little raven ink

Monday Mantra + journal work

2012-01-23T21:48:00.003+11:00

Evening my dears,
It is indeed another Monday and with that comes the weekly mantra that I've printed and put into my journal to remind myself of something that I seem to overlook. Embrace it.

Since its rather late at night the ipad photos aren't that lovely, but I thought you'd enjoy them all the same, tonight's journal pages, slowly easing back into my art, again no pressure. I even drew a face today, imagine that hehe.
tomorrow I hope to get a few moments to myself to catch up on the course that I do really adore but talked myself into failing miserably. So I shall pick myself up and try again.

another thing I'm doing whist finishing my tea, is cutting some of my favourite instagram photos out for my journal, give it that personal feel, and another way to document life at the moment.

have a lovely evening...
I shall see you tomorrow
xx Courtney

make mistakes.

2012-01-20T18:03:00.002+11:00

(found via pintrest)

You know when you fall flat on you face, and you think to yourself, I'm not going to get up, just incase it happens again. Well artistically speaking, I think I went through that. I pulled back from creating, just because really... and now to try and get myself going again, I started gluing in photographs adding papers and watercolours, tape and inks, no drawing of people no pressure to be perfect...just creating pages for the purpose of recording my days till I get back on the horse and take off into the arty sunset.

so I fired up my printer and printed out some of my blog images, no rhyme of reason just ones that I liked, taped them down, and went from there. If I didnt like it..I gessoed over it.

there were pages that I didn't like in my little singer sewing art journal, and they stunted me almost. I couldn't get past them, so I didn't do anything. Today I decided to excuse my french 'fuck it' covered it up and started again, found a picture of my man, which makes me smile and taped him down...to remind myself to breathe, smile and don't get bogged down in the silly details of things.

so I had some fun, and used bright colours and just played, its nothing award worthy but who cares...I need to learn not to care and just enjoy...for art is about enjoyment...

I promise I wont back off my blog again, I was going so well, then plummeted oh well..I'm only human, and my life isn't a pretty vignette, its a messy corner, and thats ok too.
xx Courtney

Things, I love

2012-01-13T18:52:00.002+11:00

taking swift self portraits in the car window reflections....

getting spoilt by my man, with a beautiful red leather backpack for my school trips with the kids.

mail arriving for me when I least expect it!

and grabbing a quiet moment while the little ones play outside to look at patterns for my Maria Quilt.

what I don't like...Elijah somehow misplacing his camera before I could get his pics uploaded for 5year old Friday, we have looked high and low!!!...and this heat..its making me a little cranky.

xx Courtney

just little tidbits

2012-01-12T21:24:00.005+11:00

I did a little more work on my fairy girl today, adding layers of colour and some white paint pen.

still unsure of what to put on the opposing page..but I'm sure I'll get a lightbulb moment sometime or other.

it was nice just using paint and some coloured pencil here and there... I've been so worked up with my other drawings, going back to a face was like a nice big sigh.

I spent the afternoon reading to finish the second book in the Flowers in the attic series... enthralling books, its made me happily read in my spare time and in the mini trips we take in the car.

tomorrow...its me and the pile of fabric ...and the sewing machine.

xx Courtney

back to common ground

2012-01-11T20:09:00.003+11:00

It seems that I have the memory span of a goldfish, Monday came and went, and I didn't even think about the Monday Mantra! I've been in a bit of an art funk, not sure what happened, I think I was trying to cram so much into my brain, learning new things, looking at all the courses I've been in, and want to do, I got overloaded and just fizzled out...so I'm embracing this.

I sat at my art desk, staring at the journals I've started and gotten bogged down in, it seems there were pages in all my journals that didnt seem to hit the mark with me, so I just stopped arting. I just sat there going through pages I'd already completed...my way of re reading. So I went back to basics and just went to something familiar...faces... she isnt finished but here is my progress so far.

its a double spread, so tomorrow I might sit down and try and get the pages finished, and maybe then I will be over my little funk, ready to take anything on again.

a shocking photo, but alas here is the newest member of the nook...little raven.
I had to nab this photo whilst she was still enough to capture on the ipad. Tomorrow I'll use my cannon and hopefully have a better shot of my little black beauty.

xx Courtney

the little raven.

2012-01-10T19:44:00.002+11:00

It seems another thing has gotten in the way of supply Sunday lol, so I'm taking it as a hint till next Sunday, so I can work out all the kinks of my video camera, and draw something half good for you guys! the pressure got a bit much I think to draw something fab. Above is a girl I drew and then hand coloured with my copics, just so you get a taste of what the colouring looks like.

I also have something to post about tomorrow when the light is good, for this little one, seems to blend in with the dark. We brought home a little black kitten from the RSPCA today, she is such an adorable little thing, and we named her Raven. So now the nook has a little raven mascot.

I'll see you tomorrow
xx Courtney

date night

2012-01-09T23:30:00.001+11:00

technical difficulties with new video camera...hope to have it fixed by tonight, boyfriend and I just got back from our first date night...but couldn't forget that I hadnt blogged for the day
xx Courtney

Supply Sunday - Coming Monday!

2012-01-08T19:40:00.003+11:00

I decided during the family bbq today that I wanted to do a video using my copics for supply sunday, then by the time we got home out of the heat, with the kids fed bathed and in bed, I was and still am much too tired to art. So my dears, this weeks Supply Sunday will be posted tomorrow, so you get a nice little art vid to go with the post.

below today's tired selfie after a day in 31 degree heat!

my little ones had an awesome time thats for sure! they played for three hours straight with small breaks for water guzzling and lunch. Here is eli after his first go on a flying fox! he was so proud of himself.

and after the bbq, the boy and I decided to take the little ones to an ice cream parlor for a much needed cooling down...lily got more on herself then in her mouth!

and I swanned around in a bright dress, and my inner dorothy shoes...how I love the wizard of oz.

I shall see you tomorrow, for an art vid and supply sunday!! (monday)
xx Courtney

a day in the city.

2012-01-07T19:23:00.003+11:00

Today's Selfie after a day in the City.

We had another big day, with a trip to another garden place, to look at fruit trees and herbs, writing down what we want to plan, what we want to plant them in and so forth, one thing I'm making sure we have in our little potted veggie/fruit patch is strawberries.

after the plant place, I ducked into a little op shop to check for some treasures, I only came out with two little things, one being a beloved little Bambi mug, as my pet name from the boyfriend is Bambi, and a little Japanese pencil case for my handbag, so that my pens and pencils are safe instead of swimming around when I chuck them into my bag on the way out the door.

once we got into the city and parked, I spied an art store on the way to our bookshop destination, and I was drawn to the singular prismacolour pencils, so I nabbed a couple for my collection, including a new white one, as the white pencil gets an epic amount of use.

we took the kids to their first sushi train experience, and both devoured many a plate of chicken and avocado sushi. I was most pleased as sushi is a food both the boy and I adore! now we have the kids addicted aswell.

after we were all full, it was off to the big bookstore in sydney the kids picked a book each as is customary when we go to a book store, and I stole a pic from the big bay reading windows they have in the store. Beautiful old clock.

after much browsing I finally set my sights on this one, it won my heart the moment I flicked through the beautiful pictures of sad girls with a touch of whimsy. I will have fun curling up tonight to lose myself in this amazing little world.

so that is all I have for you today, tomorrow I'll be back with Supply Sunday, where Copic Markers will be my supply of choice!
take care
xx Courtney

Five Year Old Friday

2012-01-06T18:58:00.002+11:00

Evening my dears, it is indeed Friday here in the nook and as promised, I have Five Year Old Friday, the world through my little mans eyes. He has snapped over 300 shots, but I had the task of choosing only a few, here are some of my faves for...

today's shots were from our walk, a trip to spotlight and a trip to a garden center. Waiting at the traffic lights before we could cross.

this is one of my favourites he took, and I'm not even sure I know why but I saw it and it made me smile.

he went off into his own little world while I looked at fabrics, and captured things that I wasn't even sure of what they were...a bright glittery trim of some sort.

the last of their Christmas stock, bright tinsel.

after the craft store, we went to look at plants for our little garden we are thinking of having, he captured the sunflowers beautifully.

and these little deep pink flowers aswell, he didn't want to leave the plant place, as he wanted to keep taking pictures of the flowers. He really is adorable with his little camera held tightly in his hands.

my only image from the entire day was snapped while we were out on the ipad. Bolts of fabric I'd chosen to make my man's mum a quilt for her birthday. She makes so many beautiful things for my little ones, dresses and shirts, shorts and adorable skirts, I thought it was time someone made her something, so I chose some lovely Denise Schmit prints for the quilt.

so that is our day, from Elijah's perspective and a single shot from mine.
I hope you enjoyed 5yo Friday, it will be back next Friday, I wonder what photographic treasures eli will come up with next week.
xx Courtney

A trip the the library

2012-01-05T19:24:00.002+11:00

Not much happened in the nook today, we ventured out and joined our little library well, I say little but its HUGE! I cant wait to go there with no little ones and just explore the levels sit down and read in a corner and enjoy the feel of books around me. I did however borrow a few books including the sequel to flowers in the attic, as I drank down the first book within a day and a half! excellent start to my one book a fortnight goal!
I'm stuck in a little bit of an arty funk at the moment, so I'm taking some time to sit back and watch my course vids drink in the knowledge and just enjoy it all again instead of worrying about perfection.
enjoy your Thursday evening
xx Courtney

pop into my home for a cup of tea and some sewing.

2012-01-04T17:06:00.003+11:00

Another hot summer day here in the nook, with the kids slumping from the heat, watching carebears and playing inside games in front of the fan. While they sat silent for a while, I got the boy to snap a selfie for me since its rather hard to shoot at that angle.

yesterday I mentioned we bought a simple little desk for my sewing table, and today I got a chance to put it together ready for the days when the little ones are at school and daycare, where I can concentrate on the little work in progress basket and to start some new projects, a few quilts need to be constructed this year, and with the purchase of a walking foot, I think I'm ready to go!

one of my fave things...my handmade cushion by the darling quilt goddess Ellie.

I thought I would show you lovelies a few sections of my house as the year progresses. Here is my favourite teapot in the kitchen.

and a sneak peek at the little lily's room. I secretly adore her room, I'm a young girl at heart and all that pink and white just makes me gush!

and on the arty front, using some of my blog photos in my art journal to create little photo journal pages so that I can see my year in pictures within my journals.

playing with my watercolour crayons since it's been too long since I got them out, on Sundays I'll be doing a Sunday Supply post, where I feature my favourite supply for the week, and show how I used that supply within my art work, and also links where to purchase them for the best price.

that's all from me today, it's too hot, I'm going to grab my book (Flowers in the Attic) and read in front of the cool fan.
xx Courtney

a January Undertaking

2012-01-04T16:44:00.003+11:00

a friend of mine linked this on her facebook, and I thought to myself why not, so I decided for this challenge I'd just use the ipad to take the photos, and upload them via Instagram. So here are my 4 days so far of the Jan Challenge.

it was this challenge that gave me the idea to take a self portrait everyday, (that post to come next) so a selfie...

my breakfast for the second day.

something I adore, being a journal keeper and my man...he posed so nicely for me too hehe

and our little old letterbox for the 4th day.

just a little intermission post while I upload my daily post photos.
who would have thought, two blog entries in one day!
lucky lucky!
x Courtney

a Tuesday in my life.

2012-01-03T16:27:00.002+11:00

I'm back, and making time for my little blog to keep up with posting daily, making the time for my creative practice and enjoying the little things...such as my self portrait today, enjoying spotty shoes in summer.

Having breakfast alone, this may seem odd, but there are some mornings when I wait till everyone is finished and off doing their own thing so I can sit and daydream a little while I have a moment to myself to enjoy my food and a hot tea. Its the small moments of sanity when you are a mother, that you cherish deeply. Many understand this, I know that for a fact.

we took the teacup humans and went to Ikea to get a few things, a little sewing desk for me was on the list till I could afford my dream desk. We found one and a bookshelf...whilst the boy put together the desk, I set up my art supplies and journal at the dining table and just arted quietly.

a little bit smitten with my LAMY fountain pen, writes like a dream, such a sweet pen to doodle with.

and I leave you with my little lily boo...my eli is growing into a photographer, and lily..has my other passion...drawing and writing in little books aka ' my dornal' it seems all the good parts of me, are rubbing off on them.

see you tomorrow for something else, who knows what!
and pop in on friday for...

the world through elijah's eyes.
xx Courtney

a little one finds his passion.

2012-01-02T18:23:00.003+11:00

Another day into the new year, with lots to do, the boy and I have been re-organizing and doing the last of the few book boxes left, but we found a spare few mins to take a drive into town, to get a few things... so I thought why not since yesterday was a selfie..keep the tradition going...365 self portraits, maybe blogged..maybe just printed for my journal who knows!

Something that makes my heart sing, is this little man of mine, finding something that he really loves to do...taking photos, and little movies. So today, we gave him a little camera, took him to the shops bought an SD card and a battery recharger and let him loose. Its rather beautiful some of the photo's he has taken, the framing of them..you would think I took them. I am thinking of making a little scrapbook for him, so he can print his faves out and we can glue them down.

