Art among other things

A lot has happened lately, plans that were made have been changed.
New changes have been made.
Progress is coming.
Art has been made.

Remember this sketch?

 

It became "Family Ties"

Remember this WIP?

It became "Sing your own melody"

A new one:

"The appearance of natural beauty"

Thank you for visiting, which is your favourite today?

Altered

Sometimes life events leave us altered.
Here's my painting of the same name.

Before: Original sketch - "Pouting"

After -  "Altered"

Lost in my own world

Lost in my own world

Today was a nice laid back day. Lots of quiet thinking. Some house cleaning, some sketching, cooking a nice roast chicken dinner & then making yummy chicken soup with the left over chicken.......mmm

Yesterday was a sad day for me.... it marked the 6 month anniversary since my Mum passed away. I can't believe it has been six months already as it seems like only last month. Some days have been very long and lonely ones. Actually,  a lot of them have felt like that. I miss so many things, the little things - the things I took for granted. You hear people say how different things are in retrospect - well it's so true, and some days I wish for nothing more than to have some more 'time' to talk to my Mum, to ask questions about her life, her feelings and so forth. To simply be next to her, to hear her laugh. It's like my connection has been lost - and so many things I want to talk to her about just can't be so anymore. Some days when I am home alone, while Craig is at work, I just sit and stare at my Mum's picture that sits on my sideboard. I look deeply into her eyes, I keep telling her that I love her, that I miss her, that I wish she was here. I tell her that I feel like I sometimes took her for granted and that I'm sorry for that. I go to bed late at night and don't sleep - I stare into the blackness of night, hoping for a glimpse of her. I pray, I ask to 'feel' her around me. I wait.
I still wait.
and wait..... lost in my own world.

The sketches today are inspired by my feelings -  I will choose one to paint, which do you think I should paint?

Click on the pictures to see them larger, then hit your 'back' button to return :)

Transformation

A mothers love

Please respect the copyright on my images - Thank you xo

My Mothers Day Poem

With Mothers Day upon us, I sat today and wrote a poem....  It took me a few hours to get it all to make sense.....and yes it was a sad sack moment.

Ok, it was very sad - and yes I cried, but I also smiled as I thought about my Mum's Love, her warmth and her incredible strength. I found myself wanting to write more and more, but then just said things in my head - I was wondering, questioning and thinking that if spirit could be everywhere then maybe I didn't need to say or write anything. Thinking that my Mum would just *know* what I was thinking... well hoping she would. I wrote the poem anyway. So Mum, this is for you :)

My first Mothers Day without you

I sat beside you, Mum
As on death’s doorstep you laid.
I set my head upon your heart
And silently I prayed.

I let the tears run slowly,
and I listened to your breath.
At the time, I really didn't understand
or comprehend your death

I guess I didn't want to know,
Didn't want it to be real.
But now that you are gone
It's a silent emptiness I feel

The world to me shut off
the day your soul departed.
Together, our little family
are so deeply broken hearted.

We look into each others eyes
and know how we all feel.
But seldom do we mention it
as our own wounds we try to heal.

I try to block out the pain
the loneliness, the sorrow
I try to concentrate
On how to live tomorrow.

I sit alone, sometimes for hours
And listen to no sound.
I contemplate you being gone
and hope it's peace you found

The time for you came so suddenly
To enter Heaven’s Gate.
and all those years we had together,
I now have time to contemplate

I'm grateful for each moment,
and all the times that we did share.
I'm grateful for the love you gave us
and for showing us how to care.

I miss you with my heart & soul
and know that others do too.
You were my Mother & my friend,
and without you my world is blue

It’s only months since you passed
My wounds are not yet healing.
I want so much to hear your voice,
To hug you, to ask how you are feeling.

I could write so much for you Mum,
with all the stuff that's in my head.
Some days I just want to cry
and not get out of bed.

But when I think about you Mum,
and all that strength you were showing,
It gives me power & motivation
to try to keep on going.

I know you were worried
about how we would all cope,
But together we will make it
Because YOU gave us hope.

And Mum, you’ve never really gone
for it's within each of us you reside.
Forever always in our hearts
and always by our side.

You're our special angel
looking down upon us from above,
There's only one word to describe you Mum,
and that word is LOVE.

Happy Mothers Day Mum,
I love you and miss you with all my heart.
 

