An Arty Ramble Through My Heart

Hey there, lovely!

First - before the general ramble begins - a special big thank you to those of you who made me feel SOOOOOOOOOOO much better by commenting on my last post, or by emailing. I meant the world to me and I'm so grateful that you'd take the time to gimme hugs and support - I promise that I have kicked myself up the behind a bit this week and have done useful things like tidying, cleaning, dusting etc - although the vacuum cleaner is still growling at me resentfully (and inactively) from the cupboard under the stairs...I swear I hear the damn thing muttering when I walk past. I'll drag it out this week at some point and give the carpet a coronary! 

So - aside from actually doing normal human things that normal human beings do to NOT live in a complete mess (I actually loathe mess! And yet....my studio....yeah....go figure!), I've actually had quite a good amount of arty time. I've been working on some new stock for my Etsy shop - sneak peek:

 More on those when I list them - which, all being well, should be in the next day or so. 

I've been doodling again. There seems to be a lot of half finished doodly doodleness - mainly because I do them to relax before sleep (if I get sleep) so they cease to progress the moment I nod off, and inevitably I'll begin a new one the next evening, showing callous disregard for the abandoned scratchings that languish on earlier pages. There's nothing so annoying as half-done doodles so I've determined to finish some off this week, beginning with Mr Fishy -

 I know, I know, another sea-based doodle, but I'll always freely admit it's my happy plaice! (sorry....bad joke....I should be 'pun'ished. Oh ye gads.....shoot me!) Fishies, mermaids, jellyfishies, octopuseseseses and lighthouses all make me happy! Apart from anything else, finishing a few of these will get me motivated to finish the enormous wildlife pen & ink piece based on Australia's flora and fauna that I started.....oooo.... in about 1200BC or something.....I'll finish it, oh yes I will! Do you think attention span might be an issue? Do ya? DO YA? ...huh....

I also made a return to my main art journal, which has been a bit of an arty obstacle since the Yuletide season. I'd made a collage spread for Valentine's Day - collage is a great go-to technique when Miss Arty Muse is being a right old cow and not playing. She's lured in by colourful snippings. Fickle creature. I took some process photos at the time so here ya go:

I started with a thin, relatively neutral base coat covered with a second coat of blended yellow & orange acrylic paint and then used an old voucher card as a scraper to add some fairly random bright colours that made me happy:

I cut out some photos of flowers from my Uncle's and Granparents' gardens, along with one of my mum when she was a little girl - something to represent each of the people who mean so much and who are now partying on down like crazy over that rainbow bridge. Once I'd figured out how I wanted them placed on the page I adhered them using a matte gel medium. 

**Helpful tip #1: If you ARE going to try this with photos and you plan to coat the top of the collage as well as pasting the underside of each image, test your product on an unimportant photo corner to make sure that the medium won't affect the print. It SHOULD be ok, but as with all things it's best to check. I know that polaroids, for example, can go a bit iffy with some products - just be careful. **

**Helpful tip #2: Photos can be quite a thick collage element - it makes layering awkward. However, you can usually separate the surface image from the backing sheet relatively easily - as long as you're careful. I tend to start at the corner and use a fingernail to split the layers and peel gently. You may have to work inwards from more than one corner - just take your time, and you should be left with a nice thin photo image which layers beautifully onto your page. It's like peeling apart a napkin, just a bit more long-winded.**

I gave my mum butterfly wings by using a Brenda Walton (I think) sticker from K&Co, cutting it in half and layering the photo image over the stickers

I used my Uni ball Impact 1.0 gel pen to make a smudgy outline and added details and doodles with the white gel version of the same pen and some bright yellow fluid acrylic:

Then I added some lyrics as a kind of 'sentiment' - they seemed apt - and dated the page

This weekend was Mother's Day - the first one without mum. I found it hard going - much moreso than I'd expected and I was pretty sad. I wanted to journal the day and use mycolourful art journal again, but my mind was a blank. I took out my box of photos and picked up one of me when I was a little girl, taken on a flower-picking trip with my mum and my Grandma. It made me happy and sad at the same time, and I decided that I'd use it as the inspiration for my page. 

