Happy Birthday Mummy!

It's My Mummy's Birthday! Yay! And I had lots of fun making things for her.

A Card. With ribbons, shiny card, and her favourite colour.

This lovely Cushion... I think possibly my favourite...

Completed Thought Stars....

And this Felt Heart, which I made earlier in January.

An eclectic mix perhaps, but I spent a lot of time on them, and I hope she loves them as much as I do.

Craft Review: Week 5: Sunday 22nd January - Saturday 28th January 2012

Sunday

I spent a few hours experimenting with word art on a canvas, for my friend Drew's Birthday. It turned out quite well, and she loved it, but I stupidly forgot to take a photo of it. It was in the colours of yellow and black, and contained the word Hufflepuff.

Monday

I came home feeling drained after spending an extra hour in school to complete my English coursework, so I only managed a row or two of my simple fluffy scarf.

Tuesday

I did a session of after school art, in which I completed my battle with a canvas and a compass. Indeed, it is most intriguing.... I then came home and skimmed my history textbook in preparation for my sources paper tomorrow.

Wednesday

I came home, absolutely horrified. That was the most terrifying exam I had ever done. I knew NOTHING about the subject. It was based on a paragraph on the textbook of only four lines. Luckily, I think my educated guesses may have saved my skin.... So. I came home feeling absolutely horrible, and to make myself feel better, I made this:

This is for my Mummy, and is a simple envelope backed pillow, hand embroidered with white wool. It definitely succeeded in cheering me up

Thursday

I did after school art again, whereby I attacked my canvas again, this time with a blue colouring pencil. I have completed 3/6 circles. Mysterious, no?

Friday

This has been the week from hell. I came home and collapsed, so tired. I got out my scarf and knitted a few rows.

Saturday

I woke up early, and did some work this morning. Then I got out the needles and knitted a little something. I won't say what it was, or who it's for, as I would like to give it to someone who may or may not read this blog. I don't know if anyone does at all. any comments would be appreciated. Tangent. I knitted this little thing for something which I'd like to start which involves making little things for my friends 'Just because'. I make things, and then have no idea what to do with them. So this is the solution that I've come up with.

I also made my Mummy's Birthday card, which involved ribbons and shiny card.

It's different to the sort I usually make, but I like it.

Craft Review: Week 4: Sunday 15th January - Saturday 21st January

Sunday

I planned on doing some knitting through Sherlock... I think I managed one row.... it was INTENSE!

^He is Jumping^.... Or did he?

Monday

I went to visit the Grammar school! It was so nice there, but I was absolutely exhausted when I got back. I will say though, that I did do a drawing while in their art class - new media combination: graphite and emulsion paint. Very effective. No pictures because they kept it. It's stapled to their wall.
So proud.

Tuesday

I made some more stars for my Mummy's  Thought stars. These ones are purple...
I also received my GCSE Art Exam Paper... Theme: Ordinary and Extraordinary..... I shall Ponder for a while...

Wednesday

A rather lazy day... Hot chocolate after school with a friend, then helping her choose between a purple fuzzy Hippo and a Clanger... I jest not... I did manage a few rows of my Fluffy Simple Scarf, though.

Thursday

I commenced battle with a 40 inch square canvas and a compass.... oh dear god, please help me...
But you cannot see it yet! Ahhhaahaha! It will remain outside of public viewing (unless you visit my art class where it takes up an extortionate amount of room on an easel. But most people don't know where my classroom is, so that's good!) until I see it as a fit time to announce it.

Friday

I made Robyn's birthday card! Which I still need to write a tutorial for....


Saturday

I went to Robyn's party and ate an awful lot of food.... So I was a bit preoccupied. Although, I did receive a photo as a memento, which has sparked the urge to redecorate my room..... somehow...

Happy Birthday Robyn!!!!

I would firstly like to say to Robyn: Have a very Happy Birthday!!!!

And secondly, I would like to show you what I had the pleasure of Making for her...

This is a canvas that I painted a few weeks back (it was mentioned in one of the Craft Reviews). I can now show it, without the worry of spoiling her surprise.

Robyn is my musical friend. This therefore warranted a musical inspired birthday gift.

