This was an experiment. I was feeling relatively blocked and unmotivated when, in ceramics class, one of my tutors -- knowing me quite well by now (have I mentioned the amazing tutors we have at my course at Banbury College yet?) -- brandished a paintbrush and a set of watercolour underglaze for ceramics. Seriously? Wow, why hadn't anyone shown me these before? So I played around with them on a tile I'd made of paper clay. I'm not all that happy with the end result but loved the process and am planning on making and painting more, with relish.
I shall have to consider adding some of these to my own private stash of paints. Meanwhile have a fantastic week. Cheers.
Ravens are so smart, they even know how to use tools.
But you knew that, right?
Just a quick illustration before heading off to work.
Acrylic paint and colored pencil on patterned paper.
Hi everyone!! I miss you all!
xoxo
Lo♥
Somehow I've managed to whip up two new small paintings for Grasmere. This snowy lamb ...
And this Baroque-era raven.
There's shiny coppery bits on the rave's background which is hard to make out.
It felt good to paint again!
And now....drum roll please...
The winner of the cute bears is
Congrats my friend! I know your grandkids will give them lots of love♥
How funny that you entered just in the nick of time :)
Well what do you think is in this big box that came from Robin?
The lilac tissue is SO her :)
WOW!!! Look at the size of this guy! He's tired after flying all the way from San Francisco.
Well, he sort of flew :)
Emma took off like a shot and hid under the pillow!
It could be that she remembers the story about her daddy (Brian) getting attacked by ravens in Bodega Bay at the same place where "The Birds" was filmed. See the schoolhouse? She just KNOWS Alfred Hitchcock sent this damn bird!<
The word over at Illustration Friday this week is stay. I had a few ideas that I tried but they weren't working for me. I have felt blocked lately, like many of my other creative friends. And then it dawned on me. I haven't been painting my beloved ravens for a long time. It's as if I had abandoned them without even noticing until painting wasn't making me happy any more.
I hope for my sake they're back to stay.
So here is today's alla prima painting, Raven Totem.
acrylic paint on canvas, 4" x 12'x 1 1/2" deep. Soon to be available on Etsy or perhaps YART
~His beating wings were just a blur on this chilly, windswept day~
For Illustration Friday: swept
acrylic paint, colored pencil and rubber stamp on bristol board.
I'm trying to branch out and play with new mediums and materials.
This was my first time using paper clay. I sat in the studio last night and decided to try to make a baby raven. I didn't look at anything while shaping this guy. I just went from the images in my head from drawing and painting so many of them.
I wanted him to look inquisitive.
Hello there cutie!
Another tip of the head.
I know he doesn't look ravenesque yet...but wait until he dries and I sand him into shape, and paint him in all his glorious irridescent blues and purples.
His eyes are black Swarovski crystals.
20 Comments on Naked Baby Raven, last added: 1/18/2011
"The Imposter"
C'mon, did you really expect the raven Queen to paint a chicken?
The Sketchbook Project deadline has been extended a few days which gave me time to whip this up. Have a great weekend everyone!
Oh those trickster ravens ;)
acrylic paint and colored pencil on patterned paper for Illustration Friday
I've been a bit quiet on the blogs lately because I'm trying to instill some self-discipline towards working. Today I painted this journal for Etsy.
I scooped up a couple of these at Michael's Craft Store knowing right away what I would add. I think any one of you could have guessed!
Yes indeed, my raven friend! I painted him with an acrylic paint base and then detailed him with colored pencils.
And then I added this to the back. So true, don't you think?
xo♥
Two more commissions to share with you this week.
As you know, any time I get a request to do a raven I'm in heaven!
Anne over at El Milagro Studio asked me to paint a raven with Southern Oak leaves and acorns. She asked that he be holding an acorn stem in his mouth with two acorns from the same stem. She had seen a similar painting of mine I had done years ago, but it was the Oak leaves I was accustomed to. Ah, time for research! Thank goodness for Google images!
When she received it she called me right away and told me it was almost exactly as she had pictured it in her head! That's a huge compliment :)
And it was extra nice to put a voice with her face.
Thank you Anne, he looks beautiful in his new home!
And I love his name;)
And this is Max. The only references I had for his portrait were very old, faded photos and the grieving owner's recollection. "Make sure his eyes are black. They didn't have any color." I knew what he meant even though I added dark, walnut brown.
"And he was pure white, not off white or any other color."
I disagreed and knew I was going to only use pure white for the highlights but I didn't tell him that. He's a crusty guy and he is firm in his convictions. He's actually our car mechanic across the street!
