A colour chart, sketchbook pages, a daytrip abroad and a walk in the forest

After having bought some more colours for my new 24 half pan watercolour box on Saturday, I spent part of the weekend making a colour chart with all the 22 colours. I have to say, I love making colour charts. Mixing colours and seeing what new colours you can create. Especially with colours that you would normally mix together.

There's still room for 2 more colours, and someone mentioned in a Facebook group that you can actually squeeze in two more half pans. I might have to try that out one day.

I've kept up my practice of drawing (almost) daily. I really enjoy drawing portraits with coloured pencils and I have three or four coloured pencil in neutral colours in my pencil case.

I haven't done much sketching with watercolours in my new sketchbook yet, but it doesn't seem to take it worse than other sketchbooks.

Last Friday, I went on a little day trip with my Mum to Freiburg im Breisgau in Germany. We were so lucky with the weather, it was the only mild and sunny day in a period of cold and wet April weather. We had a great day there, good food, ice cream, visits to cafés, walking around the busy streets in the old town and finding a couple of art shops. Even if it's just for one day, a trip abroad always feels like a little holiday. That's the advantage of living in a small country like Switzerland, you can go to Germany, Austria, France, and Italy just for a day.

Yesterday was a public holiday, Ascension day, and after the cold and wet weather, spring has arrived again, bringing sun and mild weather. Perfect for a walk in the forest in the afternoon with my Mum, her neighbour, and Bobby, the neighbour's dog, especially as most people were stuck in traffic queues on their way to the south for a long weekend. I love being in the forest, especially now, when everything is so fresh and bright green. We also past a beautiful old gnarly mossy apple tree in full bloom, buzzing with bees, and stood in front of it for a few minutes, reminiscing about "my" lost apple tree, and how it would be buzzing with life too.

I have probably mentioned it before, but the special charm and beauty of this forest, that conveniently starts just a few hundred meters behind my parent's home, is that it is a natural, wild forest that is left to its own device. The only thing that is being done is when a tree falls over one of the paths, the bit over the path, and only that bit, is cut out. The rest is left as it is. A big part of the forest is covered in wild garlic, carpets of it covering the ground. The buds are just about to open and start blooming in a couple of days, but the smell already fills the air.

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Finding inspiration

I was hoping to finally post some art stuff again today. I've actually been busy playing with paints all weekend, and I was looking forward to put it all into a happy, colourful blog post to share. But while I really love winter, the snow, the long, cozy dark nights, there's one problem: light. I just couldn't get a decent photo. And it wasn't only the light. The angles, the compositions, the colours. Nothing worked. Not even Photoshop could help me fix it.

I have neglected my camera a lot during the last year, and I feel completely out of touch with photography and photo editing. So I decided it was time to find some inspiration and went out during one of my lunch breaks to take some photos in the park on the campus. Which is not really a very inspiring park, especially in winter (which in turn is probably why it's a good place to try and find some inspiration). And I totally enjoyed taking these photos with my Iphone and the Hipstamatic app.

I'll try to take some photos of my art journal again at the weekend, and hopefully I'll be sharing them soon here.

I've also made some changes to the design of my blog. I've wanted a simpler design for ages, but just couldn't figure out how to remove that light frame around the photos with the simplest of the Blogger templates. Until now. And I'm much happier with the new design (although it might still need some tweaking). Except for the header, which is just temporary until I've come up with something more inspiring. A complete re-design (and possibly move) has actually been on my to do list already at the beginning of last year, but I'm just not ready for that right now.

A new project for 2014: A Whole Lot Of Collages

At the end of 2013, I've completed my first project365 - taking a picture for every day of the year with my iPhone and some different apps.

For 2014, I've decided to add a new project to this. When I took part in the DIY postcard swap a few weeks ago, I really enjoyed making my collage postcards. I've used collage techniques before, but mainly as part of a mixed media journal page, and not in their own right. Inspired by the swap, and by iHanna's 365 Collages, I want to make collages.

I've got so much stuff that I love, but don't use very often in my artwork. Patterned paper, stamps, rub-ons, stickers... Time to use (up) some of those supplies! And I ordered a copy of Randel Plowman's "The Collage Workbook" to get some additional inspiration for my collages.

I was thinking about making this project another project365, but I know I won't be able to produce a collage every day. There's no way I'm going to sit down to create after coming home later after an evening class. But I want to try and do as many as possible, hopefully one one for every day of the year. But I don't want to put myself under too much pressure, so instead, I'm just calling my little project A Whole Lot Of Collages 2014. And the first three collages are already done:

Project 365 | Completed!

At the beginning of 2013, I started my first ever Project365. I had tried to do a Project52 before, with my proper camera, but failed miserably. But with my iPhone, and some photo and Project365 apps, I actually managed to complete my project, 365 photos, one for each day of 2013. 

