Brown Bear, Brown Bear . . .

"Stop following me!" said little Nora turning round to find a huge brown bear behind her.  "Um, I'm lost and it's snowing and I'm scared" said the huge brown bear.

That's a little snippet of the Fun and Nonsense going on in my sketchbook today... :)

One more sleep. . .

Hi Everyone,
My Fun and Nonsense Art Bunker and everyone at Shelf Corner has been packed and stored  for the house move this week.  A few of Shelf Corners residence have already been installed at their new temporary Shelf Corner. Only essential art materials have not been packed.
Other news...recently I did Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search 2014.  The assignment was Terrarium, which I loved doing.  A tiny world captured in a jar, just up my street.  I did three, the first one is the one I submitted.  I didn't make the cut but seeing the talent that did, I'm not surprised.  Following that I signed up for MATS.  Make Art That Sells.

One more sleep till class opens for MATS A.  I'm excited and nervous, usual first day butterflies.  My class mates are a seriously talented bunch of girlies and one London Lad.  Can't wait to get going and learn learn learn from the best.

That's my fun and nonsense...

Meet Myah, my little mermaid. . .

There has been a lot of activity in my sketchbook this week.  Myah my little mermaid  was so excited to get some Ocean Post (message in a bottle) that she has been swimming from page to page telling all her friends.

Hope your enjoying my Fun and Nonsense this week...let me know what you think :) xx

Lilla Rogers GTS. . .

Hi everyone,

I signed up for Lilla Rogers Global Talent Search 2014. Lilla Rogers is an international illustration agent representing artists all over the world.  The real Mccoy.  I ummed and ahhed for days. Should I, shouldn't I? Who do I think I'm kidding,  I'm no where near good enough to compete at that level. I mean, I only got as far as A 'level art at school (I did get a B, just saying) before deciding that a career in art was totally out of my reach. I didn't go to art college, I don't have a degree...in anything.  I have, however, been teaching art to a whole school of 44 pupils for the last 5years.  Also a good number of you who read my blog and have supported me over the years have bought my artwork.  That has to count for something.

The bottom line is, I just love to draw and paint. A fish needs water, we need air and I need to paint, every day.  It is as simple as that.

So I gave myself a metaphorical slap and kick up the ol' jacksy.  What do I have to lose. Absolutely nothing. One of two things will happen.  

1.  I don't go through to round two

     or

2.  I DO   :))))))

                                   

Now at least I'm in the running.  It feels a bit like buying a Lottery Ticket.  All that dreaming and hoping till the numbers get drawn.  My insecurities are sneering and jeering at me and my "bloody minded" self is gathering ammo.  

Ammo, comes in the shape of my mood board above.  I've been playing with colours and sketching succulents and seed heads. The first assignment is due by the 18th August.  My butterflies are in full frenzied flight...

Will post my entry after the 18th.  Wish me luck!!!  

And good luck to everyone that is taking part.  It's a fantastic opportunity...that's my wobbly Fun and Nonsense for today :) xx

A Dream Catcher and her Dragon. . .

Suzi Mong and her dragon Yunlong flew into my sketchbook this week.  They are Dream Catchers.  They gather dreaming dust from thunder clouds and then sprinkle it round the world to sleepy children.  I always thought it was the Sandman that brought the dreams...

With all the thunderstorms we are having at the moment there must be a lot of dreaming going on...

That's my Fun and Nonsense for the this evening, Sweet dreams everyone :) xx

Pyjama and chocolate day. . .

It's been a pyjama and chocolate with nougat day today.  Bumble owls like chocolate too and if they could wear pajamas they would.

And that my lovelys is my Fun and Nonsense for today... :) xx

Book Cover Competition - "The Princess and the Stinky Cheese" , "Goldilockup" and Mongoose's Holi Party

Final re-work...

Bonjour, good day and hi,  

The lovely Susanna Leonard Hill is running a competition for illustrators this month and as you can imagine I jumped straight in.  Last month Susanna ran a short story competition and there were 10 winners, you can read their stories here. The illustrators competition is to illustrate an 8x10 book cover for one of those stories... or more...

I choose, actually the story choose me... "The Princess And The Stinky Cheese" by Lauri Meyers.   I love love love Princesses ( I am one ) and the gooyier the runnier and stinkier the cheese I'm your gal.  Laurie's story jumped up and down and waved it's arms about and shouted to me to illustrate it...it wouldn't take no for an answer.  So there you have it, my illustration of Princess Peabody and the stinky cheese. Then there was Mike Allegra who in the comments section, jumped up and down and waved his arm about shouting "pick "Goldilockup", MY, story to illustrate".  What could I do... I couldn't ignore a writers' desperate plea,  so I whipped out my box of paints and charged to the challenge.  

Goldilockup

Loved Darshana Khiani's Mongoose Holi Party...so couldn't resist doing the cover for this one too... :) 

Mongoose's Holi Party

I'd like to say that it is was all plain sailing but who would have guessed that illustrating a darn smelly cheese would be so difficult.  Have popped some of my re-works below.  Love painting brick walls,  very therapeutic. Fingers crossed that the judges like my artwork... :)

Original watercolour :) 

Re-work stinky cheese take 3... still not working!!!

The cheese just wasn't working...