In the spirit of keeping very busy and very creative, I joined a few things to keep me on the creative path, one was Alisa Burke's new course, step one was to organize your creative space...and I started doing just that, making my nook inviting and easier to work in.

once a week, I will be posting my Creative Mantra, and this weeks little message came from my SARK cards, gave me a smile when this card fell from the deck... embrace it and live it...

enjoy your day!
x Courtney

Hello 2012!!

2012-01-01T18:12:00.004+11:00

It's that time again, a fresh year, a new perspective and a huge list of creative goals to start working towards!
Many things will be happening on the little raven ink hub, getting my ideas down and then making them grow into full blown realities will be one of my resolutions for this year. I'm also undertaking a photo a day for the year, aswell as blogging everyday for the year, as a way to make me accountable for my art and my future dreams.

and inside my sketchbook while I've been away, not much has happened, but still things are being created, even if they are only simple... a little sad blue haired girl..

practicing my legs and feet for I heart drawing class, which has been quite a challenge but it's enjoyable knowing that I'm learning new things within my passion.

and to start the year, a little bit of journalling and a little play on my xmas gift.

enjoy the first day of the year, and I will see you for another 364 more days...cant wait!
xx Courtney

waves crazily

2011-12-22T12:04:00.002+11:00

I've moved house and I'm all settled in, and the internet finally got connected today, so I thought I'd better make an appearance. My little family are finally in a house, instead of the little unit and the space is a breath of fresh air! We aren't living on top of each other now, the kids have their own rooms so their little personalities can blossom. My little art nook is coming together slowly set up next to a window, with all my odds and ends in jars and boxes brightly coloured pencil cases. Above is all the art I've done really since the move, trying to get everything out and placed before we go away for xmas for a few days.

did you miss me?!
xx Courtney

a mood Board.

2011-11-27T08:15:00.003+11:00

we are off and running in my new class with Jane Davenport, I heart Drawing. The homework for this week was to create a mood board with looks that we would want in a 'collection' so I sat for a while and thought about it, found a few images online to recreate with my copic markers and started my collection 'Pleased to Meet You'

a little rose tinted, popping reds some vintage blues. Tights, cardigans and 50's dresses. I must admit I had such fun putting this together, and creating the actual drawing was so different to anything I've done but I've fallen in love with drawing them!

my sketchbook for this course, is a 1970 Singer Sewing book, its nice and big so there's room to work in, the pages are sturdy so it's holding up to the art, all in all I think this book will look amazing once I've finished altering it.

so that's where I've been! My darling boyfriend told me last night it had been a while since I blogged so after I finished the mood board I snapped some photos late last night to blog this morning.

I hope your weekend is passing by just nicely.
take care, I'll post some more art in a few days.
x Courtney

My Creative Space!

2011-11-17T12:43:00.003+11:00

Today I thought I'd do something a little different for my creative space...a little vid of my marker colourings.
tomorrow I'll add the finished images tomorrow once I finish all the little inky details

pop on over to our creative space to see the lovely things

the Junk journal evolution

2011-11-15T16:41:00.003+11:00

I've become a little obsessed! so much so that I haven't drawn a single thing, which I have to rectify that tonight, but my junk daily journal has been such a calming moment in my life. Where I can see my images actually going down and becoming a whole new thing!
here is a peek at a few of the pages I've worked on the past week.

they hold images of my food from each day, my kids, my art, simple things. The things that make up my day, no matter how mundane they are.

my Friday, consisted of our trip to Inverell that afternoon, the packing, the kids the traffic... when photos dont all fit, I just lay them over one another so you can just flick through them all.

spending Saturday with family, my sister all dolled up to go out for the night, pics of her and her daughter, a letter from her (we write letters to eachother). Like I said, its very simple but it means so much to me. Each night I sit down with my pile of photographs my washii tape and a pile of journal tags and glue and put together the day.

if the idea of an art journal scares you, why not dive in and make yourself a junk journal.
they are simple divine in their own right.
xx Courtney

a Journal Keeper.

2011-11-09T19:47:00.003+11:00

I am a journal keeper, I immerse myself in them, and I lovingly fill them with art and writing, today I started to document my life in a different way, using my Remains of the Day journal, my photography skills and my love for collage, the adventure begins.

as I started today's things, I sat looking at other people's scrappy beautiful journals
such as A little Imagination and a Pile of Junk
I could get lost in her journal with ease and bliss.

I still haven't seen all the pages from The Dj Pettitt Book gallery, they are lust worthy works of pure art and beauty, if you are a journal lover, do stop by.

and while my little ones sleep, and the boy watches TV, I sit down with my yoghurt and start creating my day all over again...reliving certain moments

My Wednesday.

ox Courtney

slowly slowly...arty art.

2011-11-07T13:03:00.003+11:00

I'm slow off the mark these days! I need to overcome the blank stare at the open journal.
I started creating a mess of a background last friday night, whilst talking to my mumma on skype, I looked at it the next day and just went...'what the hell!' so stared at it, for a few days, then finally I just started sketching, laying colour down and trying to make something from the mess.

slowly she appeared.
I still have the opposite side of the page to fill lol, but at least I've tackled some of it. I've been thinking lately about what I want my art journal to become, just for art, or for the entire thought of documenting my life... do you have separate journals for things, or are you a one book kinda person?

on the topic of other books, I think its about time I bind my signatures into my remains of the day journal, so I'm going to attempt that some time today. Then I will be torn as to what to work in...the drama's of a journal keeper!

enjoy your Monday
x Courtney

Creative Space Thursday - Trust the Mess

2011-11-03T13:13:00.002+11:00

for once I'm on point with getting my art snapped for a creative space post! usually I remember its thursday by the time it's almost all over with, I started a little bit of art last night, trying to get back on the wagon now that I'm on meds again, it seems such an effort to art! which was one of the things I worried about...but my man is making sure he keeps my fire alive even when I am stuck in limbo.

I was sat at my desk last night starting at my journal for what seemed like eternity, then I just picked up my aqua brush opened my watercolours and started laying colour down...when in doubt just put colour onto your page and go from there.
I knew I wanted to make something as my last message to Jane from my art course.
The most amazing thing was those three words, trust the mess, everything is a learning process and everything cant be fixed or simply covered up.

I fell in love with my prisma pencils again, using them in a way I never had before.

Jane made me face my copic fear, finally using the markers and bending them to my will not theirs. I loosened up and let go of being perfect, or trying to art like others and just created for the pure love it it.

I learnt to accept that not every thing I create in my journal is going to be shaded beautifully, or drawn perfectly, that each day I put pen to paper I'm growing as an artist.

I also love that my palette has grown to colours I would normally never use, and now they are spilling onto my pages like liquid rainbows... simple little things that may not seem much to many...but give me so much hope for what is to come in my artistic journey.

this woman, has changed me on the inside.
that's enough from me for today
enjoy the other creative spaces over at Our Creative Space

I shall try make some more art tonight...something will get done, if the boy has anything to say about it lol.
xxox Courtney

On My desk - Art Journal Love.

2011-10-28T11:50:00.003+11:00

It's been a week, indeed it has, I just needed a little time to get used to a few changes. So even though my journal was with me everyday, I didnt put pencil to paper, I could feel the void though...so yesterday I started...

there are many layers to this spread, as the original layer I didnt like, there is a full girl under there hehe I finished her and then started covering her up with magazine images. Paint, gesso, inks, stains and some drawing...and this little thing emerged.

this is my last assignment for Jane's Supplies me course, I've learned a heap, and I've also signed up for her I heart drawing class too, to continue to learn more formed ways of the figures and faces.

enjoy your Friday, I might be back tomorrow with more art, depending on how I feel!
xox Courtney

Side Faces and Acrylic Paint.

2011-10-19T19:52:00.004+11:00

Over on Jane's lovely little art nook, its acrylic paint week, so the last two days I've gotten into the spirit of things, using mostly paint and a little bit of inky pen and a smidge of prismacolour pencil for acents.

I've always said, side faces make me their minion, I've had the desire to draw girls from a different view than side on for longer than I care to admit.

so here is my little mermaid inspire sea goddess.

I used alot of acrylic paints watered down and layered over and over, distress stain for her hair mixed with watered down paint, some inky pen for a few little detail touches, and a little pencil for some shading where I felt it needed it.

also a hand made spray ink background, tomorrow I will add some more, I'm off to watch the last harry potter on the couch with the boy, yes I've already seen it but I don't care!

enjoy your night
see you tomorrow with more art.
x Courtney

Paint she said!

2011-10-18T13:59:00.003+11:00

I needed to shift gears with my journal, I didnt want to become stagnant creating the same looking thing over and over... So Christy told me to paint my girl today...so I got my paints out and did just that..

she's not as refined as my copic girls or my pencil girls...but I like her. a little verbal mummy rant on the other side covered with random flowers... and the page is pretty much done.

tomorrow I want to try and tackle a full Jane body...I've been putting it off for a couple of weeks now because I feel my bodies look a bit retarded lol... but I'll try see how I go.

enjoy your Tuesday!
might go sketch in the sunlight, I need a bit of vitamin D
x Courtney

Art Journal Play

2011-10-17T13:59:00.004+11:00

A little weekend in the sunshine watching the kids play in the park and a little reading and drawing for me...

this morning I went to play in my art journal, and I thought I would press record on my video camera, just enjoy...

and a few final images of the spread, not totally in love with her, but its all growth. I might go back in tonight when the boy is playing xbox and shade a bit.

enjoy your day! I might be back tomorrow with another page...we shall see how the muses are.
xx Courtney

mail and and journal art.

2011-10-14T19:02:00.003+11:00

not much going on in the little raven house today, I did however start a small arty kinda letter for my sister back in Inverell, some drawings photos that kinda thing, need to get it finished and into the mailbox tomorrow.

and in the art journal, just a quick girl I created while waiting for john to come hom from work.

copics and distress stains to make her. I need to change it up tomorrow with that I draw, keep it fresh, part of the reason why I'm making a inspiration journal, to keep inspired to make new art, instead of drawing the same things over and over again.

that's all from me, take care I'll see you tomorrow
we are taking the teacup humans to see the smurfs tomorrow at the movies...their first movie experience lets see if I come back in one piece!!

Wednesday morning...

2011-10-12T15:35:00.002+11:00

after the morning routine is over, and the boy is off to work for the day and the little ones are happily playing , I crawl back into bed for a little bit to do a little art in bed...not everyday but some days I just need that time.

still just working on my 3/4 turned face, little difficult but with time and alot of sketches I'll get the hang of it!

that's all from me for today, I have to get into cooking dinner and tidying up!
take care my darlings
tomorrow I get to do a little supply shopping while my two men, big and small get hair cuts, so miss boo and I will hit the art store!
xx Courtney

Just Playing in my journal.

2011-10-11T19:41:00.002+11:00

I've had a few rough days, with the kids having their moments, their little worlds turned upside down with the move, so when I need to just escape a little at night, I open my journal.

Playing with colours and water, copics..crayons..whatever I felt like baiscally.

a little odd girl, with antlers in her hair, and a house for a body... I was feeling strange that day..and it showed.

not as detailed as my last entry in the journal but still beautiful in its own right.

Tomorrow I'll post some of my 3/4 turned faces I've done one so far quickly but tomorrow I hope to draw a bigger version, the are a challenge

xx Courtney

New things!

2011-10-09T10:22:00.003+11:00

So today's post is all about new things...I've been in a marker club for a while now, getting 7 markers a month, so it grows rather slowly but hey, its the only way I'll ever afford a stash of the delectable copic markers. Now even though I've got these markers, I've pretty much never used them...horrid I know! Until Marker week with Jane....my goddess was like a light bulb went on with how to use these lovely things. (even to the point where I'd bought a few more markers while I was out, due to pure excitement! Korean Brand, 'Touch')

so the shading lesson came out on Thursday I think...and I decided I'd leave the boxes and unpacking chaos behind me for a bit so I could jump in and start using these beautiful markers for more than what I was using them for (eye candy lol) this is my second girl that I drew...you saw my first girl the other day...and shes in the photo below anyway. I was super happy with my second attempt, I kept going ' Wow I did that!' I got scared of wrecking her...but I knew I had to do a my mixed media assignment, so last night I got my things out, spread them far and wide and got down to it.

with a little bit of patience, and alot of line drawing, sloshing watercolours down, spraying inks and some hand stamping randomly..with time and glee..she turned into these brightly coloured siren...and you know what... I bloody adore her!!
so that is what I've been up to between the unpacking. I'm looking for my video camera amongst the boxes so I can start my art vids back up for youtube.
I'm off to buy a food processor and a boomerang pillow!
xx Courtney

The Copic Marker Fear

2011-10-07T11:34:00.003+11:00

I know...I knowwwww....I didnt make the full month...and to be honest, there was no humanly possible way to do it, I was a little but nuts I think, to believe I could art and move house all at the same time! I've only just gotten a little bit back on the art horse. Still recovering from the move and the horrid unpacking lol..but its Marker week with Miss Jane, and I will say now..I was scared..I have copics...a little growing stash...and hadnt used them.. well like twice to write something lol..but thats it.