I collaged some wrapping paper I'd been hoarding and smooshed some acrylic paints onto the page with my fingers. I wanted the flowers on the paper to show through the paint so using my fingers was a good way to control where the colour went. When I was happy, I added some splashes of watery Cosmic Shimmer paint in blue and gold (Cosmic Shimmer watercolours are kind of like the sparkling H2Os - I love them). This page was more about capturing a feeling than anything else. I used my brush and some buff coloured acrylic to block in the outlines of the figure-

I decided to update the figure and add red hair and the colours I always seem to use when I paint a representation of myself , splodging the colours in loosely. I wanted this to represent me then as well as me now and didn't want to overthink it at all.

When I was done adding colour I used my gel pen (trusty thing) to scribble in a bit of definition and a touch of shading then splodged in the buttercups, just hinting at stems and leaves-

Finally I added the last few scribbly lines with first the black gel pen, then with the white, just to lift the page a bit-

It's a page that reflects how I felt exactly at that moment. I do think it's good to allow your art to reflect something of who you are inside, how you feel....what makes you YOU. It's not all about technique - at least that's what I think.

Anyway, whilst rummaging through that photo box I found some old pics of me with my mum and my Grandma and was reminded again of the importance of recording memories. I have a little book that mum gave me YEARS ago called "Wishing You Happiness", written by Pam Brown:

Reading through this little book I could hear mum's voice - her laugh. This and the photos made me feel like I'd spent time with my mum and Grandma again and it made me so much happier. I thought I'd share some of the book with you, along with a few of the pictures that I found - I hope you like them. I hope something beautiful and remarkable happens for you this week that makes you smile and that you enjoy the warmth of family and friends. This I wish for you. See you soon - hugs and sunshine from Shroo :) xxx

Wishing You Happiness

...adventures with happy endings.

...mornings of glad anticipation.

...quiet sleep and glad awakening.

My Wishes For You

I wish you the joy of always having someone to share things with.

* * * 

My wish for you is that sometimes, just sometimes, you can afford the thing you long for, rather than the thing that will do.

* * * 

I wish you enough good memories to see you through the bad times.

* * * 

I wish you one of the best of small happinesses, the opening of a well-remembered book, the smoothing of the page, the first familiar words...

* * * 

I wish you the happiness of finding the perfect present for someone you love.

* * * 

I wish you spring - the amazement that is always better than you dared expect.

* * * 

I wish you the happiness of a gift from a child;

- a bunch of dandelions

- a fluff-coated toffee

- a frog

- a kiss

* * *

* * * 

Strength and Courage

If I had the power to make one wish for you, I would find it very hard to decide what gift to give - what gift would help you to happiness. Beauty is dangerous, wisdom must be earned, love is of your own choosing.

But in the end, I am certain that I would choose the best gift of all - and that is courage.

* * * 

May you never purchase "love" at the price of becoming a doormat.

* * * 

May you always find exactly the right words to put bullies in their place - and enough strength in your knees to walk out with dignity.

* * * 

May you have a loving heart - and shrewd judgment.

* * * 

There is great happiness to be found in giving. but giving endlessly can drain the mind and heart. Learn to take a little  - even if it is a moment in the garden, a gallery, a cafe. 

Appreciate it.

Let the birds and frogs and pictures, music and books and undemanding friends restore you. 

People need nourishment.

* * *

I Wish You The Joy Of:

Seeing your luggage come safely round the carousel.

A letter from someone whose address you have lost.

Seeing someone's face light up at the sight of you.

Knowing you are needed.

Finding the perfect present.

Spotting your missing cat plodding up the path.

The smell of land, far out to sea.

A skein of geese passing low overhead, calling.

