Did you know that kangaroos are excellent jumpers and can leap up to 30 feet in a single bound.
Australian Kangaroo
There are several different species of kangaroos and wallabies. In total, there are around 50 different species of kangaroos and wallabies. Some well-known species include the red kangaroo, eastern grey kangaroo, western grey kangaroo, and the agile wallaby. Each species has its own unique characteristics and can be found in different regions of Australia.
Although kangaroos are not considered endangered. They are quite abundant in Australia. Some specific species of kangaroos, such as the tree kangaroo, are classified as endangered due to habitat loss and hunting.
Learn more facts about our Australian animals and see some beautiful artworks to go with them. Visit the below pages of your favourite Australian animals.
Being creative is not just a hobby or a talent, it is a way of life. Creativity is the ability to think outside the box, to come up with new ideas, and to solve problems in unique ways. It is a skill that can be developed and nurtured, and it has numerous benefits for individuals and society as a whole.
One of the most significant benefits of being creative is that it enhances mental health. Engaging in creative activities such as painting, writing, or playing music can reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. It provides an outlet for emotions and allows individuals to express themselves in a healthy way. Creativity also stimulates the brain and improves cognitive function, memory, and problem-solving skills.
Another benefit of being creative is that it fosters innovation and entrepreneurship. Creative individuals are more likely to come up with new ideas and solutions to problems. They are also more adaptable and flexible, which is essential in today’s rapidly changing world. Creativity is a valuable asset in the workplace, and it can lead to career advancement and success.
Being creative also promotes social connections and community engagement. Creative activities such as art classes, writing groups, or theater productions bring people together and create a sense of belonging. It allows individuals to connect with others who share similar interests and passions, and it can lead to lifelong friendships and collaborations.
Being creative has numerous benefits for individuals and society. It enhances mental health, fosters innovation and entrepreneurship, and promotes social connections and community engagement. So, whether it’s painting, writing, or playing music, make time for creativity in your life and reap the rewards.
One of my first little pieces – my purple tree. It is still one of my MOST viewed and bought prints. I remember creating it like it was yesterday. I loved trying to create it from an image in my head. I didn’t know whether it would work out or not. I felt I was really stepping out of my comfort zone not having a reference photo.
Purple Tree
This was four years ago and I still never know whether a painting is going to work out. I mean I always hope it does but I’m not too upset if it doesn’t. Sometimes I’ll revisit it, sometimes I won’t. The point is I tried to create something that was in my mind. I tried to bring an image to life.
I’m starting to realise, as I get older that I’ll regret not trying things way more than I will wasting some money on a few canvases! Art has helped me grow a whole lot more than anything else I’ve done. It’s helped allow me to show my compassionate and caring side.
Cabin by the River
Another one from that year. This was one of the first pieces I sold. A real ego boost. I remember selling it and how that made me feel. I have always favoured the thought of having my own business. I love to create.
The only other thing that has helped me grow an enormous amount in the last couple of years was With You With Me. I started learning Data Analytics and from there I started to teach. More on that in a later post. So many people look at me weird when I tell them I’m an Artist and a Data Analyst. Most people don’t think these two loves don’t go together, but if you think about it you see many similarities.
Check out my next post to find out how I got into Data Analysis and how the two careers are similar.
I’ve really been getting into the floral paintings over the last few months. I have done some water colours that I’ll show you next week. I’ve also done several sketches for my colouring book.
To check out more of my work go to my Facebook or Instagram feeds to see some work in process pics.
Here are some of my recent acrylics paintings on canvas board.
I really love sun flowers and so does my step mum. I painted these for her when she came over to the uk earlier this year.
Poppies are just beautiful and stunningly bright! These ones are already sold.
Lilies are my favourite flowers and I absolutely love this little one. The most realistic I’ve managed to paint so far.
And the last of my acrylic flowers for now, my yellow roses. I will have to revisit these ones as I’m not 100% happy with them.
Obsession uses my all time favourite colours. Aptly named, I have an obsession with the colour purple. I like to have some drama in my paintings, the more contrast and texture the better.
Starting off with some basic colours and soft blends. I love to blend the paint together on my canvas, mixing the different colours by adding different amounts of each colour.
Adding more depth of colour and changing shapes where I think I need to. Nearly finished, I have to just add some more texture with the palette knife and I’m all done! I’m using packing tape to hold my canvas sheet to my board. It’s a really handy tool as it will give me a lovely little border around the edge of my sheet.
If you fancy popping over to see my next piece in progress, I have progress pictures available on my Facebook and Instagram accounts.
If you’re ready to purchase one of my paintings please pop over to my Etsy store.
My latest piece Eternal, I think, is one of my best abstract pieces. I loved creating it so much. It brought joy to my day, even if it started out terrible. Now that I have finished it, I don’t feel sad that it’s over. I feel excited. Excited to put it out into the world. No matter what anyone’s reaction is. I’m endlessly proud of my work and it’s the closest to perfect I’ve managed to obtain this far in my new found love and appreciation for abstract art.
Above: The first stages of creating Eternal.
Most people see an abstract piece and think “well that must have taken all of 2 seconds to slap the paint on.” But let me tell you, Abstract art, a good piece takes hours. It takes mastery of techniques that most people don’t think of as techniques at all. When the only map or blueprint you have is in your head it is incredibly difficult to transfer that on to a canvas. It also takes a skill that I’ve been finding the hardest to master so far and its probably the most important……. knowing when to stop.
In the picture above I am introducing some deeper colours and shapes with green, blue and purple. I love soft blends and cloud like shapes. I love adding the deeper colours to give the piece more drama.
