Showing posts with label poppies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poppies. Show all posts
Tuesday, 13 October 2015
Tuesday, 30 June 2015
Visits and Vexations - June Work in Progress
Planting them in November has really paid off -
not only flowering much earlier but longer stems as well!
June is usually one of
my favourite months.
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| View from my back bedroom window! |
It's the time when my garden is at its best with climbing roses, lavender, mock orange, sweet peas and honeysuckle all giving off heady fragrances! And usually the summer is just beginning so it's not too swelteringly hot yet, just how I like it.
But of course, one of the best things for me is that my birthday is in June and that means being in touch with friends and family and, the highlight, my son coming down from York for a few days.
As well as helping me with some chores in the garden that would have been practically impossible for me to do by myself - yes, the Dog Rose hung down over the road at the front again, like a floral curtain! - when that was all tidied up, we went out for our usual walk. For once we remembered to pack a picnic lunch and we ate it in a beautiful, quiet spot in the Linda Vista gardens:
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| Wonderful Californian Poppies in Linda Vista Gardens |
Then we set off across Castle Meadows, right up the lane that passes under the Heads of the Valleys road and comes out in Llanfoist, across the road that leads up to the Big Pit, and onwards and upwards to the Brecon and Monmouth Canal at Llanfoist Wharf!
I was surprised I was able to walk that far because of the problem I've been having with nerve pain in one of my legs. But we had bought some Nordic Walking Poles as we came through town, as recommended by the physio who's been treating my back - and so on we went, up the steep, slippery, rocky path up through the wood on the side of the Blorenge!
I was surprised I was able to walk that far because of the problem I've been having with nerve pain in one of my legs. But we had bought some Nordic Walking Poles as we came through town, as recommended by the physio who's been treating my back - and so on we went, up the steep, slippery, rocky path up through the wood on the side of the Blorenge!
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| The path ran alongside this little stream so you can see that it was fairly steep! |
This year I've been particularly lucky - my younger daughter has been over from Sweden for a few days, bringing two of her children, her eldest boy and my one and only granddaughter. As I haven't seen any of them for more than four years, that has been a special treat!
But the two grandchildren had fun skimming stones in the River Usk and we visited the Tithe Barn the following day.
They were only able to stay for a few days because her husband had bravely volunteered to look after the other four boys - aged from two to fifteen! And unfortunately the day we picked to go for a walk and to visit a few local 'sights' was the one and only wet and drizzly day we've had for weeks.
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The River Usk at Abergavenny, from the Castle Meadows
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And the historic Tithe Barn and Abergavenny Castle were both closed!
But sadly, this year, Zazzle have cast a shadow over my favourite month. They have decided to withhold 30% tax from any 'non-resident alien' designer - that's us! - who doesn't get an International Tax Identification Number from the IRS. And, quite apart from this being a lengthy, tedious and quite expensive process, the IRS has told us that we don't actually need this number to qualify for the Tax Treaties between our countries that would mean that we only pay taxes in our own countries. So that's an ongoing, time-consuming, stressful bone of contention.
On a more productive note, I had an interesting request from a physiotherapist who specialises in Mind-Body 'treatments', Georgie Oldfield. I've never met Georgie except online but I've been receiving her newsletters for about five years and she was kind enough to order some of my greeting cards back when I was printing my own. Georgie has decided to create an Adult Colouring Book to raise money for her 'Hardship Fund' and she wondered whether I could contribute some pages to colour.
Of course I was glad to contribute and started to trace some of my designs - but had to send the scans to Georgie in their rather raw state to give myself time to prepare for my daughter's visit, which I didn't know about when I said 'yes' to Georgie! But she has assured me that she knows someone who will 'clean them up' and I'm looking forward to seeing the book when it is finally published!
Here are a couple of them with contrasting amounts of detail!
I actually wouldn't find trying to colour neatly inside the lines in the least bit relaxing - quite the opposite! I'm more of a 'broad brush', splosh-the-paint-about kind of person. But it's surprising what Photoshop can do with a messy, untidy scribble!
