Creative Days by Neko Carnival

I'm back!

2011-09-20T09:39:00.000-07:00

Goodness me, it's been a very long time since I posted anything here. I'll be honest, I didn't see much good in posting anything here for a long time, but that was probably because I wasn't enjoying my artistic process for a long time either. This year I embarked on The Artist's Way with a group of people on Facebook and it's really been an amazing experience. I feel like I've found my voice, my expression again, and I am more comfortable expressing myself, not only through art but in other ways as well, than I've been for years. I feel like a new person, and to celebrate that, I thought I'd share some of my latest work with you.

"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." - Pablo Picasso

Domesticity

2010-08-19T11:05:00.000-07:00

Today I decided to draw from life rather than from photos..

Geranium, basil and mint - I love my geranium plant, he seems to be the only plant that thrives with me!

Shirow on his mattress - I have to draw him quickly as he hates being drawn or photographed and always changes positions.

Kitchen still life with garlic - Why are bottles so hard to draw??

Some more birds..

2010-08-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

African Hoopoe

Bee-Eaters

Under the Weather

2010-08-05T13:07:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went wine tasting to Hidden Valley in Stellenbosch. It was great, some nice red wines, but the service wasn't so good. However it is a beautiful farm - stunning mountains and scenery. Afterwards we went for a drink to Buena Vista, also in Stellenbosch. Unfortunately I must have caught a chill from the cold wind that was blowing, and have been feeling very sorry for myself all week! I've been off work for 3 days as I was sick with some kind of head cold or flu. Finally started feeling normal again today, although not 100% just yet.

Here are some drawings done to while away the time..

Kestrel

Robin

Horned Owl

Monday is Women's Day so it's a long weekend! Yeah! :)

It's been a while...

2010-07-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

Eeek! So much for a drawing a day, it's been over a month since I uploaded anything here. A lot has happened in the meantime, shiatsu classes have started again (Yippee!) and our class has dwindled from 5 students to 2 (Ouch!). However it's great to be doing shiatsu again and I can't wait to be fully qualified.

I have been experimenting in the kitchen and last night made quinoa for the first time which was delicious.

Anyway, here's a quick sketch of a bobcat. After a long day at work it's amazing how a bit of creativity makes me feel more grounded and relaxed!

North American Bobcat

Painting again :)

2010-06-20T13:33:00.000-07:00

Some more paintings..

Rainbow Bee Eaters

African Hoopoe

African Lions

2010-06-13T13:39:00.000-07:00

Well soccer fever has hit South Africa - Vuvuzelas everywhere! I am starting to feel slightly patriotic in spite of myself. We watched the opening ceremony on TV on Friday at work. The excitement was absolutely infectious! Even though I am not a sports fan, it is wonderful to see South Africans so proud of their country and supporting their team.

African Lions

Male Lion

Heat wave

2010-06-02T09:56:00.000-07:00

Well it's 26 degrees today in Cape Town, which on the 2nd of June in the middle of winter is a first! Quite amazing. Very quiet and still, without a breath of wind. There is a bit of a haze in the air though - I really miss the wind when it doesn't blow here.

Cheetah siblings

Sunny Sunday

2010-05-30T08:48:00.000-07:00

I love relaxing weekends! I've spent the whole weekend wrapped in my sleeping bag - it's been quite cold - watching Star Wars marathons and nature documentaries, re-reading Wind in the Willows and drawing. Fantastic!

Hungry Red Panda

Common Marmoset

Pygmy Marmoset

Baby Pygmy Marmoset

(looks like a baby Ewok lol.)

Full moon

2010-05-27T11:50:00.000-07:00

Well tonight is cold, wet, rainy and windy. It is definitely the coldest night we've had this winter! *Brrrr!* It is also apparently a full moon, although it's far too cloudy to see anything, so here are some nocturnal animals.

Owl

Young Wolves

Painting!

2010-05-23T09:25:00.000-07:00

Today I finally opened the acrylics that Grant gave me for my birthday. As I have been sketching in purely black and white since February, it took me a little while to get back into painting with colour, but once I got my eye in it was awesome! The paints are fantastic. At first I tried to rationalise how to put the brush on the page, but then I just thought to hell with it and went with what felt natural. My painting technique hasn't really changed much since school. I notice that I still approach the subject in much the same way, but I've decided that I'm fine with that. The moment I think/over-control the brush, the less the painting comes out the way I want it to. The acrylics were a great way to get back into painting, as they were what I had used and loved at school.