Biplanes stunting on a summer's day.

Sun-dried linen.

Donkeys.

Dawn, mid ocean.

The right one realising just who you really are inside - 

and loving you for it.

Taking off your smart shoes.

The sight of the one you love at the end of the platform.

Pistachio nuts.

Renoir.

Discovering that you have not, after all, thrown your friend's letter on the fire with the birthday wrappings.

Walking in the rain.

Pigs.

* * * 

I wish you the happiness of love, that does not change with change, that shines as surely in age as in youth.

* * * 

I hope you always have room in your life for another friend.

* * * 

I wish you letters:

in handwriting that you recognise at once;

in handwriting that you have not seen for years;

in handwriting totally unknown.

I wish you letters full of praise,

full of encouragement;

letters of thanks and love.

* * *

I wish you happiness

but not the happiness which is purchased by shutting out the world.

Nor that of denying your dream for comfort's sake.

I wish you the happiness of doing what you do as best you can.

Of taking the risk of trying

of taking the risk of giving

of taking the risk of loving

* * *

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The Gelato/Neocolor II War!

Hello Gorgeous!

PHEW! Well - better late than never, eh? A hectic but fulfilling weekend with much to do - including some lovely conversations with fellow bloggers and arty people, which was a welcome diversion. I'm working on some new projects, completing others and I've FINALLY figured out how to go about blogging 'art supplies'. Probably.

Yes, I know there's always a lot of interest in what art and craft supplies people use and how we all store them. I'm one of many who, when a new product comes to my attention heads straight to Youtube to see what reviews are posted, and often I find them invaluable. Initially, I'd planned a quick 'top ten' of my favourite art supplies, and sat down with a cuppa, pen and paper to make a list - oooo I love a list - and realised I was in trouble when I reached number thirty -five with no sign of stopping. Allow me to to demonstrate the problem with pretty pictures...(I'd offer up some interpretive dance but I feel that there's a largely redundant element to that...also it would distress my cat). There's paper:

That's a small selection. Notice how I've subtly added only three sheets of designer papers, thereby inferring that I have some level of hoarding restraint. This is a clever misdirection! Don't, whatever you do, look at the enormous brooding collection just slowly taking over the world from a very full bookshelf. Or two. And a drawer unit. And a few extra storage files and folders....Shhhh.....tell no one! LOOK IN THE COMPLETELY OPPOSITE DIRECTION - A BIG BEAR ON A UNICYCLE!  Excellent. That could NOT have gone better.....

Then there's a representative selection of art supplies and yummy smooshy stuff....

Hmmmmmm....... yeeeeaaaaahh......... Err. Here I set about to choose one of each brand or...thing... (my word-brain-face is on strike, bear with me....BEAR!) to represent a set, collection, hoard, whatever.... I got this far and ran out of space in the photo. The bear is now juggling.....look at the bear, look at the bear...

Then there's the textiles stuff, and felting supplies and lovely:

In fairness - I de-stashed magnificently when I had to move house. And some more since. But still....and now I feel that there's a de-stashed void....that could be filled with lovely fabrics...... But then if I did that I would have to consider perhaps balancing things out by thinning the herd of beads and jewellery supplies...

...which would be blatantly insane because these are soooooooooo pprrreeeeeeettttyyyyyyy!

Hmmmmm... It was at this point, having spent some time setting up the photos....teaching the Distraction-Bear to unicycle....and juggle.... that I figured I should maybe slow the whole thing down, breathe and possibly seek therapy..!  (The bear is wearing a Sombrero. Look at the bear. Dammit). It has to be said that my supplies have taken YEARS to collect and I'm VERY good at rooting out a bargain! Otherwise by now, I'd not only have sold my own kidneys, but would have been forced to go out, lurk in dark alleyways and harvest other peoples' as well!

