On Blogging

I love blogging. It’s never a chore, always a delight. It's good to share but also a way of keeping some of my favourite (and not so favourite!) pieces together. It’s fun to look back at and to review how my art has improved when I look at the start of my blog and compare with what I am doing now.

I have always blogged for myself, as a record of my journey, as a motivation for regular sketching because I think it’s very important to keep my skills sharp by practising art regularly. I was surprised when people started to follow my blog and delighted too.

A blog also helps to motivate you as you may want to paint or sketch something to put on the blog, although I have found that I tend to do it the other way round - I sketch/paint and then think hey I could put this on the blog. It’s fun to share and every now and then someone comments and it’s lovely to get that feedback too.

I have never felt pressured to make regular posts – I tend to just post as and when I feel like it. Looking at my blog stats many people are still viewing my old posts so nothing is lost, they’re still visiting my site – I think the search engines put you higher on their listings the more often you blog. You do not really have to worry about getting internet traffic as if you use Blogger it does it all for you – at least it seems to because I get traffic even though I do not actively do anything to attract it other than post. I think the labels you attach may help with this.

Blogger is very easy to use and I like the layout. I tried Wordpress but did not like it as much. I also have a website with Sitekreator for my real paintings and artwork for sale. I find I update the blog much more often than the website.

Blogging is like an artist's sketchbook – it gives an insight into who you are. I find reading other people’s blogs very interesting and I hope others find my own of interest.

Painting is the best medicine

Feeling poorly - full of cold and no energy but I sooo wanted to paint.

I managed this sweet little gouache and it cheered me up so much. My artwork is what keeps me going, gets me through the week. I really love gouache it has such a magical quality and just like watercolour results are quick.

Next weekend when I'm hopefully better I have promised myself time for oils.

Pure Bloggers - Scam?

I noticed an email from purebloggers.com in my spam folder and took a look. It said that someone liked my blog and had sent an invitation for me to join pure bloggers site. There was a link. I was about to click when intuition told me to check it out first.

I discovered many others had received the same email and some had noticed them appearing many times in their blog stats. I was wary then. Is it a phishing site?

Apparently someone did sign up and discovered that you are brought to a page where you can "connect" to all your social media... facebook, twitter, youtube, etc. Which ok may just be legitimate but.... they also want your full birth date for sign up. Not much other information about them but I for one will be steering clear and leaving any future emails from them in the spam bin!

Sometimes you just have to follow your instincts.

More Anne Anderson

Inspired by Anne Anderson

Managed to get time during my lunch break to produce this little quickie in watercolour pencil.

Rumpelstiltskin

A wonderful project on WetCanvas, Classical Forum - http://www.wetcanvas.com/forums/showthread.php?t=992492&referrerid=0

After Anne Anderson.

I used watercolour pencils and ink. It was great fun to do.

Car

Page 5 of the Journal 2012.

Not so good at animated cars, but this one was fun to draw - I tried to make it look as if it was rushing in at speed although I think it just looks like its travelling leisurely downhill.

These little sketches are proving to be quite addictive!

My Hero... well, sort of!

Mixed media - page 4 Journal 2012

So far he has had three different names, so I'm keeping quiet about that right now and allow him to choose his name in his own good time, but he is the hero (sort of) who assists in this exciting new project. I rather like him, even though he is just a little arrogant. :)