After a while I felt it all flow, and I was purely in the zone. After being in that wonderful creative space I feel fantastic, as if I have touched a part of myself or gone somewhere that has refreshed my soul.

A special thanks to Grant for my wonderful birthday present!! :D Arigato, lil bro!

Caracal

Kestrel

Winter lynx

2010-05-18T10:42:00.000-07:00

After a lovely sleepy weekend, during which I devoured two of the books I received on my birthday, it's back to the grindstone. I can't believe it's only Tuesday...

Last night I used some of our herbs (rosemary and thyme) to make a chicken pie. I'm afraid I may be "pruning" them too much in my impatience to use them in the food.. They tasted absolutely delicious! I can't believe the difference fresh home grown herbs make. Leftovers tonight, yum yum!

Winter lynx

Relaxing weekend

2010-05-16T03:21:00.000-07:00

The best way to enjoy the cold is with a hot cup of tea and a warm cat.

Kitty in the window

Thai Yoga weekend

2010-05-11T10:48:00.000-07:00

Winter has definitely arrived! The weather has been terribly cold, although the sky has been wonderfully dramatic and stormy!

Northern Saw-whet Owl

This weekend I attended a 3 day workshop on Thai Yoga Massage at the School of Authentic Thai Massage in Muizenberg. Thai Yoga Massage has been called yoga for lazy people. It is based on Ayurvedic medicine and is a very old system, more than 2800 years old. The work was quite intense and a lot to take in: We started each morning with yoga, then had breakfast, then class, then lunch, followed by more class and finished at 4pm. We learnt a full body routine, with many beautiful yoga-like stretches which I'm looking forward to adding to my Shiatsu routine.

There was very little theory, but this made the whole experience more intuitive and experiential.

Now I have 30 case studies and an assessment to do before I am qualified in the first module. All in all it was an absolutely fantastic weekend! I learnt a lot, and I really recommend the course. You can learn more about it here: http://thaiyogamassage.yolasite.com/

Flowering Sage

2010-05-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

Wow it's been a while since I last posted anything! Life has been incredibly busy between work, freelance and studying and I haven't been getting in my usual bit of drawing therapy ;) Anyway, tonight I finally sat down and did some drawing.

Animal masks on my birthday!

Some herbs from our little herb garden.

I've brought them inside as the wind was bruising them.

Herb Garden

2010-04-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went on an excursion to buy herbs. A's mother took us to some lovely nurseries outside town. It was quite educational, seeing as I know next to nothing about plants! We bought basil, rocket, origanum, mint, lavender and rosemary and planted them in pots on the balcony. We also bought a geranium and repotted our old peace lily. It was immensely satisfying playing with mud and earth and the plants smell fantastic! I can't wait to use them in the food! :)

Goldfinch

Lazy weekend pics

2010-04-12T09:42:00.000-07:00

Goldfinch and plum blossoms

Shirow on his raja cushion

Rainy Friday

2010-04-09T08:13:00.000-07:00

This week has just seemed really long, even though it's been pretty uneventful. Been feeling a bit tired so I'm off to curl up with a good book. I recently started re-reading an old childhood favourite, My Family and Other Animals, by Gerald Durrell.

Here are some drawings from this week:

Arctic wolf

Grizzly bear

Back from the long weekend..

2010-04-06T09:12:00.000-07:00

Well the long weekend was fab - Nice and lazy. We pigged out on Easter Eggs and chocolate cake, watched TV and tried to introduce Shirow to the great outdoors.. I did lots of drawing!

I signed up for a Thai Yoga Massage course in May which I'm really looking forward to! Can't wait to get back into studying again.

Raccoon

Owl

Wet fox

Harvest mouse

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T02:39:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter everyone! May your day be filled with lots of chocolate-covered delights! This morning we were woken by a very naughty cat who had raided the bin to get at the chicken bones and left-overs. Needless to say the face was one that had got the canary! We are going to have to kitty-proof the bin lol!

