Thinking About My New Illustrated Calendar – Pen Sketches

Hi,

I didn’t want Janauary to end without me thinking seriously about the illustrated calendar that I want to have available for next year.  With this in mind, I’ve been sketching like crazy and thinking of what theme that I would like it to use to pull the whole calendar together.  The ideas are still at the seed stage but it feels good to actually begin.

Below are some of the sketches I’ve been working on:

I don’t know where I’m going with these yet but I’m just letting the ideas flow as much as possible.  As you can see, I’ve done them with a blue ballpoint pen which is not the usual medium for me but it was interesting!  I’m not necessarily thinking of doing the illustrations for the calendar in ink but the pen was what I had to hand at the time and I liked the idea of trying to do shading with it.

What do you think?

Handmade Bookmark Progress

So here’s an update on how the handmade bookmarks are coming along.

Today, I showed my son how his handmade bookmark is progressing:

© Stacey-Ann Cole 2012

His response was “Wow! Sick!”  which I think means he likes it in 8 year old ‘cool’ speak   We discussed what else the image might need if anything and I suggested that he write ‘I love football’ somewhere in the grass and he said “No, you write it because your handwriting is neater than mine” So I’m very pleased that the bookmark has met with his approval and I can finish it off now.  Whew!

Here is the other one that I’ve been working on and it feels to me as if it’s very nearly finished too.  I don’t want to do too much more to it:

© Stacey-Ann Cole 2012

I love the shade of blue contrasting with the green background and I’m pleased with how it’s turning out in general.  Stay tuned for pictures of the final bookmarks soon!

Have you got any project nearing completion?  Leave me a link in the comments below and I’ll be sure to take a look.  Thanks!

Change Your Scenery to Get Things Done

I don’t know if this works for everyone but here’s a productivity method that I’ve read about but never employed.  The idea had crossed my mind before that I could bring work and my laptop into the kitchen with me when the kids are eating but I’m not eating myself, but I’ve always been afraid of crumbs and the ever present possibility of liquid spillages.  Like most people nowadays, I can’t bear the thought of my laptop being out of commission.  Nooooooo!

However, I’ve tried it a few times recently, keeping all potential disasters well away from my laptop and it’s been surprisingly good!  I’m used to working at my table in the living room, which is a big, long table with my workstation at one end and my art/craft spread out around the rest of the table.  I’d never seriously considered that this set up would hinder my productivity in any way but I can’t deny that when I have blog posts to write or accounts to do, moving my work into the kitchen helps me to get them done.

Image © Bill Lim 2007

I’m wondering if it could be that my kitchen has a whole different aura to it or maybe the round kitchen table feels more spacious, but whatever it is, it’s working and I like it

So if you find yourself stuck in an unproductive rut then you could try moving locations.  And it doesn’t have to be in the house either.  I’ve read about others who usually work from home suggesting that taking your work to local coffee shops, libraries or the park can get you out of a rut too.

Have any of you had success with this productivity method?  Please share in the comments below.  Thank you!

New Paintings on the Horizon

Here are some line drawings that are waiting to be painted.  I’m usually inspired by a sketch in my notebook, then I draw something similar on a piece of khadi paper, outline it in black ink and then eventually paint it!

Here’s the first one, which was actually inspired by a painting that I completed for a customer:

Here is the painting that inspired it below:

Original Watercolour Painting © Stacey-Ann Cole 2011

Here’s the other line drawing:

The above will probably be a part of my Serenity, Joy Art Series when it’s finished but I’m not sure yet.  It was inspired by the pencil drawing below from my sketchbook:

I must say though that I like the sketch better!  I may have to redo that line drawing until I like it as much as the sketch

Custom Handmade Greeting Cards

In the lead up to Christmas my sister-in-law kindly asked me to make her some custom greeting cards to send to friends and family.  I was so grateful and relieved.  Relieved I guess because it meant that she was happy with the ones I did for her the year before

She said she didn’t mind if I produced the same designs but I thought I’d do some that were similar and some that were a bit different.  What I liked most about this order was using decorative papers, colours that were not strictly traditional and using a lot of collaged elements. There were five designs with three cards of each design – fifteen cards in all.  Here they are:

She was pleased when she received them so good result!  I hope whoever she sent them to, like them too

Sketchbook Peek – Face in Soft Pencil

My sketchbook is full of drawings of faces and sometimes I ask myself why I like to draw them so much.  I haven’t figured out the answer totally yet but I think it may have something to do with ‘meeting’ a new person each time I draw one. I see the personality emerging as I continue drawing and I find it fascinating. Is that weird?

Anyway, here’s a face that I sketched not too long ago that I really like.  I quite like the effect of the soft pencil I used and it was quite meditative to draw her.

I can’t help wondering what she’s thinking.

What is your sketchbook full of?  And if you’re not an artist, do you doodle whilst on the phone?