Works In Progress (WIPs)

I have several things started, but nothing finished, so I thought I would post about a couple of WIPs.

Looking forward to life after university, I have signed up for two altered book round robins that start this month. I have really missed doing ABs, but I knew I had to be sensible and only sign up for little projects for the time being.

Both of these projects had my name stamped clearly on them and I knew I just HAD to take part, or I would regret it, so I decided that I would sign up and fit in the time somehow to prep the books and get them posted.

The first one is about drawing, I have always wanted to do an AB that is less collage, more traditional-based and I am so happy to be doing this - I can hardly wait to see the books as they pass through my hands. Also it is with an European-based group and the work is always rather unique because of that. Here is the artwork I am making for the cover of the book. I have drawn these two Russian circus children onto some collaged papers and painted some washes on. There is still a lot of work to do to it yet, but I haven't decided what. I may knock back some of the carbon pencil and use coloured pencils, I want to write some text in the background, too. I am enjoying this very much.

The other one is with a lovely bunch of ladies here in the UK, with various themes. It is going to be a long haul this one, taking probably 12 months to complete, all being well. My chosen subject is insects and here is the book cover. I used oil-based varnish to varnish some dressmaker's pattern tissue which makes the tissue go very transparent, it takes a while to dry and I had done the varnishing last weekend. Well, last night I glued it onto the cover on which I had pasted a page from an old children's knowledge book. I wanted the tissue to feel like flies wings and it does! I still want to do more to the cover, as well as the necessary sign-in pages etc.

So, although I have been quiet, things are happening!

Kari x

Inktense Review

Regular Watercolour Pencils








Inktense Pencils







Well I tried out the new Inktense pencils this evening and they are lovely. At first I wasn't too sure that I could see much difference, but seeing them side-by-side like this I can see a greater transparency in the Inktense and the watercolour pencils look chalky/poster painty. Particularly in the darker colours. The indigo in the Inktense have lots of depth, but the indigo in regular w/c pencils looks very opaque.

My only problem with the Inktense is that the basic pack of 12 doesn't have my favourite colours - I would recommend the pack of 24 but at about a £1 a pencil that could be rather pricey.

New Links & New Pencils

I have added loads more links to this blog - lots more blogger pals, special friends and artists I admire. As well as a special section especially for sites that are inspirational. Have a look see and tell me what you think.

I had to pop into town later this afternoon and my journey took me right past a great little art shop. What was a girl to do?

I had a few spare moments before my meeting, so I popped in (just for a look, honest) and came out with Derwent's newest latest coloured pencils. Inktense, they are called and have had rave reviews in all the art magazines.

They are like watercolour pencils but have the intensity and transparency of ink. Apparently, once water is applied and dried, the colour is permanent and they can be worked on top of again. From what I have seen and heard, the colours are lovely and vibrant, no wishy-washyness here!

Guess what I shall be playing with this evening?

Triangles of Flowers

I bought some triangle-shaped card blanks last year, basically because I thought the envelopes were triangle-shaped too, but they weren't. Anyway, I have some birthdays coming up again, so I thought I would do some floral close-ups in coloured pencil.

I find coloured pencil work so restful and soothing, which is perfect for me at the moment and I love playing around with so many colours.

The one in the centre is my favourite, which one is yours?

Kari x

Everyday Book

I think I am finally on the mend at last, my coughing has eased and I went the whole night last night without an asthma attack. I am so pleased.

Here is my page for the next round of the Everyday Book on ANUK. The colour theme is black and white and I couldn't get zebras out of my head - sorry Maz (The Artful Zebra), to pinch your theme. I did it in colour pencils on bristol board which is a very bright white and lovely and smooth. Of course, I couldn't stick to just black and white. There are other colours in there, too, but don't tell anybody!

Happy Easter everyone!

Redoing an old image in a new medium

Thinking ahead to my next project after the biggy displacement project is over, I have been looking out old landscape sketches and resource material. I will be starting a new sketchbook on the subject, loosely entitled "Whose Land is it Anyway?". I want to do some landscapes that explore land ownership and land rights. It is a step further on from my current displacement project and I am very much looking forward to getting into it.

It is a difficult stage, this one. You know you have taken a subject as far as you want to go with it, but you still have that difficult little bit more to do to finish it.