Some days, it was really a struggle to come up with a photo (I usually ended up with taking a photo of food, sweets, or a cup of tea), on others, it was really hard to decide which one to choose. But I really enjoyed the project. It makes you notice the little things around you, to be more aware of moments, special or ordinary, in your days, and it's a wonderful way to collect your memories. I'm definitely continuing my Project365 in 2014!

A visit to Moose & Co.

We went on a lovely walk to the local animal park yesterday, and we were really lucky to see most of the animals, playful bear cubs, sleepy wolves, lazy bisons, and - my favourites - nosy moose. Just love them, they're so sweet, with their long legs and big noses!

Unfortunately, I didn't have my proper camera with me, but only my iPhone. But I definitely want to go there more often next year. And I definitely want to sketch and paint some moose soon!

What's your favourite animal?

Project 365 | November 2013

Can you believe that it's already the first day of the last month of this year today? Time's just flying this year. November brought a lot of beautiful autumn colours, some spectacular sunrises and sunsets, and the first snow of the season. I took part in a postcard swap, started taking a pottery wheel throwing class, and rediscovered DistressedFX, a photography app, that allows you to add gorgeous textures to your photos - and flocks of bird.

December started with a beautiful day, cold and frosty. Perfect for a walk in the woods. Hopefully, it will bring lots of snow and cold days.

Project 365 | October 2013

Another month gone, and only two left 'til the end of the year. Doesn't time just fly this year? But I enjoyed October, it was a nice month, with the leaves starting to change colour, the nights getting longer, and the days foggier. After the heat of summer, I can finally breath again, come to life again, feel the fresh cool air on my face when going for a long walk in the forest. With October, my favourite seasons start, autumn and winter. Yes, I prefer dark evenings to long summer nights, and fog and cloudy skies to endless sunshine, and I'm already hoping that we will get lots of snow this winter. October also brought another trip to lovely Dorset, with long walks on the cliffs, spectacular waves in the sea after a night of heavy storms, and a trip to the historical town of Bath. So here's my October in pictures:

I haven't been present in this spot very much this October. I haven't really had anything to show. I'm afraid I'm having a bit of a creative low at the moment. I don't think I've picked up a paint brush even once this past month. I've been spending a lot of time with learning about Lightroom and Photoshop CS6, and I've started doing some more extensive photo editing again, but I'm still waiting for the spark to get me going with painting again. I hope that November will bring inspiration back.

Project 365 | September 2013

Whathever happened to September gone?? It was only just the end of August, after the summer heat waves I was ready to enjoy the more agreeable temperatures of late summer at the fullest, and here we are, at the beginning of October. September really just whizzed past this year. Apart from the first four days of the months, which I did enjoy to the fullest in mild and sunny Dorset, the rest of the month has been quite uninspiring - proof of which are also the many photos of food and tea this month, the things to take a photo of it there just isn't anything else.

After having "missed" September, I'm now determined to make the most of October and autumn. Let's hope it'll be a nice one.

Project 365 | April to August 2013

I just realised that the last time I posted a photo of my Project 365 was that of March. But while I completely forgot to put them on my blog each month, I have been keeping up taking a photo each and every day. 

It can be a bit of a struggle at times, when it's a boring, dull, wet, grey day, and I just can't seem to find anything to capture. On such days, I usually end up taking a photo of food, or tea, or something like that. On other days, it's the choice that makes it difficult to decide which one photo to choose. What is it about that day that you want to remember most? A special sight, place, view? Or something less obvious? Like last weekend, which I spent in lovely Dorset again, when we went to Bridport the last day of August. The obvious photo would have been one from the beach, with the deep blue sky, the yellow cliffs and sand, and the sea. But at the end I chose a photo of the lunch we had at a charming café. Looking at the photo instantly brings back the memory of that day - the market, the delicious lunch, waiting for the bus to take us to the coast, which was over half an hour late, and the rest of the afternoon spent relaxing on the beach. It's the special moments of every day life I want to catch with these photos, not the 'holiday views' (although they're there too, I admit). And "having" to take a photo each day, makes me look out for those special moments, be more aware of what's around me, notice the little things, find beauty in the ordinary.

So here are April to August

Project 365 | March 2013

Can't believe the first quarter of the year is already over! Well, March has been quite a mad month, in many ways. It started with a new TrainSketches journal, and a long weekend in beautiful but very foggy Dorset. Spring hasn't made much of an appearance, instead it was cold and snow, snow and snow again. It seems that winter is not going to end this year. The end of the month brought some unexpected change too, which means that after the next quarter of the year, I'll have more free time to paint, create and photograph. But more of that later. For now, here's my March 2013 in pictures:

I used the collage/calendar month of one of my Project 365 apps this time for my collage, but although this is supposed high resolution, I'm not at all happy with the result. So I'll probably be back to making my own collages in Photoshop Elements again next month, even though it is rather time consuming. But for the moment, this will have to do. And now we'll see what April will bring.

