and next...

 Hello.... I'm back with a new blog post after a long hiatus.  

For a couple of months now I've been experimenting with AI art and I'm loving it!  After creating some images I use mainly Craft Artist or Affinity software to blend different ones together and add additional digital pngs etc to create unique artworks. Here are some examples of what I've made so far using the Bing AI image generator and sometimes adding text created with Bing compose.

A lot is potluck what you get and doesn't always look right but thats part of the fun of it .. I think AI art is a fascinating  and fun way to explore creativity and express yourself but its no substitute for real art and creating things yourself....     :)

A single flower number 3

Wasn't sure I'd get to post this as my old P.C despite some TLC seems to be on it's last legs and having hot flushes especially on warmer days :)                     

So this is probably my last mixed piece of art for Sheila aka Orange Esmeralda Single flower theme this month over at Art Journal Journey ... and as what's lately become my 'norm'- this is mixed media with digital additions. Created using: watercolours/acrylics, distress inks, acrylic ink, Neo2 colors and inktense pencils/bars, Pilot&Posca pens and digital quotes.

 

a couple more pieces from 2020
 

 

 

Thanks so much for stopping by...

I know I'm already behind, but will try and catch up/visit

 when poss..or I can get a new p.c.

Until next time...

stay safe...

Gill x

 

 

Single Flower

 Another piece for Sheila aka Orange Esmeralda Single flower theme over at Art Journal Journey ... Mixed media with digital additions. Created using: watercolours, pilot pen, distress inks and inktense pencils/bars and digital quote.

 and as usual I made good use of my flower again by scanning it to use over and over again in my project below :)

Original artwork before digital changes

 colour changes using Craft Artist software

thanks so much for stopping by,

....until next time,

 stay safe ...

Gill x

'Art is an escape from reality'

 The lovely Sheila aka Orange Esmeralda is hosting AJJ this month with the theme of 'A single flower' ... my piece is mixed media   with digital additions and the quote I added I have found is so true - nothing's better at present than to loose yourself in some art or crafty projects and forget the troubles of the world.

 

and here are a few more pieces from 2020 that I created

acrylics on canvas board

acrylics on canvas board

 

all for this time, keep safe &

thanks so much for visiting... Gill x

Jumping in the deep end and other art works :)

 It's always hard getting back into things when I haven't blogged for ages and so I'm not going to hesitate one minute longer and jump straight back in and hope for the best.   

I have not been out of my house for a little over a year but I count myself lucky that it hasn't bothered me and that I have lots of hobbies and interests to loose myself in for hours and not think of other things...

Having had lots of blank canvases up in various room ready to paint for sometime, one of the first things I did last year was to paint a canvas for our lounge wall. I knew I wanted to try an abstract and use similar colours to a rug in room. I was quite pleased with my first abstract.

I've been painting whimsical faces (which I have been addicted to for several years) using various mediums and then scan them so I can use them over and over again for digital work.

  I've been painting on canvases, canvas boards and into journals.

acrylics on canvas board

mixed media on watercolour paper then used for digital page

This is just a little from 2020 - more next time.

thanks for visiting..

hope to catch up with you soon

Gill x

 

 

Back in my art room

I don't know quite how to begin this post other than Hello, I hope all is well with you and that you are managing to stay safe and sane wherever you may be in these crazy times that feel so surreal.   

My last post was way back in November, after that I was still packing less needed items away and de-cluttering and reducing my many art/craft materials. Then in February we were taking down shelves, dismantling my art room so we could decorate it, hoping that we’d soon have our home up for sale and moving this year - you may recall me mentioning that last autumn.
Of course like everyone’s dreams this year that is in limbo for now at least.

Hubby Dave has now put some shelving back up in the 'art room'  - oh how I have missed that room :)

I must admit I haven’t got into any real routine these last couple of months and spent too much time chasing non existent online grocery delivery slots, but now that’s slightly better  it’s time to get back to some creative fun -  yeay! I have started unpacking boxes and enjoying  having all my stash out again.  My first play was to do some  relaxing watercolour doodling.

 

I wasn't sure this one was finished so then I added some more colour and sprinkled some salt on the wet paint which was brushed off once dry to give a mottled effect.

Making the most of baking supplies while we have them, Dave has been his usual busy self, making biscuits and all the other things he normally makes like bread, cheese biscuits, cake etc.

Lack of flour and yeast and other ingredients now will soon mean inventing some new recipes and being extra creative but that might also mean discovering some interesting alternatives and flavours maybe :)

Well thats all for me today - thanks so much for taking the time to visit.

Keep safe..... Gill xxx

Fruits and veggies

Hello

Yet again the month has flown by with no time for real art but I really wanted to join in with my friend Rike  who has been the host for November at     AJJ theme fruit and veggies
I chose to make a page on one of my favourite fruits - grapes, which I love in both formats ...on the vine or in my glass :)
My page is digitally created using elements from various digi kits but the background is a photo of a mixed-media (paints and stencils) page I created some time back.

thanks for stopping by...
Gill x

Sweet Dream

A digitally designed piece (using elements from various digi-kits) for  AJJ Dreams or Wishes hosted by Eileen of The Artful Crafter

I wish I could have joined in more this month with Eileen's theme; it was right up my street as I am spending a lot of time dreaming about moving and wishing that all the jobs needed to be done in preparation for that were finished :)

Sorry due to lack of time I have not blogged or visited anyone this month - but, aiming to have a lazy weekend and will visit as many blogs as possible and hopefully make a little art too.

