stylised art

It’s been a long while…again…

Angela Porter2 Comments

The explanation…

It’s been a good couple of months since I last added an entry to my blog. It’s not that I haven’t tried to; it’s just that I’ve not been able to. Let me explain.

Since I had Covid back in October 2024, I’ve been experiencing chronic fatigue, a scattered and unfocused mind, and an inability to stay focused on a task for much time at all. Even as I type this, I’m losing my train of thought and have to pause often to try to work out what I was about to type or to find the words that just won’t come to the forefront of my mind.

I can spend 10 to 12 or more hours a day sleeping and still not feel refreshed. Taking part in everyday events or tasks is overwhelmingly tiring; not so much physically but mentally and emotionally.

Everything physiological has been ruled out. Covid coincided with me being prescribed a new medication. I’ve stopped that medication, with the blessing of my doctor, so to speak, to see if that was the cause of this fatigue. It’s not and I’m awaiting a review with the doctor soon. I think they mentioned a review to a post viral syndrome clinic or long covid clinic.

I can get really frustrated. Even my art isn’t as prolific as before. Though I get lost in it quite easily, I can’t do much more than 30 mins to 45 mins in a stint, if I’m lucky. Even now, I’ve spent less than an hour scanning in a couple of drawings, creating the images for social media, and getting this far in my blog and I could just fall asleep again. Not even perimenopause/menopause has been this bad…

So, this is the state of my health currently, fine and good apart from this pesky fatigue.

Arty stuff

I have been drawing, but not as much as I usually would have been doing. The two images above are just two that I have completed in the last couple of months or so.

The one on the right resulted in some enquires about buying it. However something weird was going on with the contacts and nothing ever came of it. But, when I’m up to focusing on what I need to do, I will be posting some artwork either on Ko-Fi or Etsy for sale. I wish I could say when, but …

So, I’m still creating, as the fatigue allows.

And so…

…it’s time for me to end this post and go and rest again – I feel so tired and sleepy and unfocussed once again.

All I can say is thank you for bearing with me. I’ll share when I’m able to, but I don’t think there’ll be any YouTube videos for a while as they are just too much for me to accomplish at this time. Hopefully, recovery is occuring, albeit slowly. Only time will tell, that’s for sure.

Meet “The Scribblings”

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Meet the Scribblings! My kind of quirky, creepy, cute fellows!

The Scribblings is my working name for the wide community of fellows that are appearing in this style of art. That title may change, though …it’s not set in stone yet!

This one I really liked this until I added the greyish blue crosshatching background. I used softer colours that are still vintage. But, I think the background colour has detracted from them – too dark, too textured, both? I don’t know.

I do know, however, that I could kick myself for not scanning the drawing in before starting to add colour!

I know I want to add some shadow around them. Maybe I’ll see if I can lighten or remove the background digitally at some point too.

What I do know is that I have a few more characters to add to my “bestiary” to work with in different ways.

Even though I’m not fond of the background at all, the characters still make me smile. The softer colours have also entranced me too.

Intricate Intuitive Art | 24 Feb 2024

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These three works show my love of intricate, intuitive, flowing art. I continue to explore the use of colour to work on gaining more confidence in using it. I can appreciate how colour brings the drawing to life and sets the mood, too. I find using a fairly limited palette really helps me appreciate this.

I’ve worked on these over two or three weeks, give or take. It’s been a slow process as I’m recovering from a period of burnout from too much adulting and peopling. None are finished yet as I still have to indulge my love of pattern/texture to create more volume in the designs. Also, dots of gold acrylic paint have been added for that little bit of glitz and glimmer – something that makes my raven mind happy!

Inktober 2023, Days 1 & 2

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Inktober 2023 Challenge

I’m a little late with these two, but I will try to complete the #Inktober2023 #Inktober official challenge!

