In our dreams, we are free...

Sometimes, we just feel trapped in our lives. While everyone else is happily fluttering around us in our cage world, we are just not able to feel the same way, see what they see. Instead we feel like we are just in the wrong place, wishing ourselves away, to another place, another life. No matter how hard we are trying to stretch our wings and pursue our dreams and fly towards the light, we just don't seem to find the way out. And everything around us seems grey and dreary, inside and out. And all we can do is sit and wait and hold on tight to our dreams, even if at times we struggle to go on believing in them, and keep trying to stretch our wings, continually, endlessly, in the hope that one day, the fog will lift, the light will shine through, and we're finally able to take off.

All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them. (Walt Disney)

Only in our dreams are we free. The rest of the time we need wages. (Terry Pratchet)

Courage and the need for a sensce of security, even if it's probably an illusion anyway, are probably the two main factors that prevent a lot of us from following our dreams... I wish I wasn't such a coward and pessimist...

29*52/11 ~ Music To My Ears

This week's (week 29) theme of 52 of Twenty Eleven is "Music to my ears". I'm not someone who listens to music all the time. I like to listen to music at home occasionally, but more often than not forget about it alltogether, being too much absorbed in reading a book or painting in my study/library/studio. I mainly used to listen to music on my MP3 player in order to block out the noise of my fellow commuters (most of all the sound of music coming from the headphones of others). But unfortunately my player sort of died on me, so there's no music on the train anymore for me, but earplugs instead.

(Textures by Shadowhouse Creations)

So what's music to my ears? The rustle of the leaves in the trees in the forest (or in this case, the pouring rain).

(Textures by Shadowhouse Creations)

My own footsteps on the soft forest floor, the chirping and singing of the birds in the trees, the rustling of some small animal in the undergrowth, some fir cone hitting the ground.

The whispering of the wind in the corn fields (spelt, in this case).

(Texture by Pixel Lounge Studio)

The mooing and grazing of the cows and the sound of their bells, a farmer's dog barking in the distance (far enough away, I'm a coward when it comes to barking farm dogs...).

(Textures by Shadowhouse Creations)

The sound of the pouring rain, although I would prefer to hear that outside my window while I was comfortably on my sofa with a nice cup of coffee, rather than on my umbrella while slowly getting soaked through.

A refreshing, revitalising, walk with the various sounds of nature all around me - that's music to my ears.

Image transfer

I was so excited when I learnt about the technique of image transfer. Transfering images on to a page without having to stick the whole paper on. Just transfering the ink on to the page. The effects looked so great. I couldn't wait to get started. There are different methods to achieve the transfer. Glues, gel medium, paint, gesso... Christy explains different techniques in the She Had Three Hearts workshop. In a book, I found detailed descriptions about two different techniques. I didn't try all of them yet, but I tried one or two. It sort of worked, but the results weren't quite too exciting yet.

Last week, I found this post on Donna Downey's blog, and I was so impressed. My goodness, she just peeled the paper off, without even having to wait until the whole thing's completely dry, and there it was, a perfect image transfered to the page! Magic. Of course, I just wanted to try it out myself immediately. Well, the result didn't look at all like in her post. In fact, it was even worse than the ones I've tried before.

I tried it twice, with equally bad results. The few details you can actually see on the right side (my favourite café in London, at Kenwood House, Hampstead Heath) are in fact the paper, which I hadn't removed fully yet. At the end, I actually didn't bother, I just left it where it was, stuck on, and put some ModPodge over it to make it a water resistant, workable surface... The other image is just a complete mess. Although, if you try really hard, and have enough imagination, you can just about see the outline of the branches of the beautiful old tree.

Maybe I've got the "wrong" kind of gel medium, maybe I should have let the printout dry longer. Well, I'll just have to go on practising, trying out all the different methods, using different mediums, until I find the one(s) that work for me. I still am fascinated by the process.

The image transfer desaster didn't mean that I didn't want to go on painting though. After all, there are so many more fun techniques with mixed media, so that when something goes wrong, well, just cover it up and work with it :). Most of all, I wanted to try out all my new script and other stamps I bought in London. My, I just love them! I've only discovered the world of stamping last autumn, but I'm a complete stamp addict now :)

Oh I just love these new stamps!! But note to self: next time, do try not to put it on upside down... Also try to be more patient and let the surface dry properly before attempting to write on it with ink...

I like using techniques with painting that have an element of surprise, beyond control. One of the ink splashes turned into this funny face shape, which reminds me of those early Pacman games back in the 80s. Well, it's certainly been some journey from there till now, in many ways, both personally and generally.