Simplicity, the continuing journey, and an art journal page

The last two, three years have been a journey of change in many ways for me. But I feel that I still haven't arrived. I'm still trying to figure out the life I want to live, and how to get there. Blogging, the internet, has played a big part of this development so far. I found inspiring online workshops and met like-minded artists around the globe, all having an impact on my own work. And my way of painting has changed a lot through these experiences. New techniques, new paints, new ideas. Painting, art, have become a much bigger part of my life than it ever had in the whole of my 15+ years of painting, and there are things I'm now beginning to feel are possible, which I'd never even dared to dream of three years ago. It is all part of something I don't yet have the right words for yet. Part of the journey. 

I'm reading a book at the moment, which I came across on a blog, the way you find these things in blogland, by one click leading to another and another... The book's called "Less is More", ed. by Cecile Andrews and Wanda Urbanska. It's a collection of essays on the concept of Volontary Simplicity. As someone who never seems to be able to get rid of the chaos, I'm naturally drawn to the idea of simplicity. But most books just seem to be practical instructions on how to declutter your home and get rid of half of your wardrobe. Which is not a bad thing as such. But what I like about this book is that it's about the bigger picture of living a simpler life, which includes such issues as sustainability, commuty etc. It's not just about having a home with less stuff in it, but about a fundamental change of our society, about the way we live, what we value, and what ultimately makes us happy. I find it very inspiring, and it makes me think a lot about my own life, and how I want to live it. It's yet another step on the way. 

It also inspired me to create a page in my art journal. First a layer or two with some vibrant colours.

Then trying out the new liquid acrylics I bought during my long weekend in England two weeks ago. Absolutely love this metallic pink!

The last step was adding the word with the help of a new stencil alphabet. I first wanted to do the letters in colour, but at the end decided that the outlines would work best here. Keeping it simple.

Linking up to the wonderful Paint Party Friday, which is such an inspiring place.

And a big Thank You to all of you out there in blogland, who have been, and continue to be, such a great inspiration, and who help me to keep continuing on my journey in so many different ways.

Foggy beach walks, sea shells & and a rainy Sunday afternoon

For me, who's living in a landlocked country with no coast anywhere close, a trip to the beach is as exciting as birthday and Christmas together. Walking on the sand, listening to the sound of the waves, the fresh sea air in your face. It's so exciting, that it doesn't even matter that it's about 0 degrees C, the wind biting cold, and so foggy, that you can't see anything of the dramatic cliffs that stretch along the coast. In fact, the special mood created by the fog and dusk made it all even more beautiful.

And then of course there's the sea shells. Such beautiful treasures, that are just too irresistible not to be picked up, even if you can hardly bend down because off all the layers you're wearing to keep warm. Oh, there's another one, and another one, and another one, and yes I know, we already have loads of those, but just this last one. And that one... We returned with a whole pocketful of them.

The following Sunday afternoon was rainy, and after another walk on the beach in the morning, a warming soup at the pub, and a handful of more shells, it was best spend at home sketching those precious shells (or watching Rugby, wathever you prefer).

I'm especially pleased about that little pink shell we discovered, and which looks quite different than all the other ones we found.

Most of the more delicate ones were a little damaged, but I thought that just added to their charm.

I had taken my new cheap paints with me, which so far, I had only used in thick, opaque layers. But I was very pleased to see that they also worked very well with more water, creating those typical watercolour effects.

Happy Paint Party Friday!

Putting the paints to the test & Gel pen love

With my Sunday being taken over by formats, file copying, and too many computers on my desk, I decided to try and do a little Sunday sketch at least. To be honest, my new cheap paints, and the newly begun second sketchbook were just too irresistible, and so much more attractive than just watching files being copied. And so I ended up painting my new paints.

Which on top of it being quite a good exercise in perspective (I challenged myself not to do the simple view straight from above this time) also serves as a reference for how the colours look on paper.

I first put some water down in the black area of the box to get an even layer of paint, but I didn't use that much, so I wasn't that surprised when no paint bled through (and I checked about every 5 seconds!). But rather pleased, nevertheless. But I wanted to put them to a test. A real test. I soaked the page with lots of water, and then added several layers of black, to get a really dark background. And guess what: no bleeding through, at all!

I was also very pleased about how beautifully opaque the black became after three or four layers. A perfect background for what I had in mind. Which was trying out my new funky gel pens. I already couldn't live with my white gel pen(s), and I only discovered more colours at the local stationer's the day before.

I spent both my train journeys on Monday, morning and evening, with adding all the flowery details, first white, then with a range of metallic pink, red, purple and green. It was a bit of a challenge for me, as I like the safety of the pencil to start a sketch with. But I really like the result. And I've alreay got a new background prepared. I wonder how many colours they have in their gel pen range?

Unfortunately, I'll have to give tomorrow's Paint Party Friday a miss, as when this (scheduled) post appears on my blog, I'm already in England, for a long relaxing weekend of beach walks, picturesque villages, and cream teas. I just hope that the weatherpeople got it wrong, and it's not going to rain the entire 5 days, as they forecast.

Have a terrific weekend!