Art&Ghosts

Interlude

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Interlude (Basic Version)

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New works for the Fairytales Gallery.

They'll invite you to play. Forever. 

The bunting separates their world from ours. 

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Interlude (The With Things Version)

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Both of these works consist of a combination of old and new illustrated parts, and a small amount of photo collage.

 I couldn't quite decide which to stick with. So here's both:)

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More soon!

xxx

Cradlesong

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I am finally able to share my work for the new album, released today in the US, by Rob Thomas. Some of you may recall a previous post, back in May, which turned out to be a tad premature, so that I had to 'unpublish' it for a time. I may republish this post later today, but for now, a brief outline and a few images should suffice:)

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Cover photograph by Andrew Macpherson, design by Ria Lewerke, illustration/manipulation by myself. 

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My sister located the UK release yesterday. I am extremely pleased with how the image appears in print, on the front of the cd booklet. 

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Below, a section of my photograph which was used for the cover of the single Her Diamonds. The original of which can be viewed here.

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That's all for now, I must return to nursing a quite hideous hayfever headache, so apologies for the hit and run style of this post;)

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I am very happy to have been a part of this project, indeed. Hopefully more later!

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xxx

Little Shop Update..

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And finally, the Fairytale Silhouettes are here, for real, in print!

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I am so pleased with the prettiness, the quality of this batch. They shall be available over at the Etsy shop within the next hour or so. These particular prints are all 10x8 inches, although smaller versions and sets will be available upon request. 

For those of you who are not yet familiar with the series, please check out the previous three or four posts. Almost all of the Silhouettes that I have created over the past few weeks are included, not merely the bear series shown here.

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As this is what I call an in-between-post (ie, no new works to share just yet), I shall leave you with a handful of recent finds and favourites of mine...

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Book of exquisite poems by Alice Oswald:

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Birds (hardcover) by Katrina Cook:

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The long awaited Ep, The Caterpillar by Ödland

I have been quite excited about this project for some time now, having fist discovered their music on Myspace:

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The Morbid Anatomy blog:

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Growing things....my living mantle:

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Wildlife artist Joanne k Tell, who's work I discovered printed onto greetings cards whilst on a visit to Windermere yesterday. The Brown Hare below being my favouite:

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Vintage rocking horse:

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Print Holly Sundress, Topshop.

Mirlo, of course, approves. A terrible photograph, which does the dress no justice whatsoever, but I could not resist the kitty part;)

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And the Broderie sundress, which I have almost worn to pieces already ♥

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I must head off on my merry way now, new books beckon (Daphne Du Maurier short stories and Wilkie Collins' Moonstone arrived this afternoon), and the shop must receive those long overdue updates before my next cup of tea.

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Oh, and I would like to offer my sincerest thanks for all of your lovely comments and support regarding the Fairytale Silhouettes series of the past few weeks.  You make the sharing of my visions and most curious ideas so very, very worthwhile:)

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Take care

xxx

Bears and Ghosts.....

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The Collectors

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More fairytale silhouettes.

Something of a continuing theme/story unfolding here. Girls and their familiars (this time, bears), curious objects, dangerous berries and ties that bind. A mixture of the familiar and the not so familiar, the sweet and the sinister....the living and the dead. 

For those who may be wondering, I have not particularly altered my style so much as followed what my hands and heart have guided me to do. I can't seem to get enough of this particular theme right now, so I am hoping that you will be kind enough to bear with me:)

Oddly, I am drawing straight onto the digital canvas, as opposed to my usual technique of designing illustrated parts that are saved as layers prior to working on the ultimate composition. The scrawl marks and such are quite deliberate; which were supposed to create a similar effect to non-digital coloured pencils and pens. 

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The Collectors (detail)

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A Dance, Beloved

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They're dancing, of course.

Here, the bugle may represent a courting call, or perhaps something far more disturbing (I am violently opposed to bear hunting). I like the idea of a sort of soul marriage between these two characters, although in this case the little lady is most definitely the one in control. Poor bear! The berries suggest their combined innocence, their passion for the wilderness, and also their approaching adulthood.

Stuff like that..

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The Kite

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A ghost bear kite. A strange concept, but I've suffered worse!