Even with the fear, I jumped in...headfirst and started my face while watching Jane's shading vid....here is my copic marker girl..almost finished.

just some work on her hair, which I'll do with watercolours, and I'll cut her out and glue her into my journal.. yes I didnt draw her in my journal because I didnt want to make and ugly mess in there... shame on me..mistakes are growth..next time I'll suck it up.
and my homework for the week, was to work on my shading of spheres, and to incorporate them in a creative way...so here is the journal lay out that I finished while waiting for the dr at the ER for eli....that's another story, and a rather crazy one lol so..just admire the waiting room art instead hehe.
so that is all I have thus far...trying to get back on the arting horse has been hard since there are so many boxes all around..but thats ok, bit by bit we will settle in.

take care my lovelies...and also a big hello to the new followers! I've seen my digits creep up a little bit over the past few weeks so hi! welcome and thanks for taking the time to stop by!
xx Courtney

The Arful Journey - day 27, too tired.

2011-09-27T21:29:00.004+10:00

work in a random scribbles journal, nothing to write home about...

and something yummy from christy's work, her stuff gives me hope.

another tired artist post...the move is almost over..and I will be back...I cant wait to be 'back'
xx Courtney

The Artful Journey - drawing, drawing drawing.

2011-09-26T17:09:00.004+10:00

I spent the morning out and about alone today. Was a lovely change, I walked around slowly, got a few things bought for a swap partner, bought myself a moleskine sketchbook just to do some paper comparisons...bought my sister a gift before I leave on the weekend.

and I had lunch alone for the first time in a very long time, while I ate...I arted. Working on the last page in my journal, before I can go on, once this journal is finished, it's off to the library for a display cabinet of my work. (kind of surreal lol)

here is where I'm at with the spread.
I sat at my sister's adding inky flowers while we chatted, we are having dinner there tonight, as a good bye dinner, although I know she doesn't want it labelled like that... I'll miss her, I hope she knows that.

so I'm getting my blog in early, so that when I come home I can work more on the canvas, small bursts of art on that thing, sitting on the floor is hard! I'm no spring chicken now! hehe

see you tomorrow with more art! the countdown is on!!!
xx Courtney.

the artful journey - day 25 almost there

2011-09-25T22:00:00.003+10:00

it's almost time to open up the door to my new art journal, just a few more tidbits to go in the current one! I'm excited...
after the little ones were in bed, and the man has driven home, nothing left to do but sit on my bedroom floor and work on my canvas for a while.

and on the subject of little humans...here they are at breakfast this morning..

sleep well, I know I will...
xx Courtney

The Artful Journey day 24 - pencils in the bed.

2011-09-24T21:31:00.002+10:00

a little art in bed while watching project runway, and since I hadn't done any art for the day I started colouring in the last double page in my journal..almost another journal finished with one ready to be started!!

I think I'll do a little watercolour on her tomorrow if I get time.
all my stuff has been moved from the house and once the last of the furniture has gone it will be cleaning time..then I am done in ye ole Inverell.

thats all from me today, back to snuggling and tv watching.
xx Courtney

The Artful Journey - day 23 ..the Dreamed journal

2011-09-23T21:11:00.004+10:00

So I'm exhausted, I've sat down after a big day of packing and more packing and my eyes and my body say no more of anything...so I'm listening. The other day Christy linked a video on her facebook profile, and it struck a cord..so much so I've watched the youtube vid more times than I'd like to say...its inspiring. So even though I may not have arted as such...art is still in my day..very much so..if only i could snapshop what gets created in my mind when I have other things to do!

so sit back, and enjoy a Dreamed Journal...because they are stunning...

I'm off to bed to wait for my man to walk through the door at like 1am...
xx Courtney

The Artful Journey- Day 22..My Creative Space.

2011-09-22T17:47:00.004+10:00

Its a thursday and for once I'm on the ball, with having something done! I spent the day at my mums place today to just 'get away' from my house the boxes and the random messes everywhere was starting to get me down..so I packed my bag and my trunk of travel supplies and off I went.

Knowing I wanted to do a Christy prompt and my homework for Janes Course, I decided to combine the two! I picked the Foam prompt from Christy which was make your own stamps using fun foam... I LOVED this!

ball point pen and foam and WAH LARRRR stamps!

and in Jane's class we needed to do a mixed media spread in our journals that used a body in the spread..now my body is simple..but shes there... the page grew from just her little legs...which is what we learn't today 'lolly legs' hehe

can u spot my stamps?

lots of spraying, layering stencils, stamps a sprayed doiley, watercolour washes, abstract flowers and some text..and you my dear friends have yourself a layout in your art journal!
for more delightful crafty arty goings on, pop on over to our creative space to see the epically long list!
xx Courtney

The Artful Journey day 21 - shade me slowly

2011-09-21T15:38:00.002+10:00

Well I've been having a little fun late last night and during lunch time today...yesterday in the world of Jane, was blending day... to create a face from just shading no definite lines. So I sat and followed the video watching Jane add so much beautiful colour to her girls face.

these are my first two attempts at blending without having a face drawn first..and i must say I am in lurveee, I think from now on.. I'll work in colour...and just go with it.
I feel that I'm growing more and more each day within my art... I don't feel like a one trick pony anymore

I hope to fill my sketchbooks with leaps and bounds just like this one...for they make it all worth it, I'll always be a student of art..there will never be a moment where I go..I have grown all I can grow..this is my limit...art is limitless.
xXx Courtney

The Artful Journey - Day 20, Simple Things

2011-09-20T19:13:00.004+10:00

from the teacher to the art-journal to the canvas, this is basically what's happening at the present moment. A prompt from Christy's course, translated down into my little canvas clad art journal, and now, it's being blown up onto a canvas as a birthday present.

impromptu mixing palette, my acrylic block for stamping... yes my mum was horrified as well it's ok.

and slowly the layers of paint get put down, yellows...gesso...white paint wash yellow..and so forth..till I get that the exactly level of tone... who knows when that will happen...I'm still working on the same one flower..and its day two.

Pitt Pen for the outline, then I'm going to use my dip pen and some india ink to do the smaller more intricate detailing of the petals and stems...all in between the chaos that is my 90% boxed up house.

I will admit, its nice having something to work on between the moments...to sort of ground you again...

I'm off to re watch Miss Jane's blending videos with my pencils in hand to follow on..maybe I'll have something different to show you besides the white ladies in grand size.
sleep well my dears.
xx Courtney

The Artful Journey day 19 - Tinkering.

2011-09-19T18:45:00.003+10:00

In between the mess and the chaos I set up the dinning room table with a plastic tablecloth and what supplies I have left out, and played...pack boxes,get some at done. I'm currently running myself into the ground and rather sick, but I didn't let that stop me...I just had some wonky drawings through the coughing fits heheh.

The colours I packed in my art tote...were a tad crazy but I tried my best to make it work. with a quick lay down of paint, and a sketch I was on my way to getting back on track.

another project in the works is a birthday gift for a dear family friend...a big canvas of the lillie's journal page I did in Christy's course. It seems these flowers are a family favourite, this is by far one of my biggest works. So I sat in the afternoon sun, layering down three colours, two shades of yellow and white paint till I get the perfect look I want.

so that's my day, I'm rather tired, but I'm proud of myself for making a little art time for myself, and taking the time to photograph it, my images lately are as lack luster as how much sleep I'm getting... (hardly any)

enjoy your evening, I'm going to tape some more boxes together and keep the packing going so its not so frantic on saturday when the Removal guys rock up.

take care my dears!

The Artful Journey - Day 18 - new beginnings.

2011-09-18T21:37:00.003+10:00

Can you tell I'm tired? when I use instagram as my way of taking my photos, it means I have no energy left to photograph my stuff. So tonight after I packed all day with some dear friends who have made me less stressed, they worked like trojans, getting almost everything packed up for the removalists this Saturday.

I have gessoed a canvas ready for me to start sketching onto it in the coming days....I am nuts can you tell? I'm moving house but I sit and gesso a huge canvas like nothing is happening in my life.

tomorrow I will photograph my easel in its true form..because it needs to be reconized for what it is..amazing.. My dad made me a custom easel, I was sick of leaning big canvases against my desk bookshelf. My darling dad has made me the most beautiful thing ever...complete with flourishes etched into the wood and with love from dad up the top..its one of my very cherished possessions.

and on the art journal front, I started working on my mixed media homework for Jane's class since it was the simplest thing I could cope with tonight after such a day... I gessoed the pages and started sketching but I'm not happy with it, so I think I'll rub it out and start again either tonight or tomorrow sometime during the day in between the last of the packing.
I'm going to curl up in my empty bed (first time without my man in two weeks and read until I know hes home.
pop over to traci's blog to see what shes creating for her get your art on.
xx Courtney

The Artful Journey - bed art.

2011-09-17T22:56:00.002+10:00

just drawing in bed..to try and get some art done... I'm tired and achey so they art is lame and not much...playing with my pencil stash which is slowly growing! Practicing my backs and butts still...
take care till tomorrow
xox Courtney

The Artful Journey - Pages in Progress

2011-09-16T15:17:00.003+10:00

since I have alot on today, I decided to post my 'pages in progress' things that haven't been finished yet, and havent made it onto the blog because of it.

I'm still sketching for jane, just backs and butt's till we move on to something else! I'm so enjoying learning, one girl described it as - feeling like an arty sponge, trying to soak it all up..and it was a perfect description of how I feel.
on the Christy front, a page about using outside materials, like magazine pages and other things to create hidey holes in our journal.. like french doors almost.. I chose images of the same woman in a photobooth over the course of her life...

so interesting..she seemed so unhappy though lol.
and the leaf prompt Im still pluggin away at, maybe when I get back home, there will be more real life leaves to play with than here in sydney

so I'm off back to Inverell tonight, which is why my post is so early, need to get it done before I walk out the door in under two hours.
I shall see you tired and dirty from packing tomorrow..wonder what art I'll fit in lol.
xx Courtney

The Artful Journey - Junk in the Trunk

2011-09-15T22:46:00.003+10:00

Evening my dears, quick blog post, as I've spent the entire day on my feet chasing little ones, doing almost no art at all!!!

I did however arrange my prismas into colour families and a set of my portrait colours.. Jane's course has giving me urges to put things in colour co-ordination!!

Today's lesson in janes course was all I got done today as it was portable, tomorrow in between packing I'm going to catch up on my Christy class!! that requires alot more supplies and a heap of arty mess!

so bodies! back's and butt's were todays lesson and gosh so much fun, and such quick tricks, I adore them lots more to draw to get it right.
so thats me done for today! I'm tired and sore from being action mumma all day!
see you tomorrow...with of course..more art.

The Artful Journey Day 14 - the quiet arting.

2011-09-14T19:22:00.004+10:00

A quiet Wednesday night, just the tea and the pencils and the drawings. This week is coloured pencil week over on Jane's course, and we are all getting into the swing of it with faces and happy images using our pencils.

I'm enjoying drawing with a different style to my own, trying to bend it to my own style..whatever that may be. I still feel I'm chasing my own style, trying to grasp it and call it my own..one day I'll just know..that's my work and my work alone.

the little teacups, had fun today with some big brushes and some small piles of paint..I do however have little painty footprints outside my back verandah now heheh kinda cute!

Miss Lily..is happiest lately when shes arting..much like her mumma.
that's me for the night. I have so much to catch up on, few pages of Christy's course and more face practice, but tomorrow I'm off to the boy's parents place for the day, I think I'll take my sketch book and my pencils and get a little art done.

pop on over to Traci's blog to see what shes creating for Get Your Art On.
xx Courtney

The Artful Journey Day 13 - portrait practice

2011-09-13T19:06:00.002+10:00

In the nook tonight, there isn't much happening, today's been filled with too much 'real life' stuff such as sorting out day care for little ones (which still isn't sorted) and also ringing around for removal quotes.

But in between it all, I did get a minimal amount of work done. I started my faces homework for my Jane Davenport Supplies Me course. which is such a beautiful refreshing course.

and on the gulfsprite journal class, the prompt is text! now I've been mulling this one over, and I only got a start on it late tonight so there isn't much to see yet! but slowly slowly I'll get there, I always do.

I'm going to snuggle up and cuddle into my man while I draw some more faces and plan my text page
xx sleep well my darlings
x C

The Artful Journey - Day 12..Magical Forests.

2011-09-12T21:31:00.002+10:00

A puddle forest she called it, and its this beautiful pooling of colour that transform into trees with just a little black ink! I had so much fun doing this prompt on Christy's course, that I'm considering doing a long canvas for lily's room once we move, in all fairy type colours. They are a little bit whimsy and a touch of magical.

I chose three colours and they moved into many little light and shades of those colours.

I can see many more of these purely to calm me down...and release a little arty frustration.

The fruits of my background page...now the question is..what to do on it. I shall think on it while I sleep dreaming of inky forests and pretty pooling colours.

pop on over to Traci's blog and see what arty adventures shes on for her 30 days of Get your Art on.

take care...give your art journal a little love..
xx Courtney

the Artful Journey - day 11- let him eat cake.

