Lifebook wek 13 and 15

Here are my latest lifebook pieces. Week 13 with Annie Hamman was probably my favourite lesson so far. She talked a lot about working intuitively and letting the piece evolve, such as letting words or collage elements from the under layers to be seen and add to the story of the work. The techniques of blending the charcoal drawing with a wet brush, and activating watersoluble crayons with watered down acrylic meant that it fell somewhere between painting and drawing. For the longest time I've been wishing for a way for a way for painting to be more like drawing for me - more fluid I guess. Well this lesson turned on a little light bulb in my brain!!! It's definitely one I'll come back to.

Week 15 with Jodi Ohl was a lesson about using lettering. I went off on my own tangent with a piece about looking after my back when I'm gardening - it has a bit of lettering, but not much.

I've just finished a second attempt at the class, following it a bit more closely. It feels a bit like a graffiti wall! It's a long way outside my comfort zone, and as a piece of art I prefer my first version, but I'm glad to have a go at something new.

I'm a few weeks behind on lifebook, but that's ok. When I signed up I thought if I get value out of half a dozen classes I'll be happy. Well, I've already done more than that, and we're only a third of the way through. Next month (next week!!!) I'll be going on holiday to England to see my mum, so I won't have time for Lifebook for a few weeks, that's ok, I can jump back in when I get back.

I'd like to send you over to my friend Nat's blog, she's in the same group exhibition as me and has written a couple of excellent posts about some of her gorgeous work that's on show.

Gypsies vagabonds and wild mad women

I have work in a group show that opens on Thursday 5.30 at Tactile Arts - Gypsies vagabonds and wild mad women!!

One of the pieces I'm showing is a handmade concertina book of dancing girls. I think I blogged about this a couple of months ago, and it did take weeks and weeks to come together. I'm so pleased I got it finished in time! Here are a few photos.

The girls are painted in acrylics with collaged paper dresses a bit like paper dolls, the front cover is a lino cut. On the reverse are silhouettes of the girls cut from scrapbooking papers.

April has been a bit of a disaster health wise. At the start of the month I strained my back pulling out weeds in the garden, and had to spend a couple of days in bed. Every time I start to get better I tweak it again, so over a week later I'm back in bed again. I think I have to admit defeat and really rest properly....