I want to learn how to…. (a Bucket List of sorts)

I don’t have is a bucket list – for some reason it has never appealed to me.  However I have always had a vague list of stuff that I would like learn how to do.  I love learning about new things.  I get overly excited, I Google it extensively, I watch tutorial after tutorial on You Tube, I buy books and read everything possible about it, I might even attend a course or two and eventually I will attempt it.

I love the challenge of learning something new, pushing my boundaries and trying stuff that I have never tried before.  The problem is that as soon as I have figured out how to do it (not even mastered it, just how to do it) I get bored and move onto the next project.  Sometimes I will go back to that project because I really enjoyed it, or I found out more about it and realised I only just scratched the surface with my abilities and then I will get all excited about it again.

My problem though is that my list of things I would like to learn about it is endless, varied and I forget about the one as soon as I have thought of something new.  So ci decided to write them all down ….  Here are just a few that I can think of at the moment:

• I want to learn how to do quick sketches on location (and make it look like the people are people and not monkeys) – STARTED - WORKSHOP BOOKED, BOOKS ORDERED, GOOGLED EXTENSIVELY – See other blog An Ordinary Life – Sketched
• I want to learn how to take a decent photograph
• I want to learn how to paint a decent portrait (properly) – STARTED – SIGNED UP FOR THE DIARY OF FACES ONLINE WORKSHOP – PART ONE with Sharon Tomlinson
• I want to learn how to work with chocolate
• I want to learn how to make fondant (sugar paste) figures decently
• I want to learn how to design a website
• I want to learn how to use my Silhouette machine properly
• I want to learn how to illustrate a children’s book (I will even settle for drawing a decent greeting card)
• I want to learn how to use a photo editing program with a little bit of skill
• I want to learn how to use a graphic design program
• I want to learn how to make money out of property
• I want to learn how to retire rich (don’t we all)
• I want to learn about trading on the stock exchange
• I want to learn about permaculture
• I want to learn how to reupholster furniture
• I want to learn how to write more creatively
• I want to learn why my tomatoes keep dying
• I want to learn about SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
• I want to learn how to bake a Black Forest Gateau
• I want to learn how to swim more efficiently – for long distance open water swimming
• I want to learn how to hand bind a book
• I want to learn how to do Lino Block Printing

As you can see my list is extensive and varied…..  Although you will note there is nothing musical on there. Even I know my limits.  I am totally tone deaf!!!

I have decided that instead of just having a vague idea of things I would like to learn and randomly doing some as I come across them I am going to try and work my way through my list.  I am not saying I am going to try and learn them all.   Some I might scratch off the list all together.  I am also not giving myself a time limit.  Who knows, I might find one on the list that I absolutely adore doing and get stuck on it for ages.  Then again I might try and do two at once.

There are also some obvious constraints – obviously money is a huge one (if you offer courses in PE or online and want to donate a space to me in any of the above I will gladly accept – just saying…..). Time is the other biggie – I have a full time job and a 3 year old.  Space is another – the garage is my husband’s domain (or he so he likes to believe) I can’t really just take over the entire house and garage with my stuff.  I have already taken over about 95% of all available storage spaces (including the garage) with my hobbies (yes, I have a few).

So, with this in mind I have asked to attend a Pen and Wash workshop held by Talbot Cox for my Birthday, it is all about sketching on location and using your sketchbook as you go.  It sounds exactly what I am after at the moment. The course is in a couple of months and I am very excited.  HERE are details on the workshop if you are interest.

What would you really like to learn how to do, or like me do you have a list?

Latest Art work

Charcoal Drawing on paper

Here is a charcoal sketch I finished last night – copied from a photo I took of Little OL.

My voice

On all these reality TV shows, whether it is cooking, singing, dancing or home decorating, you always hear the judges saying the contestants need to “find their voice”.  At first I did not really understand what they meant, but as I watch more (purely research purposes of course) I got what they meant.  The contestant had to find the style that suited them.

I feel like I need to do that with art.  I am not talking restrict myself to one thing like only paint, or only draw.  I will always be trying new things and techniques but I need to discover my style.  I will still bake, sew, make cards, do various crafts, spray paint chairs, renovate and upcycle etc. but I am talking specifically about my artwork.  I see fantastic works of art that people are creating and think – wow, I’d love to paint like that or draw in that style or whatever.  But I know, I would never or could never do that.  It is not my style!

But what is my style?  That is the problem.  I feel that I need to define it, to “own” it.  I don’t know if I am making any sense??  But I feel that I need to concentrate on what works for me and I know that this should be easy and perfectly clear but I am finding it hard.

