Another Fairy ......

 A new experience for me - I'm using A3 watercolour paper!  My Sketchbook is only A5, and smooth paper.  What a difference textured paper makes, as well as paper four times the size ........  Anyway, herewith my sketch.  Thought I'd give her feathered wings this time.

Add some flesh coloured pencils and paint, some water soluble crayons (her skirt) and some colour to her wings - plus a whole lot more graphite! 

She now has blonde hair as you can see, and I stippled the background with blue red and black acrylic paint and added some gouache white paint.  I did a lot of fiddling with her wings too.  I have to revisit all the flesh parts (lots of fiddling to do there!) and work on her skirt, and generally put a lot more detail in.  Still, she is getting there, slow but sure.
Bye for now .......

Bunbury Challenge completed

Here is my piece for the Bunbury Patchwork & Quilting Group in Australia.  The colours are a bit brigher than the picture shows, especially the edge of the leaves!

To recap, this is the challenge fabric - 11" square - 80% of which has to be used in the design somewhere.  The theme is Wonderland, and the quilts are for their Exhibition in 2012 - so I am in plenty of time!!
I'm still considering whether to add a couple of small 'pieces of leaves' at the bottom - or leave well enough alone.  What do you think? (OMGoodness - I've just noticed the pun!)   I've decided to call it Autumn Wonderland.
Till next time .......

More Sketchbook stuff ...

A sketchy beginning ..........

Added background using water soluble wax crayons and salt ....

Popped into the garden to find some leaves - for colour and shape ....

Added a bit more colour ....

Ta Daa!  I reckon she is done.  By the way, my sketchbook is A5 size.
Till next time ....

Sketching, stitching and painting

Further to my last post - herewith the finished drawing/painting of my latest fairy attempt.  As you can see, I did add something in the background and also the berries at the bottom, to cover those weird shaped arms a bit!  I have lots of beautiful berries on the trees and in the boundary hedges in my garden at the moment.

I've also been dyeing, stitching, painting and more stitching.  I decided to enter the Challenge of the Bunbury Patchwork & Quilting Group in Australia, under the theme 'Wonderland' - well, how could I resist?

 This is my effort so far (about 20" x 30").  It doesn't have to be in Australia under February 2012, so I have plenty of time.  The Challenge is , however..........

to incorporate this piece of fabric into the design.  It is only 11" square, but I can't overdye it or bleach it or change it in any way, and I must use it witin the design, not in the borders or on the back!!
I'll keep you posted as to how I get on ......
Till next time.
PS.  Any body else out there taking up the Challenge, or anyone know of anybody who is?

Sketchbook - pencil and water colour

I've been dabbling again in my sketchbook, inspired as usual by Linda Ravenscroft and her beautiful artwork.   I've collected a few 'poses' from Sunday supplements and magazines etc. that I thought might give me a start, and the one above is the one I used - just to give me a shape to go by, not to try to copy the image itself.

I washed the background with watercolour, then drew the image with a graphite pencil.  I should have taken a scan before adding any paint really, but forgot!

Added water colour to the wings and a bit more detail to the hair.....

Added more colour and more detail, with coloured pencils as well as the graphite pencil.
I know the image itself is not very good, the more I coloured it and added detail, the more I could see her nose is too long and her body too thin etc. but generally, the shading and colouring is not too bad.  Just as well she isn't supposed to be a copy of the original!  She is a fairy from another world after all!
She isn't finished yet - I want to add more detail to her wings, and something in the background, and perhaps some fairy dust here and there!  I'm off to have another go, with a different 'pose'.  Hopefully the next one will be better.
Till next time .......

Last but not least - the fifth piece...

 I think this is my favourite of the five pieces, although it could be a close second to the white silk trees!
Again, it is a wholecloth quilt, with a dyed (in a cffee jar) background.  Since discovering acrylic ink there has been no stopping me!!  I drew the design on the fabric (the tree shapes) with a permanent white marker pen, quilted the outlines with black invisible thread, and some of this was eventually picked out with white gouache.  The small painted flowers in the centre are just one layer of acrylic ink, and the blossoms on the trees are several layers, up to nine I think, to get the brightness of white I wanted.  I made up the pattern for the 'mound' under the right hand tree as I went along, and filled in with acrylic paint afterwards, and added tiny blobs of gouache to look like beading (Oh how I wish I could do beading!)

Here is a closeup of part of the centre section.
I'm on duty tomorrow and Sunday, and we take the Exhibition down on Monday.  It has been a huge success, with lots of quilting friends coming quite a distance, and lots of people visiting RHS Rosemoor Gardens just stumbling across us.  It has been a wonderful experience, but very hard work, I must admit.
Till next time ........

Fourth piece for our Exhibition

Whew!  The Exhibition is going very well - the weather has been quite kind really - sunshine and showers.  When the venue is an RHS Gardens, the sunshine brings them to visit, and the rain sends them inside!!

Anyway this is my fourth piece, which I call The Copper Tree (for obvious reasons!)  The pieced background was inspired by Kay Neilsen and the tree itself by Virginia Skerrett.

Here is a closeup - the quilted background is more obvious here.

I also made a few postcards for the sales table.......

I think they have all been sold, so I'11 be off to make a few more, as I am 'on duty' again tomorrow!
Till next time ......