I really enjoyed creating this art journal page, which turned out to be about "journey". It looks a bit messy, but that's life's journey, full of details and surprises and  imperfections. Not always going according to plan, needing to be patched up and adjusted at times, accepting mistakes and making the best of it to get a satisfying result in the end. It's what makes it interesting, I guess :).

As to the image transfer business, I've actually ordered a book that's all and only about image transfer techniques. I am determined :)

Inspired by...

in·spi·ra·tion /ˌɪnspəˈreɪʃ(ə)n/: someone or something that gives you new ideas and the enthusiasm to create something with them

I discovered Donna Downey's blog "simply me" this week, and her Inspiration Wednesday series. I absolutely loved the page created on the latest post from July 13th, the greys, blues and blacks, the splattering effect, the white areas, and of course the stamping. It inspired me so much that I just wanted to get home, get out my colours and start painting.

Inspiration, though, isn't about minutely following instructions and creating a copy, it's about taking the elements that you like and inspire you and turn into something of your own. It might end up looking completely different, or quite similar but with a touch of your own creativity, as the one I did here.

To apply the colours, I used a palette knive instead of a brush, and I went for some bright red acrylic ink splashes rather than the yellow ochre paint. Instead of printing out some text to stick in (I had something about inspiration in mind) I decided to use one of my new rubber stamps instead, together with a bright red ink. "Listen to your heart" just seemed so right for this.

And even before I started working on these two pages in my art journal, I knew that I wanted to use another of my newly aquired gorgeous rubber stamps.

I just really love that stamp. It's so full of life, joy and energy.

I didn't do any sewing either, as I don't have a sewing machine. But I used a fern branch from the park outside the library to add an element of nature.

I'm really pleased with the result. I love the colours and the technique, and the variety of elements and techniques used. You can clearly see where the inspiration came from, but I think I managed to make into something of my own, and I thoroughly enjoyed doing it.

Busy Bumble Bees

I just love all the bees busily buzzing around collecting pollen. And I love when I manage to catch them with my camera. But I don't always do, they're just soooo fast! And most of the time, I just get a bee blur :)

It's the summer holiday season...

...and this means that I'll be exchanging my daily commuter's view through the train window...

It would be so much nicer to walk around this countryside instead of seeing it through the windows of a crowded train

At least you get some fine views from railway bridges you wouldn't get from anywhere else

Zürich-West. The city is changing rapidly, so many places I don't recognise at all anymore

These allotments have survived the city planners and investors. For the moment.

The new Prime Tower in Zürich-West, at the moment Switzerland's tallest buidling

Prime Tower and office building. The reflections of the sky are often quite specactular.

Reflections. If you look close enough, I'm sure you can see me pointing my camera through the train window :)

 
...for some new sights and familiar scenes in lovely London for a couple of weeks.

London, June/July 2010

Spending my summer holidays in London, taking classes at the LRBS is becoming something of a tradition, and it's already the 5th year I'm going there this year. But the first year that I'll be taking two classes instead of just one, so I guess it will not be as relaxing and restful a holiday as I'd probably need. But lying on a beach all day in the baking sun just isn't my thing. And I'll still have a few days to explore one of my favourite towns, re-visiting favourite places and exploring new ones.

And hopefully, I'll finally be able to see the Canaletto and Guardi collection at the Wallace Collection - something I've been trying to do for over two years, but without success (they actually closed the rooms for refurbishment just a few days before I went there). I'm also looking forward to seeing the Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, having lunch in the garden restaurant at Kenwood House followed by a lovely stroll down the Heath, finally visiting the Portrait Gallery, the obligatory visits to the British Library and the British Museum (which are both really just around the corner from where I'll be staying), a walk along the Thames, some shopping in Oxford Street, checking out some art supply and photo shops, meeting up with friends, and and and...

A little treat at Kenwood House

I'm just afraid that, as usual, there won't be enough time to do everything I would like to. But I'm pretty sure that I'll be going back there again and again and again :).

Just one more day to go and I'm off. See you again in July. Have a wonderful summer :)

Kenwood House, 2011

Tower Bridge, London, 2011



Summer fields

Now, in early summer, the fields around are growing fast, and are wonderfully fresh and green against the blue sky. And hidden between the stems, there are bugs and poppies to be found, if you care to take time and look.

I took a walk the other week, through the countryside, in the hot midday sun, along fields, through woods, frequently pausing, kneeling down on the ground, watching, looking closely, taking in the view, taking pictures, and simply enjoying the time outside.