It's Summer - Perfect Time To Sit Around A Campfire!!

There really is nothing like sitting around a campfire with friends...

    The sound of the popping and crackling wood.... The scent of woodsmoke wafting around and mingling with the cool evening air... the night gets darker but you don't even realize because you're too busy laughing and sharing stories with your friends as you roast hot dogs and marshmallows over the open fire.

    The original idea for this illustration came while visiting with a friend who enjoys campfires as much as I do. When the idea of woodland animals sitting around a campfire was mentioned, I could see the whole scene very clearly and when I returned home I grabbed up my sketchbook to work up this design:

That was almost one year ago...

    Just over a month ago, I was looking over this sketch again and knew it deserved to be worked up in watercolour  so I set to it and I have finally completed it!! Phew!! It was challenging but WOW, did I learn a lot!!

    "Campfire in Acorn Woods"

(watercolour, approx 8x10")

Everyone roasting marshmallows over the open flame, some eating them right out outta the bag, some having trouble getting the sticky confection from the whittled stick into their mouths... but all enjoying the simple contentment that comes with sitting around a campfire with friends.

♥ Cath-

Woodcarving: The Follow-Through

Follow-through: To carry an act, project, or intention to completion; pursue fully. 

 

Well, up to 'til this week I had not followed-through on any of my carvings. Sure, I had finished carving them, but I knew deep down that placing each of them in an old shoebox wasn't really the end of the project.

  

After sitting down with my Dremel and paints and working away until I was finished, 

I looked at the little creatures 'looking' back at me and I wondered why I hadn't done this sooner!

    Without further ado, let me properly introduce...

 Clem & Clara:

The Hedgehogs:

 "Maury" The Mud-lovin' Hog:

:

and last but not least...

 The Pig "Perry":

    I guess it was easy to just keep adding to the slowly growing collection in that old shoebox. I was proud of what I was accomplishing in this new-to-me medium but they didn't come 'alive' to me until I had properly completed them.  As soon as these critters were painted and had eyes I fell for them in the same way I fall for the critters I create on paper in my illustrations! 

    I can't wait to discover what mischief they will get up to and what adventures they will have!

   ♥ Cath-

Adventures in Woodcarving - Part 3

    Well, my uncle, who is an AMAZING woodcarving (check out his work here), said, "I don't do whimsical" when we began carving together a few weeks ago, yet he took the time to show me how to carve a simple mouse - you can see my results here - and when I showed up for my third woodcarving session guess what my uncle presented me with?  Check this out:

  "Archibald"

aka to his friends, 'Archie'

(Hand carved by Mike Sullivan, basswood, painted with acrylics, approx. 3"x 2.5"x 2.5")

    Archie had only just come home with me when he discovered the 'garden' (backyard) and he set to exploring it... He was found this morning climbing the Box Elder and inspecting the English ivy that has been clamoring up the tree's length (as you can see in the above photos). 
    When I inquired about why he, being such a small mouse, was climbing such a tall tree Archie informed me, quite seriously, that he had created an official position, to which he appointed himself: "Herbaceous Specimen Inspector."  I was about to ask what exactly that job would entail when he toddled off further up the tree only turning back long enough to ask if a clipboard and pencil might be handy.  When I informed him that we only had 'human-sized" clipboards and pencils, I do believe I heard a "Tsk, tsk" before he turned away and continued his journey up the Box Elder...

        

       I knew my Uncle Mike had whimsy in him!!  I love this mouse and how he took it to the next level: li'l glass eyes, wood burning Archie's fur, giving him not just a tie but a red tie with white polka dots!! Oh yeah, there's all kinds of whimsy in him just waiting to get out!!

    The kids had a day off of school and joined me last week for a carving session, so Uncle Mike generously prepared projects for them to work on while we carved.  He cut out a pelican profile and carved off the edges a bit and then showed them how to use two different grits of sandpaper to smooth out the birds... When they felt they were as good as they could get - Uncle Mike encouraged them to take them home, look up pelicans on the internet to find proper colouring and paint their l'il wood sculptures.  They were inspired to get right to work painting upon returning home and this is the end result:

    "Pelican"

(Sanded & Painted by Kiddo #1)

"Pelican"

(Sanded & Painted by Kiddo #2)

    In other news, Kevin the hedgehog discovered a second hedgehog taking up residence in the ivy garden - even though hedgehogs are rather solitary animals I do believe they will become good friends!

"Friends"

    My uncle's creativity inspired me to make a story about his li'l carving, and that li'l carving puts a smile on my face every time I look at it!  His project for the kids encouraged them toward finding their stick-to-it-iveness in sanding and inspired them toward research & artistic flare in painting their pelicans!  

 

I ♥ inspiration!! 

 

♥ Cath-      

My Adventures in Woodworking: Part 2

    This is the very first hedgehog I have ever carved, therefore it's special and its name is Kevin... 

 "Kevin the Hedgehog"

(basswood, approx 3"x2")

The rough stages of carving a hedgehog from a block of basswood...

    My Uncle Mike lent me a wonderful hand chisel and showed me how some light gouges would create the desired texture for the hedgehog's coat of bristles.I still need to put eyes on him - just as I need to still put eyes on Clem & Clara.

   I haven't been feeling very well for the last few days so I've not been able to carve any more hedgehogs, as I had hoped, from the wood blanks my uncle sent home with me.  Hopefully in the next day or two I'll be able to get some work down on them.

    It's definitely inspiring to see a simple li'l sketch in my sketchbook:

 ...turn into a li'l sculpture I can hold in my hand!  

Looking forward to making some more!

