spring cleaning and this and that

the truth is, i'm a bit tired of everything. so it's time to shift things around a bit.

even change the menu, experiment with those recipes i never got around to.

but i can't get away from the teabag art

i love it. they're stacking up. a few have been gifted to friends. 

i think it's the texture and color of the paper

a friend brought me some bark

to draw or paint on ofcourse

and i've been picking up jacaranda pods to paint on too

nature makes such a great substrate

i put these together while gardening. tiny pieces bark used as mulch. can you see the baby?

in between, more teabags

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and flowers on brown paper bags

and a book kit by tim holtz from michael's was irresistible thanks to a 40% off coupon. 

my favorite teabag inspired by a painting by a dutch painter of children

so you see, the flurry of creativity has continued in spite of needing a disconnect. 

brooch and pendants made with polymer clay

and sketches

and a pochette

many packages have gone out to instagram followers around the world who always leave such encouraging comments or who send me the most amazing packages or notes with surprises like this butterfly wing.

stitched mostly, with the occasional small painting

tag or watercolor

and thank you card, altered for a good purpose. 

i love what i do as a pastime

next time, i'll show and tell about my spirit cloth in progress

trying new tricks

it seems like i've taken a detour. i was a bit tired of portraits. and i have always loved vessels, and flowers. 

i've been having so much fun in the art studio

i fixed it up quite a bit, tidier now and more welcoming

the room in itself is a blessing, overlooking the back garden orange trees and, when the window is open, the scent of honeysuckle and cecile brunner roses in bloom filter in. 

i count myself lucky to have a room like this.

ofcourse it is filled with work not only by myself but my favorite contemporary neo modern/outsider artists such as mary stanley, melodie stacey, colette copeland,jeanne marie webb, jenny wentworth, robin laws, lynne hoppe, amanda blake and cathy cullis. i have yet to own a jessie chorley and a julie arkell doll but i'm saving for a lisa graham small painting of a shirt on etsy.

my teabags continue on and off. i want to try the circular ones but still no luck finding any.

i did a tribute to lotta dam on a teabag. 

the teabags are addicting i must say

and i've been making postcards with natural elements such as these bouganvillea petals

and exploring the whimsical

this "indigo child" came about after listening to a russian singer

my friend erika immediately claimed it

i think i will mount it on a wood cradle

when my friend susan buchanan visted, she suggested mixing up some of my smaller work with my larger, juxtaposing. great idea i thought rather than having the portfolio filled with miniatures. i'm going to sort.

i'm also doing some illustration style watercolors

but the occasional face mini pops up

out of nowhere

and ofcourse i continue using my mechanical pencil and a few apps for my finer paintings, finer as in thin lined.

i sketch at night, in bed, while i watch the telly.

            birds are always a subject

i've also taken a liking to faceless portraits. when i posted on instagram i was told amish women leave doll faces blank so that children can imagine a loved ones face. i found that so touching.

          grid of some of the teabags

the painted shards keep multiplying

lots of packages are going out, lots of friends with birthdays, swaps , thank yous and the like.

as with this little sketch i did of a newfound friend on instagram

                first try at an animal

and occasionally i do a selfie and play photographer. above my daughter and i who are the best besties ever in the history of ever.

and, as priti lisa rightfully painted on a rock

blessings to each and every one of you who happenstance upon my blog