Friday Pages

The week is over, and Friday is welcomed with open arms and a little sigh, Ive been taking notes and crazily writing things down as I start work on the wonderful task of creating my own little journals/notebooks for little budding artists and writers, trying to encourage little ones to put down the gameboy and pick up a pencil..to be excited by creating something.

So watch out for that!
and in the meanwhile, I've been working a little in my journals, nothing huge but still making sure I made the time to do a little work in them.

Just going over some old pages that have sat dormant in my big journal, unfinished pages that have kind of been a pet peeve to me, so the other night I sat on the couch with my pens and just played with colour and mark making. The above photo is some of my finished journals in my life held by my darling man, and a deer hehehe because we all know how much I adore them.

creating little random creatures in my journals as I gear up for my new classes over at Artgeeks! the students have been waiting so long for my classes to start up again, and since the kids start school and daycare next week I am back to having two full days to record edit and upload videos for them...so I'm getting the ideas flowing.

and working on my rabbit book.

just playing with ideas of my little odd ball girls and a cute little bunny, just playing really, its play that gets my idea going, and right now, I need a tonne of them! this one was done on a scrap bit of paper but turned out really lovely so I'll tip her into the rabbit book.

and of course the little white rabbit I drew one night that I fell in love with! he was the first to appear in the rabbit book, so simple in his colouring, a black biro, and a light grey copic marker and that's it! but I do adore him.

this girl in the above shot, I'm not a fan of her, I kept her because its all process and progress, I drew her on a scrap bit of dictionary paper, so instead of putting her in a dark scrap bin, she got pasted into the rabbit book.

how are your journal pages going?
have a great weekend
x Courtney

Being a Better Friend

One of my new years resolutions was to be a better friend, and I think that is a really big one for me, in this day and age, we lose touch with friends...we get lazy. So I'm making the effort to write more letters to friends. To remind them, that even though our lives are very busy, I still think of them often.

So I set out on a floor art exercise today, as the last few days in our little nook, John has been very sick, and yesterday I came down sick too, so it has been tiresome few days for the both of us.
So today I decided that I would take things easy, put on a movie for us to watch and set up my little floor table that my dad made me when I was a teenager...even though I had a very expensive fancy desk...I continued to do my homework on the floor...so he made me this cute little table that is still just the right height.
this is how it looked...my journals, an ikea tin full of my distress strains, and washii tapes.
a tin from my best friends wedding filled with prisma pencils. My little deer pencil case filled with markers and pens, my planner and a stack of white cardstock ( which isn't so white anymore!)

I started making my own writing paper, which will serve as masters, so I can just scan and copy several of them, I made quite a few, this girl is my favourite by far.

I know we all get busy sometimes...but I think we should all make time to write a few letters, taking that little bit of real time out of our day, to do something tangible for someone...not electronic but tangible. It shows them that you love them.

these are just two of the crazy things I did while watching the movie, but I think they are sweet..and will be turned into some pretty funky writing paper when I'm done.

hopefully tomorrow I'll show my friday pages post to you, pages from my journal that Ive worked on through the week.

take some time out of your day..to write a letter...and be a better friend.
xx Courtney

Foam Stamps of Win!

Hello hello!!! lots of pictures today, got carried away with images representation of my supplies. Today while I sat again avoiding my workout...I was in my scrap bind and found some fun foam. Now I only have this because of an art geeks video I watched quite a while ago now! but I thought why not have a play, so I started cutting...and using a ballpoint pen to indent a pattern into them.

above is just cutouts..and below is using the pen to make a design etched into it. I backed the foam onto some thick chipboard and away I went! making random prints for the basis of my eclectic journal.

I used paint with them first, but wasnt crisp enough, my favourite was using a black stazon ink pad with the 'stamps' they came out much clearer almost tribal like.

 

I am also low on patterned stencils, where its just a pattern not just one element....so I thought to myself, make my own very diy basic one out of scrapbooking paper. I mean its pretty rough but it was fun playing with it. little bit of paint and a sponge and you've got me entertained for a least an hour.

I did crack open my raindrops stencil which doesnt get used often but sometimes I give it a run

 

 And today's supply...is Markers! yes I am still a novice when it comes to markers! as I only learnt to really wield them last year I think...but I do have a small collection of them due to an awesome marker club I used to be in, getting 7 colours a month shipped to me...so I have a little stash.  Now dont get me wrong...markers are flippin pricey! the copics which many call the creme de la creme range from $9 to $11 AUD depending on where you are buying them! and for me...thats pretty epic. If I wasnt in the marker club..doing it monthly...I would not have as many as I do, I was lucky.

there are many cheaper just as awesome brands that are now readily available...such as the letraset markers and the spectrum noir pens, also distress markers have busted onto the scene just recently. 

all fantastic and great quality. Much of a muchness. 

