Hello and a Happy New Year to you all ! ... quick before it's really too late !!

(Big Bug on Blogger : i can't choose the police properly. Sorry for that.)

I haven't been able to post sooner, but i hope i'll do more often from now on.

During all those months, i've sketched a lot, played mixed-media, crafted too, especially for Christmas, and i have tons of new projects for 2016 ... 

I just hope some kind of Cosmic Energy will accompany my own efforts to make some of my dreams come true !!

As usual, i'd like to share some infos with you. 

You now know i'm interested in different techniques, arts and crafts, i'm not of the "single-style-addict" kind, if i may say so. I've always sewn for example, as my mother and grandmothers did, and i've been very glad to use my sewing-machine again before Christmas.

Following are two of the ornaments i've made as little gifts, taking inspiration from a great blog, retro-mama.blogspot.com. 

So, here are :

1. The link to the page i've used as a reference : 

http://retro-mama.blogspot.fr/2011/10/home-for-holidays.html

2. And the photos of my own versions of these adorable little fabric houses (sorry for the bad quality of the first pic) :

Of course, as a "jack of all trades", i'm a master of none !! But that's another story ...

I've decided to give my sketching a new impulse too, with the new session of SketchBook School, that i've already mentioned here.

I've just enjoyed a lot making a small accordion book, following Jill Weber's inspiration. You can find all about her, her beautiful lifestyle and art, on her blog : http://frajilfarms.tumblr.com/

Here's my small book, still a work in progress, but i'm ok with it, since the greatest challenge i had to take up was to find what to tell about, build a little story, and i eventually did it ! 

I'll add more pics when i'm over.

 

The story doesn't really appear yet at this step, but there's one, i swear ! I'll try to make some more close-ups next.

Of course, i'll be very pleased to explain my own process to those who ask, it's been quite simple in fact, just taking some more time than expected, because i've gathered lots of stuff from old sketches and projects that had to be resized, etc.

Well, i'll write again very soon, i've some more ideas and infos to share ...

Wish you lots of happy and creative days !

Backgrounds

Hi all !
As there are plenty of old backgrounds left all over the studio after loads of experiments i made with new materials, media, mixing techniques from art journaling, scrapbooking, fine arts, etc. i've decided  to "recycle" them, using them to produce new sketches. 
What pleases me most in this technique, is that the backgrounds and the sketches are not meant to match in the first place, but mixing them eventually gives birth to new, unpredictable, happy "accident-sketches". 
It's so much fun, i can't stop playing that way these days ... Will add some others soon.
Hope you'll enjoy too. 
Will be glad to answer any question, thank you for your comments.
Cheers !

 

Mayan Inspiration

Speaking of inspiration in my last post made me think of some paintings i've made, taking inspiration from the Mayan glyphs which i'm completely in love with !
Well, of course i'm not studying anthropology here, so my "glyphs" are just greatly inspired by the real fantastic Mayan glyphs, but they aren't really Mayan themselves !
These ones have been made on watercolor paper, with watercolors and pastels.

 

 

For the last one, i preferred to doodle over a textured background i had made first, thinking of the ancient walls where Mayan stones are found, engraved, painted, and naturally "distressed". My colors are rather flashy (like them that way too), so next time i'll have fun preparing earthy colors to have a change.

Hope you enjoy, any questions and comments most welcome. Keep in touch !

Patterns and Repetition, and two give aways.

I've been asked a few questions by Sharon, who enjoyed one of my Charlie's sketches (the large one) and wanted to know if she could color it. I was so glad to answer "yes, of course, you can" ! It's really satisfying to get some feed back and feel we're all sharing moments of happiness through our little art pieces ...

So, let me try to answer Sharon's questions. 
That kind of sketches is mainly doodling. It's very relaxing, part of a "zen attitude", you become totally absorbed in the repetition of patterns, and it's very creative too, because you keep adding new patterns through the process, changing them into new ones, coloring them or not, adding shading and highlights or not, combining them in infinite ways, etc.

You can take inspiration from lots of different sources, such as :
_ Arts and crafts from different cultures (materials, tiles, pottery, quilting, tableware ...)
_ Everything you see in the street (windows, doors, iron gates, cables, tyres, garbage cans ...) or in your home !
_ Galleries, museums, and borrow motives from Great Masters such as Matisse, Picasso ...
_ Movies, magazines, books, internet ...
Once you begin, you won't be able to stop !

Internet is a huge Ali Baba's cave, of course. There are loads of amazing videos on Youtube, for example about fractals, that are so aesthetic (yes ! Believe me, i love them and i can say i'm far from being good at maths !), or about tangling, etc. You can find websites and blogs about doodling everywhere too, just google the words !

I never know where i'm going to begin a doodle, in the middle or at the edge. I can just feel it, the right time and the right place to do it. So, i take my pen and i begin, or rather "let it begin", "let it happen" ... As i said before, i'm completely absorbed in the process, so i don't even choose where to begin or what to draw first.
Maybe one tip could be to choose the pattern you like best, draw it and repeat it, then see what happens next ? Hope this can help a bit ... It's like surfing the wave ...

Thanks for asking me to post other similar sketches too. 
So, here are two give aways, you can all print and color if you want. Hope you'll enjoy them. Thank you for linking to my blog if you do so, and for commenting and/or subscribing.
Have a nice doodling time ! Can't wait to see your works !


 

Designed to be used to make a "fan" handmade card.

Hello everyone !

First, considering some reactions to the slogan "i am Charlie", i want to make clear that it doesn't mean we have the right to insult or despise any religion or anyone's faith and beliefs, in any way. It doesn't mean we agree with all Charlie's publications either. 
It means we just can't approve of using terror against humor.
Freedom of expression has undoubtedly to become more mature in France, and "religious neutrality" to get rid of that strong anticlericalism inherited from the French Revolution (Christians and Jews have ferociously been caricatured over the years too). 
Indeed, not only any religions are authorized, but all of them are even guaranteed by the State.

So now, let's speak of art again and let's hope all our sketches and paintings may bring a bit of light, joy, peace and love to the world !

If you want to improve your artistic skills, you may be interested in Sketchbook Skool. I've subscribed myself, and wanted to let you know about it. It's fun, and you can share your works with the group when you're done with an assignment. There are lots of different "teacher-artists", so you can explore loads of different styles. I'd just like to say that the six-week courses' rythm is quite demanding though, so if you can postpone some of your family obligations, house repairs, or else, it would be better !! 

Now, some sketches made using watercolors, color pencils, ink and/or acrylics. Hope you'll enjoy. 
Thanks for passing by and commenting, see you soon.

Hello again everyone !

Wish you all a very happy and creative new year !

As for today, i just feel like joining the huge protest in favor of light, tolerance and freedom, against darkness and hatred. 
May our paintings and drawings contribute to make the world a better place for each individual ...

 

Hi !
Enjoying rather a quiet week before new challenges ... So, will try to post some pics of my last "art and craft" works.
I've had some birthdays to celebrate in the family this summer, and wanted to keep in touch with dear old friends too. 
I didn't have any idea of what i was going to do, but as i was finally preparing simple little cards, i found myself making small boxes instead, aimed at containing all my love and hugs ! 
And, living by the seaside, i naturally filled my boxes with little "fish cards".
So, here are my little fortune-teller fish in their small fish-boxes, hope you'll enjoy them (some more pics  to come soon).