If anyone is interested, it is being done with mechanical pencil on cartridge.

Logging off, Jools

I managed to talk myself into the basket of one of the balloons and we even got off the ground… oh about 1 metre off the ground, but I have been smitten. I would dearly love to go on a balloon flight. Any time of the day would do me. Oh my yes.

Oops sorry, pontificating again - though seriously Christmas has lost much of the magic because of penny pinching and political correctness. You don’t hear people saying “Merry Christmas” much in shops any more in case they step on cultural toes.

Study wise this year was pretty good, I have completed my first year studies and begun some second year ones. Next year I plan on doing more drawing because I need a structured environment to make sure I actually do draw regularly. Like exercise and diet it tends to languish in favour of my present infatuation. Yes, I’ve been spending considerable time on the net (too much time some would say) looking at images, downloading tutorials and the like, not actually doing any work, but it has been fun.

I still think I am making progress, slow but steady though and I have gone from drawing stick figures to drawing reasonably respectable sketches and it gives me considerable pleasure to see the changes. I have included a copy of one of the last pieces I did for assessment for the visual literacy unit this year.

I want to start concentrating on volume and shadow - my attempts in that area so far have been less than successful - still that is why I am attending classes after all.

This year I’ve met some great people and renewed some old friendships, listened to many hours of terrific music and read some good books, drunk more cups of coffee than are good for me and have made a start to getting my cholesterol level down, conserved water and succeeded in killing some perfectly innocent plants in the process. All in all it has been a rollercoaster ride in many ways.

So until 2008, I’d like to wish my readers a very joyous and safe Christmas, a happy holiday season and a New Year full of adventure and bounty. I hope that 2008 brings us all peace, health and prosperity.

Logging off, Jools

The first is a long way from finished sketch of Jenny, one of our models. I refer you to some sketches I did of Jenny about a year ago. I like this new picture because I think it shows some progress.

What follows are some studies I did after visiting the Collingwood Children’s Farm. The sheep were really good value because they just stood and held a pose for quite long periods - as long as no-one come around with food.

My life is so full of firsts that I marvel at it all, my first ever drawing of a duck, a sheep, a pigeon. I’ve also had a go at some cows, pigs, goats and chooks - chooks are very difficult mainly because they never stay still and sheep are probably the easiest because they do, actually cows are good that way too.

I have much to write about and pictures to share - so it won’t be as long until the next post - promise.
Logging off, Jools

My phone is a Motorola Razr that I had covered in stickers and fake rhinestones. I was puzzled so she went on to ask me if I had forgotten my much decorated school books. To tell the truth I had no idea what she was talking about.

A few days later I had a flashback to a tatty two ring binder extensively scribbled over in biro. You know the kind of thing that kids do, with, I’m sad to say - lots less style. Still I now knew what my friend was alluding to. I’d like to think that I’ve come a way’s since then, but I’m not so sure.

This weekend I stripped my phone back to the bare pink titanium. My, it looked naked. The layer of protective stickers was decidedly tired. Couldn’t have that - so, what to do? I discussed the idea of getting the phone body laser etched, but Thatch only laughed. Nothing for it then but to rummage through my sticker stash (doesn’t everybody have a sticker stash?).

I had a sheet of unused silver scrolls. The idea, in defiance of my previous sffort, was to create an understated, elegant border.

What I got instead was overkill, pure and simple. Ah, talk about bleeding edge. I resisted doing the back for about 24 hours before it too succumbed to a silver surfeit.

The white blurred patch on the top left of my phone is my phone number taped there as a memory aid. Every little bit helps.

Just a side issue before I fade from the screen, I think Motorola have always had the most stylish phones. My phones have always been hand me downs.

I once had a black StarTac from my Brother In Law until it stopped working - I loved it. It was and still is my ideal phone. When the Razr came on the market with the exception of all the extras like a camera etc, I thought it a worthy successor.

I waited for a couple of years until the price came down enough to justify my buying one when I still had a mostly working Nokia that someone had discarded for the latest model.

Logging off now before they find me, Jools

I feel strongly that quilts are pieces of art and should be acknowledged as such. Technically there are hand sewn, machine sewn and many are a combination of both. There are those that are drafted by hand and those that are drafted by CAD software.

But to create a successful quilt there needs to be a combination of creativity, design, colour, technique and skill. The best thing of all about quilts is the fact that they have a purpose. It’s rarely design for the sake of it - quilts serve a practical purpose and are made to provide warmth or to be worn.

Right now I like to look, perhaps one day I’ll have a go at making one. Recently I went to a craft and quilt fair, spent nearly a whole day there and I took some pictures to show you something of what it is that attracts me.

This first, ia a prizewinner, no surprise really, it is a glorious piece of work of which I captured only a small part of a quilt called “Run for your life” by an Jill Hessing.Detail of turtles and heron from Run For Your Life Quilt by Jill Hessing.