2011-09-11T22:03:00.003+10:00

I have decided weekends are not art friendly!! I'm so late and behind but tomorrow I shall catch up tomorrow when the boy's at work...this is all I got done on my background today three more layers.

check out my cool new paint stamps I bought today, very kid friendly and very awesome for backgrounds!
I used some paint washes, and some stamps and some matte varnish so far.

thats me for the night...way tired again...
just wanted to say Happy Birthday to my darling man, may we spend many more together!!!

goodnight my darlins
I'm off to play crash bandicoot with my lover.
xoxo Courtney

The Artful Journey Day 10 - The sleepy artist.

2011-09-10T21:32:00.002+10:00

What a day, we took our teacup humans to the Aquarium today, and much fun was had, the kids has so much fun, the boy an I are so so tired! and we got home rather late...so the art tonight is minimal, I struggled to get this done as my eyes are slowly slipping closed. Today's prompt for Christys course is the layered background page, and I so want to put everything into this one, so I did the ground work and I'll continue tomorrow when I'm at my peak.

I've used some of Christy's collage sheets some magazine bits and bobs, everything i could pull from the drawers.

As well as taking the little ones to see the aquarium, my boy treated me by taking me into the city to a Japanese bookstore... and oh my what a treat it was! next time we go, I'm going to get the kids minded so he and I can just wander for a while, this bookstore was just amazing. Since I'm coming to the end of my handmade journal, I needed a backup and my darling man bought me this beautiful sketchbook as my next art journal.
I ran into spotlight to replenish my paintbrushes aswell

and for today's photos
this is the highlights from our day.

pop over to Traci's blog to see what she is creating.
Tomorrow is the man's birthday so we will celebrate with his family by having a bbq, and some cheesecake.
take care

The Artful Journey - Day 9 Shades of Red

2011-09-09T20:52:00.003+10:00

For today's prompt over on Gulfsprite's Art Journal Course, it was about wildflowers and only choosing two colours (not including black and white) to create your journal page. I chose red and blue. Sat quietly as I watched the little ones watch 'The Polar Express' and created the little flowers that Christy asked us to create.

I discovered while doing this course, I am slightly in love with painting flowers. Christy takes simple lines and little accents and creates little blossoms of greatness.

Yesterday I did a background spread for Jane's Supplies Me homework assignment and today I gave my girl a face! shes rather cute dontcha think.

Today's photos from my day, seems like It's all about the art, and the food....my life is rather boring I have come to realize.
Tomorrow though, we are off to the aquarium so there will much more interesting photos for the blog tomorrow, and also I'm hoping for some journal inspiration. I'm also off to a fancy book store that specializes in art books! I hope to find a few things for my small but soulful collection.

have a good night my dears
xx Courtney

The Artful Journey - Day 8 Texture Background

2011-09-08T21:52:00.003+10:00

One tired little artist, so my art and my photos for the day are the same thing! I know I know I hear your groans from here! I just got home from food shopping and ikea, and I'm just exhausted. Today I worked on my homework assignment for my Supplies Me Course with Jane davenport, I didnt want to get behind first week, and my leaves were drying slowly after a few coats of gel medium. The assignment was to get a textured background.

Here is my attempt - unfinished due to drying wait times! but I now have a heat gun thanks to my darling man!!

I played with distress inks as watercolours and laying them down from a clean transparency to get beautiful blocks of smudgey colour. I played with a resist technique I learn from the darling Christy in her latest Art Geeks challenge. layed some collage papers from the gulfsprite store, drew a few things and layed a girl on top, still with facial features to come.
so there is my art for the day and my photos for my Thursday! I need to crawl into bed and give this girl a face!
pop on over to Traci's Blog for her art for the day.

Artful Journal day 7

2011-09-07T21:06:00.003+10:00

Today I was lazy, it seems that when I finally get caught up I get slack! so I havent finished my page for today but I have done the ground work, and thats better than nothing right!?

todays page in Christy's course was about nature and using actual leaves from our backyards and surrounds. This be the part I'm not up to yet!
but I did lay down the background ground work. I stayed with a page that was a stencil offcast. I needed to use the last of the ink.
I used my neo colour crayons smooshed them around, sprays, paints and the trusty brayer with some hot pink and bight yellow paint.

it looks a bit like clown vommit but the spring goddess inside of me is very happy with how this background turned out.
I might do a bit more white to sort of break up the crazy!

and for my Wednesday images, nothing fancy just a simple day and evening at home.

pop on over to traci's blog to see her art for the day for Get Your Art On.
I shall now curl up in the boys arms and watch Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
xox Courtney

The Artful Journey - day 6 The White Ladies.

2011-09-06T19:52:00.004+10:00

It's all flowers and bright bold colours today in my art journal! I finally caught up on my pages for gulfsprites course! *puffs out chest* so I am now back on track, and wont be trying to frantically stay in the game. Today was something different, flowers, big bright flowers, things I don't seem to draw at all! I'm loving the shift in what I'm working on its so refreshing.

some paints, watercolours, a ballpoint pen and a copic marker and this page was a done deal..although it took me half the day to get the balance between the yellow and the white.

next were the abstract petal flowers, where each thing was created individually on sheets of scrapbook paper. This was a stress free easy page to create, bit of paint, some spraying some outlining and glueing down and I was the proud owner of a bright and very spring looking journal layout.

and now onto my day in photos- today was about two things, food and art, if I wasnt arting, I was cooking or feeding a teacup human, or feeding the boy or myself! so these pictures are centered around that...first image top left...is the amazing 7 draw trolley the boy bought me as an early xmas present, so now I have all my supplies (that are in sydney atm) at my fingertips and I can move it with ease out of little fingers touching way.so thats my day and my art for this Tuesday.
tomorrow I will embark on a new journal page, and snap a few more photographs.
take care my dears
xx pop over to Traci's blog for her day of art for get your art on.

The Artful Journey - Day 5 - the ruffle

2011-09-05T21:01:00.002+10:00

Ruffles! and pretty abstract flowers were on today's page for GulfSprite's Art Journal course. Its been so much fun pushing myself tonight I shall tackle a bunch of lilies.

the main part of the prompt was to make the ruffle as a boarder element for your page! Using your sewing machine to keep them all cute and folded. I did have a little sewing rage but I got my act together lol.
these are the two girls I drew on the drive home from Inverell, and shes almost finished I have to do some cover up work on the mumma, as little lily decided to draw two huge black lines on her cheekes..ugh I almost lost the plot! so lots of gesso and layering and I will get her back to her former glory lol

and keeping up with a week in my day...this is my Monday, watching my darling little girl play with her new dollhouse, which was mine and the boy's birthday gift to her, (her actual birthday is today) and the my catch up art day while watching a recording of the last church of art, with effy wild.
boring I know, but not everyday can be awesome and full of win!
I shall see you tomorrow for another installment of art and my day in photos.
pop on over to traci's blog to see what shes creating for her 30days

xox Courtney

Day 4 - The Artful Journey.

2011-09-04T22:45:00.003+10:00

8 hours on the road, several stops for teacup humans to go to the loo, stops for mumma to take photos and we are finally home in our Sydney home for two weeks. It was an epic trip, but we made it safe and sound, and I did some art in the car...not this page lol but tomorrow drawings were all created on the long trip..which was extremely hard with the bumpy country road.

This is my day 2 page from Gulf Sprite's Course, now with finished leaf and background, I think I will be going back over it tomorrow with some sharpie pen and a little doodling.

its just missing something...not sure what yet.

Today was fathers day in Australia, and we celebrated with a yummy bbq breakie at my mum and dad's place. I was designated BBQ wench so I cooked up some bacon, eggs, snags and tomatoes, we also had tea and croissants.
I think for me, the stillness and the tea were the highlights for me, I feel like Ive been on the go for the last month! so taking a small amount of time to just sip some tea was exactly what I needed.

Below are the photos from my day, tea, baked goods...and two shots from our long long drive.
I am rather sleepy, so I'll tuck myself into bed, and get completely caught up with my pages tomorrow now that I'm in one place for a length of time! pictures of the dollhouse and miss boo tomorrow.
Pop over to Traci's blog to see what shes up to!
I'll leave you now, with my little teacup humans.

Day Three - The Artful Journey - Week in the Life

2011-09-03T21:36:00.003+10:00

I'm one very sleepy blogger. My little lily had her birthday party a few days earlier than her actual birthday so we could get back to Sydney for the boyfriends birthday with his family. So my art time today was very limited, I will be finishing the page within the next few hours while I snuggle up to my man.

Working on Day two of Gulfsprite's 30 Days of Art Journalling, was about the maple leaf...another item that I wouldn't ever use on my on accord. I've done the base work, I just need to get my background finished, and give the lovely girl some more details, then tomorrow I start work on the Ruffles!
I used lots of sprays, home made and bought, stencils, and white paint, then some finer details with my sharpie on the maple leaf.

My girl was coloured with a paper stump, prisma pencils, and watercolour paints. I'm really proud of myself, my eyes are falling out of my head, I haven't packed for sydney tomorrow, and my kitchen looks like a bomb went off! but I made the time for art, because that was a promise I made to myself, and I intend to keep it... no matter the magnitude of my day.

Day 2 On a week in my life... A Saturday...here are the small collages of photos of My little Lily's day.I was a very busy mumma in the kitchen this morning, icing cupcakes, making fairy bread! While my dear man made me pancakes.

Enjoy the last of your evening, Im going to sit on my bed and finish my page, so I can keep up to date with Christy's videos, its my mission to keep up.
xox Courtney

oh pop on over to Traci's blog for her get your art on post.

Artful Journey Day Two + Week in my life

2011-09-02T15:06:00.005+10:00

A Friday, is always a cherished day in my house, one because its one of my quiet days, little ones went off to kindy..but the best part...is when the boy arrives late at night for the weekend... so already its a good day!

But lets get to why you came here..
Day one Of the GulfSprite 30 Day Art journalling course started today, and the prompt was about the Harvest, as they are coming up to that time of year, it was a little strange as we have already passed such a time here in oz..I did a little google search, and one of the first images I saw..was a Harvest Moon...and so I began creating just that.

sketching away while I spoke to the boy, colouring her in adding layer and layer of prisma pencil, a little ink from a sharpie, some watercolour for depth finishing the page off with some dripping watered down watercolour...and some Spray ink in a coral.

it was a great experience, as these are the types of things I don't draw..or even think to draw. I must admit I did do an image search to see what wheat looked like so I could get a similarity.

I do adore her..something so sad about her and yet peaceful aswell..it's probably a very good portrayal of how I am right now..
My Boyfriend said ' but the moon looks so sad!'
'dont worry my love, she wont be sad forever, I promise' and I won't
another little work in progress is a wood block I've been tinkering with from my dad, she isnt finished yet, I know that much. But I am liking her.

I was using up excess paint from a journal page, which is why the background looks so random lol but I like what came out over the background..home right now..is two places so it's very much on my mind.
I have gotten together with a few of my dear friends to do a little project, A Week In The Life, basically documenting each day for a week. I want to create some digtal collages and print them out to make a book actually, to go into a yearly book if I am on the ball! so without further ado..here is my Friday - Mainly my morning, as I cleaned for most of my day before Lily's Party Tomorrow.

'Friday Sunlight'

The first morning rays on Friday morning. A little cold..but rather a lovely sight.

6:20am from my bed.

'Morning's Lament'
I know I have to get up...but I just don't want to
Friday Morning
7am

'Stop for a Moment'
Just after dropping little ones to Kindy
My front yard - 8:53am

'Come in, Stay a while'
One of the most fave parts of my house..is the door handle
8:57am

so that's me for today, tomorrow there will be more art..and more week in my life photos!
oh there will be party photos!
take care..pop over to Traci's Blog for her day two (it wont be up yet, I'm a day ahead of her hehe)

leave a comment, I love hearing from you! and post your blog address if you want, I love a good blog hop at night with my tea.

take care! xx Courtney

The Artful Journey - Day One & Creative Space

2011-09-01T12:19:00.004+10:00

The journey of Art Saves begins, most of you who read my blog, know that this month will be my the month of the Fighting the 'Black Dog' with a paintbrush in hand and a pencil in my hair. I am determined not to fail! So This is Day 1 of Tracy Bunkers Get Your Art On and also since its Thursday..creative space day aswell...and what else oh the Art Geeks Hair Prompt and.. what else..no no thats it till tomorrow.

So below are the bigger versions of my pre sketching a few nights ago, Christy challenged us to create three girls, with three different hair styles.. this prompt was dedicated to me, so there was no way I wasn't going to dive in, as hair and how it should look on my girls is always the worst part of the creation process...but I think my problem was not looking at actually hair styles besides the ones in my head.

so I got my prisma pencils out, as it was too cold so sit and paint, I snuggled down into bed, and chatted to the boy via video as I created these 3 very different girls. It's been such a while since I used my pencils like this, I forgot they used to be my medium of choice!

added a little bit of watercolour to them today just for something different.
Tomorrow..I also start my week in Pictures, that I'm doing with a few of my girls, which shouldn't be that hard with my picture taking for get your art on..plus I have a new printer waiting for me back in Sydney... I was spoilt, so I shall be creating like a crazy woman with prints and making a book my week in photos lots of ideas ran through my head when he told me he'd bought a new printer. squeeee..I am such a kid.

that is me for the day!
pop over to all the links in this post, lots of beauty and stunning art to look at...
I shall see you tomorrow for day two of the Artful healing Journey.
xx Courtney

How I'm Going to Get Out of the Dark.