So. Yes. SO, I've decided to break the 'favourite supplies' thing down to something -hopefully- more useful, starting with a comparison of soluble wax crayons. I can't possibly make comparisons all-inclusive as I don't own EVERY brand of everything, rather it'll be an honest opinion of brands I use and why I use them, giving little demonstrations or tutorials along the way. Is that good? I hope so! Here goes then!

Soluble Wax Crayons - Gelatos vs Neocolor II

 

There're a LOT of comparisons of Gelatos (from Faber Castell) and Neocolor II soluble wax pastels (from Caran D'Ache) - this is my take on the whole thing! When using them direct to the page they are two quite different mediums, for one simple reason: Gelatos, with their soft, creamy texture blend very well as a dry medium product whereas Neocolor IIs don't - they only blend when water is added. HOWEVER - once you use them BOTH as a wet medium, then similarities become apparent. I actually love them both. I use the two brands ALL the time and enjoy different properties and effects from each of them. It's worth noting that both products are ideal for mixed media work as they combine beautifully with pretty much any wet medium.

As with all mediums, you need to play and get to know them (girl-chat, Pictionary, watch a box-set, that sort of thing). They behave entirely differently on porous and non-porous surfaces (as you'd expect) and on a non-porous surface they will stay soluble until a fixative is added, something which is necessary if you want to add pen, or other detail medium on top of them.

Neocolor IIs are probably the biggest initial financial investment if you're buying a tin assortment. However, they're incredibly long-lasting, and their versatility means that they're a true asset to mixed media work:

This is my set. I've had them for over two years or so and use them regularly - as you can see, they last pretty well! More colours are available, which is fabulous, and they CAN be purchased individually from art shops. They're heavily pigmented so the colour stays true even when water is added. They have a high opacity and good coverage, blend easily and are lightfast. And gorgeous, don't forget gorgeous!

Gelatos, from Faber Castell are ALSO highly pigmented and are an equally superb product - it's Faber, they don't do crap. This is my collection, in various stages of use -

Again, more colours ARE available, shipping in sets only. The larger sized crayons are called 'Double Scoops' (aaawww) and can be purchased individually. I suspect that these are so popular because the sets are far cheaper than a big tin of Neocolors. However - crayon-to-crayon, the Gelatos ARE more expensive and although they do stand up to a LOT of use, they have nothing near the longevity of Neocolor IIs. They blend well directly onto the page without water. They have a lipstick-like consistency, whereas Neocolors are far more like a traditional but quite creamy wax crayon to use. When water's added to Gelatos, they become quite transparent, especially on a non-porous surface. The colours can be altered, blended and moved until fixative is added although they take a little more work than Neocolors, (which can actually be quite useful).

Other brands are available - the ones I have are Staedtler Gel Crayons and Pilot Gel Pens. The Staedtlers are VERY buttery and have good opacity, but have quite a muted tone once water's added.

Equally, the Pilots are very VERY creamy - slightly greasy looking - and again become muted when watered down. Here's a quick comparison of all four brands -

Gelatos and Neocolor IIs both transfer smoothly (the others leave lumpy bits which have to be smooshed down) and hold their bright pigmented colours best when diluted.  Note that only the Neocolor IIs DON'T allow dry blending.

When it comes to wet-blending any of them, the value of a quality, highly pigmented crayon becomes apparent. I chose two colours that clash horribly, but I had them in all four brands and it shows pretty well that again, the Gelatos and the Neocolor IIs hold the colours, retaing elements of orange and green when diluted, unlike the more muddly Staedtlers and the fairly raw Pilots.

The Gelatos and the Neocolors ARE an investment, but although the other cheaper brands can be fun, the quality of these two products makes them well worth every penny. If you like the look of them then I'd recommend buying maybe just a small set of each until you know which you prefer. I love them both and I'm glad I have them. So far, the Neocolor IIs at least are in my top 10 arty products!

