Are you in The Loop?

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The Loop is an online community for creative professionals to connect with each other, I've just updated my portfolio over on their site.  The thumbnail in the top left of the above photo is of my recently completed painting 'Olivia and Her Octopus', I created it for this months Monthly Painters Challenge which was revealed earlier in the week. 

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In other news, this week I started a Thursday blog party for sharing palettes and paints, the linky will be open over the weekend and early next week if you would like to share, there is still time. Find out more here:

I'm linking up with:

Please head on over and say Hi

to all the other bloggers 

participating in these parties!

Cats!

Over on The Butterfly Effect everyone is sharing images of cats! I thought I'd join in and share one of the paintings I'm working on at the moment, as it has a cat in it. This is Valentine and Her Cat.

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I've also been working on another painting recently but it is under wraps until the 15th. It will be revealed over on the Monthly Painters Challenge Facebook Page in three days time.

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 I'm linking up with:

Studio Update: Putting on paint and pushing it around.

It's that time again, Friday! which means it's time to recap my week and give you a studio update!

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Do you remember 'Valentine and her cat'? They went to the ball last week in a little collage number.  They both got undressed {the collage was not glued on} ready for some paint. Being a painter through and through, I decided that I wanted to replicate {in paint} the William Morris dress and also the crown, I'm always up for a challenge! But before I could even attempt to paint a collage with paint, I needed some nice new fine liner detailing brushes because all the little ones I owned had a stray hair here and there and were driving me nuts.

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This is how it has come up so far, I'm very happy with the dress, I see the potential in the crown {it will need a layer or two more} and I'm a bit hesitant with the pink/magenta of the wall. Who knows, that may be gone next week or it may grow on me.

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Do you remember the 'He Loves me' painting from a few weeks back? Well I decided it looked more like he loves me not, so I've done a total rework! Still a lot to go on it, especially on the hands and arms.This one I was pulling my hair out over, but  I have faith it's going to be a fantastic painting when it's finished, a very different painting, but one I'd be happy to my name on!

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After all that putting on and pushing around paint, here's what my palette looks like!

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I'm linking up with

and

Valentine and her cat go to the ball.

Inspired by Wyanne and the artists from last weeks Butterfly Effect, I got out the paper and scissors this morning to do a bit of collage and I must say I'm really enjoying it!

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Realistically I could not have finished this whole image with paint in time to join the masquerade ball happening over on Inspiration Avenue, so I got creative with some William Morris paper, free printables {see bellow for links} and a little photo editing {for her eyes} to bring Valentine and her cat to the party.

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Above are a few of the many beautiful William Morris papers form my collection.

My Inspiration 

Mask	Crown	Idea

Single click on image to enlarge, double clicking to reduce.

Click on link to go to page.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all my visitors for the support and encouragement, it is absolutely wonderful to read your comments. I must say that joining Paint Party Friday, Inspiration Avenue, Artists in Blogland and The Butterfly Effect has been fantastic and I'm so happy I did. You all have been so welcoming and inspiring.

More on Inspiration.

This week over on Inspiration Avenue they are asking the question "what inspires you to create?" At the moment Carrick and Fox's painterly light filled works are still fresh in my memory from the brilliant show we had at our local gallery several months back.  I got the catalog and have been looking through it constantly, soaking in all the pretty pictures and reading all about the couples life and art practices.

Click above image to view other images from the exhibition on Flicker

Spring and the beautiful array of flowers and plants that have come to life around the neighborhood are also inspiring me, especially the ever growing orange nasturtium vine in the back garden, the flowers are just beautiful and so bright! Fox painted an image with nasturtiums in it, you can see it above, it's the one in the frame on the left.

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I've combined both these loves to create this painting:

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Talking about inspiration, I set up a linky this week for artist to share their blogs and the blogs of others in order to get inspired and admired :) Feel free to go over and add your blog, I'd love to know what you do.

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{Studio Update} New Exhibitions and New Paintings

And I thought last week was busy! This week was even more so. I worked on mounting and framing artworks for two new exhibitions, started two new pieces for some of the challenge groups I'm in, did some more on Valentine and worked on perfecting my plaster priming technique. Now that's a mouthful.

