A Creative Blog Hop Around the World.....

This really is a blog hop around the world.... I've been linked by the wonderful Polly Jones in Texas to join this blog hop so thank you for asking me Polly! Polly's post from last week links from here. I really admire her painting which is so vibrant and full of colour. I especially love her paintings of glass jugs and jars, and the way she captures the light in the glass, and the colours on her canvasses - altogether they're absolutely stunning!

Here are my answers to the fixed questions in the blog hop post:

Why do I create what I do?

Creativity is a form of escapism, but not in the usual sense of escaping into something away from 'reality', but the place I go when creating is much more real than day-to-day life. That is my reality.

I create in many different ways, not just the digitally produced work I sell on etsy. I get fed up staring at a computer screen for most of the day at work (even running my own business), so producing prints for my etsy shop (which I love doing) can make me tired and drained as it involves a lot of staring at the screen.

I used to paint still life in oil on canvas but find it easier to do a quick watercolour or gouache sitting at the kitchen table in the evenings, like this one:

How does my creative process work?

I gather ideas over long periods, which accumulate into an artwork or several artworks. I seem to carry the ideas around for ages before they turn into something, which is perhaps a test of whether the idea is true to me or not, but also due to lack of time for creativity. Once I begin working on a design for a print, cards or a painting, it can manifest quite quickly, depending on how clear it is in my mind. If I'm happy to let go and let it flow, I don't mind if it turns out differently to how it is in my head, but it is frustrating when it doesn't work this way. My work has changed in the last few years and I haven't painted for ages but have a blank canvas at home so hope to paint again soon to get away from the computer!

How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Not sure which genre I fit into! But for graphic work I use particular styles to give the work a certain 'look'.

What am I presently working on?

I'm currently working on ideas for 2015 Christmas cards, which I'm running late with. Besides all the print/design based work, I like to sew and recently created this dress from Michael Miller fabric, modelled here by my daughter.

I also love tie dyeing! I was recently inspired by my trip to the Glamour of Italian Fashion exhibition at the V&A. I can't remember the designer but I saw a gorgeous silk skirt with a similar pattern to this.... I used plain white cotton and a navy dylon hand-dye.

Here's the process in pictures:

Who inspires Me To Create?  

Not always a 'who' but maybe 'what' inspires me..... things from everyday life, something that catches my eye when travelling or just out and about in the city (or country!).

Here's a link to the next blog in line, Mrs Eliot Books. It's a fun, colourful blog by Francesca Iannaccone about her art, life, inspirations and more..... hope you enjoy her post! Her work is really cute and you can see it here in her etsy shop, where she sells the cutest art prints, cards and stationery.

Quotes I love:

These quotes are from Margaret Olley, one of Australia's most loved female artists, and my all-time favourite artist. I totally agree with her about housework (maybe not the patina part)!

"I’ve never liked housework. I get by doing little chores when I feel like them, in between paintings. Who wants to chase dust all their life?  You can spend your whole lifetime cleaning the house. I like watching the patina grow. If the house looks dirty, buy another bunch of flowers, is my advice."

"I spend whatever time I can painting. I spend my life going from one place to another, following the light round. I hate painting during the winter ’cause the light seems to fail, it’s undependable. A lot of people don’t bother. They just paint by electricity. I don’t like that. I like natural light. I can’t paint anything unless I’m excited by it. Once you’ve lost the momentum, you’ve left it, it’s like a failed mayonnaise."