To compare the two brands a little better - I think - here's a quick little project: a double-page spread using Gelatos on the LEFT page and Neocolor IIs on the Right page so that you can see the similarity in results. I chose a useful art journal, some old scrappy book pages, and a sheet of that designer paper, which I crumpled because I love that texture and adhered to the page using matte gel medium paste (Claudine Hellmuth 'Studio')

A bit of rippy-teary paperness....I like it! I cut some wibbly easy, slightly random shapes out of the book pages and went glue-crazy with the matte medium again, pasting the pieces down then sealing them over the top with a thin layer of the same gel.....a quick and easy collage:

Speeding up the drying with my trusty hairdryer. Just look at the STATE of it! I still use that to dry my hair with! Ah well.....farewell, shreds of dignity..... I chose colours from both brands that matched each other as closely as possible:

One of them's a bit stumpy - doesn't bother me as the other half's still in the tin! I coloured each side in crayony scribbles - nice quick, messy fun!

The left, Gelato side is more buttery looking whereas the right Neocolor II side is more like a traditional wax crayon. I added a little (just a little) water and dried the pages. I then used my fingers and a small brush to gently move around the areas of colour until I was happy with the result:

It was a lot easier to remove the Neocolor II colour from the page surface, which was made non-porous by using the gel medium. It took only the tinest amount of water and a light brush touch to almost completely remove colour from selected areas, whereas the Gelatos required a little more effort.

Once this was done, I added more colour. This isn't always possible to do by using the crayons directly onto the page. The previous layer acts like a slippery resist so it's better to either make a little 'palette' by colouring a small amount of crayon onto a spare piece of paper, or your craft sheet...

...or alternatively simply taking colour straight from the crayon -

I added brighter colour and some more definition, also removing excess colour in some areas as I went along to allow for contrast and to allow book text and paper patterns to show through.

When I was happy with the colour detail, I made more palette squares to my spare paper and added a little more water which created an ideal constituency for the making of splatterage....heh heh heh....

This is the Gelato page:

aaaaand this is the Neocolor II page-

There's not a great deal of diffence is there? I think the Gelatos are actually slightly more vivid, but not a lot. To add further detail, I needed to add a good layer of fixitive, as pens and such simply skid across - or through! - the waxy colour. My 'fixatif de choix', as it very much were, is Chestnut 'satin acrylic lacquer' -

- it's just my preference. It has a good, clean finish and doesn't dissolve water-based/soluble media. A good spray of that and I could add text and detail using my Uni Ball gel pens....  Left Gelato side:

and right Neocolor II side-

"Life doesn't always offer up calm moments...

sometimes you need to close your eyes and make your own"

So that's that then. A quick and easy journal page using Faber Castell Gelatos and Caran D'Ache Neocolor II soluble wax pastels. They are very different mediums to work with but the result when adding water is a remarkable similarity in appearance.There's a better colour coverage with the Neocolor IIs thanks to their opacity, but visually, that's about it I think. I reckon the Neocolor IIs are generally more versatile and better value for money in the long run, but the Gelatos are excellent fun - I find I tend to grab them first when my arty muse is off on a wander. Quick, easy, blendable, soluble - top notch stuff!  If you have a few spare pennies or have a birthday coming up, I'd recommend that these products hit your wishlist - I think you'll enjoy them.

Ok- that's it for this post. I need to clear away all the stuff I photographed - I've made a mess again! - and pay the juggling Distraction-Bear his wages or he'll get grumpy and eat me. Has this been helpful? Let me know and say hi in the comments - it's AWESOME to hear from you! It's 1:30 am on Monday (ugh) here as I type this and head off to proof-read my ramblings and I'll be back in no time with journal-type stuff for you. May your day be fabulous, may the sun shine, your feet be warm and may something beautiful and wonderful bring an unexpected smile to your face! See you soon - big hugs from Shroo :) xxx

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My Grandparents and li'l baby me with stripey socks on asunny day at the park. My poor Grandmother looks juuuust a little uncomfortable perched up on that tree stump!