Day 23

I got a little behind again but managed to catch up today. And, I finally braved the oil paints. I LOVE them! I know I have a lot to learn but I think me and the oils may just turn out to be buds! I instantly felt like here was a medium I was going to get along with. Fingers crossed xx

Day 20 Oil on wood

Day 19

Perfect Saturday afternoon. Football on the tv and a painting on the easel.

I have fallen behind again so need to spend Sunday creating two. Good job we have football scheduled for tomorrow too!

Happy weekend xx

Day 19

Day 18

I tried something a little bit different today. Black gesso on a wood panel and then straight in with burnt umber and white acrylic paint. I used a charcoal pencil to add some detail.

It was a struggle and still not a comfortable medium for me but I am actually pleased with how she turned out.

Day 18

29 Faces September 2014

I cannot believe it is September already! But, along with the downside of time going too fast, comes the fantastic news that 29 Faces Challenge has returned.

Whilst finding it tough to keep the discipline of a completed face each day, I really enjoy the process of daily creation. This time around, I am giving myself the extra challenge of using only charcoal and acrylic paint to create each one. I really want to learn more and push myself out of my comfort zone. No graphite - arrgh! I hope I will learn a lot - keeping my fingers crossed.

Here's day one (wonky eye!!) Why is it that I can always see things I want to change when I look back at the photograph hehe!

Day 1

Loving the Charcoal!

Over the past few weeks, encouraged by the beautiful artist Kelly Berkey, I have been experimenting with charcoal on wood. I want to try pushing myself to do something out of my comfort zone and using materials unfamiliar to me.

Wow! I am finding it hard. What I have discovered is that I think I am a bit of a 'neat freak', wanting straight lines, balance and symmetry. I find it really difficult not to pick up my pencil and go in to my drawings to straighten and tighten things up that I find messy and loose.

But, I am persisting hoping it will give me new skills, more confidence and a different perspective to my work.

Here are the most recent. I find it so fascinating taking a photograph of something I have been working on and comparing this with the original work. I often find I can so see so much clearer the next steps I need to take from this photograph than from the work itself. I wonder why?

Don't forget - today is the final day of my 25% off summer sale. Add code SUMMER25 at checkout xx

Concentrated Awesome!

Little Paige thinks she is NOT small, she is concentrated awesome!

Concentrated Awesome by Deborah Jackson

Little Paige just hated being called 'Little'. Arrgggh  it drove her crazy! She had been the smallest all her life. Everyone told her that one day she would 'shoot up' and be as tall as all her friends. She used to wish and wish that day would come. Now, she reasoned, she was perfect just the way she was. When people called her small, she would politely correct their error and tell them, 'I'm Not Small. I'm concentrated Awesome!'

Micki Wilde's Sugary Sweet

I am so excited to tell you about this fantastic new online course hosted by the amazingly talented Micki Wilde.

Micki says: "Sugary sweet is a nostalgic journey in to the land of candy, a nod to those days of innocence when the sights and smells of a sweetie shop were all a little girl longed for.

Skip with me through the candy cane gates and join me for some Sugary Sweet fun."

Micki is a fantastic teacher and, wherever you are on your artistic journey, there is something to learn here with her and her sweet and sugary girls. Have fun!

xx

Interview with the Little Bohemian Butterfly

Hello! And, I hope you like the new look of my little blog. It's still a work in progress but I am liking how it's going so far. I really should say a huge thank you to Claire from a Little Bohemian Butterfly for all the help in getting me started and for giving up her time to help me out.

I connected with Claire when she came along to a show I was attending and she had an instant connection with my funny girls. After an online friendship grew, she asked if she could interview me for a feature on her blog, The Little Bohemian Butterfly. Of course I agreed and if you would like to have a little nosey at what we chatted about, you can click on her link above to reach her blog.

Claire has also posted an exclusive discount code there for my Etsy shop which can be redeemed throughout August. The code will be released on my site on Friday 1st August so blog readers will have it exclusively until then.

She's Done!

Hello!

This is my new little girlie. I have been working on her for quite a while and never really felt like she was done. Now she is telling me she is done! I am in the middle of writing her story but I feel it is quite an interesting one. I am thinking she is not as innocent as she looks! 'A little imp' as my Great Grandma Grace would say hehe!

A Little Imp

Have a wonderful weekend. I hope the sun is shining where you are xx

Around the World Artsy Blog Hop!

Hello, hello!

I have been asked to take part in an exciting new artsy blog hop by the lovely Minerva Levinston. She is a fabulously arty friend and self-confessed coffee addict; well worth nicking over and checking out her lovely work.

So, the 'hop'. I agreed to join in, answer four artsy questions and then pass it forward for someone else to do the same next week. Sarah Heath will be taking the baton from me next Monday, she is a fantastic paper artist and her blog is well worth a nosey!

