Collaboration 2 – The Circle of Life

The Circle of Life – Karen’s Spread Ink and Coloured Pencil

I have finished my part of Anna Warren’s book in the second collaboration that I am part of.  The theme for Anna’s book was the circle of life and, as I am in a vegetable moment, I went for the life cycle of the pumpkin.

The Circle of Life – Cover

Anna’s book is beautifully crafted , you can see that she has printed the cover and her attention to detail is fabulous, it must be all that miniature work that she does.  I wanted to snatch my book back from her so I could finish it better, but for better or worse mine is on its journeys and I won’t see it back until it is full of fabulous drawings from the others.

The Circle of Life – First Page

This is the first shared page on which I have scattered pumpkin seeds and then followed it with the image of the pumpkin flower.  Aren’t pumpkin flowers just fabulous, the colour and the shape, plus the fact they are so fragile, when they grow into such big sturdy fruit.

The last page has the pumpkin of course and although I have been buying all these weird shaped pumpkins, I went for the traditional ones.  This is taken from some I bought on the weekend which have the most wonderful pumpkin shape, but are really only tiny about 8cm tall.  I scanned the image but Anna’s delicate pencil drawing has not come up well. See the link at the bottom of the page to her blog to get some lovely images of her work.

The Circle of Life – Shared spread

This book will now wing its way across to Cathe in the states, as I await Gales to arrive here.  For those of you who want to see what the others have been doing here is the links to their posts on their blogs.

Anna Warren’s Book – Circle of Life

• Anna’s pages

Gale Everett Stahlke’s Book –  Water

• Gales pages
• Cathe’s pages

Cathe Jacobi’s Book –  Collections

• Cathe’s Pages
• Gale’s Pages 

Karen Bailey’s Book – Patterns in Nature – Forest

• Karen’s Pages
• Anna’s Pages

I cannot tell you how much we are all enjoying this and being able to share the process with each other and our blogging friends.

Karen

 

 

Patterns in Nature a new Artistic Collaboration

Patterns in Nature Journal Lichen spread Water colour pencils and ink

Here is the journal for the latest collaboration that I have entered into.  This is again with Anna Warren (see her blog here) from Sydney and two lovely American artists, Gale Stahlke (see her blog here) and Cathe Jacobi (see her blog here).  They will all be blogging about the journals they are working on as we work our way through the collaboration.

This time we decided to do things a little differently, to the other collaboration I am in.  We will be each making our own little journals, choosing our theme and doing the initial drawings, before we hand them onto the next person.  The first page will be a joint effort, then we will each do a double page spread then there will be a shared double spread and finally a little paragraph on the back page on what we did and why.

Patterns in Nature Journal Cover

So for my journal I decided on the theme Patterns in Nature – Forrest.  As most of you know who have followed me for awhile, I love patterns and in particular patterns in nature, so it seemed to be a great theme for the book and easy for each artist to interpret in their own way.  I have also been fascinated by lichens and have been meaning to do a drawing of them for ages so I narrowed the focus to patterns in the forest.

So I made the booklet out of 300g Somerset CP watercolour paper for the cover and used a lovely creamy Japon proofing paper for the interior.  I had great fun playing with the cover and used some spray inks on it, then to waterproof these I covered it with matt medium, then drew a abstract lichen/moss pattern over the top.

Patterns in Nature Journal Front group Page and inside cover

For the first page I couldn’t go past an image of a curled fern frond.  Then for my double spread I was able to play with the lichen.  I got a little carried away with this drawing and it became more complex then I wanted for this project, but hey once I got started away I went.  Very happy with this, think it could be done again in another format.  For the last spread I drew a fern frond with spores on the back.  These were all done with ink and water colour pencils.

Patterns in Nature Journal Group spread

Well I am about to post my book up to Anna for her to add her pages before it wings its away across the sea for the others to work on.  I can’t wait to see what they have done and how they made their books and out of what?  Just love these collaborations.