Here are some drawings done over the last few days :)

Bunny

Wild lynx

Crazy cat

Snow leopard

Drawing for the day

2010-03-30T09:43:00.000-07:00

Arctic wolves

Fox in the snow

2010-03-29T15:19:00.000-07:00

Blogger's images were down today so this is only going up now.. Have you seen the movie adaptation of Roald Dahl's Fantastic Mr Fox by Wes Anderson? I love that movie :)

Fox

Shirow Day 2

2010-03-28T11:22:00.000-07:00

Well we are very happy to report that our new kitty has settled in well and has really made himself at home already. After waking me up at 6:30 for playtime and breakfast, he spent most of the day sleeping! I think he was tired after his big move, but at least it gave me a chance to draw him :)

We have named him Shirow after our favourite mangaka. Shiro also means samurai.

Happy Cat :)

2010-03-27T12:03:00.000-07:00

Today we got a kitty! Yay! He is a gorgeous black male, fully grown, about 3 years old. He was found on a military base and taken to a shelter called TEARS. We went to TEARS, a privately owned animal rescue organisation, and we were blown away by the amazing people and their dedication. After our previous experience it was so uplifting to see animals being looked after and really cared for. We were shown around a series of bungalows which was the cattery. I was so relieved to see how happy all the cats seemed and how friendly and affectionate they all were. Each had their own basket or blanket and sleeping area. There were so many to choose from! We fell in love with "Gus", a fully grown, fluffy black male with green eyes and a feisty personality. After filling out the paperwork, Gus was microchipped, and we were given advice on introducing him to his new home, general care and his next vet visit. He was persuaded into a cat transport box and we proudly brought him home, where he had some food and then quickly set about exploring every nook and cranny (He didn't want to be confined to one room), playing with a bright red shoelace, and even sitting on our laps. He finally settled down for a nap this evening after a very exciting first day!

We can't say how happy we are to have met him and how grateful we are to TEARS for all that they contribute to the lives of so many animals.

PS We haven't decided on a proper name yet, but we will soon! :)

Here are some drawings of Red Pandas. I haven't drawn any pics of the new member of our family yet, but I will as soon as I can take a photo.

Red panda standing

Young red pandas

Autumn - time for long socks!

2010-03-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

Winter definitely seems to be coming on early this year! The nights are getting cooler and it's definitely getting dark sooner. One upside are the beautiful sunrises that I get to see everyday on my way to work. Even in the traffic there's still the beautiful view of Table Mountain that is never quite the same..

Hummingbird

Squirrels

2010-03-24T12:07:00.000-07:00

Well for the last couple of days I've been trying unsuccessfully to draw squirrels. Who'd have thought they'd be so darn hard to draw?? Anyway, here is my first successful attempt.

Grey squirrel

Remover of obstacles

2010-03-22T14:14:00.000-07:00

Today we went to look at kitties! Saw the most gorgeous little black female, now just waiting for the Adoption place to get back to us. One wonders why a shelter that clearly should want their animals to find homes as soon as possible makes it so difficult to adopt one.

Ocelot

Cliff swallow

I love long weekends :)

2010-03-20T06:08:00.000-07:00

It's a long weekend! I am very excited as A and I might be getting a cat or kitten! We'd like to adopt cat that needs a home. I've been looking online and the number of cats and dogs in need of homes is just heartbreaking. Anyway, we are hoping to find one this weekend.

Here are some sketches from yesterday and today.

Rock ground squirrel

Eagle owl

Red panda

Barn swallow

Vector illustrations

2010-03-16T11:37:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd post an example of an illustration that I converted from a pencil sketch to vector.. Sort of a before and after thing.

Before (Pencil)

After (Vector)

I plan to do more like this soon. I find the end result very rewarding, even though it takes much longer to complete than a straight sketch.

Late summer weekend

2010-03-14T04:26:00.000-07:00

Well the days are getting shorter and the mornings cooler. Autumn is on its way. I have been feeling very lazy the last couple of days and relaxing at home (while the more industrious are either watching or riding in the Argus lol). In the spirit of Autumn, here are some more sketches.

