Dark and moody teal vase composition (or not)

Last night as I was trying to get myself and Alexander to sleep, I got a picture in my head for an acrylic painting.  Actually, it was more a 'colour composition'. I bought my mum this teal vase for her birthday last week and I really love this teal colour lately.  The vision was of it in amongst one of those old fashioned style still life paintings with a dark and moody background and a voluptuous soft pink peony spilling from it.  Whether I'll ever actually paint it is another matter. Alexander and I have a long way to go I think before I'll be able to get the acrylics out and paint a picture without Alexander deciding he wants 'pick up' and me abandoning the acrylics to dry up on the palette and the tubes with their lids off for a week.  But this 'composition that never was' situation has been happening quite often lately so, as it was still in my head this morning and Alexander was having an extended snooze, I got my sketchbook and tried to bring the idea into the world just in case...

But as Alexander kept sleeping, and as I actually had some Promarkers in the right colours, the quick composition sketch became quite involved! Had I set out to make a proper job of this I would of course have dealt properly with the stem in the water which I have completely forgotten to 'refract'. This is the problem with me...I don't learn...it wasn't all that long ago I spent ages drawing that purple straw in the glass of fizzy water where the straw was all zig-zaggy from the refraction. But I find when I draw out of my head rather than observationally, all I know to be true just disappears. I could draw a thousand relatively cat-like cats from real life but then draw one from my imagination and it look like a ball with sticks hanging out!

Equipment: Berol Italic pen (I stole the idea to use a pen like this from the fabulous Jodi Wiley (thank you for the inspiration, Jodi), A5 Hahnemuhle sketchbook, Promarkers.

IF Tail

Pretty quickly done Illustration Friday entry for this weeks prompt 'Tail'. Made quite a mess of drawing the seat!

Mr Dangly Legpeg Lion aka IF 'Energy'

Alexander absolutely loves this little lion. It is a finger puppet I bought at Longleat Safari Park when we went there when he was only a few weeks old.  I think what he must like about it is that its legs are made of string and that they are dangly because his favourite game is when I (or Grandma) hold the lion above his face while he is on his back and either jump the lion up and down or just generally shake it frantically! He gets so excited and flaps his arms and legs like he's doing snow angels. And if I shake the lion next to Alexander's ears, it makes him really giggle as he apparently has pretty ticklish ears. The other morning we were playing with the lion and I put on 'Iron, Lion Zion' and Alexander just got so excited he flapped like he was going to take off.  This lion-induced excitement really made me want to draw a lion... and then guess what happened...???...the thing I always dread...my drink leaked in my bag and soaked my Moleskine!!! Fortunately it was only fizzy water but it was very wet and very buckled so I hung it on the radiator and then squashed it under a copper-bottomed saucepan. It was finally passable for being back in action today and seeing that the IF theme for this week is 'Energy' I scribbled down a sketch of Mr Dangly Legpeg Lion. Here he is...

Equipment: Pencil 2B and Moleskine

Button Tree Christening Present

Okay so I just spent ages typing out a post about this on my phone and it hasn't saved! So, suffice to say, it's a button Tree, I made it for Alexander for his christening!

Baby Update

Thought it was about time I posted an update on Alexander aka my inspiration. So here he is. Snug in his new hat ready for winter...

Amanda & Son - Making thank you cards

Alexander and I have been making thank you cards to give to people who bought him christening presents but who don't have Facebook/email. I guess I should do a card for everyone but this card making process is a bit slow going so that's just not going to happen!

I put a silver marker in Alexander's hand and let him wave it about until we had made some marks on some Bristol board. Then I do the writing and stick on a few buttons. And voila! Amanda & Son Design is born!

Drawing with a wriggly baby on me

I need to get something to wear for Alexander's christening the weekend after next and I had some crazy idea that we would be able to nip into town in the morning, buy a dress and be home by 2pm at the latest as Alexander likes a bit of singing in the afternoon. So here we were in the Caffe Nero in House of Fraser at around midday having bought nothing, me flashing at the people at the next table while Alexander who had assured me he was hungry and needed a pit stop lay on me trying to decide whether 'boobies' or the canvas prints of coffee on the walls were what he wanted to turn his attention to. I thought I'd immortalise my overpriced can of drink while I waited for him. So here is my stuff on the table drawn with my Moleskine on my knee and a very flappy Alexander across me. I have to thank him for his input to the design. I think the wobbly lines look nice.