 I store mine lying down in an ikea tub, which isnt ideal but hey what you gonna do. My collection is all copics except for a few Touch markers I got from an aussie art store. They are dual tipped, a brush tip and a chisel tip. very very juicey and very vibrant. (can you see a theme here with my supplies it has to bust open with colour or I'm not interested)

 

 see dodgy photo of the tips, the light is shocking but you get what I mean. I have several shades of the one colour family to help with the blending aspect of these markers, and blending is where they come into their own. Miss Jane Davenport taught me how to use markers in Supplies me..and I've grown from there here are some of my works using my markers both alcohol based and watercolour based

 laying the colour down then using a slightly darker shade they blend on the page as you work, giving your drawings depth and a richness that I cant go past.

 I worked alot with these markers in my fashion drawing class with Jane, I loved how solid and deep they looked at the same time, I use them at least once a day even if its just for a little doodling on my page.

above are some of the Touch markers I own, costing me around $6 on sale at the time.

Some of my first faces during my learning of them...using up to 4-5 shades in the one face! it blew my mind when it all started coming together.

and leaving you with a face that was part of a gulfsprite course but was hand coloured by me with my markers.
If you are considering markers, and you draw portraits, my suggestion is to get a few base skin colours and an eye and lip colour. Don't think you need the whole range, start with a few colours get your bearings learn to blend them and then expand your collection...these markers are an investment and they arent cheap...but they are beautiful
xx Courtney

day 11 and 12 - Portraits and Desk Shot

as you can see, I am rather tired looking from my above picture, so I let my portrait slip yesterday, sleep got ahold of me instead. I did play in my journal today though to try and catch up.

a soft girl, trying to master bodies still, and they still get the better of me, but I keep trying anyway as one day they will be drawn with ease and without thinking.

not sure if i like her background though I might try and fix that aspect up later, but overall I like her.

and a quilt long necked girl, I have a think for red heads it seems! I want to do alot of line work in her background but when Im not so tired!

a shot of my copic marker box, and my favorite pencil case, giving to me by my darling besty  It comes with me in all my handbags, filled with my current colour palette. She made it herself, after we picked out fabric together many years ago now, but I love it just the same.

and a page I'm working on, when I'm not drawing faces, sometimes I like the simple pages of my life with photographs, simple painted backgrounds and a little text.
have a lovely evening
xx C

JOINING IN! 29 Faces in May

I need a pick me up, something to get excited about, and I saw this on Gulfspire's Blog and thought I'd join her! 29 faces in may, shouldn't be too bad I got two completed just yesterday!

 I think I can give this a good go! anyone else want it pop on over and join in, leave your blog in my comments so I can have a bit of a looksie at your lovely drawings!

xx Courtney

Face for the first of may (since its the second here)

and I did tell you I got two finished didn't I...

well here she is

enjoy your afternoon and do join me, I love looking at your art! 

guess you'll see daily posts from me for the month of may!

xxx Courtney

you must have missed me...

I didn't realize it but people miss my blogging! I never expected that! a few of you darling people posted comments about missing my artwork! and that touched my heart. It has been a while since I've blogged, and I apologize in advance, my little one started school, we went to brissy for a wedding, and I have had a hard time creating anything worthy of blogging about!

I've been doing alot of random collages, printing photos just taping things down and adding colour, here is a sketch I started at the bus stop after dropping my kids off at school and daycare, the lamp post is right near the bus stop, so I sat and sketched it in the heat of Monday morning sun. Came home and brought it to life with paints pencils, copics whatever I could get my hands on.


I started printing some of my day to day photos that I snap randomly, to try and give my journal a personal touch. I had steered away from faces for a bit as I lost a little confidence with them, so to get back in the groove I just collaged.

and another bus stop art piece, even though my bag is extra heavy carrying my big journal around, its a few mins a day by myself while I wait for the bus, and it all adds up. This girl still isnt finished, but she will get a few more tweaks before I'm done with that page.

when I pick up my art journal from my partners mums place (forgot it yesterday) I will snap a few shots of what I'm working at the moment. I'm glad people care enough to comment on my blog, to bring me back to this realm, meant alot.
xx Courtney

a mood Board.

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

mail and and journal art.

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...

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.

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!

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

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