Snail mail, balloons, Wild Things, and tomatoes

I’m at home this week and feel it is definitely time I posted something on my blog. I have lots of little things I thought I would share today, here goes:

Since my last post I received a card from Alex Tan featuring one of his wonderful pictures.....



It’s such a treat receiving something like this via snail mail and even more so when it is from someone I have got to know through the EDM group who shares a love of art. I could really get into this whole swapping artwork thing.  Mmm, I’ve been trying to think of something to celebrate my first ‘Blogaversary’ – watch this space. In the meantime a small parcel is winging it’s way East from here in sunny Yorkshire, just a little something to thank Alex :o) x

I mentioned a couple of posts ago that I had produced a painting of a flower that I hoped would be used in some way to raise money at a memorial event for one of my work colleagues who died over the summer.  Well, on Sunday November 14th we are going to have an event at the school – a balloon race. The balloon that travels the furthest will win a prize for it’s owner. All the money raised at the event will go to charity and to pay for a permanent memorial at school – an outdoor, flower-filled classroom which should be beautiful.  I have produced a one-off necklace that will be auctioned, and a print of the flower will be signed, framed and also auctioned.



I’m so glad I decided to paint that gerbera, it’s great to know it might raise some extra funding. I will take pictures and post here to let you know how the event goes.

As far as my Wild Things are concerned things are ticking over slowly, but surely. I’m certainly getting lots of lovely feedback! I have decided that as I am at home this week I will remove all postal charges from my items, to anywhere in the world until noon (GMT) on Saturday, October 23rd. I figure a little saving is always good in the lead up to Christmas! I have also had my polar bear printed up onto cards and he looks quite smart so they are now available to purchase.



If I can complete the new ‘snowy fox’ painting I have started this week hopefully he’ll be arriving in the shop in one form or another very soon.  Also, a lovely lady has also requested a small, silver pendant version of my wolf – it’s taken me ages to get him to fit the charm! Hope she likes him.

I am also finishing lots of experiments I have been doing with my soldered items and patinas, and in making my own copper findings!!! Never a dull moment!!! My poor old fingernails are shot to pieces though!

Anyway, as a shameless plug... do pop across and have a look in my little shop, you never know, a Christmas treat might be lurking there just waiting for the right person to come along!

http://www.etsy.com/shop/WildThingsPurcell

Today I decided to start working in my new A4 Moleskine - though I have stuck a sheet of watercolour paper onto the page I am working on as I am painting a series of little pictures of some beautiful tomatoes my lovely neighbour Colin has given me.  They are all different colours and shapes, such simple things and yet so pretty.  All good observational practice.  In fact, I shall finish off here now and do some more before the light starts to fail (must buy me a new work lamp this year).

Oh, and finally, remember I sent in a piece of art to the ‘Mail Me Art 2’ project?   Well, the book is finally out and my piece made it into the tome – albeit in a little corner of a page – but I’m really chuffed!!! I really enjoyed taking part in that project, it was great having a goal to work towards. 

Mmm, mail art – now how about that as an idea to get us all communicating via snail mail as well as over the Interweb? That could be a fun thing to do as a Blogaversary event...... Mmm, I’ll have a think and get back to you on that one   :o)

The crayons are out again :o)

This is my response to EDM# 161 - Draw something you think smells wonderful.  It is a lovely leather wallet I bought to keep my iPod Classic in.  The old case fell apart at the seams so I decided to treat myself to this handmade leather beauty from hollyhawk designs on Etsy.  Even though I have had it for a couple of months now it still has that wonderful new leathery thing smell.  I love it.  As you can see from the notes around the sketch, I started this drawing in August.  It fell victim to my creative block and I only just finished it last weekend! 

You'll be pleased to hear that my head is now buzzing with ideas again.  I have just ordered some properly printed Christmas cards with my polar bear on that will be available through my Etsy shop.... I have just realised though, that in a months time it will be the 1st birthday of my little blog, so I think I will hold a card giveaway in celebration :o)

I also received a beautiful card from Alex in the post - from way across The Pond!  How lovely to receive such lovely post, it has helped me feel inspired again - thanks Alex, and watch your post box!!

