Salsa and Sunshine

Hello from a very sunny Dorset, its gloriously hot, but this Heidi is melting i am more a swiss alps with snow kinda girl - meaning i prefer cold weather.
Give me snow boots over sandals any day. But i do love the summery vibe, and summery food.

I thought i would share with you my Salsa, i love the colours as much as how it tasted. Yes i get inspiration for my art from food too !

Just chopped tomatoes, coriander, garlic, salt, pepper, red onion and a squeeezzzee of lime.

Whats on my Desk ?

For me i always wonder whats on other artists desk's. Right now i have a whole heap of stuff but my current favourite is the Adriondack Inks there so vibrant and create really juicy colours,  example below - check out below the pink splotches !!!

This was the finished piece which i am delighted to say SOLD ;)

I used the ink here too on this painting "Bloom" below

This little lady is currently available

£35.00 plus free shipping !!

I layered on lots of paint and ink, knocking back some of the colour with gesso.

I wanted it to look a little faded.

Right now i am currently planning to re - open my Etsy Shop, with lots of art pieces, whimsical boxes, notecards and lots more. I want to make sure my new art adventures are brought to life in affordable art pieces that will brightness and magic, although i have some nerves about re - opening, what if no one like my new direction, what if !! what if !! i have to put the negative head away as it strangle creativity.

So what new with you ?

Any favourite foods that inspire ?

Any New art goodies you want to share ?

If you fancy some rainbow brightness why not check out this amazing artist - she is from another planet but speaks good english :D - she did a lovely piece on me !! 

http://kittypinkstars-kitty-kittypinkstars.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/stuff-i-love-saturday_26.html

Sending lots of love and sunshine

Heidi xxx

...and my cat Nora :D x

The Crooked Book

Wednesday's is Culture day, when i venture out the Studio and head towards civilisation and art chat with my Friend and Photographer Lauren. We had been searching for that little place of inspiration, a diamond in the Rough of Boscombe.

How happy we where to find "The Crooked Book located on 725 Christchurch Rd
Boscombe  a lovely Independent Coffee Shop/ Book Shop, selling Homemade Cakes, Teas, Raspberry Lemonade, Vintage Furniture from Art Deco to the 70's. Books, egg cups, Cigarette card, Old Comics, Bunting TypeWriters, Fabulous Vintage Leather suitcases. Wall to Wall curious, quirky and inspiring finds.

In one Corner Of The Crooked Book was a pile of Vintage photos, i purchased a few perfect for my latest project.

I find these photos a bit creepy, which is part of the theme of my new illustrations and paintings

Cute and Creepy.

Exploring characters who have both a sugar and spice side, above is some sketch ideas for Verity, a girl inspired from the Victorian Era, spooky yet sweet..

Its great to find inspiration on your doorstep, i hope you enjoyed this little place i have shared with you.

Be Great to hear from you.

Do share your local places of inspiration

or share what you find Spooky yet Sweet ?

Heidi. M xx

Song Birds Singing in Bubble Gum Skies

Clouds of Bubble Gum, birds, coloured rain, watercolour skies.

All inspiration for my most recent painting...I am just loving the world my art adventures have taken me to. 

My latest work is bright, happy and features my new character development.

The Start of my painting on Gesso Board, Thick heavy Bodied Acrylics, pencil, pen, adrionack Inks, collage, multi layered.

Can you see the Birds top left ? I seem to have a love for including them in my art at the moment.

Song birds singing in bubble gum skies ! :)

Detailed close up of the song Bird

My new character development. The eyes have changed, and the nose is much different.

I felt so inspired lately by Vintage Toys, The big doe eyes that a lot of the dolls had that obvious cute but a bit creepy look, my other inspiration comes from the 1950's ...more of that soon.

So here is the painting "Song Bird Singing in Bubble Gum Skies"

I feel a bit like the birds in the painting, feeling very free in my work, not knowing where i am heading but not feeling troubled by it.

