Monday 19 March 2012

All Things Bright but not necessarily Beautiful!

I didn’t quite get addicted to making abstract digital designs but it came pretty close!

I was having such fun making my paintings and photos into blobs and swirls . . .






. . . and blocks of colour




 . . . that, day after day, finishing the lily-of-the-valley design kept getting put off!

I’ve had a nasty bout of conjunctivitis this week. It seems to have been brought on by the pollen from the white hyacinths in my garden – my favourites, but they affect me so badly that I no longer grow them in pots for indoors. A lot of the time I've just wanted to close my eyes rather than stare at a screen; so the fact that I continued with the digital designs, in spite of the discomfort, demonstrates how much I was enjoying myself.

I haven’t made many business cards on Zazzle. Somehow I didn’t feel very interested but I heard that they sell well so I thought I’d have a go, using my digital designs. I intended to stop when I’d made 50 but somehow that number crept up to 65 – which you can see here.

I have no idea whether such bright and bold designs will be popular as business cards - they certainly would help a person to 'stand out in a crowd', I should think! But I have to admit that I'm not too bothered about whether they sell; it was just enormous fun creating them!

I finally, reluctantly, called a halt to my 'playing with colours and shapes' at the end of Friday because of ‘Super Saturday’.

'Super Saturday' is the final Saturday of the Six Nations Rugby, when all six teams play on the same day. And this year, Wales stood poised to win, not just the tournament, or the Triple Crown, which they had already bagged by beating Ireland, Scotland and England, but the Grand Slam! Only France, with a population more than 20 times that of Wales, stood in the way of a third Grand Slam for Wales in eight years - and France are - or were! - probably the most feared team in the tournament.

Wales was buzzing with Grand Slam fever by Saturday and I was so nervous that I couldn’t bear to actually watch the game but just listened from the next room and ran in to see what was happening when the crowd started to roar! And what kept my blood pressure down was working on the Lilies!

I’ve made a few changes since last week, cut out  the ‘frame’ that I’d tried to make in the Art Nouveau style and experimented with different colours for the background. I’m torn between the beige, which is more authentic for the period and the pale yellow which looks a great deal more cheerful, I think!





 


There’s no reason why I can use both background colours but I feel that would be terribly indecisive! So which do you prefer?


I have such a backlog of designs to upload and make into cards and other things, that I haven’t done any painting this weekend but now that the Six Nations is over, it should be business as usual next time . . . and meanwhile you might enjoy these creative BBC Wales television adverts for the rugby:












15 comments:

Di said...

HI Judith! My 1st reaction is that I liked the the light brighter yellow (top des) . My 2nd reaction was that the tanner yellow seemed to make the white pop out. I can see why you couldn't decide. I think for a Bday card go with the brighter/happier light yellow But if you wanted to use the design for a more somber occasion use the grey tan one.

Michele said...

I prefer the yellow myself! I was amazed to find I have already started suffering with hayfever despite there being no flowers out yet. Tree pollen apparently, in fact cut flowers never affect me. Have had to go on the antihisthamines already! I am jealous of your time spent on Zazzle, I am still getting the odd sale on there, and really need to find the time to make some more products. Well done!
Michele x

Judy Adamson said...

Hi Diana - thank you for your suggestion, which I think makes a lot of sense. I'll probably make the 'dull' one into a repeating pattern for a product on Zazzle at some point and use the lemon yellow one for the Birthday Card.

Judy Adamson said...

Hi Michele - the lighter, yellow background seems to be the more popular one. I certainly prefer it though I think there could be occasions for using the more 'sombre' one, as Di put it.

I've been affected by the pollen ever since I was silly enough to buy a pot of daffodils to paint a few weeks ago and left it on my kitchen table while the flowers were coming out! My doctor insists it can't be just the pollen affecting me and prescribed me antibiotic drops, which seemed to be clearing it up - until I went out in the garden with the washing yesterday!

Betsy Grant said...

Very interesting! I like the second one from the top

Jayne said...

I think I prefer the yellow too. I'm sorry to hear about your conjunctivitis. I lived in England till I was 26 and used to get horrible hay fever every summer. Since I moved to Texas (30 years ago) I haven't had allergies at all. Obviously *something* in England had it in for me! Never did find out what, though. Love your idea of creating abstract designs out of your artwork. I may have to try that, just for fun.

Judy Adamson said...

Hi Betsy - that's one of my favourites too. The exciting thing is you have very little idea of how they will turn out!

Judy Adamson said...

Hi Jayne and thank you for visiting :)

I never had any allergies until quite late in life and it's got worse each year. It seems to be all my favourite flowers, particularly if they are white - mock orange, lilies, pear blossom, white hyacints, pale daffodils . . . though I also suspect the juniper trees alongside my house!

Do have a go with creating the abstract designs but be warned, it can be quite addictive!

Crystal said...

All the business cards are terrific! I especially like the second one. :-)

Judy Adamson said...

Hi Crystal - glad you like the business cards :)

I think the second one is my favourite too!

jane maday said...

Hi Judy! Thanks for your visit to my blog. I don't know if the Mixed Media paper is available in the UK. It seems to be rather like Bristol board, but the texture is slightly different. They changed the formula for the Bristol that I had used before, so I have been experimenting with papers to find one that is good for both watercolor and coloured pencil.

I like the yellow background best too. I suppose it is just a bit more cheerful. I am amazed that your hyacinths are blooming already! It will be ages before we have any flowers here, although my pussy willows are starting to show themselves.

Judy Adamson said...

Hi Jane - thank you for your comments. I've discovered that my favourite website for art supplies, Artifolk, sells Mixed Media paper. It's made by Canson, which is generally a very good brand so next time I have a big enough order to avoid paying shipping, I'll try it out.

My hyacinths are way past their best now but I've had tulips and wallflowers blooming for a while now, as well as the daffodils. And I even spotted a brave little forget-me-not a couple of days ago. These would normally be 'May' flowers but the seasons seem to be in a huge muddle these past few years!

Carole Barkett said...

I have to agree with almost everyone else I like the one with yellow. It's a lot more cheerful. Glad you got them finished. The business cards sure turned out well. I hope they are very popular :O)

Judy Adamson said...

Hi Carole - glad you like my business cards:) Whether they'll turn out to be popular remains to be seen. And it seems the 'yellow' has it so tomorrow I'll be making them into cards to upload.

But I've noticed various things with that dull beige background recently. I think you might call it 'taupe'. Some fabric in a shop window, the pattern on a box of tissues I bought this week and the Mother's day card that one of my daughters sent me. So maybe it's fashionable?

architecture associate online said...

2nd one is great.... color combination and texture is awesome