2011-08-31T09:57:00.003+10:00

Ok, time to get real here, I have a heap of personal crap going on in the background and I decided last night that in order to overcome those things, or better juggle them, was to fill my time to the absolute BRIM, I'm an emotional eater, and with all the moving and the little minions behavior reacting to the unstableness of it all, I am but a shadow of myself emotionally...a hopeless wreck if you will...but I'm not going to let myself sit around and just give over to the dark.

As most of you know, if you have been reading for a while, I battle with depression every other day, I'm no longer on Meds for it, but that was my personal choice, I chose art as my drug of choice..and its working to a degree, but only if I work at it, if I let myself slip..then I slip far and the way back to the light is a really shit-tastic slog.

so this month, in between the moving, the birthdays the everythings, I am trying to get better.
and the only way was to fill my month with epic art journeys...personally couldn't afford to lol but I did it anyway, I'll make up the cash somewhere along the way, this was something I had to do for myself, for my soul.
I know my blogs ment to be this upbeat yay yay look at my art and adorable family...but some days, that is far far from reality. So I thought I'd be honest, as so many of you have left comments admiring my honest writing.

so this month, starting tomorrow... will be filled with the following.

Traci Bunkers, is doing Get your art on again..and since I completed her last round and did so with a spring in my step, I decided I'd play along again...as a part of my self healing.
I enjoyed doing this, it was a challenge but it felt good to make sure I made something every single day, and since I dont feel all that colourful mentally, I'm pushing myself to do it again.

Next up during the month of September, is the 30 Days of Art Journalling with Gulfsprite,
this is going to be a big thing in my healing, this woman has fast become one of the women I look to when I need to get out of the dark. Her work is everything I love, and I know doing this course will just give me a spark..the spark I'm currently missing at the moment. Self medication with art better work, or I'm up shit creek without a paddle.

The last of my prescriptions, the one I couldn't afford but didn't care is Jane Davenports Supplies Me
I saw the video, I checked the bank balance, and I pouted...I knew I couldn't afford it, so I sat there for a few days and felt myself get deeper and deeper, made a deal with myself to somehow pay myself back, and bought it last night when I was at my lowest...
so here I stand...with two art courses, and a challenge, still in my pjs looking like death has come for me, watching my kids drag random empty boxes around the house and no caring.

art has saved me before...there is no reason it cant save me again...if this month doesnt bring me back to life, then it may have to be actual anti depressant for me, but I'll fight it tooth and nail.
If you've read this far, I thankyou.
enjoy your Wednesday...I will try to.
xx Courtney

Sunday Snippets

2011-08-28T17:20:00.003+10:00

Playing along with Tinnie Girl in her Sunday snippets. Today has been a long day indeed, the boy leaving at the crack of dawn, and the little ones being rather pushing of mumma's buttons. but alas, here are the pictures from my day...

adding graphite to my girls face, and giving her more defined hair.

I worked on a new journal today for myself..which resulted in me unpacking a box I'd already packed to get to my font stamps.

that simplest thing like the curl on my girls forehead...

elijah..playing hide and seek in a cupboard...(before the tantrums lol)

binding my first journal by hand... from scratch.

the cover of the journal...when you fold the covers out to size, its a dripping rainbow, I am slightly in love with her.

so that is my Sunday, Im worn out, drained and a little bit emotional after the day the kids put me through..but its all ok...because I have a new art journal.
xx Courtney

come join me!

2011-08-26T13:40:00.001+10:00

I'm taking this in September for the entire month, if you are stuck in an art rut, this woman will pull you out within mere seconds of watching one of her videos.
30 complete days of art Journalling! for a bargain price.
let the artist in you leap out and have a play!
xx Courtney

Thursday Night in the Brook-Diaz House

2011-08-26T10:18:00.004+10:00

Thursday night in the Raven house, was bbq movie night, a little treat for the bumbles, and also a reason to test drive the boy's new bbq! was a nice night, kids played outside while we cooked the meat, sorted a movie out and made popcorn on the stove.

lily being a little dork hehe but shes adorable.

eli playing with me on the bed, first time I've gotten him to just be silly and let me take photos! this was a happy accident snap...and its one of my faves of him.
we had snags, chicken kebabs, and a mexican marinated beef for dinner, served with wedges and fresh crusty bread! was soooo good! the boy has taken left overs to work for lunch hehe.

and after they watched the lion king, ate their mumma cooked popcorn they were off to bed...and I finally got to slink into bed, and do a little art, before the boy and I watched Water for elephants...adored that movie was so beautiful.

so that was Thursday night in our house! tonight a whole different story..packing today and driving through the night to get home to Inverell for a mere week before we are back in Sydney for two weeks! crazy time in my life I must say!

take care my dears
xx Courtney

Creative Space - What I've been doing.

2011-08-25T14:02:00.003+10:00

yes I admit it, I'm in an art/craft rut, but I am doing my very best to drag my sorry self out of the rut, so in order to show myself that I have been doing a little art even though its not much, I'm still creating and that's what important.

I started adding colour to my side face girl last night, she's slowly taking shape. I think I will do alot of layers of colour on her, to really get the depth, one thing I've learnt arting, is that I'm spending more time on things, not just wanting to get it finished, but to give it, its best chance to be something beautiful.

yeah little more work on colouring as the below photo looks like shes chewing something lol ugh I'm such a critic!
and the forever photo organising for remains of the day journal, maybe I shouldn't organize and just get them into the journal...nup I want it to be organized lol, and Im also starting up a week in my life with a few friends, where starting next thursday we are doing a week in our life, photographing every day a few snaps and writing a little bit about them, Im going to print mine out and make a book out of them..to remind myself that my life isn't that boring...all the little things count.

I am also going to give this little journal some love, and a soul again, she lost her cover some time ago, and I stopped using her, so in the coming days I'll revamp her ready to go. She already has some art inside her, but got disreguarded the moment she lost her cover.so thats me for this creative thursday! pop over to our creative space and check out the pretties there.
I'll see you when I see you..maybe when I get out of this horrid rut!!
the count down is on to gulfsprites 30 days of art journalling course!! get a spot u know you want to!

Sketching is Hard!!

2011-08-22T13:48:00.005+10:00

Afternoon my darlings,
well its been a bit since my last post hasn't it, we are in Sydney for a week, and I finally have a moment where I can sit down and just create. Over at Wild Precious I have joined a grp dedicated to the bare bones of sketching...to get out of our comfort zones and to really challenge us as artists. I thought why not! sketching is where it all begins, and with a lot of practice and constant work you gradually get better! its like anything, you keep doing it over and over you are bound to train yourself to improve. What sort of artist would I be, if all I could draw where girls faces...a one dimensional one. So this is my attempt to broaden my horizons!
So this weeks prompt was something in your kitchen... I saw three items on my kitchen table and went from, my juice from lunch, my iphone and my H lead pencil...so I started sketching in a 3B, I then did some darkening with just some basic ballpoint pen, then added a little bit of shading and colour with my water paints.

it was so much harder than I expected lol, but I get the saying is true practice makes perfect...so I guess I'll get practicing! Why not pop over and join us and put yourself to the test! We have all given ourselves permission to suck!

and on the topic of sucking and practicing things we aren't that great at..side faces...they are out to get me, but I will keep creating Frankenstein girls till one might just work! look at her random sized eyes lol ugh... I'll get it..it will just take time...
that is me for the day! I'll get back to filling out the side face with more detail and maybe some colour, and I might even sketch out some more kitchen things! who knows lol.
take care make art and just live a little, take an arty risk!

xx Courtney

I am alive!

2011-08-19T15:02:00.002+10:00

Image from Lobster and Swan

Yes yes, I am alive..barely lol, I am in the throws of packing and moving, with just over a month to go..but really only 3 weeks in this house physically (because of our sydney trips) I am frantically trying to get things done.
I have hardly arted, and my soul feels it! I did try sit down last night but because I was so tired and so not feeling it, my art was just a hot mess. I shall gesso over both the shocker pages and start again.
I shall photograph two of the things I have worked on in the last week, tomorrow before I leave for a week in Sydney, of course I'll take the mac and blog from boys house.

xx Courtney

Spilling Over!

2011-08-12T13:51:00.004+10:00

Today as I met the post man, completely drench from just having a shower with my pjs crammed on like a lunatic. He handed me a parcel, and I knew instantly that it was the book I'd ordered a couple of weeks ago so all the embarrassment of looking like a drowned rat in shocking pj attire slipped away!
I have decided to buy myself one book a month to keep my journal/mixed media/art/writing collection going, so my first book purchase was Diana Trout's Journal Spilling. Oh my, how delish this book is!
I am half way through reading and soaking up the beauty, I was meant to make an art vid today but when the book fell into my hands everything else was forgotten and I got lost amongst it's pages like a beautiful dream.

filled with ideas, techniques and her own experiences this book is just devine, buy it you know you want to!
as I've mentioned a few times in the past I'm undertaking Samantha Kira's True 2 You 2 course over at willowings ning site link to it is in the sidebar, and week one was all about colour, here are the fruits from week one. Week two is pattern so I shall be getting stuck into that and with yesterdays finished canvas patterns are on my brain!
in between my mummy, cleaner, daydreamer moments I am also still working on my Remains of the day, I'm trying to make the time to sit down and bind the signatures into the journal, but for now I'll just play amongst the photos I've printed out to start working its way into the magical mismatching pages.
and last on the agenda today is the quickie sketch I played with in a moment of I need to do some art NOW! so I grabbed a dark graphite pencil and just started scribbling till something came from the mess, a little spray and a little watercolour and wahla took me 15 mins max to do. Sometimes you just need to inject some art onto a page. Doesn't have to be perfect (mine sure isn't) but its good to get it out of your system. I'm contemplating binding a journal just for these types of works, those quick quick don't stop sketches that just evolved from scribbling lines and a bit of paint.

that's all for me, I'm currently waiting for my mum to rock up, shes late as per usual then its off for a bit of birthday present shopping and dinner at parents place. I've got my journal packed and I'm ready to just sit and sketch while my little ones play and I get the night off from cooking.
xx Courtney

My Creative Space - Flower Power!

2011-08-11T14:48:00.003+10:00

after many days, and some nights working slowly slowly, drawing, outlining painting, then adding white paint pen, she be finished. I kept going, as I said because the boy kept me going. and when I step back, I really like it, not love, just like at the moment. I have a few girlfriends who are getting versions of it as goodbye gifts when i leave...so they have a piece of me in their homes. It's only 8 hours away, but still I'll miss them like a limb.

also a little bit of wood I'm working on for my second week canvas, since I only have one spare canvas in the house at the moment.

and more style building, Juliette Crane's work is beyond amazing and one day I will do her how to paint and owl course, her little girls called me, so I grabbed my journal and drew them up, they are so sweet, you don't realise how hard it is till you try draw those simple looking faces..aint simple!

Thats all I'm working on these days, I have to begin packing, the art supplies will be the last thing to be packed lol so I'll draw to the end!!!
pop on over to the hub of creative space and check out the loveliness
xx Courtney

Inkings and Works in Progress

2011-08-09T13:21:00.002+10:00

Before I start babbling arty stuff, I'd like to dedicate my blog post today to my sister, we dont see eye to eye alot and we drive eachother bonkers, but shes one of my favourite people on this earth. At the moment shes going through a really craptastic time, so I want her to know, shes the yellow in my rainbow.., the one that helps me shine, You amaze me beyond words and I hope you find your footing real soon my darling girl.

ok onto the art!
Today in the Raven Nook, the entire desk was filled with ways to get down and creative, paints watercolours pencils pens stencils inks. My awesome plastic pink plate of cheap win for my painting palette..hey whatever works.

as you know I joined the out of the journal challenge, and this is the start of my second canvas, yes yes I know you're going but its a new week. I am behind... I personally am not loving the below work..but my mum and my man are telling me to keep going because..with highlights and little details...it might be amazing..so going on the vibe of what it 'might become' I will keep going and then do two smaller canvases to catch up.
and in the journal...I am drawing girls, who would have thunk lol. yes yes girls are what I draw the most of, but its because I'm trying to refine my skills and also find where my style is, copying others style is whats helping me try and discover what I want my style to be...maybe one day I'll know because I am still unsure.
still trying the Art Geeks skin paint recipe and I'm trying to refine that too lol as she was again too purple so as I go along it will get easier and maybe just become second nature. Practice makes pretty.
and the highlight of my week... is finding a pair of almost new docs for sale for $50 on a trade swap sell group for Inverell on facebook. I squeeled when I went to visit the girl who owned them and they fitted! I adored my docs back through highschool and uni, I wore them for almost 6 years straight till they fell apart lol, so I cant wait to see what adventures I'll have in these.
as you can see Ive already worn them and gotten foundation makeup on the souls from cleaning up little miss's mess.
take care my dears, I'll be back tomorrow with some more of my art
xx Courtney

a little art geek challenge.

