New OSWOA - Portrait of a Tabby

Portrait of a Tabby

4x6 inches

Acrylic on Colourfix Paper

I have recently been introduced to the world of OSWOA (Original Small Works of Art) (thank you Vic) and am interested to test the market when compared to ACEO's. I like the fact that they can fit into a standard photo album, or small frame, without having to get a custome frame. Being a miniature artist, I actually find this size HUGE - LOL - but it is great for a change. Also new for me, is the medium of acrylics. Having never really worked with them much before, I was initially frustrated with the speed at which they dried. But since using the wet paper towel on my palette, having a spray bottle of water on hand, and with the help of some mediums, I am slowly getting used to them. This painting is available in my Ebay Store.

OSWOA - Muhali, Baby Gorilla

Muhali, Baby Gorilla

4 x 6 inches

Acrylic on Colourfix paper

On Monday, we took our youngest to Sydney's Taronga Zoo, and one of our highlights was this eight month old gorilla, who stole our hearts. It was fascinating to watch the gorilla's behaviour and the parrallel's between them and we humans. With four sons, and three of them in their teens, I was amused to watch two adolescent gorillas wrestling with each other and struggling for dominance, whilst their silverback father looked on with mild interest. I lost track years ago of the number of times we have asked our boys to stop wrestling in the loungeroom (usually just as the news started!!!)

Slightly larger paintings.

Can anyone tell me what the acronym is for the miniature / small paintings that are slightly larger than ACEO size. I know I have seen them listed under a specific name, and would like to do some slightly large paintings than ACEO, but just want to do some research on the size requirements for this category. Any help much appreciated :))

Latest artwork!!

Aren't holidays wonderful for fostering creativity - I was so much more productive in the glorious relaxed mode of vacation than I can ever hope to be in our usual hectic life. I think we should go on holidays more often!!!!! These are the 6 artworks completed whilst we were away:

Party Animal ACEO (2.5 x 3.5 inches)

Coloured pencils, ink and markers on drafting film

MacCheeky ACEO (2.5 x 3.5 inches)
Coloured pencils, ink and markers on drafting film.

The Flame ACEO (2.5 x 3.5 inches)
Coloured pencils and ink on drafting film.

Sweet Dreams ACEO (2.5 x 3.5 inches)
Coloured pencils on drafting film.

Fagan Park Fine Art Miniature (6.5cm x 9cm)
Coloured pencils and markers on drafting film.

Cool Relief Fine Art Miniature (6cm x 8.5cm)
Watercolours on Illustration Board

All ACEO's are available for purchase from my Ebay Store. The fine art miniatures will be saved for Miniature Art Exhibitions.

A couple of holiday snaps

This is a photo I took today from the balcony of our holiday house and what a glorious holiday we are having!!! We knew the house had a wonderful view of the ocean but what a treat to find that we can actually view the whales as they migrate north for the spring. There are so many beautiful holiday snaps I could share, but this one was my favourites, as it shows how close to the shore these amazing mammals come. We have such a country of contrasts - on Friday, we headed inland to show the kids some snow at Barrington Tops, only to find that you need a 4wd to get up the mountain, but still travelled through some gorgeous scenery. Our days here at the coast have mostly seen clear, sunny days with cool nights, and we have had such a relaxing time going for long walks and gazing out at the ocean watching for whales (and of course lots of artwork) - it is amazing how much better the creative juices flow when you are relaxed. Sadly, we head back at the end of this week, but I know we will return fully rejuvenated ready for another full on year!! Warmest wishes to all :))

The Little Fossicker

One of the problems I experience as an artist living in Australia is the lack of available materials and resources we can access as compared to the US and UK. When I first started painting miniature watercolours 3 or 4 years ago, I wasn't happy with traditional watercolour papers and so the search was on for a surface that would allow me to produce fine detail, and also allow for some reworking. I stumbled across Fredrix Watercolor Canvas and loved what this surface enabled me to do with watercolours. But paintings done on this surface don't reproduce into prints very well as they tend to have quite a grainy appearance. At that time, I couldn't find a quality Illustration board in any of our local artshops, and whilst I could have ordered some from the US, this isn't always practical when it comes to ordering large sheets.

The other day, I stumbled across some Crescent Illustration Board in one of our local artshops and decided to redo a little painting of one of our boys when they were young (one of my favourites). The painting on top was done two years ago on the canvas, and the one below was done on the illustration board. Some of you may prefer the canvas, but I must admit I was much happier with the results on the illustration board. We head off tomorrow for our holiday and I will definitely be packing the watercolours for more experimenting.

Self Portrait

Self Portrait 10 x 15cm

One of my goals for this year was to do a self portrait, and so I took this opportunity, whilst having a bit of a break from doing art to sell. I must admit it is a little bit confronting as you map each line and contour that has slowly etched itself onto your face. I am long past that age where you stand in front of a mirror for hours, and our loved ones are probably much more familiar with our faces than we are ourselves. I still feel twenty, but doing a self portrait reassures me that I'm definitely not twenty - however, I wouldn't swap those hard earned lines for a smooth face now - they are a part of me and represent a wonderful life for which I'm very grateful!!!!