My record keeping was a bit scrappy, but I think this next one is by Pat Stevenson called Sally’s Secret. It’s based on a traditional pattern called “Baby Blocks”. I love the use of colour in this geometric design.
Sally’s Secret by Pat Stevenson.

The next is a wholecloth piece, i.e. made from one piece of fabric and then quilted. It is a computerised design that was created on a longarm quilter rather than on a domestic machine like the previous two. Called “Feathered Roses” by Eileen Donnelly.
Detail of the computerised “Feathered Roses” a quilt by Eileen Donnelly.

The next is the centre panel of a freehand quilt by Clare Fairless, the name of which I’m afraid is illegible in my notes.

Centre panel quilting by Clare Fairless of castle enclosed by dragon.

I’ve also added another detail which would have been much better if I had not blurred the shot.
Detail of quilting by Clare Fairless.

This next is from “Morris Gothic in Gold” by Judi Liebmann and is mainly appliqued.
Detail from Morris Gothic in Gold by Judi Liebmann.

This is sadly another not so sharp picture of the whole quilt. It impressed me for many reasons, it took my breath away and made me forget how tired I was after so many hours spent wandering around.
Morris Gothic in Gold by Judi Liebmann.

This next is the last one for tonight, I’ll put up some more in my next post. This last one is quite a lovely design and if my notes are right is called “Woman Attacks Sewing Machine With Axe” by Cindy Cudmore. In the quiltmakers remarks she says. “Made from a Sara Nephew pattern. I bought a book and two rullers to make this quilt. They are not likely to be used again.”
Woman Attacks Sewing Machine With Axe by Cindy Cudmore.

Until the next post, logging off, Jools

So I am making a box of J’s, Jools Jewels, whatever. I’ve designed the box but the actual dimensions depended on the size of the contents.

I’ve had a back ache for the last few days, so I’d gotten a little behind in my work and instead worked my way through some more charcoal.

Jack O’lantern, jurassic dinosaur, jug, blue jay, jonquil, jaw and jaguar.

Today I painted my completed little J jewels and while I still have to make the 8th piece and finish the paint work on the others, I have enough pieces to get the size of the box sorted. I had really clear pictures of what my tiny sculptures were to look like and I can tell you that what I ended up with - is not what I visualised.

As the project continues I’ll keep you abreast of what is happening and how it is going. I have to the end of June sometime - not much time to complete this.

Logging off, Jools

There is so much great art out on the Internet that sometimes it becomes overwhelming. Here are a few of the places I go when the brain and the spirit need a boost. Make sure you have flash loaded and ready for bear to get the most out of a few of these.

The first website is Desktopography. They invite designers to create nature themed wallpaper for your computer.

This is a flash website - slow and clunky, but the music is suitably atmospheric and it does look pretty. By and large the wallpapers are very well done, some are actually even worth downloading.

Worth1000 is a website in a million. Dedicated to daily image manipulation contests and it’s also a gallery of all the entries ever produced for these contests. If you have never been there before - it is a hoot. There are way too many people out there with more time on their hands than is right or proper.

Jessy Veilleux is a 2D & 3D matte painter and concept artist.

Ronald Kurniawan is an illustrator and designer with a glorious sense of colour.

He paints, he sculpts and he sketches and he lives with his pug Ruffles.

Next is Marta Dahlig and I refer you to her Deviant Art gallery because her own website is not ready despite the December 2006 notification. I sympathise though as I know there is always something more pressing.

She’s a digital artist from Poland and her work is quite lovely.

Luke Felman has a website called Skaffs that contains both colourful and creative art and animation.

This next is a beautiful use of flash. Enter the world of Peter Gric and admire the website and paintings by this talented artist.

His are strange landscapes with detailed abstract buildings or richly detailed interiors that lead the imagination into uncharted territory.

The last artist for today is the furniture designer Judson Beaumont with an astonishingly childlike eye.

Magical is the word I’d use to describe the furniture and other creations that his workshop turns out. The clock above is the one I would buy if I had the money to do so.

So until next time, Logging off, Jools

I had some plain newsprint which I had covered in an uneven layer of grey paint left over from a previous class. I wanted to use this paper in my composition.

Sounds a little pretentious to call it a composition given that there was not a lot of planning in either case.

Abstract collage of Naomi sleeping.

This piece came together over two 20 minutes sessions.

Second abstract collage of Naomi sleeping in semi fetal position

This second piece was completed to this stage in around 30 minutes.

This last piece is also a type of collage but it is only partly drawn and then assembled in photoshop. This is the final composition which has undergone more revisions than I can count. I used a couple of brushes found on the Internet as well as elements from my own stash.

Fictional coffee table book cover done as part of a project for graphic design class. Pop culture then and now by Josh Smythe

Wouldn’t you know it, I’ve had some really tempting ideas for this project while writing this post, but it’s already mounted for the presentation tomorrow.

Logging off, Jools