettering, lovely and curly.

     

And this one has a brush script and no swing

I love the simplicity of the monochromatic style, and then when the guests have left their fingerprints this gnarly old oak comes to life.

The colors I use for the fingerprints are bright, and fade proof, waterproof, and NON-Toxic, they might stain your fingers a bit but that's part of the fun, going round and everyone showing you that they have left their print. It shouldn't transfer onto your clothes when dry from your finger either.

Now this tree takes me a heck of a long time as, it is crosshatched with multiple lines, building up the tone and texture in ink, It is one of those things that you have to keep stepping back from every 20 mins to let your eyes refocus and stop your hand getting cramp.








I have found these fonts work well, but I can paint most font styles and they can be overlaid with ink to make them bold and match the style of the tree.





I also created a different variation to my painted oak. I tried to capture a more spring like painted tree with added flowers and little butterflies. The lettering was unusual as it was black with a gold edge and the date was in roman numerals.

     

Now to create some new tree types...............

Slow down,think and reflect.....now that'll do.

I have days like today where I press pause and actually stop doing anything. I am always creating, being mum, cleaner, cook, chauffeur, posting work on the internet, and trying to make ends meet. And then today I stopped for a short while, actually while I was cleaning the car windows inside as I have been cursing every day at the hand prints and smears as I am driving in the sun. I sat for 5 mins in total silence in the sun in the car, and just stopped.

It's moments like these that give me a reality check.......nearing the end of the year, Christmas passed that fast with my husband having to leave on Boxing day back to work in UK, that it all just seemed to have flown by. What have I actually achieved this year?......how have we scraped through? how my little boy has grown, what have I done to better myself,? why do I ignore my health? why bother doing craft fairs? what a waste of physical and mental energy. Have I become a really lazy artist with no creativity?

It's hard being on your own for 24 hours a day more or less with a five year old for over half the year, with a passing hello/hola and a fleeting glimpse or phone call from family. You reflect a lot and doubt a lot. You become more withdrawn, it's easier just to try and fumble on some days, and it becomes harder to make and keep friends.

I am not one to make resolutions or even challenge myself with goals, I like to learn and test my ability though, I believe a lot in fate and destiny and actually myself. I just feel I have to now channel my energy and become more focussed on creating for me.

People who know me truly, will know this is not me in a hole this is the way my brain always rambles on, sometimes I allow myself to go into 5th gear but most of the time I am tearing along in 3rd, and this is just me putting on the brakes and waiting for the red light to change.

So after a pensive 5 mins, I came crashing back to earth with a child asking for help fixing a lego airplane. So what have I been doing the last few weeks:

Well I had a little show at the El Retiro Gallery in Turre, Almeria, slow turnout as most folks were on holiday wind down , or had gone away. Made a measly 20 euros for the local Paws-Patas Dog charity by raffling off a custom pet portrait. I had 27 new pieces on display since my last show at Easter and created 4 new pieces in the week before. Will post some later.

I decided to switch up my game and do a portrait, I am a big fan of Hendrix and decided to spend a little time with him!! The pictures of the Jimi Hendrix mixed media portrait, show the work in progress, and yes he needs more but had to leave it to contemplate how much more.

I added song lyrics from "little wing" into the background and would like to do a softer fade with pattern towards the bottom but this is for later. To say I haven't done a full portrait for a long time I am actually liking this one, more work needed on his afro as well, he had more dreads in his so will work on that so he looses the MJ style.

My Exhibition, El Retiro Gallery,Turre Almeria Spain

DATE for your diaries if you are in Almeria, I have a little exhibition on the 16th December at the El Retiro Gallery, Turre, Almeria Spain. It's short and sweet 10-2pm, so don't be turning up on Spanish time!!!!

Hopefully it will have a good turnout as I am running another raffle. I will be making a donation to Paws-Patas my local animal rescue. For a raffle prize, I will paint a custom pet portrait of your family furry. Tickets to enter the draw are only 2 euros. ALL proceeds to Paws-Patas.

On show a collection of watercolor, ink and acrylic paintings, plus some christmas crafts, and jewellery featuring my art work .

Been busy making Christmas crafts, including ornaments and cards, I LURRRRRRV Christmas!!!! It's my favourite time of the year. Today I have been tweaking the Xmas tree, hubby and 5 year old son decorated it, still boxes full to be put on including a little peg dolly decoration I made with my grandma when I was the same age as my son so over 30 years ago!!!!!!!!!!! Amazing that its held together and the patience my nan had making it with me, will take a pic later.

Anyway here are some of my Christmas crafts for those lovers and haters of Christmas........you'll see what I mean!!! :)

  

                  

              


        
Also been doing a few more shrinky dink jewellery projects, simple but I think really nice, I love monochrome but now printing some of my colour images onto them as well.

Working with poor quality photos.

Not posted in ages have been busy creating new fingerprint tree designs, and hand painted christmas decorations and cards, and more shrinky dink jewellery (will post all later)

My friend Pam wanted a Christmas present for her friends here in Spain, they have 4 dogs and I think at least 3 are rescues!!!! So a lovely gift of all four was ordered, I am so used to people having digital cameras and taking multiple shots of the dogs they want in a painting, that when faced with the challenge of a limited amount, I was really struggling with the film photos I received. As these were not Pam's dogs she only had one chance to get the snaps and they were very dark around the eyes.

Now these little dogs are a real Heinz 57 mix, apart from the boxer so I couldn't even reference other images of same breeds.

The photos I got apart from the podenco (golden dog) were very difficult to see eyes and features. I scanned them and tweaked them as much as I could using photoshops shadow and highlights adjusting the midtone until I could make out a feint outline of the eyes. But the rest was a real challenge!

So here are some of the original photos and the work in progress and the final piece, (shhhhh I love the podenco best) The boxer was the hardest as he was looking down and I had no visual reference for the eyes.


So here are the original pics.......see  what I mean?

So here is the work in progress, as you can see I hit a wall on the boxers eyes......time for a break!

 


And the final four in one piece, I really deliberated adding a wash background, but decided it would look crazy stopping and starting around the dogs so left plain and simple.

 

 

I hope they like it.......and they don't see my blog before Christmas.