It's nearly here...

Happy 2011 everyone! I've had a lovely day today.  Catching up with friends, tidying the house and finishing bits and pieces off.  Isn't it nice when you have a to do list and get everything ticked off?  I even managed to visit all my blog land friends to see what everyone was hoping for in 2011.  The one thing I noticed was the wonderful feeling of happiness, positivity, gratitude, caring and love in all of the posts I read.  It has long been a tradition to make lots of resolutions at this time of year.  Usually as a result of being dissatisfied with our life or our body.  We promise to give up this and that in an effort to be a better person, to be happier, to be richer or slimmer.  But this year I notice so many posts of gratitude for what we have already and an acknowledgment of our achievements.  How good does that feel?  Isn't it so that when you recognize what you have achieved you have the confidence and motivation to achieve more without even thinking too much about it?  And when you share your success with others you can inspire them to be who and where they want to be too.

So here's what I achieved in 2010 and some of the things I am very grateful for:

• I moved half way across the world to start a new, exciting life, to live a dream.
• I have a family and friends who have supported my ventures.
• I share my life with a wonderful man who encourages me to follow my heart.
• I found new friends here in Manitouwadge and in Blogland who have encouraged me and inspired me.  Thank you all so much.
• I have proved to myself that I can create, I am an artist!
• I can write and there are people who like to read what I write.

My hopes for 2011:

• continue to enjoy my life here and experience everything it has to offer.
• make progress in my creativity and find my niche.
• spread a little kindness each day, however small, just to make this world a happy place to be...for everyone.

Happy New Year Everyone!

As 2011 draws close...

I have just done my morning blog hop and happened across this post by Lisa!  I can so identify with this  post.  For many years I have wanted to write a book.  My best friend, Jan, tried to encourage me a long while ago to enter some writing competitions in the national newspapers.  Each one she diligently sent me I perused, scribbled a few lines and then told myself it wasn't good enough to enter!  Each one being carefully relegated to the wastepaper bin.  Then I came here to my new home and a new lifestyle.  I have been given oodles of time in which to pursue my dreams.  But although I have been creative, making purses and bags which are selling quite well, and painting am I, as Lisa suggests, hiding away from the task of writing behind other creative activities?  So, I will add one more 'resolution' or goal to my last post.  I will find one hour EVERY day to focus on actually writing a book.  I have two ideas, The First Year Abroad - trials and triumphs of an immigrant, and a book about spirituality from personal experience the title of which has not yet manifested itself!  At present I don't know which will win but unless I actually start to focus, write, even have thought showers (if that is still the politically correct term), then we shall never know!  

Well there we have it!  I am committed now, it's in writing, it's blogged so now I'll have to do it won't I?

New Year, New Beginnings, New Art Class!

Ok so it's nearly new year!  I am just so excited!  I have a parcel en route from a new supplier I found - Thank You Tammie for sharing!  Some crackle medium, sparkly things, metallic acrylics, rubber stamps and some gold leaf! On 17th January we get to start our new on-line e-course, Magical, Mystical Makings with Tam.  I am totally hooked on whimsy style, and I love angels and unicorns so as you can imagine I am almost bursting with anticipation on this one!  

Of course it wouldn't be right to start a new year without some resolutions or, more aptly, some goals.  So this coming year I want to stretch a little.  I want to learn more.  I want to experiment more with mixed media,  I want to learn new techniques, use new mediums.  I want to have a go at things that scare me like abstract.  Perhaps scared is too stronger word, or even the wrong word.  Abstract bothers me, I find it difficult.  My little brain cannot cope with it, it doesn't make sense these random shapes and colors.  Having said that there are some abstract paintings that I find pleasing to look at like some recent paintings by Cathy Bueti, and others that I cannot remember the names of, but on the whole abstract doesn't sit well, doesn't feel 'right' or make sense.  However I feel that I should at least try it for myself if only to be able to say "I had a go"!  I also want to try simply experimenting with shapes and patterns.  My friend Lorrie has a particular and personal style which I admire, her work inspired my piece Sea Anenome, again this is something I want to develop.  Lastly, Oils!  Kelly recently experimented with this medium and took to it like a duck to water, and boy look at her now, in a gallery no less.  Well done Kelly here's to a great year for you!  I bought some oils recently, but like the abstract thing I keep making excuses not to try them!  Oh and the calendar...yes my lovelies there will be a calendar.  Hopefully as Christmas settles down my lovely brother will be able to get that template done. If you would like to join Kelly, Cathy, Lorrie, Jeanette, Marlene and myself in 'donating' a piece of art to be featured on a calendar to sell and raise money for Cancer Research please check out my post or e-mail me for details.