Artful Update

BRAVE JOURNEY

My painting for "Relay for Life" The Cancer Council annual fundraising event

 

Limited Edition Prints are available -

If you are interested please email me - artivity3@gmail.com or reiki3@iinet.net.au

RECENT ACEO'S

RESIN - 

SCRABBLE & DOMINO JEWELLERY

GLASS PENDANT

Current work in progress:

MAGNETS

WOODEN RESIN PENDANTS

  

AMATE PENDANTS

 

That's it for today, more to come soon - now I am off to mix some resin to complete the above 'works in progress'

Have a lovely day, and don't forget to allow yourself some creative time :)

Lorri xo 

Free for you - take them, use them :)

Blog Changes

Yup, I'm experimenting, so changes will be taking place... all is going to be completed soon I hope.
This is a temporary style :)

Journals of incompleteness

"Pouting"

"Earth Girls" - Art Cards

I have found myself with very little motivation lately - I have these dark days, where nothing feels real to me. Like I am waiting and waiting and waiting, and what for? I don't even know what for... perhaps it's just for things to go 'right' for a while, yes I'm waiting for that - I'm trying to push the buttons and make things happen. Maybe I'm not pushing the right buttons, maybe I'm too impatient. God only knows I am trying to be positive in a situation where I feel I am drowning from one thing after another. I'm treading water you see, staying under the waves for a while and then re-emerging for another big breath to last me, until the next.

My list of to-do's is getting bigger as I let things around me fall apart. I just keep adding all these new things to do, the catch-up things, the "I'll do that tomorrow" things - I am piling them onto my mental list. My journal would be good for the to do list - but which one? I have so many, all incomplete - all segmented. I started one on the cruise, it was nice just nice. There were a few pages inside it that I really liked but the rest were just nice... bland, not inspiring. You know the 'that's nice' kind of pages. The entire journal probably has 6 pages completed. The rest sits empty. Like I was supposed to fill it with all the wonderful amazing things that were experienced on the cruise.. but I came home and then my Mum started getting those pains - Bec and I played catch up at the store, then within the next few months my world turned upside down. That journal didn't get done.

Then while waiting in the hospital waiting rooms for my Mum, I started another journal - I look back upon it and remember things - sad things. Things that make me angry, things that make me cry. I need to get that journal and write in it, paint in it - scribble darkly on some pages, tear some pages out, screw them in a ball and throw them with all my might against a wall.

I don't want to 'wreck that journal'.. oh that's another journal I have the "wreck this journal" - now where is that??

I need the pizazz the wow, the OMG I love that background on the page to inspire me... I get it from other peoples work. I need it within my own pages of my journal. Bec's journal pages inspire me!

I just went on the hunt for a couple of my journals, can't find them. They must be in the store tucked away on a shelf somewhere. My plan was to scan a couple of pages - so that will now go onto that to-do list in my head too!!

Well, I managed to do some sketching this week - and I completed a set of artist cards. (The one's up the top of this page) The art cards were completed with paper strip backgrounds, with miniature versions of the girls I have drawn and with copic markers for colouring.

What I have done during my blogland absence... nothing much. I taught a workshop with a group of young girls teaching them an OTP mini-book. Their youth and enthusiasm was a breath of fresh air. I spoke on the phone to Linda Baldock about the store's upcoming workshops, speaking to Linda was awesome. It was so nice to finally put a voice to the words on the computer screen. I can't wait to meet her in May - Linda is one special lady, very honest, open and to the point - just the way I like it. Linda also loves the grungy styles like Bec & I do, and I know we are going to have a ball spending time with her. You know the feeling you get when you meet someone that you instantly resonate with? That's Linda!

Oh well, I could say so much more about my life right now, the word 'grieving' just doesn't seem enough - but I guess if you know the process - it probably explains it all.

Here's a couple of sketches... thank you for visiting me, listening to my ramblings and for all the support you have all shown me in the past.

Oh another thing, my pc crashed from a virus and I had to get it fixed and reformatted.. I lost ALL my snail mail and email addresses (I have a dymo labeller, and had everyone's addresses from when I first started trading around 5 years ago... so I'm devastated) One of my plans - yes on my to-do list, was to randomly send people stuff - cards and things. I can't do that now.

So if you were on my list, or thought you might be, or WANT to be... send me your snail mail and I can make my dymo list look healthy and not so lonely :)

"Searching"

"Wondering"

"Remembering"

Take care and stay creative!

xoxo

Canvas & Chipboard classes with Linda

A Mothers Garden, by LINDA BALDOCK

I thought I would let you have a look at this beautiful canvas that the delightful Linda Baldock created...

Bec and I are so pleased to be having Linda teach workshops in our store -

"Mothers Garden Canvas" - Sunday, May 23rd. from 10am until 4pm.

Cost $100.00 (includes all materials)

It's a full day of fun! You will get to create your very own canvas, learning Linda's techniques and tips - I wonder what amazing creation you will make?

Grunge It Up with Chipboard - Thursday, 27th May from 7pm-10pm.

Cost $35 (includes all materials)

This workshop is all about chipboard, and if you have seen Linda's blog & work you will already know that she is on the design team for Scrapware, and her chipboard creations are totally amazing. In this class we will get to play with chipboard and try our hands at the many ways of altering it, grunging it up and putting all those little pieces to good use!

