Research...

Today I have been looking into stuff and trying to work things out.
I have SO MANY unfinished paintings, and no space for storage, so I need to finish them and sell them. Excellent. Once I have my mess sorted out (no, that's still not done post-wall painting) I will make it my mission to start pumping out finished paintings!
I discovered a wonderful mecca of incredible artwork, where artists put up their work to sell! I've joined up, but as none of my finished works are wonderfully photographed, I haven't uploaded anything. The site is http://www.saatchiart.com/ Very awesome.

I stumbled across this site through >THIS< YouTube video. I have been researching the best way to get awesome photos of artwork, I found LOTS of very expensive equipment that I need, but also this helpful little youtube clip which provides a much less expensive method! (Probably with proportionally less amazing results, but awesome none the less!)

Another helpful document I found was >>THIS ONE<<. It covers the techniques for photographing, computer editing, canvas printing, varnishing and stretching a print of your art work. This is something else I've been really interested in, so it was great to read this and store it away! (bookmarked for convenience)

Also on the agenda today was looking into getting a job. I finished up my 5 week relief stint at the lab last week and uni starts again on Monday, so I'm looking for a full time casual job? Or something like that. I have strict instructions from my Partner saying I need to get a job in the arts. Regardless of the fact I'm studying science. And you know what? I think that's exciting!
I've looked at seek.com etc. and haven't managed to find anything non-managerial, so I'll make my resume all shiny and go visit some places! I'd like to work at Jackson's Drawing Supplies, or Riot Art and Craft, or maybe an art gallery or something. The Art Gallery of WA has a volunteer program, so it's unlikely that they'll hire many people in paid positions, but it might be fun anyway! 

Yesterday ended well, I went to buy stationary at officeworks and "accidently" ended up with some new supplies...

White sketch book, black sketch book, heavy oil painting paper book

Yellow notebook for me, green for Uni work

Pens for uni, pencils for me!

  And I decided to make use of my new purchases ASAP! So I stopped at the beach on the way home...

What a view!

I'm working on sketching, I don't feel that I am very good at drawing what I see, and this was a fun exercise. The camera had a slightly different perspective than me, but similar...

Then my sister insisted I go shopping with her, and I ended up buying Renaissance, which is awesome!! So... I need to get a job with all this buying I'm doing!!

Tomorrow hopefully the sewing machine will get a work out!

Motivation

I have decided that I am going to try and post regularly, which means I'm going to have to do things worth posting about!

This morning I haven't made it out of my PJs... But I have started moving everything back into my newly painted room, and pinned the pleats on one of the dresses in my sewing pile.... and it's not even lunch time yet haha

I'm working on the dress on the left, view B.

Pinning the box-pleat-y goodness!
I love this fabric! I found it at Textile Traders. The black and red dress made at christmas is the same and I also have a champagne coloured one with black flowers that is in the making - I LOVE this fabric!

Off to iron and sew these pretty pleats!

A little Christmas Sewing!

Sew...

...Ties for my Man...

With Mum's help, some dresses for me...

Butterick 5748

The waist is a little small for my current size, but hey, Christmas... other than that, incredible dress and the red and black one looks awesome with a red waist belt that I borrowed from Mum's wardrobe!

I've also been working on a few others, cut out the same day, but still waiting to be finished... photos eventually!

Squidlings!

I decided last year that my brother needed an 8' squid for his 19th birthday.
And it should be made of minkee.
So on to my dear friend fabric.com I ventured, and ordered away far more than I needed!
I followed THIS tutorial and with a lot of help from my Best Friend over at With A Boat Full Of Friends we made up the prototype, which just happens to be yellow, my favourite colour!
I was very lazy and didn't sew up the stuffing hole for about 4 months after he was completed, but now, here he is! In his couch sitting, partner eating glory!

In the mean time, I did get the squid for my brother made, in time (almost) for his birthday in November.

Sewing up the stuffing holes

My helper... I finished it ON his birthday,
so he helped....

 My picture formatting is being a pain, so the photos are all out of order... Hopefully you can work it out.
Snuggly squids, what more could you need!

Scribbles

Over the Christmas holidays my darling Partner immersed me in the culture and arts of the City of Perth. We went to the State library, where there was an incredible display - "Picture a Story" - of Illustrations and the processes and drafts used by different Illustrators; and the book store, which was very difficult to leave empty handed! We visited the Western Australian Museum and loved every second of it (especially the dinosaurs!) We saw the "String Theory" exhibit at Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts, which was incredible. And by far my favourite, we spent hours slowly absorbing the magnificence which is the Art Gallery of Western Australia. I never wanted to leave. I spent close to an hour in the gift shop, pouring over the books, trying to choose one. I was so inspired and moved by the art in the gallery.
SUCH an emotional experience. It made me sad that I couldn't paint to that level, it made me excited to try, joy at the volume of incredible art surrounding me. I felt the emotions painted in the paintings and it was amazing. I ended up buying this book and have been reading through it ever since! There are so many exciting techniques and tutorials which are inspiring and make me want to paint and make EVERYTHING!!

Without a space where I can get out all my (smelly, messy, WONDERFUL) oil paints, I've settled for a few of the less messy (less awesome) techniques of expressing all of my pent up inspiration.

Besides the usual scribbles and scrawls...

I've taken to the oil pastels I have in my collection, and turned random bits of cardboard into art. It is wonderful to me that rubbish becomes art, it gains value with just a bit of colour.

I still have a lot I want to do, and so much more I need to try, and the need grows every time I pick up my book, or admire the art of others!
I hope everyone else had a wonderful Christmas, New Year, and the first couple of months of 2014 have been happy ones!

Sew it goes...

It has been a while since my last post - couldn't be anything to do with exams, Christmas, New Years, and Holidays...
It has been an enjoyable break, and I did even get around to a little crafting!

Most recently I decided on a Monday (Feb 10th) that I needed a new dress to wear to the Season Launch of the local theatre where my Partner is the manager, this event was on the Thursday night (Feb 13th)... 4 days to have the dress finished, around my full time job. Nothing like a bit of pressure motivation!

I had some beautiful satin a scored on clearance from Fabric.com and I found a beautiful free pattern which I downloaded and printed - The Coffee Date Dress, courtesy of the Selfish Seamstress http://selfishseamstress.wordpress.com/
A phone call to my mother to get a zipper express posted the 1800km from the closest spotlight store and I was off!

My two choices of satin,
I'm so glad I chose the blue!

Pattern laid out and ready to cut the fabric

Bodice - marked out ruffle stitch lines 

All pinned together!

Zipper all pinned in

Front - pinned and waiting on the zipper and back seam

Obligatory Bathroom "Selfie"

My Man and I

Even made the local paper!

It was stressful! There was lots of unpicking! I finished the dress in time to shower and curl my hair and only be 10 minutes late for the start of the event!
It paid off. I am SO happy with this dress! I know it is full of flaws, but at a glance, they are not noticeable. I received so many compliments on my dress, and people were floored that I had made it myself! Since then I've been told I should open a dress shop and make people dresses... hahaha funny. As if sewing for myself isn't tricky enough!
My sister couldn't believe from the photos that it wasn't store bought, which I took as a compliment (I showed her the actual dress and she believes me, there's a few dodgy bits)

The satin really dresses up this pattern, I love it! I can't wait to make it again in a more casual fabric, and perhaps with different embellishments from the gorgeous ruffle. A flower on a waist belt perhaps?



I've recently discovered Craftsy and Spoonflower, so all I need now is endless free time, fabric and sew-jo and I'll have the most wonderful wardrobe in the world!