Summertime Blues

For any of you residing in the UK who think the school holidays are going on for too long then please give some thought to us poor moms in USA. We have three months. YES I SAID THREE MONTHS of summer holidays. There are only so many camps the kids can go to before the coffers run dry and mother starts to go slowly insane.....

I think the reasoning behind the three month holiday is because in many parts of the USA it is boiling hot and kids without air con would melt into their desks. So I understand it I just think they should have year round school with a week off every month or something like that.

I had a good laugh at this blog post by Hurrah for Gin called How to Lazily Entertain Your Kids this Summer and it made me wish my kids were small and could spend seven hours a day with a watering can and a paddling pool rather than an ipad and cooking a cake while leaving sixteen pans for me to clean up.

But look at that post for some great tips- it is really rather hilarious!

So yes, I have been going dotty....I have been seeing spots in front of my eyes. Yes I am channeling Seurat and just started dotting around until I made this cute little polka dot fox.

My little fox is available at BoomBoomPrints which is a really fun company that creates art and clothes for little ones. The guys and gals at BoomBoom are really cool and friendly so I'd recommend them if you've ever wanted to see your art emblazoned on a t-shirt or tote bag.

SPECIAL OFFER! Use code SA15ATF at checkout to get 15% off any of my products throughout August.

Click on these items to go to the shop page:

How's your summer been going? Are you losing your sanity?

Linking up to Parenting Pin It Party, Paint Party Friday,  Brilliant Blog Posts



Fairytale Deer

It's been a hectic week but I took a few hours out of my busy schedule to paint this fairytale deer in watercolor and acrylic inks.

Items can be purchased with this print on it from my shop at Redbubble such as cushions, mugs, prints.

What do you think I made the white circles with?

Yes of course it was that trusty artist's tool, the toilet roll.

Linking up to Paint Party Friday! Let's PAAARTTAAAY

Don't be koi

This week has been a bit of a wash out.....pouring rain.....lashings and lashings of rain. I live near a stream and it always floods in the rain and my poor neighbor's shed slid into the stream!

Looks very surreal doesn't it.....like the tornado aftermath from the Wizard of Oz. It was really wedged in tight and they tried to pull it out with a crane but didn't get anywhere. In the end they had to smash it to bits.

I don't mind the rain because it means I don't have to water the plants every day. I did manage to create a fishy painting this week. The bubbly effect comes from an experiment with throwing salt on the watercolor paint. It was a really fun project and I left it all loose with lots of movement.

Koi and Lilypads  - acrylic inks and watercolor (with a pinch of salt)

Other than that there's a great article by a fellow fun Brit Claire Bolden McGill about me and my art entitled 'the Unconventional Expat' in the latest issue of Global Living which you can download for free here. 

Or easier still read it here. In the interview I give my unique view on all things USA.......including British v American parenting:



And finally.....I woke up from a nightmare and thought Trump was trying to be president.....tell me it isn't so.....

How's your week been? Was it a washout? Don't be koi let's hear all about it!!

Linking up to Paint Party Friday so come join in the fun!

Dragonfly on a Blue Poppy

As one of my 52 Week Nature Challenges we had to paint an insect and since I love dragonflies I thought I'd give it a whirl.

I found this amazing photo over at PaintMyPhoto but then thought I'd try something a bit different and drew in the wings with oil pastel before covering it with acrylic inks. I think it turned out pretty interesting. I changed it so the dragonfly was sitting on a blue poppy.

I was actually thinking this would be a really fun project to try if you have little kids. Get them to draw a dragonfly with crayons and then let them cover it with watercolors and see how excited they get when the dragonfly is revealed!



I also had a blast painting this Mommy and Baby Giraffe painting which seems to be very popular over at Redbubble where it is available as laptop skins, prints, cushions, mugs etc. I wanted to keep this very simple but vivid and bright by using acrylic inks on white paper. This painting would look great in a kids' room.

Linking up to Paint Party Friday and Brilliant Blog Posts!

Baby Fashion

It was great fun to be interviewed by Boom Boom Prints - a fabulous online marketplace that sells nursery décor and also kid's products like these bibs and onesies that now have my art on them. They have an amazing array of kids' art so if you are looking for a gift for a child or new mom check them out.

Anyway, Boom Boom Prints wanted to interview me about how my kids have influenced my art. I must say they are getting a little tired of me asking "What do you think of this?" (if you have kids do you ask their opinion of your art?) but their input has been invaluable! Check out the interview with moi here.

Other than that things have been busy. I got a commission to illustrate a children's book and that has been great fun! Here's a sneak peek of some cheeky moo cows with attitude:

Hope you had a great week!

Linking up to Paint Party Friday and Brilliant Blog Posts

Bunny Bonanza

What an exciting week!

I was doing some gardening and pulled up a big bunch of hay and all these tiny bunnies scattered around me. They had their eyes closed and were crawling around commando style. I didn't know what to do so I popped them back in their burrow and put the hay on top. I hope they are going to be okay. They are on the edge of our lawn. I see the mom around but apparently they only feed them once a day so I don't think she has abandoned them. Has anyone else had bunnies in their back yard? I think it is a myth that the mom rejects them if you have touched them. I hope it is anyway!

I finished my flying parrot this week. I used a technique where I blew the paint all over the paper and I think it came out pretty well.

I also applied to sell on Artfinder and was excited to be accepted so I've listed a few paintings. Nic McLean is also on it so check out her page too! Is anyone else on Artfinder? I would love to know so I can go like and follow your page.

Linking up to Paint Party Friday and Brilliant Blog Posts:

Parrot Power!

 

I painted a cute colorful African pygmy hedgehog as a happy birthday present for a kid I know. Isn't he adorable? I had some yupo paper with alcoholic inks painted on them from which I cut out the balloons. The rest is done in Acrylic inks and watercolor.

You can buy this image as greeting card, print, mug, pillow etc. here in my Redbubble store.

Later on I painted a parrot  (actually a Vinaceous-breasted Amazon) in alcohol inks which turned out very ethereal and abstract. The bird felt very free so I decided to leave him as he was and not put in any more detail.

I have recently become an instagram fanatic so please follow me at HERE. I am also running a loop giveaway on Instagram where you can win one of 10 fabulous prizes including one of my pet portraits. Go HERE to enter and good luck!

Linking up to Paint Party Friday so come join the fun!
parrots art for sale