There are a few things that I know for sure.  I love drawing!  But I need a reference. I can’t draw “out my head”.  I love people and portraits.  I like paining in oils, but also love pencil, ink and charcoal.  I am better at realistic than fanciful.  But that is probably just because I have no confidence in my creative abilities.  So taking these as starting points I am going to try and work on defining my style.  I know it will change over time and I will improve.  For now I am going to draw more, as I mentioned in my post “Making a Plan” I want to try and draw something every day.  Not a masterpiece or even a full sketch.  I am happy if it is only a doodle, but I want to pick up a pencil or pen and draw.

Do you know your voice?  Are you trying to find it?

If you look at the tabs at the top of my page there is one labled “Art Work”.  I have some of my pictures and paintings there.

 

 

A fun project

Mr OL had these pair of bar stools that he refused to part with… They were old, the varnish was peeling off and they were covered in paint splatters – he called them his painting chair – from the days before he had a ladder.

They had pride of place in our entertainment area (we had nowhere else to put them and the skip was out of the question.  I figured that if he was not going to let me get rid of them I was going to make them a feature – and paint them red!

It was the first time I have tried to repaint furniture and as I wanted them glossy I decided to use spray paint.  I am not sure if I would do that again – or just opt for the more conventional paint brush next time, but I am really happy with how they turned out.

My steps were

• Strip of all old varnish
• Sand
• Fill all cracks using wood filler
• Spray paint – a number of coats were necessary (5 cans……)

Here are some photos

Before

Sanded and cracks filled – already looking better

After

Pride of place

The only thing I did not do is replace a missing cross bar.  I did not want to spend too much money on them incase I (or Mr OL) hated them.  Although initially sceptical about the red he loves them!

And its another thing crossed off my list.  The hardest part of this project was trying to find a windless day – yip PE has been living up to its name lately.

Latest painting

Here is a photo of my latest painting.  I have been really slack about painting lately and think I have only completed this one this year.  It is oil on stretch canvas.

I think when you paint a picture of your own child you are super critical as there are a few things I would like to change. For one the area around her nose is too dark.  However, I have signed it so it is finished.  I am always worried that if I go back to “fix” something I will muck it up even more.  Generally though I am quite proud of it.

 

Little OL – Oil on canvas

Something new

So I decided to try something different with my iced sugar cookies – to paint them!  I have seen it around and thought I would give it a try.  We have our art class end of year party this weekend – our theme was Berthe Morisot.

I did not enjoy it and they did not come out the way I wanted. 

I believe that this is because of a few reasons, firstly I don’t usually paint with water colours and this would be done in that style.  Also this artist used oils so it was difficult to copy.  Secondly I found that the colour bled into the icing.

The other thing I think is that the taste of the food colouring would be too strong if you ate them (which I have not done yet).

I think I will stick to the more conventional way of decorating sugar cookies, line and flood with royal icing.  I really enjoy that. 

Here are pictures of the three I tried next to a copy of the painting I was trying to copy.  I think the one of the little girl with the red hair came out the best – the others are shocking! 

Painted iced cookie

 

Painted Iced Cookie

 

Painted Iced Cookie

Summer – bring it on!

I went for my first sea swim this season – and only my second since Little OL was born.

It was a HOT day in PE so I organized my mom to come and babysit and I went down to the beach. 

All I can say is AMAZING!  I loved it, it was great being back in the water and today my tummy muscles are sore.  All good!!

I even still managed to squeeze myself into my wetsuit….

I have NO words!!!

Oh my WORD!!!! My addiction just got a million times worse. 

Take a look at this site….. And I was not even Googling cookies, I was looking for ideas for Baby OL’s first birthday. It’s a sign I tell you…….

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I think I need to bow down to this woman, these are works of art.  The work that goes into each of them must be extreme…

I don’t know whether to give it a shot or to step back in admiration.   I love the fact that she paints onto the cookie icing.  I don’t think I would have thought of doing that.  If I do  “attempt” doing this it is going to be a much more basic version…. 

Follow THIS LINK to go and see shop or her BLOG. Truly amazing.

7 Things…

7 things….. 

Phew, I am not sure what there is that you don’t already know about me.

1. Like Hayley who gave me this award (Thank you) I love South Africa.  I have lived in 6 different countries and visited quite a few more and still think this one is best!  I am not oblivious to its faults and I not always confident that it is heading in the right direction but I love it anyway.  I love the colour, the vibrancy and the noise.  I love the mountains and the beaches and the open space of the Karroo.  I love the faces, the smiles and the friendly greetings.  I love living here!

