The world was so beautiful

Here is another recent painting. I'm not 100% sure whether she is finished or not yet...still thinking I might add some words... & if I do, I have the perfect quote for her.

“She said she usually cried at least once each day not because she was sad, but because the world was so beautiful & life was so short.”

Brian Andreas

I'm thinking I might change it a little though....

maybe something like this...

"She cried not because she was sad, but because the world was so beautiful"...
Yes..I think I like that better. :)

'The world was so beautiful' - Mixed media

Willow in the Night Garden

Sharing another one of the paintings that I've done since I started the 'Paint Your Story' course by Mindy Murphy Lacefield. Enjoying myself sooo much!!

Here she is...

'Willow in the Night Garden' - Mixed Media

I hope that, where ever you are in the world, your day is filled with lots of paint and pretty blue skies.

Sally by the Sea

Back again to share another one of the paintings I've been working on..
This one is called 'Sally by the Sea' and again she is a mixed media using acrylic paint, watercolour pencil, pencil, & oil pastels.
She's a favourite of mine...she looks like a little sweety ♥

'Sally by the Sea' - Mixed Media

Mary's quite Contrary

It's a lovely winters day here today. Beautiful blue skies (which always make me feel so energised) not so warm though. Going for a top of 17celsius. I can't wait for Spring which starts in 3 weeks but in the meantime, if the rest of winter is like this, I'll be quite content. :o)

I'm sharing another one of the paintings that I've done since I started the 'Paint Your Story' course by Mindy Murphy Lacefield.
Doing this course has been the best thing ever for me! I'm so excited about how much freer that I feel. So much more relaxed. Before the class I used to have to plan every last detail about what I was going to put onto canvas and paper. Now I just start making marks and let the canvas tell me what it wants to be.
I never in a million years thought that I would be able to be paint like that...giving up my control over whatever I was creating and just seeing where the paint took me. Its wonderful!! I love it! ♥

Here she is...

'Mary's quite contrary' - Mixed media

I'm back online again

Well I've had no computer for months...which has driven me crazy...but I'm finally back online and pretty much set up again.

I started an online art course that some of you may be interested in. It's created by Mindy Murphy Lacefield & it's called 'Paint Your Story'.

Mindy teaches us to learn to loosen up...learn to feel the freedom and enjoyment of when you were a young child painting & drawing. In stead of getting bogged down with all of those hang ups so many of us have. (<~My biggest problem)

Anyway, I have to say that I am thoroughly enjoying this class and I'm enjoying painting more now than I have for a very long time. So Thank You Mindy for that. ♥

I plan to do another of her courses in the near future which is called 'Neat Stuff'. It sounds very interesting.

If you have the same kind of hangs up I do (ie- you're a massive worry wart about everything you create!!) then you should seriously think about trying Mindy's courses for yourself.

Well here I thought I would share some of the facework that I've done for the class. Here it is...
All the best
Shirley   :o)

'Here I am' - Mixed media

Sketching faces - Pencil

Masked Finch

Wow! I must be on some kind of roll or something! 

It's not like me to do something so quickly (one afternoon). Normally I have to think about it...rethink it...and then think about it again..and thats just so I can decide whether I'm actually going to do anything arty today! hehehe ;)

I do have to say though that I'm rather proud of myself for doing this...the thinking, the choosing, the application all in one afternoon. Believe me when I tell you that this is some kind of record for me! & I'm rather pleased at how he turned out.

He's a Masked Finch. Acrylic on watercolour paper.

'Masked Finch' - Acrylic on paper

Words of Wisdom

Hi to everyone out there in internet land. I hope you are all keeping well.
I mentioned in my last post that I had been working on something lately, well that something is now all finished and in the hands of its new owner so I thought I would pop on here and share some photos.
It's another handmade book. This one is called 'Words of Wisdom'. It was a commision for a friends daughter who was turning 18. In it are a collection of quotes and little bits of wisdom that friends and family were given as children, or that they have found useful/inspiring over the years. Along with a long lovely letter from mum to her beautiful daughter. It certainly is a special keepsake that I think will be looked back on with a lot of fondness and happy memories as the years go by.
Well here are the pics... Hope you like it.

Words of Wisdom - by Shirley Dawson

(((Hugs)))
Shirley   :o)
xxx

'Sister'

Oh my! I've been seriously slack lately haven't I! My last post was Dec 31 2011! Since then I haven't done a lot really, been busy working, living life, but also doing a book project for a friend, which is not finished yet so I can't share right now.
But I do have a little something that I made for my beautiful sister so I'll share that instead. It's another box canvas 12 x 12 acrylic painting along the lines of my 'I Spread my Wings' painting that I did a while ago. This painting is called 'Sister'.

'Sister' - Acrylic on canvas

I also wrote a poem which I have hand written around the edge of the canvas. I'm definitely no poet thats for sure but I think it expresses how I feel about my sister perfectly. :o)
Well I'd best get back to working on my book project.
Have a happy day everyone!
Shirl   :o)
xx

Gingerbread House

Thought I'd share the Gingerbread House I made this year. My very first gingerbread house ever in fact. I had a lot of fun making it and am even contemplating selling them next Christmas. We'll see...
Anyway, here it is.. It measured 32 cm tall (undecorated) and weighed an absolute ton! lol We had a lot of fun smashing it on Boxing Day! (Dec 26th for those of you who are not familiar with it)

Shirl   :o)

Well I finally got around to finishing my 'Countdown to Christmas' tree!
here it is...

Kaisercraft Countdown to Christmas Tree - Lights on

Kaisercraft Countdown to Christmas Tree - Lights off

Products used..
Kaisercraft Countdown to Chrissy Tree
Kaisercraft paper blooms
Kaisercraft wooden flourishes (star & word 'christmas')
Basic Grey paper (old one..Blitzen was the name of it I think)
Winter white paint (semi gloss)
Cricut with 'Sure Cuts a Lot 2' (to create numbers and words 'days til')
Gold ink pad (to colour words 'day til')
Silver plain eyelets
Silver Snowflake eyelets
Set of battery operated LED lights
Drill to create holes for lights

Hope you like it :)