Looking Backwards, and Forwards

Happy New Year to you all.

I've been reflecting on a colourful year...

I'm remembering wintery visits to the coast, followed by Easter baking and Spring flowers...

 

Discovering Northumberland for the first time in May...

 

Gathering colourful wool for exciting new crochet projects...

 

Our first foray into camping...

 

  
Completing the Rainbow Bolster...

...and enjoying the fresh home grown salads from the garden...

Summer brought blushing, succulent apricots and delicious home made cream teas and lemon shortbread...

 

...not forgetting our midsummers eve picnic...

 

Painting work continued, when and where it could...

  

...and the garden bloomed...

 

  

A September trip back to Northumberland...still wild and beautiful as Autumn approached...

 

Autumn flowers appeared on the window sill, brightening the shortening days...

 

...then it was time to carve pumpkins and search for the largest conkers in the forest...

 

Home baked cookies were a staple as the weather turned cooler...

 

And in the blink of an eye, Christmas was upon us and we had fun making decorations...

 

 

The snow came...and stayed...but it was so very beautiful...

 

 

...and a home made mince pie and a steaming mug of tea was most welcome following our winter walk...

 

 
I hope you have enjoyed my little wander through 2010.  I like to reflect upon the journey I've had through the four seasons as the old year ends.  It seems it's something that I do quite naturally, and I contemplate how I can make my life happier, simpler...how I can evolve as a painter and grow as a person and as a Mum.

This new year promises to see some changes as I try to free up more time for family and painting.  Don't worry though, I'll still be blogging (in fact I can't imagine not doing that now, it's such an enjoyable thing to do).  I have some ideas to help this little blog grow into an even more colourful, inspiring place for you all to visit as the year unfurls, so I do hope you will join me on my journey into 2011.


I look forward to seeing you here, thank you for dropping by.


Brightest New Year blessings to each of you ~
Julia x

A change of plan

'Safe Home' ~ A commission piece

Ive not been around this last week as we have had family visiting, so Ive been out on lots of trips to lovely parks, farms, bird reserves etc, and at the weekend it was my birthday (hurrah!!) so there were cakes, shopping trips and a celebration meal at our lovely village pub!

But now, all is quiet. Im pottering around today, and generally musing on something huge.

I am making a big decision to change the work Im entering for the art show, and this is something that has been playing on my mind for the last few days...kind of like an itch that needs scratching. I am starting to acknowledge the comments that I receive about certain pieces of my artwork, and right now I am very aware that some of my art attracts more attention than others.

As those of you who read my blog will probably know, I have spent the last few weeks working on some new art, works which are illustrative and feature my character 'Little Red' and her band of merry animal companions. Im half way through the third one and I was sitting looking at it the other evening with my other half, who happened to mention that he'd given my business card to a chap who he'd met and that he'd heard back from him that he was really taken with my red boat pictures. Now, he's not the only person to pick these out from all the work on my website and its becoming such a thing that I cant ignore the impact that this type of work has on people.

Suffice to say, the original works are now happily living in Brisbane having being sold more or less instantly (and then this was followed up by a commission request for two more, one of which you can see on todays blog post).

I am really enjoying the character work, but I still feel drawn to creating work with ink and watercolour ~ landscapes with my red boat...Im looking at my website and thinking it needs an overhaul, Im looking at the calendar and thinking I need to get things moving as I have to have 3 paintings ready and framed up for May 10th and with a little one to look after this is no easy feat.

So panic sets in.

I wonder if Im ever going to be able to do it, and I talk to B about it and ask him what he would do if he were me - continue with the character work (which is almost finished) or start from scratch with some totally new work. Im concerned now that Im leaping from one thing to another in haste, that Im not thinking it through, that Im too random...or something...

He said; 'What does your heart tell you the right thing is to do?'

I know the answer to that already.

I dont exactly make life easy for myself, but I cant live with the consequences of knowing Ive put work out there that doesnt feel right. Im going to have to really knuckle down and work hard now in the spare moments I can find - my little daylight bulb lamp will be brought out again and the crochet may have to be put on one side for a while, but I know in my bones it will be worth the extra effort.

Flying by the seat of my pants again!!

...and still finalising the workshop Im running at the hospital next monday...

...and Im helping out at the Craft Candy fair on saturday...

No time to waste, catch you all soon!

J x