un... un... un...

(untitled, unfinished and undecided)

I have bugs, I think they are the little blue and green spotted chest bugs... most annoying!  

I did this little painting over easter, I really like the girls face on this one and I think she will become one of the notebook girls.  Speaking of the notebooks I have decided which ones I will use (very important decision)  Hahnemuehle's little travel booklets... high quality sketch paper 140gsm, 2 x 20 sheets, 9 x 14cm portrait size, they are very unassuming and I am just hoping I don't freak out about ruining the clean, fresh, lovely, newness of them! 

I am not sure whether it is best to concentrate on one at a time or to have them all open and on the go at the same time?  Hmmmm, maybe I will do one at a time to start off with.

the plan...

(the one on the right has clear tar gel, which I am really liking, it makes the white paint underneath glow a little... They both have interesting qualities that I would like to try again, but I guess I just can't see my girls in these)?

Ok... so I have realised that I can't schedule creativity... I was so looking forward to my two days of painting, I could hardly wait. But when Friday morning came I didn't feel like rushing into it, so I did stuff around the house. I pretty much did anything I could to give me an excuse not to pick up my paint brush. I was so mad with myself... but it is silly as I know this happens, I know this is how I can be. So next time I tell everyone I am going to schedule a painting session just whisper in my ear "that's a silly idea Katherine".

But as you can see above I did do a bit of mucking around... a few paper collages. They are not quite what I was wanting, but then again I don't really think I am sure I had a true idea of what I wanted to come out of this play date? I think I am jumping too far ahead of myself and too quickly. I still want people to know it is my work they are looking at. I guess it is like when you hear a song on the radio and you really like it and want more... but then you hear the rest of the album and if it is totally different it can be quite disappointing (especially if you have forked out some money on one of those old fashioned CD things at a record store).

I guess what I am saying is I don't want to change so much that people wont recognise me in my work but I do feel like it is time to develop my work a bit further. Which is where the characters come in... I think in having 5 - 7 different personalities I can work with the soft pastel colour for one character and then bright demanding colours for another instead of trying to get all that I love into one piece. Does that make sense?  I am going to start with a little notebook for each character and then develop a name, personality and life around the notes and drawings in each book... yeah so that's the plan.

my own bunch of super heroes...

(one of three pieces I have just finished for a gallery down south)

I am so hanging out to do some painting for myself... I feel I haven't done any for so so long, and that is because I haven't!  I have been catching up with work for galleries and getting ready for a few markets that I have coming up.  So I have decided to set aside some time over Easter to paint, draw and create. I think I am worried about things not working out and then it all being a waste of time. Because at the moment time seems to be so precious, I know I will frown at myself if I have nothing to show for my two days of play except a great big bloody mess to clean up!!!

So... I have been telling myself that this will be time for developing and exploring new ideas. I really want to develop a few new background techniques and create 5 - 7 characters (I know I want one of them to a viking descendant).   I am not expecting to get all of this done in the two days, but I want to make a damn good start on it. I also want to document it in my work book, something I used to do on a regular basis, but I don't think I have done an entry so far this year, in fact probably not since my exhibition in October last year?

I have also been having an internal battle lately with what I think people want to see and what I want to do... I am not sure these are the same thing, or maybe they are? (I do worry what other people think, which can be quite exhausting). This is the reason why I want to create a series of characters that are all different but belong together, maybe represent a small part of myself that the viewer will find they can also relate to?   I see them as being my own bunch of super heroes.

Oh and by the way... I have a print up for grabs at New Zealand Handmade if anyone is interested...

whoflungdung...

I have been working like a machine this week getting work done for a few galleries and I am pleased to say I am just about finished.  Then next week I am looking forward to playing around with a few more backgrounds.  I am really looking forward to playing without the fear of deadlines, without the feeling that I should be doing something else.  I am also missing blogging on a regular basis, without new work I feel I can't do a post.

I finished this one above in between getting work done for galleries and although it is still a work in progress I am happy with it so far.   I am changing the faces a little, I really want to create some regular characters...  So when people see them they can say 'oh that's whoflungdung or whoseewhatsit'

I am also in the middle of doing some pendants for my etsy shop... and will hopefully take pictures and list them this weekend if it isn't raining!.. apparently there is a cold front heading up the country with heavy rain... good weather for watching DVDs I am thinking.