Well, I called him over to the studio last night and asked him to have a look before I call it finished. He stood there and wiped a tear from his eye.
20 Comments on Animal Wednesday: St. Peter & the poodle, last added: 9/22/2010
~He flew through the air with the greatest of ease~
I'm always thrilled when I find scrumptious scrapbooking paper to paint on like this wonderful piece from K&Company.
All I did was add my harlequin friend, the flying wonder.
Enjoy the weekend my friends!
xoxo
Lolo♥
acrylic paint and prismacolor pencil on sturdy patterned paper
By:
Laurel Gaylord,
on 7/18/2010
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Ravens often visited me.
Sometimes they'd show up for breakfast.
Other times, they'd show up in my dreams.
acrylic and colored pencils on bristol board
An encore in my Moleskine that seems to fit this week's word: Fearless.
Mixed media: acrylic paint, Prismacolor pencils, words from a magazine, butterfly sticker and a raven drawn with a ballpoint pen.
Happy weekend!!
Spring
gives me wings.
I'm soaring!
For more six words, click here please!
(The stamps in the piece are from Caroline in Malaysia, my cousin in New Brunswick, Canada, and Jossie in London!)
There's a flock of ravens in the Northeast that are referred to as the "Kimono Corvids."
Their taste for fine silks has been passed down through many generations.
No one knows who their seamstress is. We all know ravens know how to use tools, but needle and thread?
The mystery remains.
My chosen definition for Propagate is: To transmit (characteristics) from one generation to another.
Acrylic paint and colored pencil on patterned paper
Many of you know that there are nine of us ladies from around the world making art journals in a group started by Soulbrush. We call ourselves the Artysoulsisters! We pass the journals along so each one of us does a page in each book, some with themes and some without but all are fun and challenging. Caroline's theme is about colors and textures but somehow a raven snuck into mine. Go figure! He looks very content, don't you think? Well, there's a good reason for that. 
This is what Raven found in his search across the globe.What can it be?
And so it is. May we all continue on our journies with passion and purpose.
Please click here to see the other journal entries. They're so much fun! Happy Animal Wednesday everyone!
There were a few goodies waiting for me when I arrived in Rhode island. It helped ease the transition of closing one door and opening another.
Dear, sweet Marianne did this small canvas of the sun, moon and sparkling stars. The outer edge of the mandala has seagulls in the sky.I hung it up right away where I get to admire it several times a day. 
She also sent my "H" atc for hibiscus, which I love...
...and she surprised me with this cactus rose. Such a soft, beautiful painting.
Then she wrote a "Welcome Home" note of this Frida Kahlo card.
She really knows my heart.
Thank you, dear friend!
This card winged its way to me from a friend I left behind. She and I both love ravens/crows. All of the black writing is hers, playing off that game of "telephone" we've all played as a kid. The inside of the card says "We're not ready to accept your departure." I smiled for days at her humor!
(Click to read it. Pavels is a local bakery in Pacific Grove.)
The next piece of mail to put a smile on my face was Mr. Grouper, my "G" atc from none other that Mim. I just adore her drawings!
She wrote a sweet note on the dragonfly card by Lynn. Thank you Mim!
Speaking of Lynn, she sent my "I" atc card with none other that that hoochy-coochy Inspiring Ismerelda! She's one of my favorites! I'll bring her out every time I need to channel my diva ;)
She mailed her in another one of her beautiful cards. Thanks so much Lynn!!
Inside this wonderful card from Lisa B was my....
..."J" is for Jackdaw atc. The Jackdaw is the crow of the old world. I love him!
But wait....
She also sent this long box. I hope you can read the writing if you enlarge it.
Inside it was this....
...AMAZING hand painted crow's feather depicting the great plains where Ibis and (my totem) the crow are often found. WOW! Thanks so much Lisa!
You're so very thoughtful ;)
And yesterday I went to the post office and found this wonderful card that says it all from KJ! And the bonus of my first week here so far has been meeting KJ face to face. Yay!! It was easy-peasy, like having my sister stop by. Now our friendship has taken on a new dimension and has gone beyond virtualness.Is that a word? Anyway, it felt good to finally connect. I'd love to meet all of you one fine day.
I hope I haven't forgotten anyone.
Whew, what a first week!! One to be thankful for, for sure.
Today is the last day to post anything I want to say other than commenting on other blogs.
This has been an interesting 'packing up and tossing away' of memories.
