Jessie Lilac Blog

I've been making some crocheted bunting. It's great for using up bits and bobs of leftover wool that have lurked in the bottom of my bag for years! I've been wanting to try making crocheted triangles for ages and now that I'm between woolly projects I'd thought I'd give it a go...  and here it is ~yay! Meanwhile on my painting table there have been a few new pieces taking form.. I'm enjoying working with inks at the moment, they're so adaptable. You can use them diluted like a watercolour wash, or with a pen to make lines. I love how the FW inks are so opaque that the light colours sit really well on top of the dark ones as you can see here. This one I've called 'My Blue Cat'. Please click here to see it in my shop!  This next one is painted on wood panel. I've used collage papers as well as ink and the wood was so light in colour that I didn't even need to prime it before I started. Can you see my favourite i...

My latest new paintings have definitely been inspired by the lovely spring trees that are around at the moment. I've been having fun playing with inks on paper making beautiful textures. ♥ ♥ ♥ I love the colours but I wasn't happy with the composition. It somehow didn't seem right.... ....so I turned the painting upside down!  and drew a lady wearing a beautiful dress of branches. I call her ' Blossom in the Wind '.  She's searching for a new home so if you think you might be able to help her, please click here. 😊 I love how the little twinkles of light picks up the leaves of the trees and flowers. This new painting that I've recently finished twinkles in the light too! I've used gold paint on the bird and the fern leaves. It's a mixed media painting on cradled wood panel. The leaves are dimensional, giving the surface extra interest. I've called it ' Pink Flower in my Hair '. You can see ...

As you might already know from reading my recent posts, I love using pens to draw with. I've got quite a good selection now thanks to christmas and my birthday ;) but the ones I love the most are the ones that will sit on top of a darker colour. This 2 page sketchbook spread above was done with a layer of acrylic paint before I added the detail with my Posca pens. These pages above have a layer of collage paper and acrylic inks as a background. I used my Sakura Souffle pens for the lighter lines but then I remembered my trusty old Sharpies. I'd almost forgotten all about them in my new found love! They don't stay as bright as I'd like when you draw over a dark background but on the white areas of the paper the colour sings. The background of these were done with my FW inks. I wanted something quite bright and fluid and when you spray them with water, you can get lovely effects and blending. Another background you can use is Neocolor crayo...

I love all the new bright green foliage this time of year don't you? I couldn't resist taking this picture the other day. It had just stopped raining and the geraniums were such a lovely bright green. (I'm quite partial to that delicious lilac too!)  ;) I'm still going through a bit of a lull with working on finished paintings right now but I have been sketching in my sketchbook and to boost my motivation, I treated my self to some lovely emerald paints! I've had a craving for bright emerald for a while and I've tried to mix it from the colours I already have but none of them achieved the clear brightness that I'm looking for. It's silly that for a long time I felt guilty buying green paint instead of mixing it. (Thanks art lessons from way back!) Why did I hang on to this belief for so long?!  I love my new paints. :)

Thankyou so much for your amazing reponse to my last post! It's so lovely to share my passion for colour with others that understand what I'm gushing about! You'd have thought that after that I'd be all fired up and filled with inspiration, getting my paints out and splashing the colour around but instead of this I've found myself stuck. Advice from the past tells me to 'fill the well' and 'go on a creative date'. Is this familiar to anyone? Julia Cameron's book The Artists Way is one I've read so many times I think I know it off by heart. I love it and it's filled with advice about staying creative but I did 'fill the well' and it doesn't seem to have worked. I've been out on lots of walks in nature, visited an aMAZing exhibition that I wrote about in my last post but now that I'm back to the usual routine I'm finding that I don't know which way to turn. I've tried to paint but it doesn't come...

Since I  first heard the John Lennon song many years ago that has the line:  'Life is what happens to you when you're busy making  other plans'   those words have stayed with me.  It's good to plan but so important to remember that we're alive NOW! I got up this morning to a lovely sunny day, with thoughts about how it's important to live each day as it comes and to enjoy being alive. Some people say 'live each day as though it was your last'. That doesn't work for me, I'd end up obese and alcoholic within a month of living like that! ;) I then turned on the radio and the song by Junior 'Mama Used To Say' was playing, singing lyrics that seemed to repeat the thoughts in my head. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, the chorus goes: And mama used to say Take your time young man And mama used to say Don't you rush to get old And mama used to say Take it in your stride And mama used to say Live your ...

This week is the word is 'whiskers' and so I painted cats! Brown Cat This one above is the image I'm submitting to Illustration Friday. He has some fine whiskers doesn't he? I didn't know what colour to paint the dress so I decided to make it patterned and had a lot of fun making up this design. :) Tiger Lady Both these paintings are now listed in my Etsy shop . Please click on the individual titles to take you to their details in the shop.  I've used watercolour paint and acrylic inks. The blue background of the one on the left has metallic shiny blue paint, so lovely to use! Hmmm...I think I might be tempted to change my Avatar again. What do you think? ;) A few days ago I noticed that my Bloglist had disappeared from the side panel of my blog! I've put a new one up and I've tried to remember everyone but if I've forgotten or left you out please tell me. :)

'Show Your Soul',  watercolour and acrylic ink on paper. One of the most calming and powerful actions you can do to intervene in a stormy world is to stand up and show your soul. ( Clarissa Pinkola Estes ) It was a stormy morning when I painted this picture today. I tried to get a feeling of calm and centredness (is that a word?!) The colours are cool blues and greens and maybe more reminiscent of a summer's day than a November one but I felt drawn to using soothing greens on this blustery day. This painting is approximately 6 x 8ins, and will be available to buy in my Etsy shop. Please click here to see more details. You can't have my vases though! ;)

Rose Tree  Did you have a nice weekend? It was perfect weather here, bright wintery sun. Just how I like it. Not so many flowers around any more but  I can still create them on paper them can't I? St riped Pony I planted some bulbs a couple of weeks ago but I'm sad to say the squirrels got there when I wasn't looking and had a feast. I replanted the remnants with hope in my heart so only time will tell if they survive! Growing These 3 new ACEOs are now available in my Etsy shop . Please click on their titles to see the individual details. Don't forget about my giveaway! If you'd like to take part, click here and leave a comment on that post choosing which prize you would like. Thankyou!♥

Stripey Grey Cat Illustration Friday this week is the word 'Tree' and as trees are one of my favourite subjects I had a lot of fun making this painting! I made some more ACEOs with cats and here they are.. Love Cat Shy Cat Each of these are ACEO size,   2.5 x 3.5ins. (that's 64mm by 89mm) and are painted on strong watercolour paper ready to frame as a picture for your wall or for your ACEO collection.   You can click on each of the titles to take you to the details of the paintings. Have a lovely weekend! :)

Can you spot the owl? This is the scene of my youngest daughter's bedroom this morning. She having 5 friends over tonight for a sleepover. I am so brave. Meanwhile I've been having fun making new owl ACEOS. You've already seen the middle one but let me introduce you to the others. pretty owl Two owls I've just listed them in my Etsy shop and I've painted them on strong acid-free watercolour paper with acrylic inks. They're $10 each (approx. £6.43 each.) Click on each of the titles to take you to their details. Thankyou for looking! I hope there's an owl that you like and if cats are more your thing then you'll like my next batch. It's going to be more cats soon! :)