Oh this?

Some days I am so overwhelmed by everything, or just so out of sorts that I feel like I am faking everything I do.

On those days I wonder if it is really obvious - just how much I don't know about what I'm doing.

Some days it probably is, but other days less so. 

In any case, it helps to remind myself that everyone has their own issues that they're carrying around. 

Maybe not as obvious an animal perched on my head... but still. 

I drew this a few years ago. My brother just let me borrow his computer monitor and so I have been able to get back into a whole lot of my art that has been locked away for months since my screen got wrecked.  

Tree Antlers and Blossom

The April edition of The ELM Tree subscription is out now, and included in it is this reduction lino print.

Strictly speaking, I don't actually use lino, I use rubber blocks because they are easier to cut (by a mile) and much easier to print. But it's still a reduction print.

Reduction prints are made with the one block of lino (rubber) and cutting away and printing the image in stages - as many as you want really.  I have never made one, so I tried to keep it simple.

This is black and white (as you can see) and so first I cut away what I wanted to be the colour of the paper - I planned for this image to be printed on coloured paper - and then printed a whole lot of them in white.

While they dried I cut away what I wanted to stay white, leaving only the small areas that I wanted to be black.
Then I reprinted them, being careful to align the papers with the prints already on the paper.

Ta-da!

There are only 30 of these prints IN THE WHOLE WORLD, and they are only available as a subscription to The ELM Tree. Because I have set the system up as a way to help me to buy materials to keep making art, there will be exclusive art in each month of the subscription - just to say thank you to those who are supporting me make the art that I love to make.

Painting People (part 2)

 This is my niece and her duck. He died a while ago so for her birthday this year I thought I would take a photo of her and Mr Cow-y and turn it into a little work of art for her.

Her birthday is next week, but she is turning 4 so the likelihood of her seeing my blog and ruining the surprise is next to nil.

In the background of the painting (its gouache again - I'm addicted) I drew some of the things that remind me of Miss Lolly.

I am going to be putting my brushes and pens down for a while so that I can study full time. While I would love to be an artist full time, the pay at the moment isn't allowing me to do that and I really need this qualification to get the currency moving into our household again.

To make it clear, I will still be working on commissions (So commission me!!) But unless it's after work/study hours I won't really be painting. I haven't given up by half. I am submitting my portfolio to a few publishers - which will potentially take FOREVER to hear back from - but the dream is alive my friends. 

While I am studying I would love to fill my evenings with painting pictures of your children, or you. Just send me a photo to eleanor.mccomb@gmail.com and a list of things that you want drawn in the back - along with $50 and I will transform it into an illustration/painting that you can keep forever as a reminder of how cute your kiddie winkles are (or once were)

I would like to say as well that I appreciate a lot the support that I have gotten from friends and family as Kyle and I forge our way through this year's jungle of adventures. It's not even the end of February... grief...

Dots.

In some games there are a spells or attacks which you can cast on people which do damage over time. Initially its not enough to really smash a person, but over time it slowly chips away at their health or mana or whatever... and if you have enough of them combined with other attacks you can win. They call them 'dots'.

It's geeky of me to think in gaming terms, but pregnancy is a lot like a damage over time spell. Slowly your energy is drained, your body loses fitness and hurts a lot, immunity is practically non existent, your control over your tear ducts stops working (or is that just me) and in general your physical capabilities are diminished. Add to this a virus which seems to have mutated several times to survive these past four weeks or so, and the new muscle damage I have done in my chest from coughing too much and I am right out of this game. Ky, the baby, and the flu season have conspired against me and I am low on health and mental stamina at the moment.

So with all that in mind, here is a thought for Sunday.

Its the original sketch of the nautical mice from the wood panel. The words come from a Blues Clues song from an old DVD we used to watch when my brother was a baby. I always hear the song in my head when I see the words and for some reason thats way more awesome than it would otherwise be.

a familiar scene

This is the first in a series of 3D paper cut water colour paintings that will illustrate different children's stories.

Naturally Little Red Riding Hood was the first one I tackled... I don't know why I like drawing this story so much, but I think it has something to do with my affection for drawing trees...

They will be available on my etsy store soon (as soon as I figure out postage costs)