Early Start

Hi

I was determined to get started early today in my art room and I actually managed to complete a couple of projects. One of them was an idea that has been bouncing around my head for a while now.

I emigrated to Australia with my family in the 60's and lived there for three and a half years. Today kids (boys mostly) collect and swap football cards. But during my childhood in Australia we used to collect picture cards the size of playing cards. Some of them were blank on one side with a picture on and some of them were actual playing cards that had nice pictures on the back.

After seeing artists altering playing cards on-line I had the idea of making my own picture playing cards to collect  and today I did my first one,

This card was inspired by the photo of my morning cereal that I published on my blog the other day.

I then played around with some acrylic paint and some Brusho

As I sat looking at them I started thinking of the very talented artist

 Carla Sonheim's  Imaginary Creatures and found a couple of my own.

In case you can't quite make this last one out it's a little 'mouse like' creature with orange ears.

Something a little different from me but it was fun to do.

Before I go I wanted to share some photos I took of a Buddleja  that I found growing on our drive, There are a lot of bushes full of them around at this time of year but one little seed must have took root in our drive and there it was all alone and a little bedraggled so I picked it and brought it in. Unfortunately even though it was in water it didn't take long before it started to whither. But not before I took some pictures of it against some of my painted papers.

I hope you enjoyed taking a peek at what I have been up to and I hope you all had a creative weekend.

XXX

Untitled

Hello?..........

.....is there anybody there?

For a long time now I have been feeling like I need a change. So I put out the feeler's a couple of posts ago to see  if making  some changes like re-naming this blog (If you can do such a thing) or create a replacement blog would I be losing out by doing so?  Would I be losing a sizable following or connections I had built up with fellow bloggers who know me as Fuzzie Fingers?

I had help from a friend setting up this blog and when I was asked on the spot for a title. I came up with Fuzzie Fingers because I had just discovered wet felting and it referred to handling the merino wool with wet hands.

At the time I did not think of it as a 'brand' for the sake of a better word. For a while now I have wanted to branch out and promote my art on a Facebook page and even possibly try my hand at having an etsy shop but the name Fuzzie Fingers is holding me back because it does not reflect the art I do now.

I have some blog friends who don't visit every post but have visited here since my early days and one dear blog friend who visits here and comments on all my posts.  I can let these friends know of my changes so as not to loose contact with them as I value their visits and comments greatly,

 So maybe it wouldn't be that difficult to make the change after all........

.............something to think about.  

XXX

A Nice Start to the Day

Look what I found in my breakfast cereal this morning.

A tiny dried strawberry heart.

Serendipity....

( the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way)

A lovely way to start the day.
I love serendipity.

XXX

Untitled

Another page in my Moleskine sketchbook.

oil pastel

XXX

Mark Making

HI

A morning of mark making and the best time I've had in my art room for a long time.

This is the busiest my desk has looked for a long time.

I am still keeping things neutral.

Some isolated close ups.

I collected some grasses to use in my mono-printing yesterday but it didn't turn out too well. But they were great dipped in black paint for mark making.

Even on tea bags

Here is a tiny clue on another way I collect useful mark making tools.

I have recently come across the work of Leslie Avon Miller. You can see her beautiful art on her blog Textures Shapes and Color. Her work is so inspirational to me and she includes quotes and poetry in her posts all in all I find it a beautiful calm place to visit. I spent some time this morning looking back at her previous posts and it definitely set me up for a productive morning in my art room.

If you visit here I hope you like what you see and if so please let me know your thoughts. I often wonder if people visit but prefer to not leave comments. I am so grateful to my blog friends that regularly visit here but I would love to know if there are others looking at what I do.

Bye for now.

XXX

Mono-printing

HI

I spent today doing some mono-printing with a view to making some abstract landscapes.  I kept to a neutral palette and applied the paint horizontally.

They are all ready to be cut up and collaged together like this abstract landscape that I made a while ago from painted papers..

I also tried it out on tea bag paper.

I just used up what paint was left in the plate so they are a bit dark but I am looking forward to doing some more another time in some lighter colours. It will be interesting to see how I can incorporate them into my artwork.

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY.

XXX

New Goodies

HI

I came across a video on YouTube by Lindsay The Frugal Crafter and she was comparing Faber Castell Gelato's with Gel Sticks. Gel Sticks are a product actually aimed at kids by the same company Faber Castell.