Okey, dokey, question 1.

Why Do I Do What I Do?

I have always had an attraction to children's literature. As a former Primary School teacher I used to love creating and illustrating stories and making books with the children. I was finding myself loving the literacy and artwork so much more than anything else in school (except of course the children hehe!) that I made the big decision to leave school and focus all my time and attention on art and writing. I LOVE it and feel so incredibly lucky to be able to do it every day.

My Very First Painting exhibited and sold

Why Does My Work Differ From Others Of It's Genre?

Wow, that's a toughie. I say that because I am so influenced by so many artists that I love and admire. I can see their infuence throughout mine and my admiration of them has helped me to grow into my own individual style. I think that my own style has really only started to emerge relatively recently but I love to experiment and try new things that my style is likely to be constantly changing. Because of my love of writing and stories; my funny little girlies also tend to emerge from the painting with a name and their own unique little story. I would love to be able to develop this further in the future.

There is definitely something tricksy and mischievous about this little girlie but she is protesting her innocence nonetheless!

How Does My Creative Process Work?

My girlies emerge in the pages of my sketchbook. I don't think about what to do; I get my pencil and start. Sometimes they appear right there on my page and sometimes they take a little longer to show themselves. From the sketchbook page they jump on over to some art grade drawing paper. My very favourite paper to use is Daler Rowney Fine Grain Heavy Weight paper. I also love Canson Bristol which has a much smoother surface. I love my Prismacolor pencils and both these papers are great for these. Most of my girls faces are coloured using Prismacolor's. So waxy and great for blending - yummy! My absolute favourite time to sketch is right before sleep! My bed is my favourite place to draw. A cup'o tea and some great music and I am away! Although now I have my new studio, my hammock swing is fast becoming the place from which my girls emerge.

My beautiful studio

What Am I Working On Now?

I was asked to take part in the Bees Knees Exhibition hosted by the amazing Aunia Kahn at her Alexi Era Gallery in St Louis. I have just completed the artwork and this has sparked off a whole new love of graphite and ink drawings. I am also experimenting with oil paints for the very first time. I love trying out new things and seeing where the wind might take me! Here's a sneaky peek at two of my pieces in the Bees Knees Exhibition which opens Saturday 19th July.

My new studio!!

I have some amazing news to share with you. Today I signed the lease and made the jump towards ... My new studio!! 

I am SO excited to begin this new adventure. It is a shared studio space with some amazing artists, photographers, musicians and such an amazing view over the river too. Can't wait to move in!!!

I am a lucky, lucky girl! 

Have a Lucky and Happy Weekend too! xx

View from the corridor

Corridor

From one of the windows

Overlooking the river

Written in the Stars

Happy Monday!! And, another beautiful day here. Sun shining and all is well.

Here is one of my latest girls that I said I would share with you.

Hope it's a wonderful day xx

Written In The Stars

Sunny Sunday Morning!

After a pretty yucky week in the Jackson household, we have woken up to the most glorious Sunday morning. Doesn't it just lift the spirits!

I have had a week of ups and downs but some new little girlies have emerged in amongst the madness. I will take pics and show you soon.

But today, I wanted to share with you my last faces for the 29 Faces challenge.

I hope the sun is shining where you are!

xx

Day 26

This little girlie shares her birthday with my real life little girlie. Though, she is not so little any more. 17 years old today - gone waaaaaaaaaaaaay too fast. She is growing into a beautiful, smart and independent young lady. SO proud of her (but that's enough growing now thank you very muchly hehe!!) Happy Birthday, Mathilda xx

Day 26

Day 13

Good Morning!

A bit of a grumpy madame today I feel!! xx

Day 12

Well, the snow went as fast as is came. My son's 'Snow Dance' in an attempt for a snow day, failed miserably and he has gone off to school this morning very grumpy!

Here's my Day 12 sketch that I sketched during our all too brief (in Charlie's opinion) snow storm yesterday.

Hope it's a good Wednesday for you xx

Day 11 - It's snowing!

The winter predominantly over and I thought we had escaped it. First I get the sniffles and now we have snow! I wonder if it will come thick enough to play?! I know my children will be excited already for a snow day!

I will be staying indoors. Brrrrgggghhh!

Hope all is well where you are.

xx

Day 4

This is a girl I started during my trip to India (so I hope I am not cheating!!). I added detail and gave her some clothes and then played about with some effects I found on picmonkey. I quite like the contrast of shade. Hmmm ... ideas lightbulb pings on!

Have a great Tuesday ! xx

Day 3

Hello! Monday??!! Yikes! This weekend has gone waaaaay too fast!

My Day 3 sketch for 29 Faces Challenge.

Happy Monday!

Strength in Sadness