envelopes of joy

November 23, 2012 by Tara 4 Comments

The answer’s in the question, right?!

So the good news is, I’m moving to the dream-flat-with-studio-by-the-sea two weeks today! Holy moly.

The bad news, which isn’t really bad news, is that I am experiencing frequent waves of overwhelm, at what there is to do, and the changes that are already happening within me. Everyone keeps reminding me, kindly, that moving house is up there on the stressometer with death and divorce; I don’t know if this is helping or giving my ego license to have regular freak outs.

Either way, I am interested only in focusing on what brings me peace right now, while getting done what needs to be done. Which actually, is how I’d like to live, always.

Creativity is of course one of those things {brings me peace AND needs to be done!}; there’s been some sketchbook work…

I’m so in love with the jewel colours and circus feel of this one.

…and a shit ton of cooking. Mostly savoury, but also:

Behold, chocolate and beetroot cake, {click the link for recipe from my friend Kitty, and photos that make this look like a proper disaster}, that only took the best part of a day to make.{?!}

Unlikely to win any prizes for finesse, but I’m told it tastes amazing. {I find it hard to tell when it’s my creation.}

And finally, an envelope of joy with a bit of silliness. I drew it with my left hand for extra childlike qualities. I totally coloured inside the lines though, couldn’t help it. My inner dork told me to.

Oh, and I finally finished up something I’ve been working on for ages, a pdf {does it count as an ebook? No idea} of a selection of my poems and paintings, which you will receive as a little thank you when you sign up for monthly artnotes.Yay! And if you had already signed up, you should have received a copy via email.

Happy weekend guys.

PS. Anyone know why my links have started having lines through them?!

Filed Under: cooking, sketchbook Tagged With: aedm, chocolate and beetroot cake, envelopes of joy, sketchbook page

October 1, 2012 by Tara 6 Comments

When I have leftover paint on my palette from a painting sesh I tend to use it up making backgrounds in my sketchbook or, in this case, on a piece of paper taped to the table. This one sat there for a few days; that brown was really disappointing me.

The plan had been to make a painting with it but I just wasn’t inspired, so I decided to cut it up. I thought I might stick the cut up pieces in my sketchbook and make a collage but then I found that tearing them gave them a nicer edge and made them into their own mini paintings.

Obviously there are a bajillion things you can do with tiny paintings; I have done a mere three.

1. Make cards. This one looks like a tiny watercolour landscape; it will make the perfect simple but pretty birthday card for a friend.

2. Make an Envelope of Joy. I use mine for payments for my Tai Chi teacher each week, but you could use them for all sorts of things. Pretty wrapping for a store gift card or some other envelope sized gift, perhaps. Or you could write a message on it and attach it to a gift as the card.

3. Write little messages or use the shapes in the pieces to draw images. I wrote these to myself as these are the sorts of things I need to hear right now, but you could inscribe or stamp anything. I like the idea of giving these to someone going through a hard time, or leaving them in public places for people to find.

It’s very pleasing to turn a potential cock up into something lovely or useful.

What would you do with tiny pieces of cut up painting?

Filed Under: artist's block, before and after, cards, creativity Tagged With: cards, cut up paintings, decorating envelopes, envelopes of joy, words

August 7, 2012 by Tara 3 Comments

This is the absolute last tomato plant photo until they are ready to eat, I promise. But some days you take your joy where you can find it, and while watering my plants just now I realised one of my tomatoes is FINALLY turning red. This is huge people. The thought of eating something I grew blows my tiny mind. And yes I’m aware people do it all the time without having to photograph it and make a general song and dance about it.

But the thought of recording what I’ve mostly done today, which is fill in solicitor forms and scrabble about for all the information they’re asking for whilst trying to keep my hair on and my knickers untwisted, just doesn’t compare to my one red tomato.

Oh and here are two new envelopes of joy, just to remind us all that I’m also an artist {ha}, not just someone who photographs random things and witters on about plants.

They are a good way to keep my eye in as I wander in yet another arid, painting free desert.

Filed Under: creativity Tagged With: envelopes of joy, inspire, love, tomatoes