Mindy Lacefield course "Paint Your Story" that i have been taking is available soon for self study, can't praise it enough which you may have noticed in my recent posts :) i have only reached this new adventure in art through this course

Mindy Messaged me asking if she could buy a piece of my work !!! I was so thrilled, that a artist i had long admired and found so inspirational had asked me that ! Think Christmas trees with all its lights lit up...that was me when i read the message.

Ohh yes one more think to share, Artist  Rachelle Panagarry  do check out her awesome art ! ( And in the gorgeous new book from Suzi Blu  had some fab free Moo Business cards printed. I took the opportunity to get some done too.

I hope to hear from you soon.

What Birds do you like ?

Have you been on any art Adventures ?

With Love and Bubble Gum Skies

Heidi M 

xxx

The 80's Playthings

I was a child growing up in the early 80's. I lived in bright tracksuits and red leg warmers with reindeers on, and tried my best to keep up with the the craze of Roller skating - which was tough as i could not roller skate, many a grazed knee.
I love toys,  and as a girl i loved dolls especially..

Sindy was my favourite nowadays she looks more like Barbie, but at the time i loved Sindy. Wide eyed, pouty mouth and long hair perfect for me to play hairdresser on ! :)
As part of my fabulous online course "Paint Your Story" with Mindy Lacefield  we were given the project of drawing a favourite doll from Childhood.

So of course i drew Sindy... incorporating the wonderfully freeing mark making and scribbles mix media background. I choose bright fun colours and drew Sindy quite loosely.
It got me thinking about the Toys i loved growing up in the 80's. I was a huge fan of anything and everything from the US and Cabbage Patch Kids hit the UK market, i went crazy for these dolls and my sweet mum went to London and queued to get me one.

Funny looking things really, but i worshipped this doll, it was quite like this one in the picture and i called it "Altheda" 

I loved Garbage Pail too and collected a lot of the cards, i was dazzled by the imagination of these characters and they where slightly weird and i love weird stuff

I find it inspiring to realise that inspiration for your art and illustration can come from the things we once loved in Childhood, they toys and crazes long forgotten but at the time filled up our imagination.

I would really love to hear what your favourite toys were and from what era ?or what craze you where really into ? 

Be great to read your replies.

Lots of love and 80's inspiration :)

Heidi M xxx

Flora

I have been busy painting away on my Art Adventures. I thought i would show you how i worked from start to finish, my processes. This is a first in painting for me really, learning so much from Mindy Lacefield 

I started working on Gesso Board, another first for me. I love the hard surface, i find Canvas to bouncy or maybe i am painting it wrong ?

I applied marks, scribble and symbols adding paint, layering paint, tissue paper, scraping into the paint.I threw a lot at this Gesso board ; )

I walked away from it for a few hours and then came back to add to it.

I was happy with the colours i used, not a combination i would normally go for, preferring darker more muted tones, but these colours really said bright and happy to me.

So the next stage was to add in a face, i actually felt quite nervous. I am used to paper and a eraser, and big fat black pen, holding a paintbrush ! well this was different.

Sketching out the face i realised that adding tissue paper previously in my layers made drawing difficult as the paper was wrinkling and tearing, i had to rip it off...this left the most gorgeous layers underneath...a happy accident ! I can't tell you how i wanted to return to the safety of my black pens, but i walked away again and came back later.

And here is my first finished piece, i am calling this

"Flora" as she appears to be emerging from  abstract flora.

I say finished ? well i want to add bits here and there but i feel happy to leave it...for now :D

So what do you think of "Flora" ?

I plan to carry on exploring further in paint, hoping that i can make the combination of illustration and painting work for me.

I would thinking ahead also like to re open my Etsy store with my new style or art ? But these are just musings for now.

Be Great to hear from you 

Heidi xxx

Winner of The Giveaway is......

                                                                Dawn Bevins
                           You are The Winner !!!

Congratulations to the Giveaway winner, please email with your address and your goodies will be on its way. Thank you to all that entered, more Giveaways soon.

Lots of New Blog Posts so do stop by and have a little read.

Heidi xxx