New exhibition at The Collective Store

I changed over the display at The Collective Store this week. The Collective Store is a beautiful boutique filled with all things handmade located in Wynnum.  It's my go to place to buy gifts as it has all sorts of lovely things including jewellery, baby gifts, body products, chai, art and lots, lots more. You can find out more about it here {mentions on this blog} or here:

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New exhibition at GalleryB Newmarket

Behind the hardware in Newmarket is a beautiful boutique coffee shop full of wonderful gifts and accessories and I now have two of my paintings in this beautiful shop. It's one of those places that if you didn't know it was there, you would walk/drive straight past it. GalleryB Newmarket is filled with lots of Klimt inspired items {mirrors, plates, cards, bags and now my paintings} as well as other extraordinary gifts for ladies. Find out more about it here {mentions of this blog} or here:

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How To: Mounting  a Board

Over at  Paint Party Friday artist are sharing the paintings they did this week. They are also talking about framing and mounting artwork, do you do it yourself or buy/get them made? I do a bit of both, it really depends on where the show is and what the piece is.  The two shows I presented this week were mounted/framed myself. The Collective Store images were works on paper and were framed in ready made frames I purchased from a store, they already had a white mat board, however I did cut an overlay piece of off white archival paper to put between the mat and picture to bring out the warmth of the images. {photo here} As for the work that went to GalleryB, it was done on board that I sealed and attached Belgian linen too. The frames were in my collection, I found them at a second hand store, they were painted gold to give them new life. Once the Acrylic paint was dry I coated the painting with a two part resin. I work primarily on boards {I like the rigid surface} and I back them like this {How To} I have a brilliant framer who I can not speak more highly of, you can find out more here {Mason and Daughter mentions on this blog} Head on over to PPF and join the conversation and do some blog hopping, the artist are lovely and inspiring.

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New Painting 'At the Dinner Table'

I painted this little image this week for the Monthly Painters Challenge, as the name suggests it's a group of artists that present an interpretation of a topic each month. We announce the topic and share our images with everyone on the 15th of each month {that's today!} Head on over to the Facebook Page and watch all the work come in throughout the day. I will be doing a blog post in the next few days about my image and also I'll showcase all the other artists work. Keep an eye out for that.

THE FACEBOOK PAGE

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Work in Progress (WIP) 'Fear of new things'

  

This little image is my submission for this weeks Inspirational Avenue's topic on fear. I had high hopes of getting it finished in time, but I now realise that is not going to happen. I'm very happy at how it's coming along and like the 'unfinished quality' of it so I'm going to go ahead and post it because I've captured the essence of the what I wanted to, the rest will be painting in the table cloth, plates etc and only a little detailing on the girl {which is me as a child} Head on over to the IA blog and check out what the other artist fear:

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WIP 'Valentine'

I managed to find a little time to do some more on Valentine, She's getting closer to being finished, this one has been a WIP for some time, It's been one of those transition pieces between styles. This one was started during the Carrick and Fox exhibition at the Queensland Art Gallery, the show has really inspired me and altered my way of looking at painting.

Details on Facebook : FAN SPECIAL ALBUM

Also, I have decided to have a sale on the work that come back from the collective store this week. If you head on over to Facebook and become a fan {if you are not already} you will get 25% of these pieces.

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I'm linking up with Artists in Blog Land, It's a wonderfully supportive community that shares their weeks achievements on a Saturday. Please go over and have a look, you will not be disappointed!

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Wishing you all a wonderful weekend and a productive week next week. I'm off to do some blog hoping and see what everyone has been up to. Tracey xx

Studio Update: A clean work space equals a productive week.

This week was wonderfully productive, the studio was clutter free and very organised (my obsession to get the house tidy to entertain overnight guests turned into a huge home and ultimately a studio clean out- the studio is in the living room, I can't really just shut a door on it).  So with a great tidy space, I had no excuse not to get in and paint this week.

I worked on my 'Valentine' painting. It's almost done, just a little more detailing in the shirt, bow and crown. I plan to finish this painting by next week. I also primed some large boards in the green mid tone ready to start some new paintings. Part of the week was spent thinking about what to paint on those boards. I'm really keen to start a new body of work!

After reading 'Art, Love & Life' I got all inspired to try a new (for me) priming technique used by Ethel Carrick and E Phillips Fox.  These little boards are destined for experimentation and playfulness! I can't wait!  I've got lots of projects coming up, all will be revealed in good time :)

 Also this week I participated in my first Inspiration Avenue weekly challenge with the above painting. You can read more about it here.  Also a first for me this week is participating in Paint Party Friday and Artists in Blog Land. Please click through and have a look at all the other artist's amazing work.

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