Playing stylist

I have been updating some of the photos that I have of my work on Etsy.  (Um, absolutely nothing to do with the fact that I am giving a talk about my shop in a few days' time.)  While there is a lot to be said for the practicalities of a white background, I find a 'more is more' approach more fun.
Probably to my eventual detriment.

Craft to Consumer: Selling Online, August 3

I will be giving a talk at Craft this Saturday August 3 as part of the  Craft to Consumer series, about selling online.  I will be talking about my Etsy shop, and the lessons that I have learned as an online seller.  And some lessons I am yet to learn.  It will be the first talk I have given since I was at university, and that was an ancient time ago, so please wish me luck and smile and wave warmly from the audience if you decide to attend.  There will be other great speakers -- I can't wait to see and hear them!

A fez and a tam-o-shanter

There's a new style of fez and a tam-o-shanter in the painted mirrors section of my shop.

Large painting for sale

Well, large by my standards anyway.  I painted this a LONG time ago.  I still like it, but I think it's time for a change of decor, so I have decided to sell it as my house is too small to accommodate it anywhere else.  It is based on a landscape logo found on a European foil yoghurt lid.  I have a continuing fascination with packaging, especially the way that factory manufactured food products attempt to visually associate themselves with the poetic aspects of farm life.  I have a soft spot for those brand-created characters we associate with cooking skill and comfort, but I am also equally admiring of simple landscapes like the one that my painting above was based on.

This is an acrylic and oil pastel painting on canvas.  107 x 86.5 cm.  $200.  I made the wooden frame myself and stretched the canvas across it.  I think it might be the first and last time I did that.

Please contact me if you are interested in this painting.  (Please note: The painting and I live in Melbourne, Australia.)

Thank you!

Painting, 80% done

 My 1.5 x 1.5 metre lounge room portrait is 80% done.  I have purposely taken the paints back to the studio so that I will instead work on things that I actually need to do (e.g. fill orders, answer emails, start on my tax - ugh).  Above: I still need to add flowers to the pink bandana on which the coffee pot is sitting, add buttons to the remote control, decorate the zither and fill the nursery rhyme print to the blue fabric on the right.

Above: many of the books still need their titles.  The pink girl bookend requires her flowers.  A few of the clay gendarme's pencils are still uncoloured.  I haven't even touched the mirror.  (Should the artist be reflected in it, in time honoured fashion?)  The awkwardly angled oval portrait  -- which I started, then painted over -- needs to be re-done.  These are the least fun things, and of course I have left them until last.

Above: this area is almost finished, but I am not happy with the brightness of the red.  It's too strong.  The wooden drink coasters are not finished either (is this like Where's Wally for you, reader?!).
Don't be too impressed by the Persian rug at the bottom -- it's real, not part of my picture!

 Above: again, that nursery rhyme print which still needs to be filled.

....Actually, this was entire post was just a ruse to avoid my other work.

Wishing you a fine day.

News: painting gives you a different kind of back pain!

Further to my previous post:
Sorry to be a whinger -- I am just getting really frustrated by the extent of my back pain.  I thought that doing something that required standing rather than sitting would do the trick, but instead I have a different kind of back pain now.  Anyway, here is my 1.2 x 1.2 metre acrylic on plywood portrait of my lounge room, in progress.  The drawers of the kitchen dresser are serving well as a semi adjustable easel.

Please look after your back -- you only get one!

No knitting

My back is in such severe pain at the moment that I cannot even think about finishing this piece of knitting.  NO!!!  And to think that knitting is meant to be a relaxing hobby.  Craft can be dangerous.

Too much sitting is the cause of my back issues, so I have decided to paint an enormous picture instead, which will mean standing all day.  I will post photos of the painting's progress soon.

Enjoy the sun.

New mirrors in the shop.

I made some new mirrors last week and now they are in the shop.  My favourite is the smiley mouth with the pink cheeks.