Two weeks in France with a small project book.

This delightful little book was made by Rachael, otherwise known as Shroo and I was the very, very lucky winner of this little book in her first giveaway. I’m not one of those lucky people who win things all the time; in fact I can’t remember ever winning anything as lovely as this. Anyway, I’ve never had a little book like this before and it arrived just in time for me to take to France. I wasn’t too sure what I was going to do with it because when in France I usually manage to find the time and space to do some painting, and it's usually the acrylic on canvas type of painting. I use a semi derelict building next to my sisters house and set up a small studio space inside. It’s a fantastic place to sit and paint and I thoroughly enjoy it. I borrow a small radio, tune in to radio 4, soak in the atmosphere of rural France and wait for inspiration. Anyway this time I arrived with my little book in my bag plus the pack of canvases I had previously posted. I didn’t have a plan or project in mind, I just arrived, set up my studio space and sort of went with the flow.

And these little drawings are the result of ‘going with the flow’. Maybe it was Rachael’s art work on the cover that inspired me but; what happened in this little book is completely different to any thing I have ever done before.

Above, first page started on the plane

I used pen and water colour on paper rather than acrylic on canvas. Over the course of two weeks I learnt to love the freedom of water colours and the satisfaction of starting and finishing something small in one session.

Above goldfish and coypu, acrylic on canvas

I did get so excited about my newfound style that I  worked on a couple of canvases  using this much freer style and incorporating the techniques I was using in the book.

above; red pot and view from the window, day it rained all day. 

My subject matter  turned out to be local wildlife. That wasn’t planned but the location is so rural and the wildlife so prolific and varied it was an obvious choice of subject matter.

Above, goldfish pond, goldfish, dragonfly and waterlilies.

I didn’t get a lot of photos because most of the time I was out walking the dogs when I spotted something, and I hardly ever had my camera with me.

Above, coypu, heron and brown river carp, pond up the lane.

If I saw something to stimulte the  imagination, I would stand and observe for as long as possible and then go back and download some images from the net to fill in when memory failed.

Above; lizard, frog and newt from the garden. 

above; magpie from the garden

Anyway….. this entire post in dedicated to Rachael because without her, her artistic inspiration and her wonderful little journal, none of this would have happened. This is what she said about the book and this is her site.

http://artyshroo.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/giveaway-winner-announcement-hurrah.html

A simple two-signature pamphlet stitch book, using pretty pink waxed linen thread with beaded dangles that hang below the spine so that when the book's open it will lie nice and flat.  I chose a mix of glass beads and Tibetan silver charms that would complement the splooshy colours.

I used a piece of ribbon from my mum's sewing box, threaded through the spine to tie-fasten. I added two yummy lampwork beads to weight the ribbon which can be tied in a pretty bow on the spine when the book's open and being used.

 I used some designer paper to create a lining to the cover and a spine-strengthener then collaged some vintage images - just because it looks pretty! The paper's a fabulous heavy weight cartridge paper (300gsm) which will take pretty much anything thrown at it, so ideal for mixed media work. There are 12 pages - it's a nice size for a small keepsake project

Well Shroo; This has indeed turned into a valued keepsake project,

with many, many thanks to you

Hopefull I will post more of my trip to France, but for now, I just wanted to get these drawings and my thank you to Rachael posted  :-)