So this month I'm going to show you how totally absent-minded, half-watching-television doodles can morph into a whole collection of patterns!
So this month I'm going to show you how totally absent-minded, half-watching-television doodles can morph into a whole collection of patterns!
This is
how it all started!
And with some help from Photoshop, these pencil-drawn motifs became the basis of this set of related patterns:
- which then enabled me to make a faux patchwork:
I've also been experimenting with adding scanned Broderie Anglaise - which I've always loved and often used when I made little dresses for my toddler daughters, many years ago:
The next thing I worked on was creating a border pattern from the original motifs - I've noticed to my delight that our local dress shops are full of border patterns, reminding me of a nightie I had in the Seventies that I wore as a dress to our house-warming party!
First the usual square border:
- and then just a single side to leave space for some text. 
Next I challenged myself to create something that I've wanted to try for ages - a circular border!
With or without the monogram!
Finally I had plenty of choice when it came to make 'Indigo' greeting cards!
Custom Blue and White Floral Mother's Day Card by poshandpainterly
Find more Floral Cards at Zazzle
500+ gifts and cards from the
'Indigo' Collection
HERE
Yesterday, the final whole day before my daughter and her children started back home to Sweden, the weather started to really hot up.
So we were able to relax in my little garden - after my tall, handsome grandson had helped with dead-heading the Alchemist rose, always a huge job and difficult for me to reach.
And today the temperatures are soaring - quite unusual for June and much too hot for my liking. But it's perfect for drying the mound of towels, sheets, duvet covers etc in the open air that always result from having people to stay. I think the fourth load is in the machine at the moment and at least a couple more loads to go!
Once all the laundry's done and the house tidied, I should have a chance to get back into my work routine and hopefully make some inroads into my long list of ideas for designs and patterns . . . maybe! (Much depends on Zazzle.)
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| Poppies by the roadside near Abergavenny Bus Station! |
Friday, 29 August 2014
Poppies In Flanders Fields . . .
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| Please feel free to pin or download and print this high-resolution A4-sized quotation |
The Poppy is the August Birth Month flower. But it has also been adopted as the Symbol of Remembrance, honoring those who have sacrificed their lives in war.
So, as we commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War this month, it seems appropriate that the quotation should be from one of the most poignant poems about 'The Great War', the war that was supposed to end all wars.
You can read about the author, a Canadian physician,
and how he came to write the poem after the Battle of Ypres,
HERE.
Friday, 8 August 2014
Thursday, 18 July 2013
Poppy Red - a Pantone Colour Choice for Spring/Summer 2013
But it didn't put in an appearance in Abergavenny until June. Maybe that's because, being the colour of fire, it's one of the 'hottest' colours, more associated with summer than spring.
Or perhaps it was waiting for the poppies to bloom?
This oil pastel painting of a friend's garden is called, 'June Garden'. It's based on a photo I took when I had a birthday lunch with her - in June!
Whatever the reason for 'Poppy Red's' late arrival, there's a lot of it about now!
It's a colour I love - though, sadly, it doesn't suit me like it did when I was younger - so I looked it up in my big book of Colour. And here are a few of the interesting Facts about Red that I discovered.
- Like yellow and orange, red is a colour that demands attention and is hard to miss. That's probably why the post boxes and the older telephone boxes in the UK are red -
- and of course, red traffic lights mean 'Stop!', a signal you won't want to miss!
- Red is the colour at the top of the rainbow. Of interest to artists and photographers, is the fact that red appears to advance. Something red in the foreground of a painting or photo will give the image depth, especially if the background tends towards the blues, as in distant mountains.
- Red is the first colour that babies perceive. Small children are attracted to it. The red crayons are always the most worn down in the box!
- But in an environment with a lot of red, children become fractious - and maybe it's not just children! Red quickens the heart rate and stimulates the release of adrenalin. We use the phrase 'seeing red'; and 'red mist' is defined as, 'a feeling of extreme anger that clouds one's judgement temporarily'!
- But on a more positive note, red fruits and vegetables are not only attractive but good for us. You can read what it is that makes them a healthy choice HERE. Although there are plenty of green apples and others that are speckled with yellow and orange, traditionally, the red apples were thought to be the juiciest.
