Week 1 - Self Portrait

       Week one of the 12 week art challenge was portrait. When I am painting or drawing I find it really hard to just create something from my mind, I need a photo to work off. I found a photo of my face and started off with watercolours. Unfortunately more than half of my watercolours were all dried up inside, so mid way I switched over to the old faithful acrylic paints.

     

       Next theme: An animal.

A bit of Photo Editing Fun

       Just by chance I stumbled across this really clever photo editing website. It's heaps easy to use and has over 300 different styles you can add to your photos. I had a lot of fun using it, and thought I'd share it!

http://photofunia.com

Some are random & kind of silly (but a little fun!)

Week 1 - Self Portrait Inspiration

       I'm excited to get started on this 12 week art challenge. There is so much room for interpretation with self portraits, so I found a number of very different ones for some ideas.

Paint/Sketch

Graphic Design

Sculpture:

Photography:

Sewing/Fabric:

Food:

12 Week Drawing Challenge

       I've set myself a 12 week challenge…and it's not one of those 12 week exercise challenges (because exercise sucks). 

       This challenge is a creative one. I'm always at a loss of what to draw/paint/create when I'm feeling in a creative mood so I decided to make myself, and anyone else who wants to join in, one of these. 

       There's no rules, and you can use any medium…paint, photography, sculpture, sketching, sewing, even cooking (imagine!). I'm kind of excited to start! Eeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

In the Garden

       The garden has been going great this week. We've had a little very little amount of rain and it's helped the plants just that little bit more. This week we planted a few new additions to the garden. We planted our tomato, capsicum and chilli seedlings, a lemongrass plant, & a new rosemary (because no matter how 'hardy' rosemary is, I always seem to kill it). I believe that Lemongrass may be the dog version of Catnip, as Frankie is obsessed with it. We are always finding her sitting in the garden, bum squashing the tiny flower seedlings, nibbling on the lemongrass. The poor plant is now half the size it was when we planted it, so we will see how it survives the next week.

       Plants that are doing well this week:

• Zucchini - most plants have flower buds, and we had our first open flower yesterday!
• Radish - easily my favourite plant to grow. The have been shooting up more and more each day
• Watermelon - doubled in size this week!
• Basil, Thai Basil - shooting up and smelling so fragrant when I press its little leaves
• Coriander - getting those distinctive little curly bits on its leaves, even though Frankie dug a hole about a foot deep the other day.
• Sage - I've been squishing these little leaves to smell them too. Yum.

       Plants not doing so well…

• Mint - still no sign of it…
• Lettuce - I think there may be one growing…but it could very well be a weed.
• Strawberry - no sign of strawberry plants either…I think I might be to blame for that though…had a little problem with the hose pressure (I think the seeds got water blasted out of the pot…oops).

Go garden go!

Found this plant in the front yard. Only a few living flowers amongst the dead.

Radishes. One of my favourite things to grow.

One poor flower has been bitten off. Thanks Frankie.

Zucchini, already producing some flowers

Weekly Stills

Chocolate Cookies & Cupcakes

I Refuse to Believe the Plant in the Orange Pot is Dead

What a Poser

Wee Stop on our Trip to Albury (Wee stop for Frankie)

Garden Update

       Our little garden has been growing so well. Every morning I go inspect the damp soil for signs of life. Our star seeds this week have been the radish (first to pop up), watermelon and Basil. Go you little seeds! Just don't be scared when a big clumsy dog paw squishes you a little. More updates next week when I can hopefully plant my chilli, capsicum & tomato seedlings.

       Oh! I almost forgot to mention the flowers. I planted a variety of flowers sort of haphazardly beside the garden path, and thought in theory it is going to look beautiful, a bright arrangement of colour lining the path. In reality I watched as Frankie bounded all over the patch, balls bounced, hoses got thrown on top & Jake (and I) forgetfully stomped all over the struggling seeds. I was beginning to think that it was a bit of a lost cause planting them there…

       Suddenly on a rainy morning I saw what I first thought was a weed poking through, and then realised that it was my flowers popping out of the soil! All neatly in a straight wobbly line! Tough seeds!

Basil & Thai Basil

Beautiful Radish

Radish again

Look at those little watermelon seedlings seeking the sun!

Zucchini spreading out nicely

Weekly Snaps

I've seen some amazing clouds around lately

Frankie "Frankfurt" Hays

My favourite - yellow flowers

Boyfriend jeans from Cottonon & T-shirt from Modcloth

This crazy dog

Amazing sunset the other night