Healing Exercise for WOW week 1

We had to write a love letter to ourselves as a healing exercise for World of Whimsy week one.
I found this made me think a lot about more than just our art critic!  Anyways here is mine and I want to share it with you all, its especially for those of you who are finding it difficult too.  I hope it helps you to discover your own love letters.

Week 1 of WOW

Yesterday I started to go through the videos and pdfs for week one of the world of whimsy on Willowing.  I thought about what Tam says about other elements and telling a story. I did her in pen and ink. Im so enjoying working totally out of my imagination and feeling my way around drawings now. I feel like a kid again, playing, which is wonderful.  I did week one in my sketchbook.  I still have to do the healing exercise about writing a letter to myself, this part I find hardest. 

Tangling & Whimsy

Yesterday my friends little girl, Naimh came over to learn how to draw some tangles and a whimsy girl.  We had such fun together.  When she went home I played some more myself and came up with this tangle and whimsy girl in my A5 sketchbook.  Such fun!

Peace, Love & Hope

I had fun doing the monthly art challenge on Willowing.  We had to do something whimsical.  This is how I got on. I used watercolour, acrylic and gel pens on this one. Wishing all of my friends, peace, love and hope this christmas.  Have a great one everyone.

Finished Paintings Over the last Fortnight

I worked on a whimsy painting, after watching all of the videos and reading the pdf for the Whimsy course on Willowing. My friend is due her new baby soon, actually it was due on the 30th of November, but still she hasnt had her.  Anyway I decided it would be nice to celebrate their new addition by doing a whimsy family portrait. The painting is on canvas.  The background is made up using torn strips from a map, adding a watercolour wash, and then brayering over the background in white.  I used collage on some of the clothing, mums dress and dads t-shirt.  There is book pages in the sky, and gems on the flowers. There is even a sticker heart on the wee girls t-shirt.  

Next I worked on Catherines Painting of her and the polar bear, completed this one on Tuesday this week.  I gave it to her on Wednesday and she was so delighted with it.  This girl is painted on a plywood board. The background is made up of torn book pages, watercolour washed, stamps of music and a cat, since Catherine loves her music and cats. Then it was brayered with a light blue to pick up all the cracks of the torn pages.  I just love that brayered textured look.  Her jersey is collaged and painted.  The choice of collage makes it look like a wollen pullover when you see it close up. The curtains are blue tissue paper, and the polka dots are put on using a cotton bud dipped into white acrylic   The rest of the painting was done using acrylics and watercolours and my favourite pitt pens for her hair details.  The stars are star gems in the sky. Catherine particuarly loved them. It was great to see this painting go from the sketch to the final piece, it really transformed as it went. It was so exciting as I didnt even know how it would work out.