Anyway, I joined the EveryDayMatters group on Yahoo today (everyone was talking about it and it certainly sounded interesting) and the latest challenge is to rework an image in a different medium. It was meant to be a previous challenge, but as I have only just joined I haven't got a previous challenge to rework, so I am using an old sketch



of the Cuillins in Skye which I had done in coloured pencils.




This is the result of it abstracted in oil pastels. I have softened the colours, changed the format and abstracted the whole image right down to the basic colours and feeling of the place at that time of year (Spring).

I am delighted with the result, what do you think?

EveryDay Book Page

Thank goodness it is Friday! This debilitating cough and related asthma just hasn't cleared up and I have dragged myself through the week complaining and wheezing all the way.

I have taken to walking around the university with a large notebook and ticking things off as I go - well it looks efficient anyway. The good thing is that I am actually ticking some off, the video is nearly finished, it is only 7 minutes long, but it has taken ages to get it this far - I now appreciate what video editing entails. Other things have been ticked off too, but it is a case of little things, building up to make the larger picture.

Anyway, somehow, I managed to finally finish my page in Elizabeth's Everyday Book. The colour is red and the word is love. I made a spread with transfers, collage, paint, tissue and sewing, then cut it up into 3 tags.


I am going to rest this weekend to try and get rid of my cough - again, with only a little homework to keep things ticking over.

Have a lovely weekend everyone!

Good Hare Day

Still recovering, but a LOT better today, so I will be back at university tomorrow. I raided my stash again last night and found a newspaper clipping of a hare, so I spent a happy hour sketching it.
Looking at it this morning, it was well described and shaded well, but it lacked texture. So I added his fur. Now he looks much better and happier with his new hare-cut (sic).

Kari x

Emergency Stash

Well, another restless night, coughing and generally disturbed, LOL! I am utterly exhausted and so glad that I can rest today with no pressures to go anywhere or do anything.

I spent last night on the phone chatting to freinds and then watching Nanny McPhee on DVD. I love children's movies and am quite a fan of Emma Thomson, so this was great fun. I am unable to sit down and watch TV without anything in my hands. These days I do Sudokus or Karuko, but last night I had a strong urge to draw.



I keep a stash of images that appeal to me (very useful for emergency drawing/painting/collage material), knowing that I will do something with them one day. In my stash I found an image of a girl looking as if she is leaping through the air from an old Victorian children's knowledge type book, so I drew her. Then I found an image of an underwater swimmer, so I drew her too. I felt there are some similarities with these two images, so I may use them in something together. Don't know what yet!




I can recommend having a stash of source material for moments like these, when you are laid up not feeling well, finding inspiration illusive, low in spirits, or generally under the weather for any reason. You can draw or paint them, collage with them, photocopy them and draw on top, trace them, scan them into your computer and play about manipulating them. The stash can consist of images from magazines, your own photographs, small objects such as antique keys, sea shells, silk flowers, dried chillis, poppy seed heads, that sort of thing, then put them in a shoebox with a pencil, some paper and an eraser or some watercolours or crayons and glue. Put it somewhere handy where you can find it on a rainy day.

It has cheered me up doing these and even though I got up this morning feeling lower than a slug's belly, it made me smile to see that I had done something arty yesterday.

So go on, get youself an emergency stash today!

Kari x

Old Painting

I seem to be only able to post intermittently just lately - still working hard on my work at university, despite a bit of a virus attacking my chest and not much sleep due to coughing - aaargh!

I felt a bit frustrated that I have been forced to slow down at this crucial stage in the course, but must remind myself that the reason why I decided to do such an art course, was to have a future that took into account my health issues and above all, I wanted to be able to enjoy my life! So I have eased up on myself and decided to try my best, but not push myself quite so hard. My final work will be what it will be and making myself ill won't help, LOL!

Anyway, this weekend I am resting up with only a little bit of homework to do, I have been messing about with old drawings and sketchbook work and found this little treasure hidden away in the back of an old book. It was a small still life study, done in acrylics of fruit, pots and bowls, mainly as an excercise in colour understanding.

I think I am a tad frustrated that the bulk of the work I am doing at the moment is conceptual and film-based, I miss the hands-on painting process. I find myself looking forward to some time in the summer to get some serious painting done. I wonder how much I will achieve without deadlines and a structure to keep me going? I look forward to finding out!

Kari x