The texture of paint is what I love, using paint brushes and palette knives to create depth and interest in the piece is something that is new to me. I am really loving learning about how the palette knives work and the interesting shapes you can make using them.
Above: Eternal – the finished piece.
With my new found fascination for soft blends and dramatic depth of colour I think I will be creating many more pieces similar to this one.
If you would like to follow me on my art journey come and follow my Instagram or Facebook pages. Want to own one of my pieces? That’s easy, go to my Etsy store to check out what’s available!
Here is my first ever painting done with a palette knife. A river running through the mountains to the ocean.
I love the flow and peace that this painting seems to give. Although the river is clearly forcing its way to the ocean, the flow of water makes me feel calm and relaxed. This is the first piece of a series of paintings featuring rivers, the ocean and mountains. I’m surrounded by mountains here where I live so it’s not hard to find plenty of inspiration.
The first stage of this painting. I blocked in the background colours with a fat brush. I very much limited the amount of colours I used for this painting. I wanted to challenge myself to create a piece with depth using limited tools. I had 1 brush and one palette knife, red, blue, yellow, black and white. My favourite kinds of skies to create are definitely stormy skies. I like my paintings to have lots of drama in them. The acrylic paint I have used is Daler Rowney System 3 acrylic paint.
Next week I’ll be publishing another river painting I have created this year. To keep up to date with my current work please pop over to my social media pages.
This week the topic is my favourite tools! Learn about what paint brushes, pencils, markers, water colour pencils and ball point pens I love and why!
Paint Brushes
It’s really hard to find an ethical paint brush when you’re vegetarian. I don’t use any that are made from animal hair. This is something that is really important to me! I only use synthetic brushes. It’s hard to get a ‘rough’ look to your paint with synthetic brushes. So what I do is mess a couple up by scrubbing them hard into the canvas board or tissue paper. It messes the bristles up and you can get a much more natural effect for things like trees.
Spectrum Noir Markers
Alcohol Markers are becoming far more popular. They give a great deal of colour saturation with very little effort. They are especially good for fantasy art and animae drawings. Blending can be really difficult when you’re starting out with them. Paper plays an important role with alcohol Markers.
Graphite
This is the sketching set I’m using at the moment. They are fairly good, but next time I’ll be purchasing something that’s a little better quality. I find there isn’t a lot of difference between the hard leads and the softer pencils. This sometimes can make shading very difficult.
Watercolour Pencils
The below picture is of a print drawn in watercolour pencils. You can lay a lot of colour down to make things very rich and vibrant, or use a very light pressure and just add a wash of colour. The background in my dragon picture has a light blue wash.
Graphik Line Markers – My all time favourite Markers. They come in various tip widths and are so easy to use. You do need to be carful when using them with water colours – make sure they are the last layer you put down. They tend to run!
I like to outline water colour pencil and graphite pencil sketches with these on occasion. I also like to sketch little designs with them.
As an artist I get many questions. One is what paper or canvas is best to use. The answer isn’t always straightforward. In this article I will walk you through a few different but easily accessible choices based on the look your are going for.
Sketching/Drawing
For practice drawing and sketching you want to have a smooth paper. A hot pressed paper that isn’t too thick. Anything up to 120gsm is pretty good. The thickness of the paper will still give you a quality feel to your sketch and the hot press will give you a smooth finish. The smoother the paper, the cleaner your lines will be which will give you a more realistic look.
My current art journal is less than 100gsm and is not suitable for anything other than sketching. Below is a picture of an Orca I sketched sometime ago. If you try to use other medias (paint or watercolour) on this type of paper it will wrinkle and curl. It damages the paper and if you do that, there’s no saving it.
Orca – light weight sketch paper
Mixed Media Paper 250 gsm +
The below sketch is a graphite on 250gsm mixed media paper. This paper is meant to handle Acrylic paint well, water colour however, is a bit of a stretch. I love it to print my art work on to this paper because it has a bit of texture just like a canvas and it gives the print a really good quality look and feel.
Norbit the dragon – Graphite sketch
Cold Pressed Cotton Paper
A cold press paper is rough, it has what is called ‘tooth’. It is ideal if you like that bumpy, textured feel and look to your painting. I personally don’t like to draw on this type of paper. I love to paint on it! I use a 300gsm cold press cotton paper with my acrylics. You get a matte finish with the textured finish of a canvas. The cotton paper is actually made for water colour paint because it can handle the wet application without creasing and folding. I use watercolours and acrylic and it performs beautifully.
Poppies – Water colour in watercolour paper
Stretched Canvas
There are several types of canvas you can purchase. The main types are stretched canvas, canvas board and canvas sheets. I prefer to use a stretched canvas. I like the bounce back it gives. All types of canvas have a tooth (bumpy texture) that I love! With the stretched canvas’s you don’t have to frame and can hang as is.
TOP TIP – be sure to paint the sides of your stretched canvas. It will look more professional once on the wall.
Saundersfoot beach – on Stretched Canvas
Above is an acrylic Painting is on a stretched canvas of Saundersfoot Beach. This is my favourite material to paint on.
Canvas Board
As you can see from the below picture canvas board performs much like a stretched canvas. It has a tooth, although not as deep or prominent. It is an easy and cheaper way to start painting. They come in all sorts of sizes and packs. You can frame them easily too.
Raspberries – Acrylic paint on Canvas Board
I hope you liked my tips for how to choose the right paper or canvas, be sure to check out my article on How to improve your Sketches.
UPDATE: Since 2017, and publishing my very first post I have sold a number of images and created all sorts of wonderful artworks. You can see a body of my works in my Etsy stores, and on my website products pages.
I decided to take the plunge and become a professional artist. Here you will be able to follow me through the highs and lows of becoming an artist and in my life. So here goes nothing!