The idea came to me while listening to some classical music... the way that the music floats; rises and falls... And it irritates me that the stave is always straight. Very Boring.

This painting is a combination of media - a watercolour background, and an acrylic foreground. I like it, and I hope she will too!

This is the Card I made for her. It's quite simple, and yes, the painting on the front is of her (mildly, it's only a vague likeness, but one can tell)

I chose the colours to co-ordinate with the painting, and because purple is her favourite colour. It may be simple but I think it is effective. I will make a tutorial for it later.

The picture itself on the card was primarily drawn from a photo (using my laptop as a light box) and then filled in with watercolours. I outlined it in black pen.

I like using watercolours. They're so quick and easy to use, and they give a delicate finish. And the colours can be quite vibrant as well...

Happy Birthday Robyn!

Henry Moore: Artist Study

Artist Studies are one of the key elements in GCSE Art. The first one we looked at was Henry Moore.
Most people looked at his sculptures, but I was intrigued by his paintings.

To the right is the double page spread that I produced. I loved the mystery within the receding depths, the concentric circles which darken and lead who knows where.

For a good artist study, you need the name of the artist and the piece, at least one good quality picture, a description, an analysis of the work, and a study.

The technique I used for my study is called 'oil resist' I drew in shapes and tone with oil pastels, and then painted in watercolours the other varying tones, mainly adding in the blue hues. I used the same technique to decorate the information page

My study looks a bit different to the original. It's lighter, for one thing. And to me, that section holds an intrigue to it... It looks like it could be a tunnel leading somewhere, the inside of a black hole, the underneath of a crested wave, a time vortex, who knows?! It's intricacies look so difficult, yet it was easy to make. I love it.

Shells....

One of the next thing our teacher told us to do, was a series of observational drawings and studies of shells. Most people in the class complained, but I didn't. I like drawing, and shells are very interesting subjects. My first attempt ended up looking more like a snail, but I was told to include, so please ignore it. It's horrible.

I Like shells.... Each one is different and equally as intricate and beautiful as the next. Above is the mounted sheet that I created from my various shell drawings, plus some annotation. The media I used war: tonal pencil, watercolour, oil pastel, and coloured pencil.

I like using watercolour when I'm doing studies of naturalistic objects... They seem to flow nicely and work well together. This was a nice shell, but it had no real defining features. It was very smooth and small, and the shadow was hardest to create

But this one is my favourite. It's a close up enlargement of the detail on one of the shells, using tonal, coloured pencils. It's so delicate, and detailed, and loved doing it, looking so close at the detail of one tiny shell barely wider than my thumb... All of the different ridges and tonal variation. I love it.

Craft Review: Week 3: Sunday 8th January 2012 - Saturday 14th January 2012

A lot of this week was spent doing the odd bit of photography, knitting or art coursework...
Sunday

I sat down and knitted a few rows of my Fluffy Simple Scarf while watching Sherlock.... Not much though, I was scared out of my wits for an hour and a half!

Monday

I got bored today, just before teatime, so I got my camera out and tried to take a picture of myself in my small mirror... yeah, it doesn't sound successful, does it? I didn't get a clear cut picture, but what I did get is quite interesting.

Tuesday

It was a beautiful day outside this morning, with the sunrise... I tried to take a few pictures of it to see if they would work properly...

I will admit I don't have the most inspiring view from my window, but look at that sky....

Wednesday

On Wednesday, I reverted to doing the odd bit of knitting here and there... so I added to my Ravenclaw Scarf, and to my Fluffy Simple scarf also.

Thursday

I was doing art coursework today. An AWFUL lot of acrylic paint was used in suspicious amounts of yellow... I also had to help out at the year 9 options evening, which restricted my time at home... I managed to only just watch the 'Lewis' I'd recorded before falling asleep....

Friday

I sat down, exhausted today and picked up my Hermione cushion. I haven't touched it in weeks. I really need to finish it soon....

Saturday

I did practically nothing, except that I watched 3 'Lewis's.... I'm beginning to feel that I've become obsessed with that programme. I blame Sergeant Hathaway... completely.... I did manage to fit a row of my Ravenclaw scarf in though....

AH! I've been terrible this week, I do apologise...