You can see her video and what she discovered here. The Gel sticks only have a limited colour palette compared to the Gelato's but are much cheaper so I thought I would give them a try

.

I did some comparisons in y Moleskine sketchbook with my portfolio and sennelier oil pastels.

You can smudge them with your finger like the oil pastels but they are not as workable. 

This is both a pro and a con depending on what you are using them for. I did this quick drawing to try them out.

They are a useful addition to my art supplies. 

THANKS FOR VISITING

XXX

Linking to Paint Party Friday

A Sign of What's to Come

Hi

I have been doing a lot of soul searching recently regarding my art. I have decided to concentrate mainly on one medium and explore it in more depth. I like working with oil pastels most of all so this is the medium I have chosen to work with in the main.

I think I will stick to portraits but try and develop a more loose and more 'grown up' style instead of the more 'cutie' style I have been doing up to now. I have discovered that you can get larger sized oil pastels (who knew? not me) which is very exciting and although I have never had the courage to try oil paints perhaps I may graduate on to oil bars which are sticks of oil paint. But one step at a time.

I thought it was about time I concentrated on one thing and try and do it properly instead of getting distracted by different mediums and techniques. This is my latest page in my sketchbook  She is done in oil pastels and pencil. 

Hopefully a sign of whats to come.

Watch this space........

XXX

A Little Bit of Colour

Hi

Just a quick post today to share my last little sketch now with a touch of colour.

Keeping Mum.

The title has a personal meaning to me. It just came to me so I had to use it.

Since I have been working in my Moleskine I have been drawing cute little girls and I have come to

 the conclusion that this is not the type of art I really want to be creating.

I feel like a change but not sure in what direction .......something to think about.

XXX

Untitled

Hi

Since my last post I have tried to salvage my little watercolour pencil girl 

but alas I am sorry to say she has been binned.

Today I have a couple more pages to share.

I came across a technique on Pinterest about drawing hair and I used it here

 and I am quite pleased at the effect although there is room for improvement..

Little stray hairs make it look more natural.

I have more work to do on her and I will also be adding colour. 

XXX

Watercolour Pencil Comparisons

Hi

I have been comparing my new set of W H Smith Watercolour pencils with Derwent Inktense

and Caran D'Ache W/C pencils.

I found that there was not a lot of difference between the three

 which is a thumbs up for the cheaper set from W H Smith. However a great advantage with

 the Inktense pencils is that once diluted with water and when they are dry they are permanent.

Unfortunately my moleskine has sketchbook paper in it which does not stand up well to watercolour.

The paper was pilling badly and this page went downhill from here on in.

I may try and salvage it by adding some collage but not sure it can be saved.

I will let you know.

XXX

Pencil Comparison

Hi

As mentioned in my last post I have been swatching my Prismacolor Portrait Set of coloured pencils

 with my cheaper W H Smith set with pleasing results.

The only downside to the cheaper pencils was the limited palette compared to the Prismacolor's.

I am so impressed with the W H Smith pencils that I have invested in a set of 36 Watercolour pencils

 and I will share my thoughts on them in my next post.

Thank you to those of you who left comments in my last post telling me your thoughts on

       Inktense pencils and Gelato's.

XXX

Oops!

Hi 

Another page in my Moleskine sketchbook. 

This time sketching pencils and WH Smith colour pencil in red.

 I am still in pain with my leg and waiting for cortisone injection so by the time I have done my daily

 chores I haven't felt like working on anything major in my art room.  Therefore I have been spending my spare time looking at and comparing different art materials. I have a list as long as my arm of new materials I want to get my hands on.

I am currently looking at Derwent Inktense Blocks and Faber Castell Gelato's. I am just trying to decide what to invest in so if anyone has any thoughts I would love to hear them.

 For the above double page spread I did a swatch test to compare the reds in my WH Smith colour pencil set and my Derwent Academy pencils. My WH Smith set won hands down for me. I think they are such good quality for the price.

I have never been interested in making swatches of my paints and pencils but plan on doing a swatch test to compare my WH Smith set with my Prismacolor set. I only have a portrait set of Prismacolor's so will have to try and match up some colours from both sets to compare. I will post about my findings next time.

Thanks for visiting.

XXX