September Musings; and injecting a pop of colour!
Summer now feels officially over (sob!), and what a summer we’ve had! My family and I really made the most of it and had a lovely summer holiday; enjoying slower days, less rushing, and a shorter to-do list! I always feel able to take a deep breath when the kids finish for the summer; everyone can step off the hamster wheel and relax a little. Yes, the house is noisier and a bit messier but our days are our own and I love hanging out with my kiddos.
But, school inevitably begins again (sigh); homework is set, the coats are being put on in the mornings now its getting a little chillier and I can almost see autumn peering around the corner eager to arrive! Don’t get me wrong, I love the seasons and the changes they bring, especially a blue skied, crisp autumnal day, but this year I am not quite ready for summer to leave…. just yet!
With the return to school, comes the return to routine and climbing back on that hamster wheel (boo!). However, it also means, after squeezing in bits of work here and there around the kids at the dining room table, I can now get back to the studio (yay!)! I do miss my kids now they are back at school but it’s amazing getting back to spending my days being creative again. And I really, really, need to as I have deadlines fast approaching!
My first task after returning to the studio was to plan an Illustrators workshop for a large class of Year 3 children at Highgate Library in London. It was such a fun few hours; the pupils were so engaged when listening to one of the Neuron books and taking part in the activities, and worked so hard designing a superhero headband and then their very own neuron! It was also great to do a bit of teaching again!
Now, with Art:Surrey in a weeks time my focus has now shifted to getting art fair ready! I started four pieces before the summer holidays began, drawing them out and applying the watercolour washes so that I could dip into applying the pen detail around the kids.
I was surprised that I managed to complete three out of the four pieces (Boom!) I always apply 2-3 coats of varnish to protect the panel which makes the colours pop and the detail sharp and crisp!
What I really needed to make a decision about was the frames. I had been thinking about this throughout the summer - I knew what I wanted to do, it was just making that decision and doing it.
I ordered plain wooden frames as my intention was always to paint them. The question was whether I should choose a generic colour which would ‘fit’ with most decors and so opening the potential of a sale, or should I have fun and go bright? It’s kind of obvious which way I went, and I am so glad that I did!
I absolutely love these colours. They were chosen as not only did they work with the artworks individually but also as a group and I did need to think about them sitting together when they are hung at Art:Surrey and any future art fairs and exhibitions.
The colours are delicious - I love them so much I really want to paint our upstairs doors in these colours….I just need to convince hubby!
The next stage was to get colour on those frames!
I set everything up so it was almost like a production line. I gave each frame a light sand and wiped off any dust before and between coats of paint. This gave the frames a really clean finish. I am so pleased with how they turned out, it really was worth doing it myself so that I could choose exactly the colour I wanted. I would recommend you had a go as it is also a good way to cut costs.
I took my time on the framing and I am so happy with the pieces. I really think the frames have brought the pieces alive with that pop of yummy colour! I am most definitely sold on colourful frames!
When I painted the frames for the large flower pieces I also decided to repaint the frames for ‘The Dance’. I always loved this piece but it never received the attention I thought it deserved. Originally I placed it in a dark grey frame thinking it would be less ‘out there’ and would ‘work’ in peoples homes. But, it absolutely destroyed the piece. The blue frame however, injects that life back into it. It’s bright and colourful and it is so much more attractive and eye catching.
Painting these frames has given me the confidence to be bolder with colour and to play and have fun with it. It has also encouraged me to not play safe which is so liberating, after all I am my own boss! I am really looking forward to continuing to play around with colour a little more and I am planning on spending time experimenting after Art:Surrey. Who knows where it will lead…….