Custom Paintings coming soon

3 posts in 1 day, my goodness!!

As a scrapbooker I love using photographs in my work, whether it be a page for my scrapbook or a little canvas with Izzys photo on it that's been altered and scrapped upon, I love to use photos. I love to create 'photo cards' for family members too, they're so much fun. I use photos a lot in my work and very soon I'll be offering to create family portraits to my customers on Etsy, by using the same process as I would when creating my own family portraits.

I also collect beautiful vintage photos & emphera, I've been drawn to anything old and tatty for a very long time, even when I was a kid I'd find beauty in old bits of metal and junk I'd see on the street whilst playing out with friends. I can remember picking up a really interesting piece one day... I placed it in my pocket, thrilled to have found another piece of 'treasure' to add to my collection, and later, as I put my hand in my pocket to take it out I felt a terrible sting in my finger...then the blood came,.. i had picked up an old razor blade, ouch. I was very young at the time and had no idea what a razor blade was, I just thought I had found 'treasure'!

I now stick to mainly 'paper treasure', less danger of severe blood loss that way lol.

I don't think either of the paintings above are finished, although I'm not sure what I will add to them yet. The 2nd picture of the two features me, and I'll be using this painting as a sample of my Custom Paintings at the fairs and on Etsy.

I have more samples to complete, to show variations in colours and styles.

More on that later.

Thanks for stopping by

xx jo xx

work in progress

I was half way through collaging the background of this HUGE canvas when I realised it was time to go and pick Izzy up from nursery. When we got back home Izzy was delighted to see my delicious scrapbook papers sprawled out all over the couch in the living room and she almost screetched with joy when I asked her if she wanted to help me finish it!! I'm quite precious with my supplies as they don't come cheap, and Izzy was thrilled to actually get her hands on 'Mummys expensive art things'. I let Izzy pick which paper she wanted and where it was to be placed and together we got stuck into the pot of mod podge.

I'm thrilled with Izzys paper choices, I think the whole thing looks like an antique quilt.

As you can see from the picture, I plan on adding two subjects to this canvas. I thought it would be quite fitting to have a 'mother and daughter' image here.

I have brown curly hair and Izzy has blonde curly hair, so I will try to incorporate a little bit of 'us' into the final painting. I plan on taking this piece to the fairs too, that's if I get it finished.

More photos of my work in progress will follow shortly. You will see a dramatic change no doubt, as most of the background papers will be painted over, and you will just see sneaky peeks of the patterns underneath...we will see what becomes of it...I know just as much as you at this point, I never know what the finished piece will look like, and that's part of the fun of it.

Come back soon xxxx

collage ladies

I've tried something different lately, different techniques, ...different for me anyway. I bought a fabulous book recently called 'taking flight' by Kelly Rae Roberts (I love her work). Kellys book is full of 'inspiration & techniques' and it gave me a push to try something a little different. I have 'hundreds & hundreds' of pieces scrapbook paper, ALL totally gorgeous, and I'm finally able to put them to good use. I'm usually 'terrified' to cut into a brand new 12 x 12, I never want to use it as I'd 'spoil' it but you know what?.. I just went for it and it felt great, lol. I have plenty of scraps of paper too as I never throw 'anything' away, nothing is wasted, so my supplies for my latest projects are never ending, I could collage every day for a year and I'd still be left with tons of my beautiful scrapbook papers, ah what joy xxx

I'm holding a stall at a couple of school fairs in the coming weeks and I plan on taking these paintings with me, and whatever does'nt sell, I will add to my Etsy shop.

The little fingers that you see holding the paintings belong to my sweet little girl Isobella. We have started a collage together which will become my 'work in progress' for my next blog entry.

New Paintings

I've been working on some new paintings to offer as prints in my Etsy shop. I plan on keeping some of my originals for Izzy for when she's older, she's 4 now.

She loves, loves, loves arts and crafts, she's so gorgeous, and I'd love for her to continue with her wonderful creations as she grows up. I really must show you what she has created recently (that's another post all on it's own) :o)

My prints are on gorgeous glossy Epson photo paper, and the images are so rich and vibrant, and some even look better than the original lol xxx

Art Prints now available

I am sooooo thrilled to finally be able to offer my artworks as prints. I've been researching printers for months and I was blown away by how many there are available, this made the choice of buying one very difficult..there were too many to choose from!

I finally decided on a Epson Photo printer which prints off beautiful quality images which will last for generations. The inks and paper work together wonderfully. The prints are bright and vivid, and just what I wanted.

Prints available to buy now in my Etsy shop. http://artbyjojo.etsy.com

Marzipan Fruits

Here is my latest selection of hand made marzipan fruits (petite fours). I've been making these little gems for about 5 years, mainly at Christmas time.

I have a customer who now orders 2 boxes from me each month so I thought that I would share a small selection of them with you... in cyber space at least lol.

When it comes to packing them it almost always ends up being something like... "one for you... two for me... one for you... two for me... "

They are way to tasty to have around the house when you're on a diet, that's for sure!!

My art has been featured

I just woke up to a lovely email from Emily at luvhandmade.com

My work has been featured on their wonderful website, you can find it here http://http://www.luvhandmade.com/Discoveries.html

It's a lovely morning here, cool and crisp and ever so bright and sunny.
It's a 'house work' day today, then again, aren't we always doing house work?? seems that way some times lol x

My Etsy Shop

My most recent art project was to create 25 paintings on the pages of a vintage book that I bought from a charity shop.

I managed to complete 23 of them and have just added 12 of them to my Etsy shop http://www.artbyjojo.etsy.com/ I'm far too tired to add the others tonight, my bed is calling me. The subjects that I painted range from tea cups and tea pots which are a firm favourite with me when it comes to painting, and also, I painted some girls and birds...Wedding Cakes...Owls....

My favourite of all of them is the girl you see here with the red hair.

Well, it's way past my bed time zzzzzZZZZZZZZZ night night xxx

First Post on my First Ever Blog...YIKES

So, I have finally set up my very first blog, a place to hang out and chat with fellow artists and art lovers, yay!

Here I will inform you about any new paintings and other projects that I might be in the middle of.

I hope you have fun here, stop by and say hello won't you?