2011-08-03T16:20:00.002+10:00

so over at Effy Wild little ning site, there is a little magical grp run by someone who I mention quite a lot in my little nook, Gulf Sprite runs an adorable group called Art Geeks. I joined up of course this woman makes me want to be a better artist. Every week she sets us art prompts of challenges. This week was using texture and painting faces. I started by sketching the face at about 1am! yes I couldn't sleep so I sketched. I adhered her to the canvas today and started working on the shading, using Christy's tips and skin tone recipe.

yah shes a little bit dark and a little grape like lol Christy saved me, I layered and layered bopped to some Florence and the machine and just had fun with it! I knew I had to get a canvas close to finished as I have to do two week! as well as my True to You homework for the week.

so after many hours of layering, added texture paste, spraying painting darkening, this is how shes looking at the moment. She isn't finished as I'm contemplating what to do with the background..tone it down or leave it? what are your thoughts.

now I must tidy up the mess and get to work on the colour theory for true to you.
enjoy your evening...do pop over to art geeks, for Christy's videos alone..they are very much worth it.
xx Courtney

Remains of The Day...a journal, a journey

2011-08-02T18:09:00.003+10:00

Evening my dears, today I spent the day with my mum crafting up a storm. I started my Remains of the Day journal a little while ago now and I had a bit of sewing rage hehe with snapped needles and things not going to plan. Well today I took over my mums new sewing machine and got down to business.

some of the signatures being prepared lots of loose thread that needed to be cut off!!
the inside of some of my pages, some of the boarders on alot of my journal pages are from the lovely GulfSprite's digital boarder download! they looked awesome against some of my pages, really popped which made me smile when I sewed them on.

coming together slowly...I spent more of the day patchwork sewing papers together.

adding accents to certain pages, sewing them on, the rest of them will be glued down as I finished up at mums but hadn't gotten all my accents on, another Gulfsprite boarder, and a cut out from page from Frankie Magazine.

I even went so far as to start the cover, sewing fabrics together to make a patchwork then slipping the cardstock template inside, and then stitching in the ditch to make sure the card doesn't slip around inside the slip. I'm also toying with the big wooden button to help with my wrap around closure when I make that...Since that shot, I stitched a little calico panel onto the front with Raven Ink hand stamped onto it...looks rather cute.tomorrow I hand bind the signatures into the book, create my wrap around closure and finish the accents and the journal is finished. I am rather in love with it!

enjoy your Tuesday evening, I'm going to curl up with my art journal and some pizza and just soak up the kid free silence.

xx Courtney

works in progress!

2011-08-01T15:53:00.004+10:00

Today the sun was out, the warmth was beautiful and the colour palette was absolutely endless! I set the little ones up with a craft box filled with goodies while I sat at the bigger table in the sunlight and started the day with some art.

I started working in my art journal, working over and old letter, getting those last few pages done before the book is finished. A little butterfly girl, with bright orange hair hehe. I rather like her and she only came to life when I put the white highlights in her eyes...its almost like artistic magic what a few highlights can do.
as I mentioned yesterday, this month of august is going to be 2 canvases a week! A way to jump out of our journals and onto canvas...so I started layering today with my first canvas. No idea where it will take me..but that's the beauty right? I was stuck staring at its stark whiteness, when my dear girlfriend Lisa, told me to put some pink on it...and with her little nudge I started.

I'm excited to see what journey this piece takes me on! its all about the process with the canvases that's what I'm telling myself..I'm letting the work tell me what to do, and not the other way around.

and to top my day off...a new installment of my copic marker club arrived! yummmy colours, good day I think good day indeed!

Pop over to Her Library Adventures for the beginning of Journal Week...you might see me there....
have a beautiful Monday my dears
x Courtney

Get your Art on DAY 30!!!!!

2011-07-31T21:35:00.003+10:00

I made it I made it I madeeeeeeeeee it *sings loudly* I successfully did 30 days of art! even with a road trip and this and that and general life gets in the way moments! I DID IT and man..I'm fricken proud.

Today was a mish mash of everything, finishing things, tweaking things, going over things again, and starting another page with one of Gulf Sprites beautiful digi downloads. I also started playing with some more ATC's. Nothing got finished but that is a ok with me.

I also got my yarn out for the first time in a while, I've got a love hate relationship with knitting and crocheting lately, my brain seems to just make stuff turn to poo when it comes to patterns...so I started the Bee Keepers Quilt

this is what the pattern looks like...they are little puffy hexagons, each knitted individually then stuffed and sewn together...and I fell in love...so I bought the pattern and started...

so that's what I'm up to! Tomorrow I start my first canvas for the two a week! I have no idea what I want to create so I'll just start layering and go from there.
xoxo thankyou for following me on this crazy little 30 day Journey its been so amazing and such a huge accomplishment for myself to get a whole month of art done. I'll keep the posts up as regularly as I can for all of you and for myself.

sleep tight! I'm off to finish the first puff YAY!
xx Courtney

Get Your Art On Day 29 - already thinking...

2011-07-30T20:33:00.004+10:00

Well we made it through the car trip barely! the little teacup humans hardly slept well I lie, one slept but work up every 20 minutes whimpering little lily, well she decided to defy the odds of sleep law and just talk on and off for ages! boy and I are showing signs of wear and tear for sure.

so here is my pathetic attempts for tonight's art attempt, just a little collection of things from moments in my life all down on the page.

organizing the crazyness that is my art stash at the moment, I think ikea gave me lightbulb moments, where things can look neat and tidy and be contained in freaking cute boxes! so that's been what I've been doing for half of my day, just tidying and putting things in giant boxes to make sure that all my supplies are kept safe and are easier to get to, I still have my usuals at hand though they are on my desk all unpacked from the trip to sydney.

as the Get Your Art On month draws to a close, I thought about what I might do for next month, I like the thought of making time to art, things get done...practice makes perfect... and I went looking for something else to keep me on the journey to semi regular arting. Yep I am doing true to you 2 which is going to be FAB! but today I saw a blog post by the dear Journal Girl herself, her challenge, is to do two paintings a week on canvas. or on Big bits of paper something other than our art journals, and I thought about it for a bit, and went WHY NOT!
so I went out today and bought two canvases ready for the first week in August, I'm a little excited by it, I like the idea of filling a wall with bright bright canvases 8 in one month! I might have to sell a few off and give them as gifts! we shall see!!! Im hoping I can keep up, but I have a good feeling that I will.

that's it for me! pop over to Traci to see her beautiful photos and a journal page for today
xx Courtney

Get Your Art on day 28 - Stencilry

2011-07-29T17:17:00.002+10:00

We decided to drive back tonight instead of Saturday morning alot easier on the kids and for us, so the boy doesn't have to drive two days running and its such a long drive!
so I packed like a mad woman today! making sure everything was packed, and at the door so that minimal time was spent doing just that tonight. My little ones are in the bath so it gives me a spare moment to blog before the road trip begins!

today I did some basic basic, stencil work nothing fancy just quick and easy in between loads of washing and cleaning and packing.
I hope to turn these into something rather lovely though! thats always my intention.

I'm so very sleepy but I refused to let this day slip by without art! too close to the end to fail.

I'll see you back in my little country nook, a bitter sweet return...but it has to be done only for a few more months.
pop over to traci's blog to see her photography work for the day.
I need to go get two very wet kids out of the bath and into their pjs!
xx Courtney

Get Your Art on Day 27 and Creative Space! True 2 You Two

2011-07-28T15:12:00.002+10:00

well well on today's creative front, its the beginning of a new artistic journey, I enrolled myself in an art course a little while ago and the course starts in a few days, as a pre teaser, Samantha Kira has given a little worksheet/questionnaire on journalling, how we came to journal, why we journal all different questions on our journalling selves. So my art today is theoretical art, writing about my art, which I feel is just as important sometimes as the art itself.

I will be using my new art journal for the course, as I'm about 5 pages left of my current one and wanted the course work not to be split up so I move into this book, who says you cant have ur hands in two books at once!

I also started keeping a written journal, purely for my everyday journalling, the mundane if you will. I realized that my writing had become less and less as I got more involved with my art journal, so I got out a little O Check Designs book I have had for over a year, and started jotting things down, how I'm feeling, moments in my day I wanted to remember, things the kids have done and general reflections.
It feels good to write again, I didn't know how much I'd missed it till I started again.

So there are all my journals stacked up waiting to be filled up and inked all over whether it be with words or ink or art they all have a purpose in my life, and they are all so very important to my growth as an artist a writer and as a mumma.

So for Creative Space links! please pop over Here to the Communal blog and check out the overwhelming amount of awesome

and for Traci's Blog to see what shes up to for get your art on pop over here.

and as for me..pop back tomorrow I'll have something else for you.
xox Courtney

Get Your Art On Day 26 - late night ATC

2011-07-27T21:37:00.001+10:00

got home from shopping and went OMG I haven't done my art for the day! so I video skyped my mumma and worked on a quick ATC! here are the fruits of that little quick task! wet ink and all..
Check out Traci's blog for her paint on canvas background work
I shall see you tomorrow! with a bit more art!

xx Courtney

Why I Keep a Journal...

2011-07-26T15:02:00.004+10:00

I did write this for a friend of mine, but life gets a little busy, so it never got published...so I thought I'd share with you guys why I keep a journal..and some pages of past journals of mine.

I'm a young mother of two very personality driven little ones, I'm an artist, a writer a crafter..and an avid journal keeper...
here is my story...

(A page from my overnight stay in taipei, even for just the night, it is etched into my mind as the night I was a little bit wild.)

I remember my first journal, it came wrapped up in Christmas paper, tagged love nanna, it was a little square journal with a fairy on the front cover, and a little padlock. It was from then on, I kept a journal. These pages held my life in them, from my first crush, to graduation, to getting accepted into uni, to my life in England, marriage, parenthood, divorce, and finding myself again. They have comforted me through many many journeys of the soul.

(a double spread made on the inside cover of a french notebook given to me by a dear friend, this book needed alot of putting back together she was used so much)

Pages of ink, a lifetime supply of pens used, and several life changing moments captured. I love the fact that I can pinpoint the moment I realized I was pregnant with my first son, I had written that I wasn't feeling very well and was unsure why. Later that week I found out I was pregnant. Those are the things, that make my heart sing knowing I have that little tid-bit recorded.

(my leather journal in the above photo, I got as a birthday present from my Mum, soon became my absolute favourite journal and one of the reason I want to be a bookbinder. I turned the signatures into chapters of my year...living in England brought about the depression from lack of sunlight)

(The cover of my french notebook. inked and written all over, she holds such memories.)

As I've grown, my journals have evolved with me, going from little girl diary, to a young woman's journal, to my way of expressing myself with not just words..but with art as well.
I have always said, my journals will be passed down to my kids, for if I died tomorrow at least they would know things about me I would never get around to telling them myself.

(the journal that stole my heart...this is the front cover of her. )

(This journal kept collections of notes, cut outs photographs everything about my time in England, even though it was one of my most unhappiest journals written content wise, it helped me to keep myself from the dark dark hole that I was slowly falling into)

A journal is a life's work, and I don't think I could stop even if I tried. My handbag is much too light if my journal isn't tucked in inside it. You can feel the gap, where it should be. and to quote Anais Nin:-

''My diary is a mirror telling the story of a dreamer who, a long long time ago went through life the way one reads a book.''
Keep a journal, your future self will thank you for it.

thanks for stopping by
why do you journal?
x Courtney

Get Your Art On Day 25 - Faces Faces Faces.

2011-07-26T14:15:00.003+10:00

Today's art is all about the faces, purely for the love of it, and one for the love of the child I'm making it for. Below is the workings of the ATC from last nights post, its still rather wet so I can't add my white highlights, as they keep sinking into the wet watercolour. It was fun workin on that small scale. In the background is the covers for my neices to be's notebooks that I will bind myself once I finish cutting the inside paper for them.

I've been daydreaming about bookbinding lately reading hungrily all the info I can find on it, flicking through the books I've been given on the topic from girlfriends, that I started drawing little book sketches for when I get back to Inverell to have a play.

and the last face of the day, is working on the second doll for my mans little nieces, few more layers of paint then a sealer, then I'll knit them little scarves sew her head up and they are ready for their new homes.
that's all the art going on here, whats happening in your world art wise? I'd love to hear what you're working on! leave a link to your work in the comments so I can pop by and check it out, I love a good blog hop to see new things.
xx Courtney

oh and pop over to Traci's blog to see what shes doing for her day of art!

Get Your Art On Day 24 - a book binders heart.

2011-07-25T20:53:00.003+10:00

As Traci stated in her blog post wow its already day 24 almost done but not quite. Today I started laying down messy watercolours onto an ATC that I bought in a pack of 10 from spotlight, I wanted to challenge myself to work in smaller form for a few days, excuse the weird little markings on the ATC thats a little bit of my lily's work on there hehe its all layers right? playing with the watercolours on the old letters again, to rip up and start collaging them onto the ATC tomorrow me thinks then maybe one of my girl sketches, we shall see!