Bye for now     

                            

 Gill x

 

Fill your paper with your dreams for AJJ

I have a digital page today  for Art Journal Journey  'Polka-Dots, Stripes, Plaids  hosted by Erika of BIOARTGal
Sorry I haven't joined in more this month...
My craft room is upside down with a sort of organised chaos :) at present while I am decluttering* and  attempting to pack some less needed things away in order to make the room/house look more presentable for the time when we can get an Estate Agent in to value property. (*with the amount of stuff I/we have this feels like it will take forever ha ha)

My digital piece is made up of my own scanned geli prints and dotty stencil work, digitally drawn cartoon girl and then I added stitched flowers and other stitching all done using the software programme used to create the whole page. 

all for me today,

back to wrapping and boxing up :( 

....hope you have a great day...

Gill xx

Polka-Dots, Stripes, Plaids for AJJ

Wow this month is flying by ... I'd hoped to have posted a second piece by now for Art Journal Journey  'Polka-Dots, Stripes, Plaids  hosted by Erika of BIOARTGal
but here I am at last with the finished page I started at beginning of month which I finished one morning about 6am after laying in bed for a good hour or so not being able to sleep thinking about decorating, decluttering and stuff. Surprised I managed to cut out the butterflies reasonably well at that hour, and yes the cutting off of the antennae and drawing them in was intentional ha ha :)

All for now...

Will catch up with comments asap..

Have a great new week

Gill x

Wherever you go...

Oh my...it's the 8th already and I'd hoped to have posted by now.... so my first piece for this month Art Journal Journey is just a simple digital page. The fun theme this month is 'Polka-Dots, Stripes, Plaids or Patterns'  aka 'PSPP' and is hosted by the lovely Erika of BIOARTGal

  My head has been a bit all over the place for the last couple of weeks nothing serious - and hopefully a good thing. I've been wanting to move home, away from here for a while and now hubby is on board with this idea too we are investigating the where to etc etc... having lived here for over 20 years its a big thing to think about....

I did start a page on the 1st and then I saw that the previous collaged/painted double pages in my journal of the Blackbird from August was going to stick together* if I flattened the book in my book press - so it needed a coating of candle (does everyone do this I wonder or have other methods? - I rub the side of a candle over finished pages to try to stop that* happening) .... but then I couldn't find the candles...anyhow... I've since found a candle, flattened and gessoed  the page eventually after finding my old Gesso dried up... and for now I'm having a mental block....arghhh....  :)

 

I needed to make a card...  and because I now keep rough stamped copies of previous cards on paper that I can put in my stamping platform it makes it easier to reproduce again if need be.. this is so useful when having a mental block..

and the Altenew 'watercolour doodles' are fairly quick with the layering system and adds colour quickly and this design is a loose design with the colours going over the lines to give an arty hand coloured look.

Thanks for stopping by...

hope your weekend is going well...

will catch up with you soon.

Gill x

Flower girl for AJJ and a big thank you x

Hello everyone...

August seems to have flown by so fast - there's just one more day left

 for our AJJ 'anything with eyes' challenge so this will be my last page. 

This is a mix of watercolour painting and digital - I hope you like it :)

Before any digital alterations she looked like this

I used black pigment pen and white Posca paint pen for details on her eyes.

 I scanned my painting and then, using my favourite digital software, cut out the flowers in her hair and added them back on top of the original painting with some shadow making it look more 3d.
 

 I also added some other digital bits for some of the flower centres and

 some flower-swag looking things that I made ages ago.

 

 and then finished by adding a quote digitally too.

 'Eye' had a lot of fun with this theme and visiting all who joined in.. 

what an amazing  selection of beautiful pages for 'anything with eyes'

  

Thanks everyone and thanks for all the wonderful comments left for me. 

I am now looking forward to the next theme in September

 and wishing that host a fun month too :)

And its Friday...so... have a great weekend
Thanks for stopping by...

Gill x

Eyes are watching.. everywhere ... for AJJ

For  AJJ 'anything with eyes' I had fun in my a5 journal stencilling first with black gesso and then stamping with the eye stamp by Visable image. Added colour and even more stencilling using Portfolio water soluble crayons,  Stabilo all and other coloured pencils.  Finished by adding digital words because it seems to be that cameras are everywhere.. in the sky and on the ground....

Until next next time...

Thanks so much for stopping by

Gill x

Garden Birds

My double page spread for my AJJ ....'anything with eyes' theme and because my garden is always full of birds I am also linking this project to TIOT  theme 'In my garden there is' 

I started with an image torn from a bird food catalogue which was on nice thick paper and used Winsor and Newton Galeria matt medium to stick it down. 

 I tried to choose acrylic paint colours close to the image as possible and mixed them with the matt medium. I then randomly painted splodges to fill the remaining white space on the left page but tried to paint some background looking flower blooms on the right side.

 Then to blend image more into backgroound, I extended the branches and added some leaves and buds - I used PaperArtsy French Roast Fresco Finish  paint.

I finished with a digital quote ..... not certain who it is by.

My feathered garden friends have played a big part in our life over the last 20 or so years :)

And while I am forever out in the garden feeding the birds, Dave is usually in the kitchen looking after my food needs and is busy baking all sorts of things.... breads on this occassion :)

 OK that's all for today,

Thanks for stopping by..

Gill x