Right, I'm off to catch up on creative lost time - while I listen to my new 'Them Crooked Vultures' cd :o)

Rainy days can be good

I am nearly half way through my summer holiday - though this last week has been so rainy and blowy it hasn't been the expected week of day trips and ice cream I had thought it might be.  Still, just being off work is bliss, and the weather has meant I have felt justified in getting on with more making of Wild Things.  So, here is a very quick post about my newest item, just listed in my Etsy shop, a necklace made using my seahorse painting.  I'm really pleased with this piece, I have used chain instead of ribbon for the necklace and think it works really well.  Fingers crossed someone else will love it too :o)

I'm off to work on a big, fluffy bumble bee painting that will hopefully be used in some jewellery pieces too.  I'll be back soon, hopefully with bee complete and some sketches from days out I will have when the sun comes back out - because it will, it always does!  Maybe I'll get a proper chance to have a play with my shiny new camera kit too!!  Watch this space.

Finally, I make and list my wolf necklace...

Just a quicky (ooh err).  I made one version of this necklace, managed to scratch the glass in the process and then in the most ridiculous, slap-stick accident that Buster Keaton would have been proud to choreograph I managed to smash the piece completely.  !!!!

I salvaged the bead dangle and the silk ribbon necklace and produced another soldered pendant, so here he is...

He needs to find a new, secure home before Mrs Clumsy handles him too much - so he's alread been listed in my Etsy shop!  :o)

TTFN, L xx

I'm gonna get you little fishy.....

Now you'll probably only get that quote if you live in the UK and have ever watched Red Dwarf... one of the silliest Sci-Fi programmes ever - well worth a view.

I'm hoping this little fella will kill two birds with one stone - he's going to be adapted for the bits and pieces I am making to sell - but he was also painted with EDM 166 in mind - 'draw a fish'.

I just need to do something about the green blobs - make them look more like seaweed!!!  I've used watercolour, gouache and coloured pencil in this picture and have really enjoyed painting it - though my it was fiddly!!

I have also listed another item in my Etsy shop today...

Things are going slow, but you have to work hard for good things don't you?  I'll keep chipping away!!

You'll notice a little Wild Things Facebook button over on the right.... I'd love to see you over there if you do engage in Facebooky activities!  If you have your own artwork / craftwork on there, we could share the love - man  :o)  xx

Green things

Just thought I'd share a couple of very quick watercolour sketches I produced while out walking the pooch.  I haven't really posted any decent artwork in a while, and these I hope fit the remit of another EDM - No. 116 - something green. 

The first is of a tree stump that I have a fondness for - it's all mossy and attracts lots of birds.  I just sketched it with the paints, and am quite pleased with the results...

The second painting - again a quick watercolour sketch (the paper was not so good for this one) of some hawthorne bushes edging a field.  I love hawthorne, all twisty and knotty and in the swathes of beautiful flowers in spring are just gorgeous...

On a slightly different note I actually listed my first necklace in my Etsy shop, using a print of the himalayan poppy I painted last year.  I'm quite pleased with the finished piece - I hope someone will like it enough to purchase!!

Thought I would ask you all too - what are your favourite flora and fauna?  Wild or domesticated - I'd love to know... it might help get my creative juices flowing Wild Things wise - don't worry though, if you do inspire a painting / product I won't insist you make a purchase!!!  :o)

Have a lovely rest of the weekend folks, I'm off to finish a seahorse painting!!

Racing around to come up behind you again....

It's weeks since my last post and next week it's mid-summer.  How does it happen?  This year it seems scary how quickly time is passing!!

The last few weeks have been a real 'uppy-downy' time, I had my first Etsy sale (hurrah) then went away and had a fantastic few days in London and Paris.  Came home, back to the proper job then, completely wiped out by some kind of virus.  I won't go into details - it involved sinuses.  Got myself back in the saddle yesterday, feeling much, much better, so today I am up bright and early and I fully intend to get the creativity back on track.

In my last post I mentioned (& posted a photo) of a fungus I had found on a walk in the woods.  On our first day in London we went to the British Museum and look what I came across:

Now, I know this picture is a little obscure... I took it with my phone, but it is an ancient piece of 'bracket' or 'horse hoof' fungus, found in Yorkshire (yay!) dating back thousands of years.  This piece was deliberately cut to be used as tinder.  Evidently once lit, the fungus has very slow, steady and reliable burning properties.  The fungus is still used today for the same thing.  So the next time you are camping in the middle of nowhere and need fire lighters, here's the fungus you need....!  The black 'roll' in front of the fungus by the way.... is an equally ancient roll of birch bark that someone had prepared also for lighting a fire.  Clever ancient Yorkshire people!  I'm sure I've oversimplified this, and some of you may have nodded off - not having the same fungal fascination as I.

