It's all OK I used a rubber.....

It has taken me ages to come up with an idea for EDM 206 'Draw something familiar to you that you know is called something else in another region', but I have had real fun with this.  I'm not trying to match the comedic level of the extremely talented Andrea Joseph when she tackled the whole 'fanny' issue (insert lots of English blushing & - see her post for February 19th HERE - you will need to scroll down a couple of posts to see it).

I have had the odd idea for this one then last week, while going over my Paris sketches I found a page I had abandoned.  In true EDM spirit I decided I should try to mend it, but I just seemed to make a bigger mess.  That's when I thought about using my rubber.... and that was it, an idea was born. 

I set to with the already messed up page, made an even bigger mess - and loved every minute of it!!  Then I painted a RUBBER on some watercolour paper, cut it out and stuck it on top of the pencil scribbles. 

You see I know that generally speaking a 'rubber' to my lovely friends across The Pond has an entirely different meaning - you know what I mean boys and girls ;o)  Yet here in the UK it is absolutely an everyday term for well, a rubber.  You would never get anyone here asking to borrow an eraser to rub out pencil marks. Even typing the word doesn't seem right!  It's funny isn't it how things can have such varied meanings?  But it all leads to fantastic innuendo (or as I prefer to call it 'In Your Endo) - which is VERY British humour.  Google the 'Carry On' films sometime (Oooh, Matron!).  And, more importantly it's all part of the beauty of the English language that adapts and adopts fer more than any other language (probably).

I found this British - American glossary online and think it's wonderful, thought you might like to see it too?  You can swap it round between countries, which makes it even more useful.

Armed with this glossary my American chums can now also appreciate this little anecdote from my childhood:

I would have been possibly 10 or 11 years old and at school pen-pals were being organised between the school I was at and the school we were partnered with in Lille, France.  We all had to write a letter to a pupil at the French school.  These letters were to be passed around the pupils in the equivalent French class and they would reply to us.  I was very taken with this idea and laboured long and hard over my letter, illustrating it (of course) and sticking pictures to it.  After a couple of weeks, friends in my class started to receive responses from the French pupil who had picked them.  I began to get more excited.  Every morning I ran downstairs and asked if my French letter had arrived.  I was obsessed with receiving my French letter.  I told everyone I met, family, friends, complete strangers, that I was going to get a French letter through the post.  I didn't flinch when I noticed the strained looks and stifled grins on the faces of the adults I told this to.  After I can't remember how long, my lovely Dad could take it no more, sat me down and told me why I should re-phrase what I was saying.  I have never been so mortified in my entire life.  Well I have, but those are other stories  ;o) 

Now I leave it to you to look up French Letter in the glossary I have supplied you with!!!  More blushes!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend xx

Is it really already a month ago?

I have finally got around to photographing some of the sketches I did in Paris - here's the first, a sketch I made at Pere Lachaise cemetery:

It's not the best sketch I have ever produced by any stretch!  It was a very hot day and my paint was dry almost as it hit the paper!  I also ended up having to use several different drawing implements so - the lines are a bit messy - and as for the perspective!!  Still, I really enjoyed painting it, and as with any on-the-spot painting it evokes so many memories, the smell of the trees, the sound of them, the overgrown plants and patches of grass - and of course the heat!

I'm going to class this as EDM # 29 Draw something architectural - I think it fits that category fairly well and it is an EDM I may have otherwise avoided doing. Cheeky I know!

More to follow when I get my act together, hope you are all having a lovely weekend. :o)

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

All the world's indeed a stage....

I had a lovely day Friday!  I had sold my little fox necklace within 24 hours so, when I got home from the day job the first thing I did was get him all parcelled up ready to put in the post on Saturday.  Also, when I got home I found a parcel from Revelle (EDM group) containing a print of her fabulous raven picture, and.... found another parcel containing a DVD about my favouritest band in the whole wide world - Rush. I have been a fan since I first discovered music *&/! years ago.  What  a lovely set of things to come home to!!

 

For those of you not familiar with Revelle's artwork, you can check it out here:

http://revelleimagemaker.blogspot.com/

I have just listed another necklace - containing a print of one of my fly agaric toadstool paintings.  I'm  quite pleased with it and was tempted to keep it myself!

I have also been quite naughty and treated myself to a brand new 'proper' camera this weekend.... not really had time to play with it yet though, maybe you'll get some practice pictures to look at by the end of this coming week!  Of course, as soon as I decide to shell out some hard earned cash on a luxury like a camera, it looks as though my cooker is about to die on me :o(   - typical!  At least I bought the camera first... if I'd thought I would have to pay for a new cooker, I would have shelved the camera idea!

Right, I'm off to watch Rush  :o)

Bye for now, 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