War V

The war of the valentine.

I have had the one valentine, the one I am married to. Pretty awesome really.
I view the day as a marvellous excuse to go on dates and leave the children with someone else, but apart from that, I will be right there with any other cynic pointing at all the insincere valentines marketing and commercial shenanigans.

I still made these though,because the alternatives were bitter quotes from my stressball mind or swear words...  painting swear words would have offended some people and also seemed very hypocritical seeing as I'm always telling the man off for watching sweary things. (the Angel repeats everything. He's a talented little parrot) Also love is pretty awesome, and while I dislike the commercialism of valentines day, I do love love and enjoy being in it.

Happy super early valentines day. May your day, like every day, be awesome. (So basically, have a good day hahaha)

its pronounced gwash.

My mum is awesome.

She has inspired my good behaviour with promises of art supplies, and even now as an 'adult' (debatable status) she continues to use art supplies as currency.
I am sure that at some point she will grow tired of getting art instead of more far more versatile currencies (you know, like CASH) for the many things she does for me and my family, for birthdays, Christmas, and mother's day. But until then, I will be happy to continue making things for my mum who has consistently been my most enthusiastic fan.

The other day she bought me gouache (which I had no idea how to say till just now) and this is what I have done with it so far.

 

I love that I bothered to turn this into a print, because now I can stamp it on anything haha. This was my first real try at painting on wood and I think it went alright.

 

 

 And here are the nautical mice that you might have caught on my instagram earlier in the week.

I have decided that I love painting with gouache and don't know why I hadn't done it before, because I can paint with it like I draw with ink (my favourite medium to draw with) and it dries fast and is beautifully opaque so I can paint over things with the designs that I want and in general its just FUN.

Painting on wood is alright too, though I'm never excited about having to wait for varnish to dry, or having to clean up after using it. Boo to turps it totally stinks. 

So thanks mum :)

a true story

When I was younger my parents gave me a flower press for Christmas. I have since pressed a lot of flowers.

Recently (as in the past ten or so years) I haven't really pressed anything, so I find it highly coincidental that right when I finish off making some presses for the shop I also find something to press.

Every time I see a patch of clover I look for 4-leaf clovers. Every. Single. Time.

I have never found any.

Until this week on Wednesday when I looked down and saw this...

Right there, four leaves. Dude. I thought it was so amazing that I immediately took photos for instagram. (follow me: eleanormccomb) I kept looking as we wandered around and I FOUND TWO MORE.

Yeah, you just have to trust me when I say that they all have 4 leaves. Pardon my fluoro nails. Obviously there was something in the water on that hill side, but nothing is going to take that very lucky feeling away from me.  

I came back from my walk and pressed some clover, and finished off two of these things. Behold my amazing wood working skills (the nice guy at Bunnings cut the wood up, so really all I had to do was sand it down, drill some holes, and varnish the wood. Pure talent right there)

They will be ready in the shop as well... I just have to work out postage. (The postage question is becoming a running issue. I need scales!)

The press is complete with recycled corrugated cardboard and brown paper - (the cardboard helps give some flexibility when you press things, and the paper helps absorb some moisture)

I think that flower pressing is one of the lost arts, or at least it seems to be, and is a great way for children, and grown ups, to take a closer look at the world around them. As a 'biologist' (aka, someone with a BSc hahaha... ) I think that any way we can raise awareness for the environment and nature is good.