The sheer physical work of a move this size is enormous, but the emotional weight that bears down on you is immeasurable. Even if you're the one that initiates the move, it still has significant impact.
As I was going through papers I came across this quote that I had on my bulletin board in my first studio. It's powerful to me.
"If you wait for a better time to create, better than this very moment, if you wait until you feel settled, divinely inspired, perfectly centered, unburdened of your usual worries, or free of your own skin, then forget about it.
You will still be waiting for tomorrow, and the next day, wondering why you never managed to begin, wondering how you did such an excellent job of disappointing yourself."
I hope I heed these words and get those paintbrushes out of the box as soon as I land on the other side. If not then...when?
Thanks for coming on this ride with me. It will be interesting (as some of you have said) to see what the move brings out in my art.
Please stay tuned!
"Channeling her inner Diva."
I don't have an inner Diva. I don't think I ever have. I don't feel the need to try and upstage anyone. Just the thought of that drama is too exhausting!
The world is a stage as they say, and we are all actors in a grand play until our final curtain call.
acrylic paint, colored pencils (prismacolor), patterned paper, and a sticker for the sparkly crown!
I wasn't really sure where I was going to go with this week's word, I just knew I liked it as soon as I heard it!
To me, ravens and cats have magical, mystical powers. I thought I'd convey it as an image of a cheetah wearing a raven talisman.
I rushed it a little because of my busy schedule these days.
I hope it still holds a little magic for the viewer!
(acrylic paint and Prismacolor pencils on patterned card stock)
Nicole is in love with Zin, the leader of her break dancing group. Everyone can see that he has feelings for her as well, but he refuses to act on them. While working with Zin at a nightclub (where her boss nicknames her Raven), Nic
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Most of you know I love ravens and I end up using them in so much of my art. I don't know how to make a photo montage so I had to crop and scan each one, and then scan the printed one which is why the quality of this is quite poor. This is a scan of a scan...sheesh.
All of these ravens have appeared here with their stories. To see what they had to say, find them in my archives!
I hope to have time to paint something else for this week, but for now here you go! Ravens galore!
Hello my Animal Wednesday pals! I did something in the ol' Moleskine this week, so please take a look here. HAW!!
Such an appropriate word for me this week because this entry makes my 100th post!
This blog has served me well in multiple ways this past year. I've found an art community I'm comfortable in and I've made multiple friends. I've shared multiple images and stories. I've used some subjects many times ( Ravens, for example) and I've been given multiple awards by some pretty special blogging friends. The joy in my life has multiplied by being a part of this experience.
Today I've chosen to post "The Spirit Of Raven" because of the multiple times his image appears in the sketch. Also, for those of you who recall my dream series, this represents after the pears were harvested, yet Raven's presence is still known.
Thanks for being with me for the first one hundred posts! I'm looking forward to many, many more.
acrylic and Prismacolor pencils on bristol paper
for Illustration Friday's prompt: multiple
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Mr Raven is very smart. So is your illustration. I love it. Miss you too.
Just like Batman, he has his Utility Belt on, ready for anything!
Love it Lo! And glad you had time to make a little art~~makes the soul feel good, eh?
Thanks for the package with my own Raven-in-Chucks, and of course the duct tape! ;-D
XXOO~~
Anne
Hahaha he even has his own tool belt!
How cool is that!
Glad you had time to create this fun piece!
Miss you too dear :)
♥M
Oh, can he come up here? I have some repair jobs for him.
Oh, he is a confident Raven, too! You can see it in his eye - very clever. The pattern really sets off your bird and the shadow is a nice touch.
CAW!!!! He is wonderful, O "Raven Queen"! I love Suki's comment!
Lovely to see you creating!!!
♥ LS ♥
What a capable-looking bird is Mr.Raven!
This is hilarious, and so true! Raven strikes again!
Hahaha! He/she is adorable! I'm with Suki - I have a whole lot of work here. :) xo
So happy to see you here!!!!
Lovely drawing! quick one? Wow!
It's Super-Raven! He's wonderful. Could you please ask him to fly over sometime soon & have a look at our shower fixture?
He's prepared for everything! Lovely to 'see' you again! x
Hi Lo, hi Mr Raven, so good to see you both .
Haha, nice one! Even the look on his face shows he means business. Love the tool belt. Cute!
Ha! That's adorable. I'm sure if a raven could add on a tool belt, he would!
So cute and funny:)
Smart raven!
Lovely illo.
I love having them around here. We miss you too!!!