So, I actually have quite a lot to achieve this coming year don't I?  How about you?  What are your creative goals for 2011?

Finished!

Remember this beautiful young lady?  This is Amber.  Her mum Sonia, a friend of mine, said that she would love to have a painting of her so I duly offered!  I just did Tam's Heart, Art & Healing course and have enrolled on her Magical Mythical Makings course starting in January.  I just love this whimsey style and experimenting with new mixed media so I was more than happy to have the opportunity to play with new ideas and techniques.  So here she is Amber: The Angel and The Unicorn

Etsy shop now open!

A very quick fly by post to keep all my very best blogger pals up to speed!  My Etsy shop is now open!  I have 3 listings on MistieBlue, do pop by and check it out! There will be three more added tomorrow.   Thank you!

WIP update 3!

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.  Today I worked on my unicorn, and I am not a happy little painter :(  I struggled with his eyes.  He looked quite evil and more like he came off one of those awful sci-fi computer games!  I left him for a while to dry as I seemed to be making a bad job worse trying to rescue whilst wet!  Whilst that was occurring I searched the internet for unicorns and horses trying to get ideas how to soften his eyes.  i found one I really liked and set about trying to rescue him.  I think I sort of half succeeded, he doesn't look quite so spiteful but still not a gentle as i would like.  But there's something else, and for the life of me I cannot decided what, that just doesn't look right.  Perhaps his forlock needs to hang down over both eyes, would that soften his face?  Or is it that bottom lip, is his shoulder too high and neck too short?  Can anyone help???  I really don't want to start over cos I'm pretty pleased with my little angel and the coloring on the unicorn.

WIP update 2!

Well, what can I say?  I almost had a disaster, having painted my little Angel and fairly satisfied with her I took a photo and uploaded to photoshop.  At this point it became glaringly obvious I had got my proportions a little off kilter!  Poor child looked a little like Quasimodo with a misplaced hump!  So with the little help of some extra molding paste, gesso and a little white acrylic I think I successfully rescued her!  Then I decided to experiment with my new pot of fluid medium, which I had been told I could use with a tiny amount of acrylic color to make a glaze.  I wanted to give the white feathers on the wings a hint of gold to give them more 'oomph'  so on it went!  I had fun.  I wondered if it would give her hair that little bit of something too.  Amber has beautiful golden brown hair and I couldn't seem to get it exactly how I wanted with watercolor pencils alone.  I actually got so carried away I gave her dress a very thin glaze of gold too.  Just hope I haven't overdone it! So work in progress mkII

Calling ALL Blogging Pals! FUNDRAISER!

Recently I came across a beautiful calendar made by Jessica Doyle on Etsy, showcasing her beautiful art work.  I have made calendars in the past, for family using photos, I think we've all done that from time to time.  Anyhow I got to thinking.  I have made some great friends here on blogger, some of us budding artists, some more established artists and you may also have seen a recent post on my other blog Simply Pleasures about Cathy Bueti.  Well, this idea I had, wouldn't it be great if we all got together and maybe 'donated' a picture of a piece of our own art and made it into a calendar to be sold and all the profit go to cancer research?

My wonderful brother, Jay, back in the UK is currently making me a template onto which I can insert said pictures as we blog!  Once done I can give specifications required for the picture.  If you would like to join me in raising some funds for much needed research into a disease which has touched most of us at some time in one way or another please either leave a comment, or e-mail me for further instructions!!  This message will self destruct....ha ha!  sorry  got carried away then!  I know it may seem like mission impossible so near to Christmas, but trust me I think we can pull this off!!!