Innocence and mischance, again. The girl isn't remotely hurt; she was simply far too curious about what goes on beneath the wild, wild earth. 

Now she knows.

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The Kite (detail)

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And yes, that strange little lump is a candy covered stone. If you have never actually come across a candy covered stone, you most definitely need to get out more.

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Follow Me There

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Girl guide meets one of the Three Bears, maybe.

Maybe not.

I'm not so sure. perhaps there are clues. 

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Bear Souls

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The souls of bears, and the girl who saw them. 

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As for myself, my holiday (or short break, as it were) turned into a series of days out instead of an actual holiday. Fortunately, I have discovered a huge taste for museums, so the country got pushed aside for a small selection of carefully chosen cities, lovely old historic Lancaster being the first, which I adore (and plan to return to at any given chance - thankfully only 20 mins on the train), also home to the beautifully named River Lune............but my excitement with regards to visiting the Natural History Museum in London next week appears to be blotting just about everything else out in the meantime. This is something that I have yearned to do for such a long time now, and have it all quite meticulously planned. Toy museums, The Victoria and Albert Museum and the art galleries are my next priority! And hopefully, this time, I will return with some share-worthy photographs. I actually forgot to take my camera with me last week (shameful but true).

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I should also, hopefully, have more than merely my own art work to share with you when I return. I have not had the chance to browse online for quite some time now, so there is a fresh determination to snoop around and catch up some. I am also rather late to update the shop, although this has more to do with a temporary crisis concerning my print lab (finally resolved), so plenty new works shall be landing in the shop sometime next week!

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Enjoy your weekend <3

Lou xxx

Fairytale Silhouettes (part 2)

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More Silhouettes:

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And Nobody Knows If It Really Happened

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Imagination, belief, wonder....Now, imagine that you have experienced something that nobody, no matter how long you have known them, or how much they profess to love you, would ever be able to believe. 

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The Wonder Cabinet (1)

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Not quite finished, I think. I plan to work into this one when I return home from my little holiday next week. Somewhat more graphic than the usual....I am still very much enjoying playing around with collage shapes and textures. Many of these are created on paper before scanning them into the computer. Ultimately these are mixed media pieces, having been created using my illustration, photographs and painted shapes.

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The Memory Bird

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I used to have a Shetland pony. He wasn't exactly fond of me, but we did share many experiences together. Adventures, of a sort. I have been wondering about the parts of my childhood that still remain lost to me. They are forever on the periphery, yet never quite tangible. 

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Under The Sycamore Trees

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Title inspired by the Lynch/Badalamenti soundtrack Fire Walk With Me.

Fashion illustration meets Whimsy meets yet another portal through time.

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More to come!

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I shall return sometime next week after my little break in the Lakes - with new printed goodies!

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 I am still quite obsessed with Wilkie Collins (having completed The Dead Secret already), and shall simply have to wait patiently now for The Moonstone to arrive.

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Until then, take care, and enjoy your week ahead ☆

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...And don't forget to take some time out to do absolutely nothing at all. A most underrated pastime.

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lou xxx

Fairytale Silhouettes

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New silhouettes:

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Hansel and Gretel

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This time, I really wanted to add something colourful, vibrant to my silhouettes. Arranging this composition almost pulled my head apart;) I quite like the idea of Gretel wearing lederhosen. My Hansel is perfectly effeminate, my Gretel the quintessential tomboy. And why ever not? 

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Unicorn

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The bejewelled unicorn. 

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Marianna Mayer has observed (The Unicorn and the Lake), "The unicorn is the only fabulous beast that does not seem to have been conceived out of human fears. In even the earliest references he is fierce yet good, selfless yet solitary, but always mysteriously beautiful. He could be captured only by unfair means, and his single horn was said to neutralize poison. (Source: Wikipedia)

The unicorn appears to be quite a fashionable motif at present, which (because I am obstinate) almost decided me against creating him, yet why deny myself a mild flirtation? Indeed, I have grown so fond of him, his majestic demeanor, that he has quite become my most recent favourite. 