   

2.  I get bored easily and it is a major problem!  I never stick to one thing, I have no idea what it is that I want to do with my life and by now (38) I really should have some sort of vague clue.  That saying “Jack or all trades but master of none” is very true for me.  I can do a lot of things reasonably well but have not mastered any one thing.  Hmmm…..
3. I am surprised by how much I am enjoying Baby OL.  I always thought that I would not enjoy the “baby” stage but I love it!  It does help that she is a total little angel and has only woken once in the middle of the night in the past 4 months.  (Please don’t hate me).  She goes to bed at 7 and wakes up around 6 or 7 the following morning.

   

4. Different cultures and traditions fascinate me. 
5. I never thought I would get married. I did not picture it in my future at all.  I never dreamt about meeting that one or spending my life with one person.  I used to fear all forms of commitment and would not even sign a permanent job contract.  I worked as a temp for many years and only had my first permanent job when I was 28.  The job I have now has been my longest @ 3.5 years.  I would not even sign a lease agreement before.  Now I own property, am married and have a baby…   I used to think the Dido song “Life for Rent” pretty much summed up how I lived.  I worry it still does to a degree…

   

6.   I have NEVER been on a diet.  If I think that I should maybe on one then I instantly start eating like a horse.  If I feel that I need to lose weight I start to do more exercise.  Usually that helps because I feel healthier and it has a knock on effect, the better I feel the healthier I eat and so on.
   
7. When I was 12 I was told by the art teacher at my primary school that I had no artistic talent and art was not a subject that I should take in high school.  Thankfully art was actually a compulsory subject for the first two years while I was at high school and the teacher there was FANTASTIC!!!! She was encouraging and I was even made Art Monitor.  I did however carry the belief that I could not paint and so did not do art as an elective subject when the opportunity arose.  I did thankfully keep drawing and still do.  I even started art classes in 2000 and LOVED it.  Talent or not I now love painting and drawing and have actually sold quite a few of my art works.  It is something I am very proud off.  I am amazed that somebody that is supposed to nurture talent could destroy a child’s confidence like that.  I was even more upset because she said it when I was showing her a picture I was extremely proud of and still remember what it was off.  I now wish I had kept it, but I was so upset I scrunched it up and threw it in the bin. 

So, that is pretty much me.

I  have not tagged anybody, so if you  feel like doing it  please go ahead, just let me know in the comments so I can come and read what you have written (I am curious like that…) (is that No.8?)

If you have nothing nice to say….

rather say nothing at all – or did you mom not teach you that????

You know there are just some people that you like right away and then there are the others…. The ones that you know, you will NEVER like. 

I encountered one on Sunday!  And she was standing in my house.  

Her boyfriend had come to help Mr OL out with some rewiring (we are having a kitchen done – yes I agree, fantastic timing being 9 months pregnant and all).  Anyway, they walk in while I am busy painting the last of my frogs – and feeling rather proud of them.  She asks if she can see what I am doing so I said by all means. She walks over, looks at them and asks if she can make a suggestion. – WTF!!! Me, in my dumbfounded state say yes. She says I should do something with the background, not just have it white.  This is the first time I have met this girl, and this is the first thing that she has to say to me… After I recovered from my shock I said, no I left it white on purpose and decide to show her the nursery so she can see the contrast.  Dumb move on my part!  She said she quite liked it, but then asked about the tree I painted and did I come up with it, and she supposes it does lift the room otherwise the brown would be rather flat.  Why the hell did she think I painted it???? 

She looked at some of my other paintings around the house, only to criticize them as well. She asked if I use oil or acrylic paint and when I said I use mostly oils, she says have I ever thought of mixing my paints with boiled linseed oil because my colours are dull.  Excuse me????  I told her I paint for fun, and no I have not thought about it and no I won’t be doing that in the future either.   I am quite proud of my paintings.  The she looks at a set of 3 that I did and asked if I was trying to copy Andy Warhol, but completed the sentence with, Oh, you probably don’t know who Andy Warhol is.  The little $##$%!@#$$!!!!!  I said, I know exactly who he is and these painting are nothing like his style, I have done a few in his style before, but I sold them, as I have done with a number of my pieces.  I was getting slightly irritated at this stage. 

She then had the nerve to comment on my garden, asked if I had thought of covering the patio and made a few other…. suggestions.  I think by this stage I was in too much shock to say anything back to her. And  if I had thought of something to say it might not have been very pleasant.  But my mom raised me better than that.  If you have nothing nice to say rather say nothing at all – her mom should have taught her that. 

The second she left I turned to Mr OL and said – “I intensely dislike that girl!”