While I've been in Sydney I've made a few purchases, nothing major but just little things that add to my world first was a mug from typo, since the boy has just plain white mugs a girl needs a little bit of colour and girlyness to her morning tea! so for a mere $5 I bought this cute little arty mug and I adore it.
as I mentioned in a previous post, I went to a bookbinding paper store in Sydney called Amazing Paper this is where I picked up the supplies for my new little venture of journal making. I really want to get into making leather bound journals and junk journals as they have won my little paper heart.
pop over to Traci's blog to see her lovely artwork for the day! and I shall see you tomorrow with the progress on the ATC and also some random little sketches I've been doing to fill in time I guess.

xx Courtney

Get Your Art on Day 23 - a little detail.

2011-07-24T18:19:00.002+10:00

I started this picture a few days ago, and today while we ate lunch at the zoo I started filling in the details, nothing major but its all the art I got in. Building shadows more of the blue background, and using my black sharpie for all the outlines where needed.

so today We went to Taronga Park Zoo with the little humans and man did we have a good time! the kids were mesmerized by the magic of the zoo animals. Here are our little ones in some new clothes my boyfriend's mum handmade for them. so so cute, she made them a few items of clothing they are just adorable.

this is the view from the sky safari we went on at the start of the day and at the end of the day, it takes you over the top of the zoo so you can see the animals from above. Fantastic view of sydney.

the Giraffes were spectacular to see! Elijah picked a soft toy of the giraffe and lily picked a Koala. I also bought them little elephant cups from the zoo shop.

the Lemars, such adorable quick little creatures! this one came right up to the window and sat there for the kids to have a good look at him before he scurried away.one of my fave pics from the day, my man and my kids...they are perfect.

pop over to Traci's Blog for her arty photography
see you tomorrow for another little art adventure
xxo Courtney

Get Your Art on Day 22 - Sharpie's Are WIN

2011-07-23T19:56:00.002+10:00

So, sharpies, are a wonderful relatively cheap pen you can get from most newsagents, office works and supermarkets! they are bright they are fun, and they just make me happy. So while I waited for the boy to get home from the car servicing trip, I played with my sharpies, I have a rather large range, more black though than colours, as I use all the different sizes and tips in the black pens for various reasons, but today I went for the bright crazy colours and just had fun.

its not amazing, its not heart stopping..its just art play, and today that's ok.
tomorrow the man and I are taking the teacup humans to the zoo! so I shall art it up with the wild beasts!
photos will of course be followed up tomorrow.
pop over to Traci's Blog to check our her canvas art for the day.

have a lovely Saturday evening, I shall see you tomorrow
xoxo Courtney

Get Your Art on Day 20 :- Willowing Inspired.

2011-07-22T15:49:00.003+10:00

I hit a bit of a creative blank today, with the rain and the cold, I couldn't seem to get my mind working, so I did a bit of flickr surfing to get my brain working, when I came across some of Willowing's 2011 journal pages, and suddenly I wanted to recreate but with a me spin on some of her beautiful girls. She always does the best hair i swear lol.
so here is my rendition of a few of her pages into one.

its an ode to the move in October.. its almost there. I keep chanting that to myself, over and over to stay sane.

I hope to work on this page tonight once the kids are asleep and its just the boy and I, and the quiet...I want to embrace the quiet like an old friend these days.

check our Traci's beautiful little Sukura watercolour work on her 21st day.
We are approaching the end of the 30 days, but I am hoping to keep going, its nice to have a goal, and you feel so good at the end of the day when you know you've created something, good good feeling!
when Get Your Art On is over I will go back to my friday pages posts on fridays and a video!
bit hard to make a video when the little, ones are at kindy.
I shall see you tomorrow, lets see what I come up with on my busy weekend, something!

xx Courtney

My Creative Space - Day 20 of Get Your Art On!

2011-07-21T10:17:00.003+10:00

Another Thursday and for once I'm on the ball! I am reaching the end of my art journal, and its such an experience..this is the first journal of any kind that I've even come close to finishing since I had kids. Its been such a journey for me. So I've been going back and finding my blank or half worked pages and filling them in before I finish the last few pages of the journal.

Today I worked in watercolour and graphite, the combo has become my absolute favourite in these last few weeks. I have created some of my most beautiful images I feel in these two mediums.
sticking to a small colour palette I sketched and began layering the 4-5 colours down to create these odd necked beauties. Instead of an aqua brush I used a small pointed tip paintbrush.. I love the way it glides the colours down onto the page.

I am not completely happy with my second girl, maybe because shes smaller and the details aren't as popped out as my bigger girl, but shes still part of the process of creating.

so there you have my creative space and my 20th day of get your art one! below you shall find the links to...
The Creative Space Hub...lots of beautiful places and blogs to get lost in.
and Traci's Blog for her post and the links to the other artists who are arting it up.

I am off to late night shopping tonight! and a spotlight trip, I am in need of some Punchenella, and there is a sale on stamps... dangerous!
then we are off to a shopping complex (a real one!!!) hehe few things I need to pick up, and I think a trip into typo just because I heart that shop, and need a lappy bag for the mac.
take care lovelies.
xx Courtney

Get you Art on Day 19 - Rainy Day Art

2011-07-20T11:14:00.002+10:00

Its overcast wet and cold here in sydney today, the little ones are playing cubby house with the boys couch cushions so they are happily occupied, so I sat down at the table complete with kiddy splatter mats for their art, hence the roads and car map in the background. I did a little simple sketch and went from there. This page is an off load page, where I use the last of my inks left on my stencils which is why there is ink randomly splattered on the page, I think it always adds a nice textured element.

I used my budget watercolour paint set to fill her in and an aqua pen. A little white jelly pen for eye highlights. I love that I can use two items in my stash and create an entire page. The watercolour set and an aqua pen would be an easy thing to pack into your bag and create art wherever you were. So simple and so effective.

so thats my little bit of art for today, I might do some more later on when the little ones are more settled and I can concentrate. I dont have many pages left in my art journal! Very excited.
and tonight is officeworks night! yes yes another silly country bumpkin moment for me! but I have pen needs! and stationary lust! its black pen stock up time, if you hear a manic cackling during the evening..its just me in the pen isle hehe

take care!
and pop over to Traci's blog for her post.
xo Courtney

Get Your Art on Day 18 - GulfSprite Love.

2011-07-19T15:39:00.002+10:00

with the day stolen from me with a fun outing with the kids and the boy's lovely sister there wasnt much time for me to art it up, so I went to my folder of printed our beautifuls from the so very talented GulfSprite she has these amazing digital art images you can buy and print out to create beautiful journal pages with not much time! and time was what I had little of today so this was perfect.

started with my dodgy car art page that I hated so I started layering over it to make a very lovely background, tore the image up and pasted her down and brighted her original colours with paints and inks. Sprays and doilys I loved having something beautiful in less than 30 mins. tonight when the little ones have gone to bed, I shall fill in the details with my pens. For now I have chicken and bacon casserole to make!

pop over to Traci's blog for her art supply give away and her art for the day! and please stop buy Gulfsprites blog and store, she is so very talented, her work with colours and sprays just blow my mind!

take care xox
Courtney

Get Your Art on Day 17 - a little acrylic.

2011-07-18T13:13:00.003+10:00

a day inside with the little ones, lots of paper, highlighters and pipecleaners. they happily drew while I created my art for the day, back on track no more silly art! so back in the art journal with my acrylic paints this time...
trying to do faces with different techniques not just the same thing over and over, so I used some odd colour combos and a paintbrush and went on my merry way

a little acrylic for the background and I used a wet one to push it around the page.

a little spray inks and some text stamping and that page is done, till I journal over it a little later on.
so there is my art for the day! feels good to be back on track, yes I have arted everyday but not to my fullest! so here I be, back in my art journal, and creating art that makes me smile

pop over to Traci's blog for her post
and take care till tomorrow!
Im off to Ikea tonight, and I'm stupidly excited lol.
xox Courtney

Get Your Art On Day 16 - Car Art

2011-07-17T21:33:00.003+10:00

8 Hours, what a drive, what a drive, teacup humans were very well behaved, I was very impressed by them, they watched dvd's and they drew pictures with their etcha sketch (arty mumma go go) so car art wasnt that fab, I spent most of my time keeping the boy entertained while the kids watched Dvd's so I played with my watercolours for a little bit and did some sketching in my little sketch book

I would love to stay and chat a while, but the drive took it out of me, tomorrow will be a little of my art for the day and a little of the kids art, as I have craft things waiting for them to play with in the next few days.

pop over to to Traci's blog for her post today!
and I shall see you tomorrow with some proper art and proper photos
xoxo Courtney

Get Your Art On Day 15 - Arty Packing

2011-07-16T23:32:00.004+10:00

The only arty thing going on at the moment is packing Art Supplies for my two week trip to sydney with the little ones and the boy. So I spent more than 3o mins doing that! lol there was sorting and trading off with myself, if I take this and this I cant take that and this. But I might need this (when I never use it) but there is always the what if I suddenly really wanted to use it...the boy watched me as I took things from shelves, boxes paint tubes, stamps, sprays and muttered to myself over what was coming and what wasnt...'You're taking your distress inks' he asked confused as to why I would need my entire range of inks, I just looked at him...and the look said it all... Never come between and artist and her supplies when its road trip packing.

I am taking a little portable watercolour moleskine for the drive, with an aqua pen and my colours to see what 'car art' I can come up with. Im sure alot of background randomness will occur in the 8 hour drive.

I shall see you tomorrow with the fruits of my car art. Sorry the above photo isnt my usual image quality, I snapped with that new app everyone seems to be using instagram. My cannon battery is charging for the trip!

pop on over to Traci's blog to see what delightful thing she's arted up!

xoxox Courtney

Get Your Art on Day 14 - Doll one Done..Almost

2011-07-15T19:41:00.003+10:00

The night is young and yet I have alot of things to do, pack for sydney..clean the house well tidy up a little, make sure dogs stuff is sorted for his babysitting make sure my art journal is with me...and my new art journal since I have an inkling I shall finish my current one in Sydney.
This little darling is what I've spent two grueling days on, so my art time..is the art of doll making. I just have to knit her a little red scarf to go around her neck, and she be done. This little dear is Emma.

I'm so sleepy lol, these dolls might be small but they sure do take some fiddling. I have the proper enlarged size now, so if I'm game enough I'll make my little girl one, and my niece.

Pop over to Traci's blog to see her finished journal page spread, I shall see you tomorrow with whatever I do in between the crazyness of packing two small humans and a mamma up for two weeks away.
xx Courtney

Get Your Art on Day 13 - Doll Love

2011-07-14T22:39:00.002+10:00

So today was sew boyfriends nieces a toy day, and I decided to do the Black Apple doll pattern featured on Martha Stewart a few years ago, I didnt enlarge the doll like it said because I didnt have the ability to do that, so I was making bubby dolls which are still cute too!

instead of doing the simple closed eye half moon eyes, like the pattern tells me too...I thought I'd get my art on and give it a Courtney touch....

so I got out my paints and pencils and started drawing, inking and reworking..then finally sealing them with a binder medium, attaching a little button and their heads are ready to be sewn to the little dress bodies. I did start their arms and legs...but there was some uber SEWING FAIL! and I will have to remake all their body parts tomorrow slightly bigger and with more seam allowance to stop seam ripping as I try to turn them out with a pencil.

sorry about the dodgy photos, I got so caught up in cutting and making these dolls that it was rather late when I photographed them so the light is appalling.

jump on over to Traci's blog to see her lovely jump start on a journal page, and I'll be back tomorrow with maybe *fingers crosses* finished dolls...if the sewing goddess isn't striking me down with a little bit of what my girlfriends and I like to call...a bad case of shit touch.

xx Courtney

Get Your Art On Day 12! - Whimsy Love

2011-07-13T13:46:00.001+10:00

working in my art journal this morning, I drew something a little simpler than my girls faces. A little whimsy fairy in a cute heart background. It was a nice change of pace for me to all my other work, just some sharpie pens and my watercolour paints and I was a happy girl. I really love the little whimsy girls I always forget to draw them!

a little later on I got all my stuff out to start working on a gift for my boy's two girls the fabric journal covers I wasnt happy with so I changed it up. I used my heavy heavy mixed media paper thats almost like cardstock to make covers. Using my distress inks and water I created bright marbled effects. I did a little doily spraying on the backs, and I'm filling them up with plain white paper and one with mixed girly papers from my stash. The girls are getting thee little notebooks each, and a Black Apple Doll made by me...fingers crossed lol I go into town tomorrow to get some calico and some felt.

that's all the artyness I've done today but it seems to have taken up quite a bit of time!
I want to get these note books finished and packaged all nicely they are simple but made with love and are one of a kind. I also used glimmer mist in a diamond finish so they sparkle, what little girl wouldn't love that?

pop over to Traci's re worked photo post for today!
See you tomorrow for some more art..and maybe a finished doll! its kid free day tomorrow so I'll have the time to sew thankfully!!
xx Courtney

Get Your Art On Day 11 - She MAN!!!