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Snow White Silhouette

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Using my previous Snow White as the inspiration for a new piece: this time she is accompanied by the Lunar Hare. The story may have taken quite a less tragic turn if our heroine had thought to stick by her wildest of wise companions. I am extremely fond of hare related folklore. Perhaps he wears the multicoloured cloak in preference to a head dress (like Snow White herself, and even my unicorn) to enable him to perceive the future more clearly. Well, just a thought....In my opinion, fairytale heroines could benefit from a little foresight, you know......(Don't ask me what happened to my line spacing. I added a pasted quote and all hell let loose in here!)

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Forest Hearts

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I should like to see these characters spring to life, in a similar vein to Lotte Reiniger's work. I am going to give this concept some more thought:)

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I have actually been enjoying the summer weather of late. This is quite a rare indulgence, for me, for I am very much a winter person at heart. Perhaps it has something to do with the surrounding countryside; I am much closer to nature here, the rich, mysterious beauty of the seasons more pronounced. I have also managed to develop hayfever, which, contrary to what I previously understood, can make you feel quite terrible....sore throat, watery eyes, etc. Nonetheless, I have planned a small break in the Lake District (Cumbria) within the next two weeks, so I am hoping to conquer my sniffles via over exposure to stimulus. Makes sense? No, it doesn't;)

I intend to return with many new works to add to my 'Heart of the Sun' series. I am evidently on a mission to appreciate summertime. A fresh perspective. We shall see....

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All things are a-bloom...

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Even fairy cakes, bottom left.

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Having finally completed The Woman in White, I can confess to having loved every miserable, haunting minute of it. Such an exquisite writer indeed (Wilkie Collins). I then went on to sample The Seance, by John Harwood, at one sitting, experiencing almost equal satisfaction. The Victorian mystery holds me permanently captivated, it seems. Happily, I am about to begin yet another Wilkie Collins novel, The Dead Secret. 

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And now I shall do just that:)

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xxx

Lorinder

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Lorinder

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Lorinder. 

Fairy warrior.

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xxx

Heart of the Sun...

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A many pictured post!

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Mainly due to a new, resin arrival, and an afternoon's walk in the sun:

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Meet Seola:

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Haven't figured out a given name for her yet, although I have a feeling that it may turn out to begin with the letter 'M'.

Such a beautiful, dreamy, morose little darling she is, too. The three or so weeks waiting for her to arrive were an agony. For those who are not already familiar, Seola (Snow?) was created by the astoundingly talented Jong-Hak An of Dollstown.com. She has always been very much a favourite of mine, so it is such a pleasure to have her home with me at last.

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Expect to see many more photographs of her in the near future! 

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And today, a long walk in the wild heart sun: Still exploring the countryside around my new home (I refer to it as 'new', although I have already been here six months...for some reason it still feels so new..), we decided to head out into the fields, many of which were familiar haunts of my childhood past. So strange to revisit so many scenes of long lost summer days, the fields, the long country lanes and the terrifying ravines...

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Above, real lens flare, oh joy! This made me so happy I almost cried.

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Above: My father built those now ramshackle stables and sheds for our horses over 20 years ago. I was stunned to discover them still there. I couldn't get any closer to them, which was quite frustrating, for I was eager to see how much they had changed. Such a peculiar feeling, I have to admit. I have not seen these stables since I was around 13 years old. 

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And now, finally, the brand new Snow White prints:

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They shall appear in the shop very soon! As soon as this evening, no less:)

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We also have the prototype Miss Lemon Mug to share!

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Not quite happy with it just yet, but we shall get there....the tones are somewhat cold, although this may be due to the image being printed onto a high gloss surface, I am not so sure. Still, she is utterly adorable in every way. I'm just a perfectionist at heart....and of course, Typepad renders her horribly desaturated, which she isn't at all. For a more honest-to-godly saturated Miss Lemon Mug, do click here.

I shall leave you with a sweet black kitty and a much loved drawing by Dylan:

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Off I go to read (after, perhaps, updating the poor shop) The Woman in White: A deliriously depressing story indeed, but for some reason, I cannot put it down....

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Oh, I am also enjoying this:

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The new 'A Hawk and a Hacksaw' album.

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Take care,

LoveLou xxx