I'm happy to say that Lauri and Mike both love what I've done...

That's my Fun and Nonsense for now....let me know what you think.. :)

Cotton reels, teddy bear and sparkle. . .

I'm glad to report that my little Mojo is back. She went off on a round the world cruise just before Christmas, without so much as a by your leave.  She didn't even send me a postcard or a text to say she was ok and when she would be back.  She finally made it back to my Art Bunker early this week and everyone at Shelf Corner, especially me, is very happy to see her.

I knew Mojo was on her way back when earlier this week I was commissioned to do a logo.  One of my girlies and a cotton reel was the brief... I have a big mushy soft spot for cotton reels, especially the old fashioned wooden ones.  So I whipped out my old wooden reels and started sketching...

...as I sketched, my little Mojo came hurtling back suitcases full to bursting point with ideas. She plonked herself down and started to tell me about all the wonderful places she has visited over the last couple of months. (Umpf, alright for some).

A friend of mine became a Granny last week and I wanted to paint something for the new baby. Baby's Mum is a dressmaker...so cotton reels and teddy bears seemed just the thing... very happy to say that the sparkle is back.  Lets hope it stays for awhile... :)

That's my Fun and Nonsense... off to paint more cotton reels and baby teddy bears... :)
and to see what's going on at Sunday Sketches... :)

50 is the new 5. . .

Loveday Catkin. . .

Hello, grab a cuppa and sit yourself down by the fire.  It's been cold and wet here and it doesn't look like it's going to change anytime soon.

Pickle (my office chair pinching cat) and I had been cooped up all day last Wednesday due to the terrible weather we've been having.  We had just been moaning about the rain when there was a nano second of sunlight that burst through the clouds so we decided to stretch our legs and wonder to the bottom of the garden.  (Pickle desperately need to have a tinkle too).  Anyway, at the bottom of the garden is a small wood and Pickle wanted to show me some very unusual mushrooms that she had found.  She says that the fairies use the pinky reddy flat ones as flooring for their homes.  They are cut into strips and polished with beeswax to bring out the colours.  Wow just imagine.. :)  She has no idea about the other one but it's an odd mushroom.

While we were rooting and scratching about down there we bumped into Miss Loveday Catkin, she'd been out to gather some acorns and invited us in for a cup of mint tea.  Pickle told me that she spends most of her days curled up in front of Loveday's stove when I'm out at work (and there I was worried that she was out in the cold and rain).  Loveday and I had a lovely chat, mostly about the books she has on her shelf.  All too soon it was time to head back up the hill home.  But, I'll be back.. :)

A couple of days later I was in my kitchen just about to drink my tea when a teacup mermaid popped up to say hello.  She had heard that I was going to be 50 and wanted me to make sure to save her some birthday cake.  On Saturday the 25th of January I turned 50 which is fine...I just totally ignore the "0" which leaves "5"...a perfect age to be... :) xx

 The lovely Vira contacted me a little while ago and asked if I would mind giving an interview for Fairies and Co...I was over the moon and what an honor to be asked.  So you are cordially invited to come with me in my magic caravan and we'll pop over to Fairies and Co...it is a fantastic place, guaranteed to make you smile... :D

That's my Fun and Nonsense... :) xx

My brolly is dancing in the rain. . .

Hello everyone,

January is a funny old month and I don't mean funny haha but funny peculiar.  I always feel flat in Jan, probably because the weather is naf, cold and wet, I also get one year older in Jan (always a joy :(). And this year the weather fairies have pulled out all the stops and are busy draining their pools onto our heads... :(  and I turn 50, yay. My wellies are well and truly worn in and my brolly is as happy as Larry to be out and about so much.  I, on the other hand just want to jump into my little Gypsy Caravan and head off to the sunshine and, a deserted island thrown in, would be just the ticket.

Working through the block...start with a mess and draw a circle...

However, I'm stuck here, feeling blah.  My Mojo has packed her whooping big suitcase and has gone on a world cruise (without me). The Time Wizard keeps messing with me...he thinks it's a great game to either make time go really quick so I can't keep up or he has me in a go slow never getting to the end of stuff, mode.  All in all, I'm going nowhere fast and I'm finding it really hard to paint or do anything actually.

then draw more circles and paint over the mess.

then a spot of computer colour filtering to pass the time...

et voila!

You can find some more Fun and Nonsense over at Heidi M Sketchbook Stories she is featuring a Fabulous artist this week...just love her stuff :) hehe xx

He's behind you. . .

Hello everyone,
My Christmas was quiet and New Year celebrations even quieter...which suited Mr Hollywood and I just fine.  Neither of us felt like dancing the light fandango till all hours, so we happily snored our way through the New Year and got up on the 1st feeling great, which was a first... :)

Shelf corner has been host to a little Panto, it being Panto season and all. Little Red Riding Hood and Alice have been bossing Wolf and Rabbit about all week.  Rabbit wanted to be Wolf and hide behind the oak tree and scare everyone. The girls however were not impressed by Rabbits impression of Raving Rabbids so Wolf got the Wolf part and Rabbit sulked off down his hole.  After that Rabbit was given the Prima Donna role so now we have one happy bunny... :)

That's my Fun and Nonsense for this week... what Fun and Nonsense has been going on in your world... :)