Sunday ponderings

 

This week

 has been a week for restoring my complete photo collection. My computer had a brand new hard disc installed, because the original one was broken, and I lost all my photos. I always keep a backup on an external hard disc, so it wasn't a disaster, but I didn't realize how big a job I had done with my photos until I reinstalled them. That made me decide to transfer once a month from now on.

 

 

All the work, to catalog or file them, had to be done over again, and I've had the most enjoyable week diving into all my photos. What hits me the most is this: what an incredible amount of things I've been doing over the last three years, not least, producing photos.
 

This time I've had a real cleanup as well, and it feels good. You know, I'm the kind of person that transfers my photos, use the good ones in my blog, and don't think any more of them at all. That's ok for a week, not for three years I can assure you. Lesson learned! 

 

Even though I had a creative day job, it's not comparable to my creative life now. Earlier I solved "problems" for other people, now on the other hand, I'm free to create in a much wider range. When filing a group called  Paper art, I found, what I still think is, the most intriguing and surprising thing I've made over the last years. It is the end result that surprises me even today. 8 triangles put together holds a perfect circular form, and shows off an accurate square as well. Have a look!    

 

Another file it took me awhile to Complete, is the doll file. I still can feel the satisfaction of how well the dolls photographed, Viva in particular, and I still smile when seeing the photos. I really do appreciate my life as a "home player", and I truly wish that alot more people could have the same opportunety.

 

 

In my garden file, I found the photos used in this post, it seems I have a real soft spot for delicate fragile flowers. Foliage is another thing I find interesting, perhaps I should make a file on all the different foliage in our garden as well.

Thanks for stopping by!

I was playing with shadowing.

Making mandalas is fun in many ways

and to explore shadowing has become a favorite of mine. To see how much one can trick the eyes just by adding some darker colors and lines. I'm always looking for new ways of doing it, and I'm very pleased with this last one.

It's made on handmade paper using watersoluble crayons and a black micron pen. New to me to use handmade papers with an uneven surface. That makes it a bit more difficult to do the penwork, but it is possible if one takes the time and work a bit slower.
 

 

It's not excactly a masterpiece, but I remembered to do it a bit different this time and was surprised on how well it worked out. Just by moving the shadows a bit away from the edges, it looks like the outer edges are pointing upwards. Can you see it, and isn't it fantastic how such a small detail can change the whole picture? I just want to do it more and more and more and share it all with you.

 

 

 

I promise, I won't do that. I don't need to share absolute everything on my blog, but I will keep making them though. I'm always looking for the ultimate one, but each time I'm done I still keep thinking I can do a better one. Probably there is no ultimate one, but I can't stop looking for it.

I'm back!

 

It's fine to have my computer back

but why on earth do they need to change everythng I knew? Do you know the feeling, to start figuring out everything once more? Well, I'm still glad to have it back.

It shouldn't come as a surprise to you that a mandala is the first thing I want to show you. This one is a result of something I heard on the radio news. They were talking about apprentices and how to find enough apprenticeships. Many of the youths had no place to start after school.

I didn't plan to make a mandala on this theme, but it must have been influencing me after all. 

 

 

I call this one "Learning before flying"  When the painting was done, I still didn't know how it should end up. I have this habit sometimes to bring my work with me and study it while I am doing other things, often good ideas are coming while doing so.

At first I thought it looked like acorns or something like that, but then I saw what it could be.

 

 

I started my penwork and ended up with what you see below. Could you see this coming?



 

I don't know what they're doing, but I imagine they're learning before flying. It always amazes me how big the changes are when my piece is fully done, penwork and shadowing. Not only the depth, but do you see the changes in colors as well? I simply love this kind of work.



 

It's great to be back, even though I felt a bit like a newbie at first.

Have a good day everyone!

No computer.

My computer broke down.

It's so irritating, I bought it in February and now it's broken. For the time being I have to write on my ipad, with no access to any new photos. I don't know how long it will take to get it fixed, but it might take as long as three weeks I've been told.

I know the computer is just a tool, but it has become a much used one and I feel a bit helpless without  it. There's nothing else to do but wait, so until I get it back you'll have to do without anything new from me.

My latest work.

This first mandala I made a week ago, using colors I normally don't use. Many many times I was tempted to give it up because I didn't like it/the colors. Now, I'm glad I didn't, I like it even if it's not my prefered colors. I also added some text to it and think it works well.



 

This next one is more like me, colorwise. This mandala is made without any use of micronpens or other pens. I sketched it using a pencil, that's all. I have to practice shading, it's not that easy without my favorite grey marker. Right now I'm making another one  similar to this, but with a bit different colors and a new colormix idea for the background. 

 

 

I added this photo just to show you  I used twinks in addition at this one. I so much like this photo, it has a different angel and the colors are so beautiful. I didn't like the senter design,so I did an experiment. I cut out the circle and replaced it with something else.

 

 

New center and the background color in place. I really like how it loosen up a bit in the outer edge, and I do like it even if I skipped all the penwork. This photo shows a bit brighter colors than in person.

 

 

I have some beautiful handmade papers which I'll probably use to make a mandala on. I just have to choose the right design and colors to that one.

 

It's so cold today I feel for getting a fire going in the stove, but that would be a bit too early.

Enjoy your day.