40 Portraits - 1 & 2

Greetings, lovely people. I've signed up to a new portrait challenge - Gritty Jane's 40 Portraits on Facebook. The challenge is to use any media, in your own time frame, to create 40 portraits. In Jane's own words: "Welcome! I challenge you to create 40 portraits. There is no time limit (although I suggest you try to work/play daily). Just number them and share them with the group. I also suggest you set up an album in the photo section to showcase your photos. All mediums welcome. WE CAN DO THIS! We will g-r-o-w! Can't wait to see what we make!!" I need a challenge or a deadline to keep me working daily, otherwise I find other things get prioritised and days, weeks go by without my getting creative. So this is perfect. I want to get better at the whole body too - so what better place to start than the face!

This first one is just from my imagination... which didn't stretch to hair!  This is done in my A5 Asda sketchbook which has lovely thick pages and usually takes lots of abuse when it comes to mixed media and pastels. However - I have realised it doesn't like watercolours much - it sucked that water right up, so my blending is not as good as it could be.

Lyra Aquacolour crayons, Neocolour II crayons, Graphite pencil, Acrylic paint

This second portrait, I used a picture from an online catalogue as a reference - here. I did this one on a card for my Pheebs who had her 13th birthday a couple of days ago. Much happier with this one.

Neocolour II crayons, Watercolour pencils, Graphite pencil, Fineliner pen

Both these took about 45 minutes to an hour, doing 5 or 10 minutes at a time when I could during the day. So already I'm feeling the benefit of this challenge. Why don't you come join us?

Thanks for stopping by and taking a peek today :)

Pass The Face & WOYWW

Hi everyone. Ooh look - two weeks in a row. Even with slower than dial-up broadband I really enjoyed getting round a few desks with What's On Your Workdesk? Wednesday last week. Thank you to all those who visited mine. 

I'm showing some art at the end of this post but will post my desk first in case you're in a hurry.

This week we're at my little PC desk. While my internet was not letting me load pictures very quickly and YouTube was totally banished - I decided to catch up on those classes I'd paid for and never completed. So here  I'm working on a face with the Suzi Blu class The Goddess & The Poet. Paid for at the end of 2010/beginning of 2011 or there abouts! I'm on a ban from buying any more classes till I finish these I've paid for... (Entering to win them is a different matter of course.)

We have the obligatory (empty) mug of tea, my sketchbook and headphones because the boy trashed my speakers. If I want a bit of peace and quite I sometimes put these on and pretend I'm listening to stuff - just to block out the noise from the rest of the house and so people will be put off bothering me. Ssssh. Don't tell ;)

You might also be able to see some Pan Pastels from a lovely friend, a bit of  radiator heater for some reason (probably rescued from the boy) Oh, and some bits I forgot to move that are meant for my Secret Santa - so don't scrutinise to closely.

Last week on my desk I was working on some faces in collaboration with three other people. A few people said they would like to see the finished pieces. I got mine home yesterday so thought I would share in this post rather than direct people off to a separate one.

On the 29 Faces group on Facebook, a few groups were set up to work on a collaboration project. Our Europe group had four people in it. Myself, Gina, Anita and Mariane. We each started a face and then it was sent on around the group for each participant to add to.

This is my start. It's watercolour on watercolour paper. The eye is acrylic paint, Sharpie pen and fineliner. This was posted on to Mariane in Denmark.

I then received Gina's start (the blue spotted one) and Anita's. I forgot to take a 'before' picture but here I've added the skin colour and face shape to Anita's, fleshed out the nose and did the second eye with some decidedly  'Alice' make-up. I've used a combination of Lyra Aquacolour crayons, Neocolour II crayons and a dab of acrylic for the highlights in the eye. Anita had done the stylised eye and the mouth.

For Anita's face (The one with pink flowers)  I expanded on the eye and coloured it, did the mouth and started adding some shape to the nose. Again I used the Neocolour II's (the pinks in the mouth and around the eye) and Lyra Aquacolour crayons. Oh wow I'm in love with those Neocolours - I need to get me some more! I only have 3 pinks. These faces have now been sent on to Mariane. 

Yesterday, my completed face came home along with Mariane's which I get to finish off. Oh, how I love what the girls did with my face. 

My Fiery Vixen as Gina calls her - isn't she fab?

So that's the faces, I'll update with what I do to finish off Mariane's blue and green face in a later post.  Thanks for stopping by today :)

Linking up with:
Julia for What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday
Art Every Day at Creative Every Day

Secret Santa Update

HO! HO! HO! My little stalker Santa's. 

I have had word that Santa's sleigh has started to be loaded. Keep an eye on the original post to see if you need to watch for the jingling of reindeer bells (cleverly disguised as a knock from the postman/woman) Please keep letting me know when you have posted or received so I can update the list :)

Now, mince pies to sample and cookies to taste! As you were, lovely people.

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday

Blimey it's been a while since I've played along.  But I do love a good snoop as much as the next person - here goes.

We're at my dining table today - it's raining and cold outside, so my shed is firmly locked up.

Here you can see my trusty tin of Lyra Aquacolour crayons, my pencil case and the only three Neocolour II crayons that I own. Love them, will be buying more. FYI - Jacksons sells them in singles ;)

The faces are part of a collaboration I'm part of with three other 29 Faces artists via the Facebook group. We each started a face and we pass it round until we get a completed face back. Here I am on step  3 with the blue dotted one and step 2 with the other.

I will try and get round as many of you WOYWWers as I can - internet connection permitting. (Don't ask!) I'll definitely return all visits if you leave me a link to follow in the comments... may just take me a few days.

Thanks for stopping by today :)

Linking up with Julia for WOYWW
And also with Art Every Day

Stay At Home CJ - Beastie

Hi all.

It's the second month of the CollaborArt "Stay At Home CJ" where  all the participants make just one background and come up with a theme for that background. We then sent our background  to our host, Sarah. She photocopied them and then we all got a full set of backgrounds (and our originals) back to work on. We all work on the same background each month - to the theme set by the backgrounds creator. 

This month was the turn of my background and I had set the theme as Beastie! Here is my original background which was mixed media using a bit of everything - bookpages, postal stamps, tissue paper, cardboard, acrylic paints... think I did it over the base of a Gelli print too. 

And here's what I did with it. I could see a figure in the background and also a crows head and beak. So that's what I went with. I've used oil pastels, HB pencil, gel pen and biro. The quote is perfect for how I've been feeling lately and it all just came together quite quickly. (At the last minute, last night!)

Please go and check out what everyone else did. They've all done gorgeous pieces. Even though they are their own interpretaions of my theme - I can't get over how they are all so, well - me! Even the poem one has used is one of my favourites. Click here to take a look.

Next months theme is Steampunk. Going to have to start that one early. I always struggle with Steampunk!

I'm linking up with Art Every Day which I spotted Jez taking part in. It's a month long project to basically make some form of art every day in November. Seeing as I have been doing something every day so far this month, I thought it would be a good kick up the bum to keep going.

Thank you as always, for stopping by :)