Harvest mouse

Harvest mice

Rabbit

Wood mouse

More sketches

2010-03-10T08:46:00.000-08:00

Well it's been a while, but here are 4 more sketches from the last 3 days..

One of the funny things I have to get used to again is the idea, firstly of composition, fitting something onto the page and secondly, that there is no Undo (Ctrl Z) in pen and ink! It's quite intimidating, yet there is a certain amount of freedom in knowing that you can't go back.

Barn swallows

Burrowing owl

Flying squirrel

Hummingbird

Barn Swallows

2010-03-06T10:12:00.000-08:00

Here are some more pen and ink drawings drawn over the weekend..

Baby barn swallows

Barn swallows in their nest

Barn swallow in flight

Happy Friday!

2010-03-05T08:08:00.000-08:00

Wow it's been a long week! I thought I'd celebrate the beginning of the weekend with some more pics.. These are done in pen and ink on water colour paper. I got the photos off the National Geographic site - They have some really beautiful wallpapers and images for download!

Two ducks kissing

Screech owl

Cardinal

New sketch pad

2010-03-03T20:43:00.000-08:00

Well I've been trying to do a drawing a day so far, but it seems to be more like several every other day, lol. I also got a new sketch pad and it's nice to draw in a larger format.

These are taken from images off the web and drawn with pen and ink. I'm starting to see a theme..

A barn owl

A mandarin duck

Greater hummingbird in flight

Some pencil sketches

2010-02-25T19:18:00.000-08:00

These were done in pencil. It was quite hard to draw baby animals as the proportions are completely different.

Pen and ink

2010-02-24T03:11:00.000-08:00

These drawings are done in felt tip pen. I enjoy sketching from photos that I like, even though I have never been able to reproduce something exactly, I prefer it that way.. Personally I think photo realism is overrated!

The roses that A's mother gave us

The view from our balcony

A drawing a day..

2010-02-23T02:25:00.000-08:00

As a first step to Creative Days, I decided to draw, paint and sculpt as much as possible in my free time. What's the point of having a blog all about creativity if I wasn't creating anything right? Besides, now that A and I have moved to a bigger flat, I finally have a room I can use as an art studio! But once I unearthed all my old paints and brushes, I found most of my paints had dried out! *Shock* So until I can get new paints and some nice big sketchbooks, I've decided to do "a drawing a day", hopefully more as time progresses..

Chinese brush and ink on water colour paper.

Chinese brush and water clours on water colour paper. I really love the way the ink reacts with this kind of paper.. The ink doesn't work on paper that is sealed or coated. I've tried painting on tissue paper but it warps the paper too much and the end result feels flimsy and doesn't feel like a painting.

The need to create

2010-02-22T21:00:00.000-08:00

We all have a deep need to create. Whether we think we can draw or not, human beings are by nature creative. Some people feel this need more than others, and become artists, writers etc. Rare people have the guts to go out on a limb and create something without thought for the practicalities of every day.

For most of us, the pressures of earning a living tend to get in the way. We get tied up in the realities of every day life, in the trivialities of daily chores. We feel we lack the energy to be creative. Paintbrushes and sketchbooks gather dust in the corner, along with all our excuses.

Creative Days aims to fill that need, by setting aside a block of time where we have to draw/paint/sculpt, using whatever medium we like best.

The beginning..

2010-02-22T20:32:00.000-08:00

Ever remember drawing or painting as a kid? I used to sit all day drawing pictures of rabbits who wore clothes and lived in houses with curtains in the windows. At school I loved art class, drawing, painting, making a huge mess with powdered paint and glue. It was the place where I could shut off from the outside world and enter a new one. Or maybe it was because while my hands were busy drawing or painting, my mind was totally focused, yet completely relaxed at the same time.

I sometimes felt as though something was painting through me, as if I was channeling a higher power. Looking at my matric artworks now, I understand my 17 year old self far more that I knew or understood myself at that time. I can see a reaching and a yearning for something bigger than myself, for a desire to grow and experience the world.

Art has a way of capturing a scene, of preserving a moment in time, but it also preserves a feeling in our hearts, whatever we feel at the time we put brush to paper is preserved forever. It doesn't matter if no-one else understands it. What's important is that we created it. And by creating it, we have expressed a part of ourselves that yearned to be real.