Earlier this year while wandering the beaches nearby, I came across an unusually large number of Mermaids Purses in various colours and shapes, some I had never seen before. These curious flotsam that wash up on the tide are the egg cases of sharks, ray, dogfish and other similar sea beings and yet they conjure up something more mystical, magical and altogether more charming. Continue reading Mermaids Purse
house. I will miss the view of the sea, the freedom of rural living and the fresh produce from the land. Moving to the village will be a sea of change and make life easier on many levels. The sea is still only a short bike ride away and the native woods close by, nature is so important for me to refocus and reground. Continue reading Pumpkins galore
Oils always were a medium I stayed well away from as they were the scary fellas. But in recent times my curiosity has been pushing me and this week I dived right in. What better way! Now, remember, this is my first time using oils and images are not as vibrant as the real artwork. Continue reading Oil painting…a tentative start
Following my research and experiments into the realm of paper clay, I came across an amazing website with recipes. I was invited to write a guest post with my findings which went online yesterday. So here is the link. It talks about the differences of using ready-made joint filler versus dry powdered, with images of some test pieces. I wanted to learn how to make this type of clay for my latest project idea which combines different sculptural and textured mediums. I used the paper clay to make small hand formed shapes and in a silicone mould to make shells. They are lovely and light, so they won’t add too much weight to the pieces. They dried in a day too as they are nice and thin. The clay recipe does state that it should be applied in thin layers as too much may not dry in the middle and eventually rot. Therefore it is ideal for small features and very small moulds. Next stage is trying out the inks. Continue reading Paper clay tests
With all this stay at home time I have, I find myself looking for new ways of doing and being. Social media seems to have taken a major backseat and I am researching new mediums and materials to take my artwork and creative projects into 2021. Years ago I started my Elemental Colours range of trifold cards and wall hangings which became collectable and treasured. Back then I used to take a stand in the craft fairs in Ireland and had an agent to sell my cards. They were made from coloured tissue papers, handmade papers, Moroccan sabra threads, gilt threads and found objects like tiny tiny shells. They depicted the five elements of Earth, Fire, Water, Metal and Air… Continue reading Elemental Colours
Having rebuilt my artist website at the end of 2020, I decided it was time to start a blog to give readers an insight into the inner workings of my creative pieces. I am not a journal writer but do scribble notes and ideas, keep sketch books and concept boards, so blogging works for me. My website is more of a portfolio and links to purchase items in my Etsy shop, so this will be much more informal and informative about materials and mediums I use and research as well as hows and whys to reach my finished artworks and products. Hopefully there will plenty of useful titbits for readers. Continue reading Welcome
Karima Rebecca Powell Artist 