Dare to Dream

We all have Dreams, some we think are too difficult to attempt

One of the dreams I have is to illustrate my own children’s story book.  I have made halfhearted attempts in following that dream, but am easily discouraged by others comments and a deep rooted belief that I am not good enough.

I learnt a lesson this week.  I can do it.  I was being held back by my belief that I could not do the illustration well enough for publishing.  You see I sent my treasured story and illustrations off to the publishers.  I got news back they liked the story but they did not want coloured pencil illustrations, they wanted watercolours and a freer style.  I put the whole thing on the shelf as a ‘too hard to do’ item.  A week ago I got an email from them asking if I was going to do the illustrations in watercolour and if not could they get someone else to do them.

  That moved me.  I was not going to let someone else illustrate my baby.  I brooded for a few days.  It was Tracey Fletcher Kings comment on my Icad cards, about the quirkiness of them that set off a light bulb moment.  My story was quirky, and I have been doing watercolour stuff for Icad. Der!!  But then the gnomes had a field day.  “Yeah, but you are no good blah blah…”  “Excuse me!”  A voice chimed in, “what about your floral watercolours, you are good at that!” Yes I am, I thought, then it hit me the florals don’t matter to me, the illustration is very important to me, it is from my heart, and fear of failure is holding me back.

To cut the story short I got out one my favourite children’s book Wedding Birds by Jutta Ash, and drooled.  “Hey! My inner voice said why don’t you copy one of the pictures and see if you can.”  Well, I can, and even on crappy paper that I couldn’t work the paint and that buckled like crazy.

So the moral of this story is if there is something you want to do TRY IT. DON’T LISTEN TO THE GNOMES IN YOUR HEAD!

(And thank you Tracey)

(PS remember from next week I will be having a give away postcard with every post for Sunday Sketches and Paint Party Friday in July to celebrate my 1st year of blogging.)

Linking to

 Show and Tell Saturday at Artists in Blogland

Manon's Paper Saturday

Alexandra’s Sunday Sketches

Thank You Sunday Sketches

My first sketch for SS last July

On July 30^th 2013 I first linked up to Sunday Sketches, it was my second link up ever (the first was Paint Party Friday the day before), I had only been blogging a week.  I have become so much more confident in my art since I have joined the blogging art community and I want to say thank you!  To show my gratitude to all of you for my first year of blogging, I am going to have a giveaway every week of July.  For Sunday Sketches I will give away 4 postcard size sketches every week.  You will have to log on to PPF next Friday to see what I am going to give away there! 

This afternoon, I did 4 sketches ready to stick on a postcard, I will be adding a quote and maybe a few tweaks here and there.  I will make the first giveaway on the 30^th June your time as it will already be 1^st July by mine. (I hope that makes sense?) 

At this stage I am not sure whether to have 4 people get one each or one person gets four or two get two!  Or even have a whole lot that the winners can choose from. What do you think!  

Have a happy SundaySketches everyone.

A Glorious Day

Today has been one that has been full of blessings.  Do you ever set off to do one thing and then the muse takes you on an amazing journey.  I was blessed with one of those today.

I set off to the car boot market nearby with my camera thinking to photograph some vegetables and fruit for Mandarin Orange Monday tomorrow.  Well what is normally half hour walk took nearly two hours.  Its finally autumn here, leaves on the trees are slowly turning to reds and yellows.  Nearly every house had trees that were resplendent in their autumn jerseys! I had to take photographs.  I even collected leaves from the pavement.  I was in a world of joy and wonder.

Getting home, I started on a pencil sketch that I had in mind for Sunday 

 Sketches, it turned into the watercolour above.  The lace is actually a free brush I downloaded from Obsidian Dawn.  It fits in with my theme on Lace for my exhibition.  So I am excited about all the possibilities there.  Then of course I could not help but fiddle with the painting in Painter then Photoshop. See below, as you can see I went a bit overboard on the new lace brushes!

 You would think that would be enough for one day wouldn’t you.

After lunch I uploaded the photos from this morning onto the computer and I edited some.  Here are a few.

 

 

 

Then I had to get out my little watercolour pad and paint a watercolour.

 

After all that I think I deserve a nice cup of tea or two sitting outside in the balmy autumn sun!

Have a wonderful week creating lovely art, blessings to you all.

Linking to Sunday Sketches