2011-07-12T14:26:00.003+10:00

More days more art!! now cast your minds back to when I was talking about the she man drawing of mine, she was a bit blokey, well after three nights flicking back and forward in my journal working on her a bit here and there, fixing covering highlighting she almost got the axe on more than one occasion but I stayed with him/her till she finally started looking more woman than man.

lots of layers, sprays paints drawings, complete with a little doodle in the corner that my dad did one night when my parents were over for dinner test driving some of my new coloured pens. so I ripped it out of the envelope he drew it on, and glued it down to work on at a later date, and wahla! there it be!

so there is my art for the day, I'm glad I stuck it out, I don't love her...but I don't hate her either. She is in there as a reminder to myself to never give up on something, because some times the effort is worth it in the end.

that's me done for the day! I will work here and there tonight...actually scrap that I have little girls journals to put together for my boys nieces as a gift to them from the little ones and I.
Thinking fabric covers with girly paper inside, we shall see what my mind does.
take care, enjoy the afternoon sunlight.
xx Courtney

Get Your Art On Day 10 - Curly Locks

2011-07-11T13:01:00.002+10:00

my little lily has springy little tight curls, they bounce as she runs around at top toddler speed, they seem to act as a mood ring almost, when shes frustrated they turn to frizz when shes happy they bob around her little button face without a care in the world, and as I sat there this morning combing her curls taming them so she could wear a little headband I thought I would use those little chocolate springs in a little journal spread today.

below you'll see my workings for this wintery morning while the teacup humans play with a swirly orange bouncy ball outside. Brown eyed just like my lily, some watercolours, washi tape few stencils the green negative circles was put there a few weeks ago...I like to use my excess ink on other pages only to stumble across them weeks later when I finally make it to the page.

I used a pitt pen to outline the circles then some watercolours to fill in. Watercolour markers for her top lip, nothing special used on the spread just a little time and a tiny smile on my face creating something that had a little bit of lily tint to it. I might add a bit more too it, some text in the corner and some gel medium to tack down the paper making sure it doesn't move.
time image was a image of a bright cloudy sky but bit hard to see now with all the layers!

I might even put wings on her, as miss L, thinks shes a fairy princess more often then not. The little ones are asking to do a little art so I might set them up in the sun with some old clothes on and some paint and sponges, see what they create.

pop on over to Traci's blog to see what shes created for the day, I am early today! so I've beaten her in regards to posting times! Im an organised little artist today ( for once)
tomorrow I will go back to my background page I showed you last night and see what becomes of it....
got a little side tracked with chocolate curled girls..who wouldnt!

xx Courtney

Get Your Art On Day 9 - Stencil Goddess!

2011-07-10T20:36:00.002+10:00

Holy Tolito Batman!! its Cold here!!! my fingers are literally hurting typing this little blog post, but alas I shall do it! for art is my heart! and I refuse to fail the month of art challenge. So Tonight before I went to a family bbq I got out my stencils to try and do something in my little journal that wasn't my usual style. To try and push myself a little to be different. So I used some orange and brown spray inks and got to work, its still a work in progress, but with a few more layers I think it could be cool!

not loving that stupidly placed blue flower though lol, so I might do a bit of cover up magic with some layer work tomorrow. I shall let the work take me where ever it wants to go! While I sit and sniffle through the inking and the arting. I think I'm coming down with a cold...*dramatic flop* fingers crossed I'm not, because nothing sucks more than arting while you are ill!
This week will be all hands on deck getting the teacup humans and I packed for our little trip to sydney! well not little two weeks, but still big job for mamma with all the washing folding packing list making. But it will all be worth it, I've warned the boy the art supplies are coming with me, and he was more than happy with that...'cant stop the art month!'
well its almost 9pm and I think my electric blanket and a biscuit are calling me while I wait for the boy to arrive home safe and sound from his 7 hour trip from my place to his.
I'll see you guys tomorrow with maybe some more work on this spread..or something else! who knows...
pop on over to Traci's blog to see her delightful watercolour page and to see the other lovely ladies work too.

xoxo Courtney

Get Your Art On - Day 8..backgrounds

2011-07-09T23:25:00.002+10:00

Its almost midnight!!! but Im still in on time, with the boy here, my art time is replaced with with snuggles and laughter, but I told him 'I'm not failing art month! get comfy while I work on something' so he happily sat in bed with me as I worked on some of my background pages that will become digital downloads for my etsy store.

yes I know, not as awesome as yesterdays art! but its the process that counts right. I did draw another girl, but when I looked her over, she was part man I swear, so she didn't make it to the blog..and will be gessoed over tomorrow. unless I can save her..but man that's alot of saving!
ok I have a hot tea waiting for me, and a columbian boy in my bed..oh la la.
have a lovely evening whats left of it, and I'll see you tomorrow with something not so lame.

pop over to Traci's blog for her lovely art day post and please do stop by here tomorrow I wont be so boring with my art!
and a big hello to all my new followers! It was such a beautiful surprise to see all the lovely comments and new followers! I am humbled.
xx Courtney

Get Your Art On - Day 7...A VID!

2011-07-08T16:01:00.002+10:00

It has been a month since I last did a video! how time slips. So below find yourself today's video for the week, lets cross our fingers that I get time next week aswell to do another one! I do enjoy making the videos, just time is never my friend.
Today for Get Your Art On, I finished off the pay below, the girl I painted a few days ago needed a home, so I glued her down and let loose.
I feel like I'm slowly getting somewhere with their faces, when I looked at her from a distance I realised that her head wasnt straight on her neck!!! I had to laugh, all you can do really lol. Focus so much on her face the rest is just legwork...wonky legwork apparently.

So yesterday I said I'd be sewing my remains of the day cover *insert mad laugher here* yes well, that didnt happen, with nights -5 the last thing this little artist is doing is sewing at her desk!! So I snuggled up and moaned to the boy how cold I was. Maybe tonight...but its already freezing so unless I layer up like a crazy woman I don't see it happening!

enjoy the video, something a little different for you for get your art on.
pop over to see Traci's beautiful journal page for today

the boy arrives tonight for the weekend which is muchly needed! I need a hug, because I'm so damn cold!!! and of course next week, we are off on a mini holiday, but I'll be bloggin! the mac and me will be bloggin from the boy's couch in Sydney! and I can't wait, mainly because I get to go to a few places like Ikea, and Amazing paper, which is a book binding place I so desperately want to visit!

take care, enjoy your friday night, rug up and make some tea!
xx Courtney

Get Your Art On - Day 6 : Playing Around

2011-07-07T19:05:00.002+10:00

nothing hugely exciting going on in the art department today, which kind of annoys me, seems I've hit a little wall, maybe the sewing rage got to me a little more than I'd like to admit. I have just been doodling most of the day trying to get something remote worth posting about, and yet nothing really came out, so here is the last drawing of the day, which ended up going home with my mum, because I didnt like her and she did. Still working over old letters, I like the way the text runs through the face, like veins of knowledge and secrets.

and as I drew this evening, my little lily was playing with her new rainbow fingerpuppet..changing her little girly voice to a puppet voice had me smiling and laughing into the evening. I thought these little puppets would be a good way for my little ones to let their imaginations grow a little, and it worked the afternoon was spent with my little ones putting on a show for me and my mum..they are so innocent at times its beautiful.

so tonight I'm going to be attempting to sew my cover for my journal, see if that happens without too much swearing and cursing and breaking needles. At least Im working with fabric this time ...with card inside lol, So tomorrow you will see the fruits of that experiment!
take care my darling arty crafty readers
pop over to see what Traci's cooking up today for her day a stunning bright journal page.

if you hear a faint scream from where ever you are...its just me...breaking more needles!
xx Courtney

Get Your Art On - Day 5 little paper rage

2011-07-06T18:31:00.004+10:00

ohhhh remains of the day....WHYYYYYYY do I heart you so, when my sewing machine detests you oh so much more! thats right today I had a little paper rage! I broke 5 needles! there was lots of artistic cussing going down today! as I plodded so so slowly and so so carefully through the piles for my journal... my machine is temperamental, shes not happy playing paper sew with me! I will not let it get the better of me! I shall keep going no matter the number of needles I break until the book is completed...VIVA LA PAPER SEWING.

a few close ups of what I did today, sewing old envelope art, little tag elements, magazine pages all together to create these weird and wonderful paper personalities.

a little heart.a little rainbow fan of paper that made it through the sewing lines of DOOM, I must say they do look pretty but the price they paid to get that way, was rather high hehe.

and to calm myself down from the paper machine rage circle, I sat down with an old letter and drew a girl quickly just sketchy graphite outline, then filled her in with my really budget but totally awesome watercolours and an aqua pen. She needs a little detail with some pencils and thins, or I might leave her nice and raw and collage her into my art journal...we shall see!

so that's my artistic day, kid free luckily or the rage meter might have been a bit higher with them added to the mix.
pop on over to Traci's blog for the rest of the players and enjoy your evening. I shall spend it talking to the boy and planning our little holiday with the tea cup humans next weekend. Never fear I shall art my entire holiday!
xx Courtney

Get Your Art On - Day 4! Remains of the Day

2011-07-05T20:28:00.003+10:00

As I mentioned excitedly yesterday, I signed up to the remains of the day course with Mary Ann Moss, I dove into the deliciousness that was her world today with my Mum. Now as I sit here, with a broken needle on my sewing machine without a hope of finding the entire new pack I bought I thought perfect time to blog.

below is the slow beginnings of my remains of the day pages...I feel like a modern day bower bird! going through piles of papers, stacking, sorting, compiling...cutting colour coding!
a bunch of my boarder papers waiting to find their way to the sides of assorted pages. It is so much fun, its like creating worlds withing worlds, then adding personalities to them, when you fill them with your daily musings photographs, its all so *sigh* grand.

and on the inky art front, more workings on background papers, stencils strewn across my desk, stamps with ink on them, stamps with watercolour paint on them, pens sitting around randomly till they are called upon. I am the messiest artist around I swear...and my mum will wholeheartedly agree, since she is the exact opposite...and I mean that lol.

so thats my creating for the day, I have to go and buy more needles tomorrow so I can continue on my little paper journey sewing and making pretty paper worlds within itself! I shall see you tomorrow with more photos, more progress and much more art!
xx Courtney

ps for more of day 4 pop over to traci's blog!

little raven ink

Monday Mantra + journal work

make mistakes.

Things, I love

just little tidbits

back to common ground

the little raven.

date night

Supply Sunday - Coming Monday!

a day in the city.

Five Year Old Friday

A trip the the library

pop into my home for a cup of tea and some sewing.

a January Undertaking

a Tuesday in my life.

a little one finds his passion.

Hello 2012!!

*waves crazily*

a mood Board.

My Creative Space!

the Junk journal evolution

a Journal Keeper.

slowly slowly...arty art.

Creative Space Thursday - Trust the Mess

On My desk - Art Journal Love.

Side Faces and Acrylic Paint.

Paint she said!

Art Journal Play

mail and and journal art.

Wednesday morning...

Just Playing in my journal.

New things!

The Copic Marker Fear

The Arful Journey - day 27, too tired.

The Artful Journey - drawing, drawing drawing.

the artful journey - day 25 almost there

The Artful Journey day 24 - pencils in the bed.

The Artful Journey - day 23 ..the Dreamed journal

The Artful Journey- Day 22..My Creative Space.

The Artful Journey day 21 - shade me slowly

The Artful Journey - Day 20, Simple Things

The Artful Journey day 19 - Tinkering.

The Artful Journey - Day 18 - new beginnings.

The Artful Journey - bed art.

The Artful Journey - Pages in Progress

The Artful Journey - Junk in the Trunk

The Artful Journey Day 14 - the quiet arting.

The Artful Journey Day 13 - portrait practice

The Artful Journey - Day 12..Magical Forests.

the Artful Journey - day 11- let him eat cake.

The Artful Journey Day 10 - The sleepy artist.

The Artful Journey - Day 9 Shades of Red

The Artful Journey - Day 8 Texture Background

Artful Journal day 7

The Artful Journey - day 6 The White Ladies.

The Artful Journey - Day 5 - the ruffle

Day 4 - The Artful Journey.

Day Three - The Artful Journey - Week in the Life

Artful Journey Day Two + Week in my life

The Artful Journey - Day One & Creative Space

How I'm Going to Get Out of the Dark.

Sunday Snippets

come join me!

Thursday Night in the Brook-Diaz House

Creative Space - What I've been doing.

Sketching is Hard!!

I am alive!

Spilling Over!

My Creative Space - Flower Power!

Inkings and Works in Progress

a little art geek challenge.

Remains of The Day...a journal, a journey

works in progress!

Get your Art on DAY 30!!!!!

Get Your Art On Day 29 - already thinking...

Get Your Art on day 28 - Stencilry

Get Your Art on Day 27 and Creative Space! True 2 You Two

Get Your Art On Day 26 - late night ATC

Why I Keep a Journal...

Get Your Art On Day 25 - Faces Faces Faces.

waves crazily