Karen

Mixing Media Group Show

Pieced Pattern 9
Ink, coloured Pencil

The group show Mixing Media opened on Friday and seemed to be well received, It had been a hard work getting some new work together when I have been so tired and having the Christmas holidays just before the show made it harder to focus on getting the work done.  But I have new work and the other six pieces that I did earlier.

Mixing Media Show Jan 2015

Mixing Media Show Jan 2015

Here are the other two new pieces that I haven’t posted on the blog.

Pieced Pattern 8
Ink, coloured Pencil, thread and beads

This piece has also been a background for a winter vegetable, but I have just realised that I haven’t shown it to you before.  Sorry for keeping secrets, so here is the journal page along.

Eggplant Journal Page Ink and watercolour pencil

Pieced Pattern 8 Detail
Ink, coloured Pencil, thread and beads

This was the only large work that has threads and beads on it and only very subtly,  I like the little hint of sparkle and definition that they give.  The others had enough going on without any extra.

Pieced Pattern 9
Ink, coloured Pencil

The last big piece also started in my journal as is one of two, I haven’t finished the other one yet so that one is yet to come.  I like the retro feel to these two and they have a more masculine palette.  I have had enough pink from all the flowers I draw, so nice to get into other colour ways for a change.

Triangles Journal Page Ink and watercolour pencil

It has really had the 3D treatment as you can see in the detail, the blue triangles are raised up with little foam sticky things (very technical) to give it some extra lift so to say.  It was funny at the exhibition, because it took people a moment to realise that the pieces were raised and they were going up for a closer second look.  I hope that is a good thing!

Rounded Squares Journal Page ink and watercolour pencil

Karen

Getting ready for a group show.

Pieced Pattern 7 Detail
Ink, coloured Pencil

Happy New Year everyone.   Finally back on the blog after a little rest.  Just wanted to have one less obligation in my life while I got myself back into work after my break and the rush up to the end of the year.  Feeling better now and missing everyone.

I have been busy with my art, when there is no energy for the rest of my life, I can always sit and draw and the patterns are soothing in their repetition.  There was also the fact that I have an exhibition at the end of January to spur me on.

I have three new big works (A1 size) and hopefully another will be finished in time.  They are from drawings in my sketchbook, some I have shown you before.  They were backgrounds for some of the vegetables, but have come out from the background to star in their  own right.  I have pieced them together to give them more depth, I was going the sew on them all, but some didn’t need any more detail.

Pieced Pattern 7
Ink, coloured Pencil

This first one was the background to the peas, I was going to put the peas over the top but it just didn’t work, it became too busy and I liked it as it was, so the pea pod is being saved for a later date.  Nothing will go to waste, it will just have to wait till I have a moment to sort its background out.

 

I will share the others on my next post, and the link to the exhibition.

Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas and a bright start to the New Year and like me looking forward to what exciting things this new year will bring us all.

Karen

Pieced Patterns – All done

Pieced Patterns Coloured Pencil, embroidery thread, ink and glass beads

They are all done at last and I spent yesterday hanging them in the Small Works exhibition at the Brunswick Street Gallery.  My first works in an exhibition.  Very exciting and a little nervous making.  If anyone is in Melbourne you are all inviting to come.

Here is the final one, it took awhile to finish as I had some problems with it and just couldn’t get it to work.  I think I was over thinking it and  just took it back to basics and it finally came together.

Pieced Pattern No. 6

Pieced Pattern No 5 Detail Coloured Pencil, nk, Paper, Thread and Glass Beads

Pattern 4, Paper, coloured pencil and thread. 21 x 21cm

Pattern No 3, coloured Pencils, glass beads and embroidery thread 21 x 21cm

Pieced Pattern 2 20cm x 20cm rag paper, coloured pencil, ink, embroidery thread and glass beads

Pieced Pattern 2 20cm x 20cm rag paper, coloured pencil, ink, embroidery thread and glass beads

I think my favourite is no 5 with no 1 coming a close second, I like the smaller pieces.  Well hope one of them sells!

Karen