Bookings are now being accepted, and if you would like to join either of these classes then please call the store on 94336541 to get your name down on the list.

The classes have limited numbers, so get in quick!!

Here's a little background information about LINDA:

Linda was born in WA and travelled across the Nulabor about 4 years ago to start a new life, with this move came her ever changing experiments with her creations. Linda has had cards and ATCs published in Australian stamp magazines. Is currently studying 2 degrees...one in art the other in psychology.
Linda also teaches her art all over Australia and has designed for several companies including Prima, Paper Artsy and Scrapware.
Linda would call herself.. a modern eclectic mixed media artist. Linda is all about the grunge and getting hands dirty and can often be found sourcing art supplies at the junkyards and second hand stores.

Now that's my type of girl :)

Moments

Last night I finished a painting that I started a while ago. I hope you like her - here's the before, during and after pics.

MOMENTS

First painted background layer completed, Sketch drawn over background.

Painting detail commences

Shading with more paint

Lots more paint and extra details added to complete her.

Printing 101 with Benson

PRINTING FUN with Benson

Step 1. Choose your picture from the computer

Step 2. Check printer is turned on

Step 3. Make sure the paper is going to feed properly

Step 4. Make sure there is nothing blocking the paper path

Step 5. Check the paper is printing properly

(sniff & lick it to make sure the ink is waterproof)

Step 6. Admire your print & close the printer feed flap

Step 7. Cuddle your teddy as a reward for doing a good job

Collage fun

Today I thought I would do something a little different. What I want to do is to be able to print out my own paper design for the front of some notebooks. So I grabbed a few favourite papers, some of my little 'girls' and a jar of mod podge, scissors and my craft sheet.

I had a lot of fun creating these, and will definitely be doing more!!

This is what resulted:

Now friends can you please tell me which is best for a 'front' and which for a 'back' ?

© L. Lennox 2010

Unmotivated is this depression?

Emotional rambling warning!! - if you don't want to read press here to see some kittens (ok, I stole it from flickr lol) But if you do click there you will see my little Benson :)

Oh boy, where do I start blog world?
It's been such an emotional roller coaster - but really not many ups, so I guess not like a roller coaster more like a huge slide going down and down and down..... yet it feels like an uphill battle dealing with things. I'm so unmotivated for anything lately. Even my art is hard work, it's ok when I finally get around to sitting with my supplies. Then it happens. The problem is I am having trouble doing anything.... My house is a mess and is now starting to get to me. My Mum's nana shack is just sitting there empty and lifeless. I just went in there as I often do. I stood and felt - felt nothing but sadness and emptiness. I wandered around opening drawers and cupboards, remembering things - a million things. The tears were building and then I wandered into the bathroom and saw my Mum's 'teeth' - ouch ouch ouch.
I noticed a lot of tissues in the rubbish bin from our previous visits.

How can I become more positive, when I am constantly being reminded (in my mind) of all the horrible things that happened?? How do I try to forget those and focus on the good stuff... cos, I am trying believe me. I have little moments, where I say to myself "Ok, Lorri this isn't good - it's time to remember all the nice stuff" - but then those ugly thoughts just slip inside and stay for a while. It's almost like the feeling of anxiety where thoughts just bombard you, with no rhyme or reason... I say STOP to myself.... and it works for a little while.

I need to clean, I want to clean, I don't want to touch or move anything, I want to move it, I don't want to clean - I just want to go back in time (yeah yeah of course I can't) but in my memory I can and I will - to a nicer place, to a comforting loving place.

So much has happened over the last few years, so much - too much!!
Something has to change - It just HAS to get better - It WILL get better - I'm trying to send out those vibes, and it is so very hard to do when you feel like this. It's almost like nothing is working for me right now. I mentioned 'killing a chinaman' in a FB post once!! Maybe I did.
Do I start with some positive affirmations, trying to make myself believe good things are around the corner??
Do I keep on pretending that I'm ok...... with the hope that I will actually start to believe it soon?

Action... I need action, if I can get myself off the chair that is!!

My little Benson is a blessing, he is always giving me snuggles at the 'right' time! - usually while my hubby is snoring on the couch!!

Today has half gone, I have done nothing - well I burned the dinner and the pan is now soaking. I cut my finger between two cupboards - I opened them together!! Blonde :)

I haven't eaten, and my reflux is telling me to eat!! Oh how I would love to be able to employ a live in chef/cleaner/maid haha - Like that is ever going to happen. Poor Craig works so hard, works every hour he possibly can and we still only just get by from week to week.

Something BIG is around the corner, I just need to turn towards it.

Do I have the courage? The strength? The balls to make it happen................ I guess I will have to wait and see.

For now, I must just BE - Be in the moment, accept it for what it is.

HOPE - painted

HOPE - painted
Originally uploaded by auslorri

http://www.artivity.etsy.com

My prints 4x6
My prints 5x7

Now available in my store