Today I’m going to give you a little laugh at my expense.
As you may be aware I’m not one for bothering with high fashion or make-up.
Most days you’ll find me in scruffy paint clothes, covered in dog hair, looking like I’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards. I’m ok with that.
Before
However, about twice a year I will make a bit of an effort. Usually timed with the lead up to a big event.
Well, I have lots of big events coming up so I thought I’d spruce myself up a bit. After all, I have my solo exhibition preview evening this Friday, then later this month I’m going on holiday and it will be my 10th wedding anniversary.
That’s a special occasion worth getting a hair cut for at least.
Since I can’t be bothered with make up, I decided to get my eye lashes tinted and curled which I’ve had done once before. This time I opted for the additional eyebrow tint and shape. I don’t really have much up there to speak of and I certainly didn’t want to look like I had electrical tape stuck on like my hubby and I joked about years ago when big eyebrows became the trend. (2016)
Anyway, long story short. I got it done and it is very tasteful, plus they match my hair which has been coloured to cover my grey roots. (another thing I’m not that fussed about but it’s holiday time!).
The issue is, I’m just I’m not quite used to it yet so I keep surprising myself every time I look in the mirror.
After
And the funniest part?
Because I had my lashes done (although you can barely tell) I have to take special care of them for the next couple of days.
I sleep on my front and my face gets pretty smooshed into the pillow as a result so here’s my solution to protect my lashes and it’s a belter!
This is how I slept last night. Enjoy!
Ready for lift off!
Meeting a fellow artist
Last weekend I took a trip down to Birnam, Dunkeld to meet a wonderful artist called Grigorios Karastamatis. Grigorios shows his stunning mixed-media, pen and ink artwork with my online gallery Aether to Easel.
I was going to meet him for the first time in person and collect some of his work to show at the Aberdeen Art Fair in September.
What an absolute joy it was to meet him, so lovely and interesting and to see his work in person was incredible.
I was privileged to view part of a new series he’s working on called Alchemy. Well, as you can imagine, that was right up my street. When I tell you these large pieces are breath-taking, it’s no exaggeration.
I whisked away several smaller pieces for the show and in fact had to stop myself from being too greedy, it was hard to choose.
Seeing pieces online is such a flat experience compared to the reality. The subtleties of line, the texture and the colours are really hard to convey in a photo.
I’m excited to be taking his work as well as other stunning pieces from the artists at Aether to Easel to the art fair and I hope the visitors enjoy them as much as I do.
Updates
I made this video yesterday morning and I did in fact finish all the stringing and labelling sometime in the evening and everything is now packed in boxes ready to transport and hang.
My next job is to finish 4 pieces for Art Aboyne over the next 2 weeks so I have a couple of days to varnish and frame them before the hand in day.
Here’s a glimpse of the progress on one of the pieces I’ve been working on. It started in these colours and using my phone editing app and a stylus, I sketched in what I could see in the paint.
Of course I saw a hare first but decided. NO MORE HARES!! (Just for now). Then I saw two little birds by turning the canvas around. Do you see how I’m working with the shapes that are there?
I decided I wasn’t super keen on the overall colours so I added more paint in my favourite colours.
First I saw a butterfly and then a two differently positioned hummingbirds. Watch the video to see how the other one was flying.
The finished piece will be at Art Aboyne later in July. See dates below.
The Big Hop Trail is Live!
Gosh, there’s so much going on at the moment, isn’t there?
I can finally reveal my Big Hop Trail Hare in aid of CLAN Cancer Support.
Here is ‘Spirit of This Vibrant Land’. I’m so delighted with it now it’s finished and I hope people will enjoy visiting it at Lochter Activity Centre.
If you go see it, have a good look around it to see if you can find where I’ve hidden a little hare within the hare.
Right, I think that’s all for now. Sorry it’s a long one. I hope you’ve enjoyed it. If you have, please feel free to share with others.
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Dates for your Diary
Art in the Waiting Room 23rd May – 10th July – Online exhibition of more traditional paintings in aid of Camphill Wellbeing
The Big Hop Trail 2nd July – 3rd September – Painted hare sculpture trail in aid of CLAN Cancer Support (My sculpture will be at Lochter Activity Centre)
Solo Exhibition in Elgin Library Gallery 8th July – 21st August – ‘Out of Chaos’ a collection of vibrant wildlife paintings.
Art Aboyne 21st July – 12th August – Glen Tanar Memorial Hall, Aboyne. Royal Deeside’s annual art exhibition featuring artists from across the North East.
Aberdeen Art Fair 1st – 3rd September with Aether to Easel – The Music Hall, Aberdeen.
North East Open Studios 9th – 16th September upstairs at Threaplands Garden Centre, Lhanbryde.
The Mind, Body, Spirit Festival 17th – 19th November at the Birmingham NEC with Aether to Easel
Love and gratitude as always
Alanda xx
Painting of the Week
Last year during North East Open Studios I ran a prize draw for an original Out of Chaos painting. It took me a while to do a few in the right size for the winning couple to choose from. This was their choice.
It’s called ‘Soul of Earth, Sea and Sky I’ and it’s one of the two designs that I submitted for The Big Hop Trail which has been since been reworked from the original template to create a stand alone painting.
To see the others you’ll have to get yourself along to Elgin Library from 8th-21st July!!
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