Monday 28 February 2011

Mori Girl to Miscellaneous

Watched "Hotter Than My Daughter" on BBC 3 this evening, where a mother and daughter get new looks which are supposedly more for their age, and guess what?  there was a real life Mori girl on the show!
Perhaps my blog post title is a bit harsh, I mean her makeover wasn't totally hideous and I am rather biased, but I felt a bit sad that the girl was forced to "ditch her forest girl look" if favor of something more traditionally fashionable:





To be honest, she didn't seem to like her new look all that much:



Hope you have all had a good start to the week.


Sunday 27 February 2011

A really great long weekend

My weekend began on Thursday when I travelled with some lovely girls from Church to Watford for Naturally Supernatural, I wasn't keen on going initially, it has been a long time since I have been to a large Christian gathering but somehow the girls coercedcagouled, persuaded, encouraged me to go.  I was really worried, but I am so glad I went because I had a really amazing (and emotional) time.  I am feeling really fired as a Christian now and positive about the future.
Then on Friday we had the lovely Matt and Elora over to stay for the rest of the weekend. She really appreciated my fawn bookends, I knew she would!  We went out for dinner and drinks on Friday and went to my favourite cocktail bar in town called The mix.  I really love the styling inside, it feels very girls and Sex-And-The-City-ish, I tried to take some photos but obviously it was dark and I didn't have my good camera, here is an idea of what it was like:







See that drink I am having...here is a close up:


And look what it's called!!


On Saturday we went to Oxford and visited the Pitt Rivers Museum, I have been there lots of times before when I was at Uni, but it is always worth going again because I have seen something new each and every time I have visited.  I would love to go again with my sketchbook and do some drawing of the artefacts that were in the museum, there is some really incredible things including a bottle apparently containing a witch, a huge to totem pole, shrunken heads and nose flutes!  Here are some photos from the natural history bit, sadly it was too dark in the Pitt Rivers museum to take photos.  



Also went to the Cath Kidston shop and bought this:


All in all a really excellent weekend, and the end to a really wonderful week off from school. I can't say I am thrilled about going back but at least I feel rested.  


Wednesday 23 February 2011

New stuff in the shops

Actually made myself do a painting today, it was pretty painful to be honest, I really had to squeeze this one out. Let me know what you think, as ever:







I have been quite brave and put it in the shop, will have to gauge opinion by number of views etc.

Also, I have something in the craft and vintage shop that I picked up at the flea and collectables market I went to on Sunday, check these two out:






How cute?

The most beautiful 1950's style dress in the world

Saw this today when shopping in town, and although I saw quite clearly the unattainable £80.00 price tag, I still tried it on. And can I tell you, oh my gosh!  It was so beautiful, I loved it so much and really really want to buy it.  Anyone fancy buying it for me?  I may ask for it for my birthday.  Probably need to lose a few pounds though, I tried on the size 14 and it was a bit lose round the waist so really I need a 12, but I know that my boobs wouldn't fit into the 12 unless I went down a cup size.







Actually I don't mind saying that I think I looked better in the dress than this skinny model.
Do you like it?

Tuesday 22 February 2011

Lost and frustrated

Been feeling a bit lost and frustrated with my art lately, haven't done any painting for two weeks now and have been feeling like I don't know what direction to go it.  I was really pleased with this painting when it was completed:

But after I finished it and have looked at in on the wall for a while I have been wondering where to go next.  Often I will do a painting which fully fulfils some urge or desire I had to fulfil or some message I had to give and after sending that message or urge or desire out into the world, the process has fulfilled whatever need it was in me to make it physical and I do not need to explore it further.  Then I feel stuck. I often can't make more that one artwork from one idea, the idea is usually completely satisfied by one creation. 
So I have been wondering what to do over the last couple of weeks, I see work on the internet that I love and I think I want to do something like that, but not too much like that, more like me and I worry about not being authentic and end up doing nothing.  I am also feeling nudged towards creating some art based on my faith but desperately don't want it to be clichéd or typical of other Christian art that is out there and I really don't know where to go with it.  I feel like I need to have time to journal and experiment and play, but often don't allow myself or won't allow myself to do this because it feels like a waste of time and that I should just be painting or making or selling. I feel like I want to go back to school and learn some new techniques, do some classes, but I don't have the money or the time.  My heart is pulling me in many directions right now and I feel frightened and not at all confident. 
I am frustrated that there are artist's out there giving classes, sharing advice and skills, selling their work, who have no art education whatsoever.  I am probably just jealous, but I did 7 years of art training for goodness sake I know a lot about the history of art, the purpose and meaning of it, I am a qualified art teacher, I have a degree in fine art so why do I feel so inadequate and incapable of doing anything real and true, or anything "good enough".  I definitely feel like I need more time to develop my practice, but how much time? When does it get to a point where I am too scared and using my fear as an excuse not to branch out and take a leap of faith? Why do I feel like such a fraud all the time?  
Sorry this post is so self deprecating, need to snap out of it really.  I need to not be so lazy as I have been and just get on a do these things that I am trying to do.  Stop wasting time.

Tomorrow I will try to make some art and be kind to myself and try to move forward.  I will pray for direction with my artwork, for inspiration from the most creative being in existence. 

Think positive, you can do it!

Unbelievable flea market find!

I nearly died when I saw these beauties in a flea market on Sunday.  How adorable?! I wanted to buy them straight away but was on a budget so thought I should wait to check there wasn't anything bigger I wanted to buy.  There wasn't and I couldn't stop thinking about these fawns so bought them and was so so happy!

Check em out. p.s. they are in the shop!






They are now in the shop, although I really want to keep them for myself  lol!

Monday 21 February 2011

Serendipitychild

My Dad photographed this sign on a weekend away in Tenby.  So sweet of him:

Sunday 20 February 2011

Mori Girl Treasury

Been wanting to do one of these for a while and now I have finally done one, I want to do lots lots more.
Here are a few of my favourites from this one:









Click on the image to view the shop.

Friday 18 February 2011

One of my favourite films

You may remember that The Little Princess is one of my favourite films, these film stills may help you understand why:






This was absolutely my favourite scene, my sisters and I would stand in front of the TV and act along with it till we were dizzy.)