- Red also stimulates the appetite - hence the heavily red-based decor of burger stalls and fast-food outlets.
- In China, Red is the colour of Luck. Just look at these Lucky Lanterns that are bought to ward off evil! So when it came to creating Chinese New Year Cards or Birthday Cards, they had to be red!
And of course, Poppies seem to be one of the most popular flowers with artists. They can be quite a challenge to paint as their colour seems to change with the light and their petals are so fragile.
Poppies come in a variety of colours but I always think of 'red' when I think of poppies. And this collection of patterns has been one of my most popular.
Poppies come in a variety of colours but I always think of 'red' when I think of poppies. And this collection of patterns has been one of my most popular.
Here's a blog post I wrote about this beautiful flower a while back -
So how do you feel about Poppy Red? Is it a colour you're wearing this summer? For shoes maybe? You'll certainly get noticed!
Thursday, 8 November 2012
What is it about Poppies?
A far cry from the rather dull, red paper poppies that we buy to wear on November 11, Poppy Day or Remembrance Sunday, here in the UK and in some of the Commonwealth countries.
I don’t know whether it’s seeing that politicians and TV presenters seem to wear their poppies earlier and earlier each year, but last weekend, I had a sudden yen to make a poppy collage!
This was unfortunate as it was the last weekend before the start of Module 2 of the ‘Art and Business of Surface Pattern’ course and I had so much to do, not least finishing the illustration for the book of Welsh Nursery Rhymes I’ve been invited to contribute to. Time is running out!
But on Saturday, when I was scanning the illustration at high resolution, I could see that it was going to take a long time. So I seized the opportunity and started to cut out poppy petals, based loosely on a doodle I’d done one evening while watching TV, trying out my new blendable coloured pencils!
On Sunday I made some changes to the illustration so I needed to scan it again and I used the time to make a different kind of ‘stripe’, consisting of diamond shapes in the bright pink, orange and green that I used for the poppies.
You can read my earlier blog post about 'Poppyland', illustrated by my soft pastel painting of it, HERE
In the meantime, you can find more information about the varieties of poppies and see 'Poppy' gifts and cards that I've already created, on my other blog -
Monday, 16 July 2012
The Magic of Flowers!
At last I’ve got around to making those ‘Poppies and Cornflowers’ greeting cards!
But on the other hand, that Islamic Pattern that I made for the collage for my brother’s birthday card is only partly edited. It’s going to take a very long time, and not being a person with a lot of patience, it’s quite likely it’ll languish in its current unfinished state until I forget all about it!
And I’ve only just got around to creating the customizable version of the ‘Bubbles’ Screenprint design from a couple of weeks ago!
I seem to be far more in the mood for flowery designs, in spite of our decidedly un-summery weather!
I’m sure this has been said many times before, but I really believe that this is the worst, coolest, windiest and, above all, wettest summer we’ve ever had! I shall actually be glad when the autumn arrives and we can stop pretending it’s summer!
I haven’t been a great fan of the summer for a couple of years now as I was feeling quite unwell whenever we did get a hot and sunny spell, due to my pollen allergy. I love growing flowers in my garden, particularly the sweetly fragranced ones. And most of them seem to really thrive in this Welsh clay soil!
But gradually, year after year, my symptoms increased and going out in the garden became a no-no and as for bringing flowers into the house – well, my shelves of vases had sat redundant, gathering cobwebs, for a while now -
Scary as it was at the time, I have reason to be grateful it happened. As long as I use the puffer my doctor prescribed, I can enjoy my garden again and even fill my house with vases of flowers, just like the old days, before my allergies. I've even had the posy below in my bedroom and enjoyed a good night's sleep without coughing!
I usually like to let flowers fall naturally in their vase, rather than ‘arranging’ them. And this little posy of lavender, Albertine roses and Mock Orange Blossom particularly caught my eye and asked me to take a photo of it. This weekend I got around to using the photo as the basis of a design – not a painting as such, but a motif that I’ll use to make a repeating pattern. And probably some greeting cards as well!