    ♥ Cath-

My Adventures in Woodcarving

 "Clem & Clara"

(hand-carved, basswood, each approx. 2.5"Wx3"Hx2"D)

Clem & Clara are a sweet li'l couple who took up residence here

 in the last week or so.  Clem is always doing thoughtful things 

for Clara... her favourite thing is Springtime blossoms and

 flowers, so Clem rarely returns from his morning walk 

without a small fragrant gift for his sweetheart.

    In late winter I asked my Uncle Mike if he would be willing to teach me to carve - he's a brilliant wood carver - check out his blog here!  We planned to get together weekly beginning in late April.

    So my first lesson was two weeks ago... I decided I wanted to try carving a mouse - who doesn't love a mouse??  Uncle Mike cut a few pattern blanks out of basswood for us to work with and we got started.

    Within a couple hours Uncle Mike had his mouse practically completed - carved tail and chiseled ears - and all I had was a chunky piece of wood with a pointy knob on top and a few rough pencil makings. 

    My uncle obviously had enough faith in my ability to somehow grasp the technique he had taught me because he sent me home with my chunky piece of wood with the pointy knob on top and handed me the third pattern blank he had cut and told me to bring back the finished mice the next week.

    I worked away at home on my carving and soon Clem was completed - I gave him arms so he could collect flowers and decided to even include a flower in his tiny grasp.  I penciled two eyes on his face and set him down in the grass and snapped a photo of him:

 "Clem"

       Excited and enthusiastic about the result of several hours of carving, I carefully set Clem off to the side of my work space and snatched up the basswood blank, carving knife at the ready and - I FROZE!  I couldn't remember how I even started Clem nor how I completed him!  My mind went completely blank! I just sat there holding the wood blank, staring at Clem, trying to figure how I went from Exhibit A (the wood blank) to Exhibit B (the mouse). 

    I set the block of wood down. I picked the block of wood up. I put it down again. Okay, wait, I can do this!  Yes! I can! Okay, deep breath in... Exhale slowly... 

    I picked the block of wood up again and remembered the first simple instructions Uncle Mike had given me: "Start by carving off the corners and edges."

    A couple more days of carving and Clara was sitting beside Clem, gushing over the flower he was presenting her with!

   "Clara"

    

"Clara & Clem Going For A Walk In The Ivy Garden"

    Getting over the "mind blank" and completing Clara with her tiny clasped hands was a very inspiring! I was excited to show my uncle what I had been able to complete in a week's time and he must have been somewhat impressed with my accomplishments because he sent me home with my completed carving from Week 2 and FOUR wooden blanks!

    In my next post you will see my completed Week 2 carving - and maybe a couple more completed carvings from the wooden blanks!

♥ Cath-

    

Ceramic Painting - Daffodil

"Daffodil"

(Pebeo "Porcelaine 150" paints on ceramic)

This is a first attempt at painting with my new "Porcelaine 150" paints by Pebeo... 

... the medium inspired by an ultra-generous birthday gift from my lovely sister...

...the subject was inspired by a potted daffodil I received on my birthday.

I ♥ the mix-ability of the Pebeo paint colours! They even have an appropriate 'open time' 

to allow for some blending directly on the ceramic surface, which is nice - really nice!

This l'il project provided me with a lot of information!  While I enjoyed every moment 

of working with these new paints and I'm happy with the end result, the knowledge gained 

from simply 'doing' has prepared me to move forward and plan my next piece!!

Woo-hoo!!

I do love the feeling that comes from stepping through the mental barrier of uncertainty -
by just beginning - jumping in with both feet!  Talk about inspiring!!
  

I am SO looking forward to my next adventure in painting on ceramics!!

♥ Cath-

P.S. Looking at the piece now - I'm thinking a little design 
in the corners may not be a unwelcome idea!
Hmmmm.....
   

  

My 1 Year Blog-iversary!!

    Thank you all for the support and encouragement you have given me over the past year!

I enjoy sharing my creative endeavours with you and look forward to sharing many more!!

    

    My amazingly generous sister treated me to an amazingly generous gift for my recent milestone birthday: an "anything-you-want-you-can-get" visit to my favourite art supply store, Curry's Artist Materials!!  

    This gift inspired me to gather materials that will enable me to explore a brand new (to me) medium that I can't wait to play with!  I look forward to sharing my new adventures with you throughout the year, as God wills!

    Well, I have found that I can't go to Curry's without walking down their 'Canvas Aisle'. So after getting my other supplies collected I made my way over to their aisle of canvasses. On this particular trip I was inspired by their little 4x6" canvasses and so I picked up a few....

    I've also been inspired as of late by, wait for it...  inspirational quotes and verses that are made into signs and wall hangings.  I thought that these cute l'il canvasses would make for a l'il pop of color and inspiration for a bedside table, a counter top, or even the fridge door!   

    In celebration of today, my first blog-iversary I sat down and worked on two inspirational designs and I'm making them available for sale for $15 each. They are one-of-a-kind for two reasons: 1) If I did paint the same design it would end up nothing like the original, there's just no duplicating exact colours and/or individual brushstrokes and 2) I don't like making a design more than once - it's like trying to get your mind to dream the same dream it dreamed last night - even if you could, it would never be as inspiring as the original!

Here are the two designs:

 

  "Reach For Your Dreams"

(acrylic, chalkboard-style, 4x6" wrapped canvas) 

 

 "Never Never Never Give Up"   

(acrylic, 4x6" wrapped canvas)

If you are interested in either one let me know asap.

It will have to on a first come, first serve basis...

It has been a fun year, full of inspiration and blessings!

Thank you!

♥ Cath-

P.S. I still have two 4x6" canvasses left - if you have a inspiring quote 

or a favourite short verse you would like me to paint - let me know!!