Fishermen and Seadogs

  I have been having me a bit of fun with some mariners and salty dogs lately ;) It all started with the idea of making a guardian or protector for my sultry driftwood mermaidens and some Ledoeufre inspiration. Once I start something, I can can carried away if I let myself....and so I did....here are the men I created so far from some choice chunks of wood I scored on the shores......

the Sailor with Gull ~ 80 x 10 cm

  

"fishing for Orange Roughy ~ 58x14x9 cm" 

a little Orange Roughy hiding in the "cave" ;)

Fisherman's Catch ~ 57 x 10 cm

the Fisherman + 7 fish from this post (click)

The Fisherman and his 7 Fish

 

A "protector" for my driftwood Mermaids ;) He's a hungry seadog though with 7 fish (okay one eaten already) Inspired by Ledoeufre, this woodburned driftwood with rusty nails detail is 10 cm (4 inch) wide x 29 cm (11.5 inch) long / 48 cm (19 inch) long if you include the dangling individually handcut wooden fish. He's available for purchase at US $85 which includes worldwide shipping. Message me HERE ♥ ahoy !

 

'Quoi' - {unozzer Koi}

I couldn't help it, while I was drawing this fish, he started speaking kind of French to me, well actually more like Pepe le Pew 

{a pitiful case, am I not?}

So I am into fishies big time at the moment and this one is in hard pastels {conté}, gesso and acrylics on watercolour card

"You know, it is possible to be too attractive" - P.le P.

>-I-I-((o>

Angry Fish vs Angry Birds

 ><(((☼> ♥ <☼)))><

  I have created a couple of Angry Fish, allthough I must say I like birds too, so Angry Birds could have easily slipped off my pen, but they already existed of course. All jokes aside, I am into fishies at the moment and these were a couple of watercolours I did on the couch last week when I was again sitting there with my swollen (yes again) knee up. I also gave them cute little custom painted frames and I can't help but laugh everytime I see them. But keep your eyes peeled for more fishies to come swimming into this blog soon <☼)))><

for sale in my Etsy shop

for Sale in my Etsy shop

La Mer ~ an upcycled book

front of book - pre drawings

one of the spreads - pre drawings

I received some art supplies last week and they stuffed brown paper in the box to keep the items from moving around, I have a hard time throwing away good paper, so I thought to use this for a try-out project. I thought I could have the kids make something like this maybe, but then again, maybe it is a little too time consuming for them, maybe if we just did 2 or 3 pages. Well anyway, I finished mine and wanted to show you. It's kind of a twist on Carla's junkmail booklet {that I am currently also working on btw} So I have used brown paper in different sizes, just ripped at the edges, layered it to make it look old {this took quite some time, coating both sides a few times and the drying in between} and I thought I'd like to theme the images and since the colours and the texture made me think about the ocean, I made it all deep sea related. So the trick is that every pages images continue with their lines into the next page, where those lines make up different images again, it's like a puzzle {and this also takes some time and patiences and going back and forth} So much FUN ! Oh, and of course there also is a Mermaid :)

Pacific Blues

I found a painting I did a while ago for a screenprint on fabric

when they were doing the nuclear testing on Moruroa in the Pacific Ocean

 I named it 'Pacific Blues'

Flying Fish Fresco - fly with me

Here's a little preview of the kind of things you could learn to make in my new workshop. They are approx 6.5 x 6.5 inch woodpanels with Fresco technique paintings. I'll show you exactly how to achieve this look. There will be videos and written instructions, supply information and PLAY PLAY PLAY ! I thought I'd show you, classroom opens on Monday 16 January, if you want to sign up click here: 

only US 55 if you sign up before 31 January ! 

After that this will be US 65 - classroom open until 1st August 2012

The Golden Fish

"Staring over the water, gazing into the sky,

determination sparkled vaguely in her eyes. 

Confidence and belief entered her being, 

now was the time to go out 

and catch the coveted Golden Fish"

 

I made this yesterday on watercolour paper. It tells a little story (at least it does to me) I am busy trying to design a new life for myself, one I love and will be proud of and that can support my kids, my family and that they can be proud of as well. Scared but also pretty determined, confident that it can succeed. I mean, if I pour my heart and soul into it it can only succeed, right ? So when I mindlessly sketched and started playing with watercolour paint this started to form and started to talk to me and it showed me determination and that it is about time to catch the golden fish, time to succeed. I think it told me to take another plunge, another leap. Trust the universe and just go for it. Crossing my fingers just in case....

*

Sharing Mosaics -2-

A couple more mosaics from up North,
I really should be trying some myself
maybe from all the plates that broke recently...

Sharing Mosaics -1-

I made a trip to our North Island last week and I have seen so many lovely mosaics while we were there
so I thought I'll share some with you

In the Pool

"In the Pool"
well that's the name I gave this little stretched canvas block
Swimming-time is more for the Northern Hemisphere at the moment, we are into Autumn/Winter here.I am going to be at this ↑ Arts & Craft Market next week Saturday so I am finishing off some wip-s and will make a few more things -if I find enough time-
That's a bit the problem at the moment,
I am scattered between 4 different part time jobs and the kids etc. so I have a hard time getting into the "zone" for creativity. But with the circumstances the way they are here right now, I need all those little jobs and I should be lucky I have them, so end of my complaints.Tomorrow I'll go and visit another crafty market, a new one started up, because so many areas are still no-go and one of my friends has a little stall to sell her quilt fabrics, so I will go and check that out as well. It's all good :)

Little Mermaid Paper doll

Having a little play with my Mermie Paper doll

dowN wheRe iT's Better

Down where it's Better ~ Under the Sea ~ The Seabed

PiraTeS love MErmAidS Yo Ho !

"Yo Ho, Yo Ho , a pirates life for me

we pillage and plunder, we rifle and loot

Aye and we're loved by our Mermies to boot,

Drink up me 'earties YoHo !..."

(my own spin on the lyrics of "YoHo" by Xavier Antencio)

Mer-Folk

I will be doing quite a few

Mermaids, Water Nymphs, Mer-Folk

and such in the coming weeks

.ooOoo~~ Blub Blub oo00O00oo ~~.

I had already done some Mermaid paintings and ATC's recently,

but joined Suzi Blu's La Sirena group now as well.

I am so looking forward to this, learning more techniques again

and sharing my stuff with the others and You!

So keep an eye on this spot

*~oOooO~*

Mermaid Gemini

Two more Mermaid ATCs I made ~ my Mermaid Gemini....
(since I still have to finish Gemini for my self imposed challenge)

more Mermaids

More Mermaids for a swap with some Art Friends

Mermaid Garden

Mixed Media on flat panel canvas

10x12 inch ~ 24x30cm.

The Mermaid and the Shark

4x4 cardstock mixed media with dreamy beeswax finish

A little game I did at Art Trader ...pick 6 numbers...

find out what corresponds with these, make a Mermaid design...

Curvy,Reaching,Blue/violet,Blue-green/violet,Shark,French,Curious

Pisces

Zodiac Sign for 20 Feb - 20 March
...the two fish in the basket symbolise a dear departed Pisces I knew...
..the seven frolicking little gold fish symbolise new life...
...well, that's what my thoughts behind this sort of were...
...She just grew the way she turned out, I didn't think a lot about it,
...but she is as soft as I wanted her to be...