Tag: Tony

  • All coming back to me now…

    A few days ago I commented that since Mum died I haven’t achieved much, and have done plenty of art journaling etc but no real painting. Tony was away last night, due back late today, as he had a medical appointment in Hamilton, so it’s been just me and the furkids.

    I decided to prepare some canvas and see what happened. Not push it, but just give myself the chance to really paint. I’m not sure where these are headed but I have a sense that I might be starting to paint again. That would be so cool and Mum would be pleased. No doubt she is watching me and mumbling about the mess I make 😉

    My wee painting companion
    My wee painting companion

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  • Tim’s 12 tags of 2013 – June

    I’m having a slow, relaxed, arty sort of Queen’s Birthday weekend. We were heading away but Tony’s had a couple of ‘off’ days so we decided it was better to stay close to home. Every month Tim Holtz holds the Tim’s 12 tags of 2013 challenge. He demonstrates how to make a super cool tag using his products, complete with detailed product tips and techniques = awesome stuff. This month’s tag features Distress Markers.

    I don’t have any Distress Markers (yet 🙂 ) but have plenty of Distress Ink and Distress paints, so adjusted the instructions to suit my stash. I don’t mind not having all the bits ‘n bobs because it makes me think about the process and what the look is we’re trying to achieve. I’m pleased with the final results. One of these will go in my art journal, the other will become part of a greeting card.

    I have a very sick staff member, she’s already been in hospital 2 months with plenty more to go, so I write to her every week and try to use handmade cards for a bit of colour and variety. Tony watched me draw a tree, leaves and bird on the envelope for a card I wrote her today; he shook his head, muttered something about the poor postal service, and wandered off. He makes me laugh…

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  • Stencil, spray, stamp

    Tony is in Christchurch for  long weekend, having some Granddad time with our gorgeous grandson Rory and his parents, Yasmine and Adam. He also had a day out with his brother Roger. Which means I am looking after the animals and making art. When Tony’s away the tv never goes on, the bed doesn’t get made, the meals are whatever’s quickest – and I tidy up just before he comes home 😉 Faith, Goldie and I spend our days in my home office – me at the computer or art desk, Goldie on the sheepskin and Faith on the mohair rug in the lazyboy. How good is our life? Here’s a little of what I have done over the last couple of days.  The green one is a card, the rest are in my art journal. I also did some scrapbooking but they’re a pain to scan or photograph, especially at night.

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  • Gelli prints

    What’s the perfect thing to do on Good Friday? Make art of course! I got out my 6×6″ Gelli Plate, Golden Fluid Acrylic paints, a pile of stencils and got to work. I mainly printed on 120gsm white paper but a few telephone pages were harmed in the making of these prints…who needs to look up Stratford numbers anyway? I made dozens of prints, these are just a few favourites.

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    Tony came home as I was cleaning up and we had one of those conversations where I was reminded once again how lucky we are to have each other, and how respectful and careful we are of each other’s feelings. We even ended up commenting on that; that we choose to operate on a level of care and respect.

    Look, I say, holding up the two purple ones with red and white patterns underneath. They match. No they don’t, says Tony. Yeah, they do – they’re both purple with red and white underneath. Tony: that doesn’t mean they match! Me: well close enough… he shrugs and laughs.

    Round two. We’ve been talking about repainting the middle room, currently lime green, in a cream shade so I can display more art. He’s watching, amused, as I rifle through my pile of prints, considering my next step with them – a journal maybe? Suddenly he says – you could cut them into proper squares and display them in a grid on the middle room when the walls painted. I’m so excited I flap my hands at him 😉 He just laughs and says he regrets the suggestion already. Then he looks at me and utters his favorite line “So, what are they going to be?”

    And my reply: They’re not going to ‘be’ anything, they just are. Oh, he says, and smiles at me.

    Even the newsprint I cleaned my brayer off on each time has been put aside to do something with. Both pieces have such cool colors and this amazing texture. And for the record, I love my Gelli Plate!

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  • I don’t remember

    I don’t remember why these photos are so blurry, but I do remember why I married Tony 18 years ago today. He made me laugh back then, and he still makes me laugh. Most of the time he looks quite serious; this is the Tony relatively few people get to see (mind you, looking at these photos, how many would want to?).

    My wish? That we grow old together, still laughing. I know how fortunate we are to have each other.

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