First I have some more catching up to do - why do I so often seem to be trying to catch up? When Zazzle launch new products, as they have recently, I generally find that some of my older designs will fit on them nicely. So that will keep me busy this week.
But maybe I’ll find a little bit of time for those ‘New Baby’ designs I mentioned last time!
Tuesday, 3 July 2012
Poppies and Cornflowers, Blue Bubbles and Art Nouveau
I made so many products from last week’s Poppies and Cornflowers design that I haven’t had time to make any cards from it yet!
More Poppy and Cornflower products
Poppies and Cornflowers - At Home
HERE
HERE
But I have made some cards from one of my ‘Bubbles’ screenprints.
I think everyone agrees that finding suitable greeting cards for men isn’t easy. I sell a lot of cards for older men, the ones with the almost cartoon-like characters, dancing and jogging and doing altogether unlikely things! But younger and middle-aged men are even more difficult, unless they have a particular hobby or interest that you can build on. Jokey ones are another possibility but I’m no good at that at all.
So sometimes a design that is purely decorative in a non-flowery way, is a solution. Which is where my screenprints come in! A Bubbly Birthday Card -
And here’s another screenprint - the same design but in different colours. This one will probably find its way on to some customizable smartphone cases and skins sometime soon.
But not this week, if I can find time to develop the design I’ve just painted into a repeating pattern.
I’ve changed the colours slightly but I do like blue, green and white together for a particularly clean, ‘fresh’ look.
The challenge I’ve set myself is to use this tile design to make a pattern that doesn’t look too much like tiles. Not sure at the moment how I can do that so I expect I’ll have to play around with it quite a lot . . . results next time!
Monday, 25 June 2012
Water Soluble Wax Crayons - ideal for letting one's Inner Child out to play!
If you thought I didn't post on my blog last week was because I was taking a summer holiday, you couldn’t have been more mistaken!
Firstly because our ‘summer’ weather has been more like November, not only disappointingly wet but cold and windy as well! At one point I looked out at the frenetically waving bushes and trees and it could have been the autumn, except that, instead of leaves, it was rose petals swirling in the wind!
And I’ve been tremendously busy!
When I sold a relatively huge amount of Father’s Day Cards through CardGnome, I made a start on doodling some ideas on scrap paper for the next upcoming holidays . . .
For Grandparents Day
For Halloween
But the very next day, CardGnome announced that they will be cutting our artists’ commission from 15% to 5% from July 1st.
Not good news!
And that decided me to spend less of my time working on greeting cards and more on creating products, which earn a better return. I’ve been moving in this direction ever since Greeting Card Universe announced that they would withhold 30% tax from non-US artists who don’t have an ITIN, followed by their ‘cull’ of cards that they deem ‘un-marketable’, in spite of the fact that they sell well!
I shall still design greeting cards but they won’t be my priority once I can get my head around this shift in emphasis. I’m not finding that easy, in spite of the fact that I very much enjoy creating tea pots and phonecases, coffee mugs and necklaces!
So I’ve been devising a work schedule that reflects this rejigging of my priorities – and I rather overestimated the number of ‘products’ I could create in a week!
I took last week’s Vintage Roses design and made a new, slightly 'Laura Ashley', design from the little rosebuds -
- and made more than 60 'Rosebud' products!
are some of them!
Then I came across a treasure trove of screenprints I had made more than 20 years ago. I had printed them in almost 50 different colour-ways so I'll never be short of a design for my week's new products!
is a selection of them!
As creating nearly 60 products from this one design didn’t leave any time for a new painting last weekend, I uploaded a design from the backlog of cards waiting in the queue.
Another one of the Cool Cats Collection -
This weekend I was determined to set aside at least a little time for painting and finally tried out my Water Soluble Wax Crayons that I bought months ago with a Christmas Artifolk Voucher.
I absolutely loved using them – it’s true what they say about them releasing one’s Inner Child! - and I’m sure they will play a big part in my art and design from now on!
Quite a contrast in style to this week's greeting card upload -
- but then that's me all over; I'd get bored if I stuck to one style!
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