Faded

This weeks offering to Illustration Friday. 

This week's topic is FADED.

So here is my bird.

Faded from life. 

Offered up for supper.

 a close up 

Crazy idea

So I have had a crazy idea for an ongoing project, somewhere along the lines of an illustrated (grown up) picture book/graphic novel. It would be using a pre existing story, a film in fact, a very popular cult film. 

Thinking of setting up a separate blog for it, 1 double page per week, needs planning before I decide for sure, but could be interesting.

Sight

So here is the finished illustration from my sketch earlier this week.

It is my first submission for the Illustration Friday blog. I've never managed to get one finished in time, but it is my new mid year resolution that I will participate each week.

I'm still not convinced about the background colour, I originally went for yellow but it was too pale, and cyan looked great but detracted from the helmet.

This weeks theme was 'Sight', and her is my interpretation.

http://www.illustrationfriday.com

sketches

Just a couple of sketches from today.

A ship is safe in harbour

I feel inspiration brewing:

 

Ships Are Safe in the Harbour (poem, author unknown)

All I live for is now
All I stand for is where and how
All I wish for are magic moments

As I sail through change
My resolve remains the same
What I chose are magic moments

Because ships are safe in the harbour
But that is not what ships are made for
The mind could stretch much further
But it seems that is not what our minds are trained for

We call for random order
You can't control Mother nature's daughter

Ships are safe in the harbour
But that is not what ships are built for

The witch hunter roams
The scary thing is that he's not alone
He's trying to down my magic moments

As we sail through change
Ride the wind of a silent rage
And sing laments of magic moments

Field trip

A quick post with some amusing photos from our recent field trip.

As it turns out, Oakley is petrified of chickens!

Here's a photo of him telling the chicken to go away.... Followed by his reaction when the chicken would not go away!!

I'll post my sketches soon

Busy week

It seems I have barely had time to sit still this past week. Lots of running around, doing errands and book work.

I treated myself to lots of new paints, well needed as lots of my tubes were dried up.

I've been working up a sketch for a book cover, a field trip, doodling and plotting!

I've also been experimenting with some old techniques and playing with acrylic paints again after almost 10 years. More to come on that!

For now, here is a rough draft of the book cover sketch.

Impermanence

Lunch doodle....
I want to do something about the impermanence of life. I used to be obsessed with the idea of (hypothetically) stepping of a cliff, seeing what would stick with you as fell. Jumping ship and changing your life. Stepping into the unknown.

We do this every day in life really, but sometimes we need to really
Kick it up and JUMP!

Me!

I truly have been a busy painting bee this week

This one is entitled

Permission to be ME!

Family Tree

I wanted to share a painting I have been working on this past week

'Family Tree'

Painting inspiration

I have decided to open up my Pintrest board that is for inspiring images for me to paint.

It will now be available for people to pin suggestions (they can be your own pictures too). So there could be a chance I could do a painting of your family :-)

If you want to be added, just send me a message and I'll add you. The pin away!

http://pinterest.com/missashabean/want-to-paint/

Painting in progress

I'm working on a painting at the moment of my dear friend breast feeding her son.

I thought I would share with you the work in progress. Be kind, there is still lots to do on it.

I'm quite excited about this one, as not only is it of a wonderful strong goddess Mama but (hopefully) it will be in the forth coming Mothers Milk book to raise money 

for the La Leche League.

Creative toddler day

My boy loves to paint, lets just say it's a family thing (my Dad is also a creative mind).

Today we have been having ALOT of creative fun, as I type the house looks like a can of paint exploded!

Just for fun, here are some great snaps of Oak at work (we have had a couple of changes of tops due to excessive paint!!)

Paint shakers

Paint monster

Apple butterflys

Apple prints

Shaker paintings drying

Being an artist is EXHAUSTING

Now it's time for his mama to get to work whilst he sleeps!

I hope to be able to post my finished work very soon.

A sad day

A very sad day. Where the Wild things are is one of my favorite books, and Maurice Sendak was one of my favorite illustrators.

Tonight I will read it to Oakley (again).

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/cutline/maurice-sendak-dead-where-wild-things-author-83-131056958.html

For those babywearers out there, this is a must watch.

It has really made my morning :-)

Mrs. Peterson, a Canadian mother, shares her research on various baby carriers found around the world.

http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/lifestyle/homemaking/homemaking-general/baby-toting-in-1963.html

The stresses of working at home

I often find it hard to work at home. Since Oakley came along I don't have studio anymore, and so I get a lot of interruptions.

Today I came up with a great idea how to indicate to the rest of the family when I am at work :–)

Kissing

Spotted this on top of a canal boat 

whilst out for a walk with the family today

Healing our heart from within

Sneak pic of a painting I finished a few days ago. I just have to have it scanned and I'm ready to go for selling prints.

She is called 'Healing heart'.

I hope you all like her as much as I do.

 You can pre-order prints of her, she is oversized A3, £18 plus p&p

Return to blogging and Juno magazine

After a long hiatus, I have set my mind to get back to blogging.

SOoooo what have I been up to?

I've been spending some time focusing on my design work
www.ashapearsedesign.com

I've been doing some work with the fabulous 'Juno' magazine. I was asked to illustrate two magazine articles.

I was so excited as I am a big fan of their magazine. I can't recommend it enough, if you haven't come across the magazine before, you should take a look.
http://www.junomagazine.com/

Here are the illustrations:

 This piece was for an article on Healing Therapies and was featured in the Winter edition.

This piece was for a story about Brother Sun, Sister Moon.

I have enjoyed working with Saffia and Jackie at Juno, it has been a wonderful experience, and I hope there will be more to come.