What can I say about Paris?  We had the best weather possible (we always do... if you want guaranteed fab holiday weather just ask when and where I will be and get yourself booked in).  I have trecked through Paris several times, schlepping between train stations with heavy rucksack on my way to somewhere else, but had never stopped in and around Paris.  We spent four days hammering the Metro tickets and visited every site we wanted to see.

 

Here's the obligatory - 'look at me I'm definitely in Paris' picture!!

The one place we spent time looking at and going into was Notre Dame Cathedral.  What a stunning place (so stunning you get three shots)...

Another place we visited was Pere Lachaise Cemetery, final resting place of Great and Good such as Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde and Edif Piaf.  I love cemeteries... this place is amazing.  We only really had a couple of hours at the end of our second day, but we found Jim:

and Oscar:

...all covered in lipstick kisses.  Some think this is vandalism but I kind of think Oscar would approve - if he could.

The narrow lanes of mausolea here are simply fascinating and to my mind quite beautiful.  I love these places - if you visit London, treat yourself to an alternative day out and go to Highgate Cemetery.  The lengths people and families will go to the memorialise themselves and / or their loved ones is quite extraordinary.

Then I found this family tomb and found myself particularly drawn (I don't know why) to the amazing figures guarding the door...

And what did I find when I looked through the door?  'Do, do, do, do. Do, do do, do.' (to the tune of the Twilight Zone theme if you will)...

My initials... such beautiful stained glass, amazing! 

Right, I'm off to do what I said at the start and get my creative day under way.  Watch this space for sketches I produced on my travels... I haven't had time to scan them yet.

Thanks to everyone for all your continued interest in my blog and the lovely comments you leave for me!  A big hello to lovely new people who keep popping up too.. thank you for joining in! xx

P.S.   I have just updated an Etsy treasury I started before my hols... do nip over and have a look - there is some lovely work and you might recognise some pieces by other people there!!!   ;o)  x

http://www.etsy.com/treasury/4bfe9b748ccc8eef382fadc7/if-you-go-down-to-the-woods-today

A walk in the woods....

Today I have finally listed my very first item for sale on Etsy.... yey!!   Only one, but there will be more added over the next few days.  I spent the morning, which was beautiful, walking through woods with Scout the dog, taking pictures to use in my listings....

So far, just the wolf is listed... the others will be on a.s.a.p.

It was beautiful just walking through the trees, all just a stones throw from where I live.  How lucky to be able to stroll along and enjoy it all.  I came across this growing on the trunk of a birch tree... now I have to get a book to see if I can identify this particular fungi.... it was very pretty.

Scout enjoyed herself too (although she got very hot)!

Right, now I'm definitely going to sit down and finish an EDM - hope to post at the weekend! x

Treasure everywhere....

Hi there... no new artwork I'm afraid, which is very frustrating.  I've been having a busy time in the 'day job', I was ill for a couple of days last week  :o(  and, I'm fighting the husband every evening to get a go on t'internet (as we fondly call t'world wide web here in the wilds of West Yorkshire) because he has been busy nearly every evening working on assignments for his Social Work stuff.  He wins - his work has to take priority at the moment, but hey, here I am having a sneaky half hour catch up (before I have to leave him with the machine, in peace again).

I am however, just about ready to list some items for sale at last on Etsy, just photographs to take now and hopefully I'll get that done tomorrow.  This has led me to spend some time browsing the wonders of other peoples Etsy shops and oh the stuff I have found (and wish I could afford!!) - I thought I'd share some with you here.

Polar Bear wood carving by Sandra Healy

Well, I can't deny the polar bear obsession at the moment and I think this guy is lovely - and I'm sure the piece would be really tactile too.  He could have a spot on one of my shelves anytime.

'A three legged dog bit me' by Paul of Navarone

I just love the humour behind this one, and the 'bumf' that Paul of Navarone has put down as the blurb for the piece really amuses me!  Very 'Pythonesque'.  I see that he is based in Glasgow, say no more, my husband and his lovely family are all Glaswegian.  I think there is something in the water.....  :-)

'Beetles and Weevils Collection No 1' by Golly Bard

OK - this is just plain cute!

Last but not least.......

Birch bark cuff, Plumberry by Bettula

I think this is just lovely, and so original, birch bark is just beautiful, have you ever looked at it closely?

So, there you are, just a few pretties that have taken my fancy recently.  A bit of virtual window shopping.  I should do this more often. 

Be back soon with my own online shop news hopefully and an EDM I've been trying to complete for a few days!

xx