Inktober is about challenging oneself to create art daily, every other day, or however you choose. It’s more about building up a regular drawing practice, with daily prompts to get the creative juices flowing. It’s not about competing with other artists/creatives.

There are so many Inktober challenges going on that it can be difficult to choose one. In the last couple of years, I’ve chosen to participate in the Inktober Tangles challenge. But this year, I really didn’t feel excited about it. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with the prompts, but for some reason Zentangle didn’t float my boat, so to speak. I think the greater personal challenge of the Inktober official prompts called to me. But, we’ll see how that goes!

Of course, Inktober is all about drawing with Ink. But I’ve started adding some colour for Day 2’s drawing. I’m not sure that was a good idea, but I’ve not completed it yet! It’s at that regretful, icky partway complete stage. Also, I’m not sure I’ve accomplished the hand-lettering in the spiders’ bodies well. It is what it is, and Inktober is about drawing, taking part, challenging oneself, learning more about artistic expression, and not perfection.

I’ve decided to incorporate hand-lettering where I can. I really could do with the practice and exploration of including hand-lettering in my art.

I may use coloured backgrounds in some of the remaining days of Inktober. We’ll see!

Other stuff

The past couple of weeks have taken their toll on me. I’ve been diagnosed with IBS and asked to follow the FODMAP diet for up to eight weeks. The FODMAP plan aims to calm the digestive system by eliminating foods from the diet known to cause IBS.

I’ve been following it for the past two weeks and I have days where it’s a lot better than it has been. However, I’ve found that some of the ‘banned’ foods on the FODMAP have caused IBS flare-ups – notably sweetcorn and some of the Quorn products I’ve eaten.

I must admit, I really miss onions and garlic (though I can use garlic-infused oil). Oh, and peas, and mushrooms. But hopefully, once things are calmer I’ll be able to reintroduce them, fingers crossed!

As I’ve had several days without IBS in the last week or so, how a flare-up feels is very noticeable. To think I’ve been living with those conditions for a long while is shocking!

I am determined to persevere with it! In fact, I’m quite excited about cooking with FODMAP-friendly gluten-free flour and other products. It’s kind of interesting. Being a vegetarian makes it a little more challenging, but I’ve now got a couple of great cookbooks to inspire me.

I’ve also had a busy couple of weeks that have involved people-ing and some stressful things. That all takes its toll on me, and stress of any kind doesn’t help with IBS that’s for sure!

The remainder of this week will likely be busy for me, with people-ing occasionally. I’ll get through it all, albeit exhausted.

And that’s where Inktober will come in useful. Drawing always helps me relax, calm, and destress. Having prompts to guide and inspire my artistic pursuits will surely help me. So, I hope to return to my ‘normal’ in posting blogs and videos.

However, a new normal may be needed as I discover more about myself and how to keep myself from burning out. I will figure it out, as I already have with trying to space people-ing and adulting out!

Two Stylised Flower Designs, Both WIP

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Yesterday, 1 July, and today I had a lovely time drawing and adding colour to some stylised flowers. The designs aren’t complete.

I need to add a background texture and a delicate pattern to the one on the left. I’ll do that digitally. If I try to do it now, I’ll end up messing up as I used watercolour inks to add colour. I also recorded a YouTube video of the process (view it here).

A background pattern or texture is needed on the one to the right and textural patterns being added to the flowers. This time, I remembered to add some background colour using Distress Inks. Again, I used watercolour inks to add colour.

I am spitting feathers, though; as for the drawing on the right, I recorded a video and promptly managed to delete it … permanently. Duh! I feel such an eejit! So, I’ll remake the video soon, I’m sure.

“Purple Roses” Entangled Botanica Tag/Bookmark WIP

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Cool, soothing, calming blues, teals and purples are just what my migraine befuddled self needed this afternoon. The migraine had mostly lifted, but left me feeling tired, ‘off with the fairies’. I decided to film this drawing as I thought those who like to draw along with me would enjoy some flowers, this time roses.

I coloured the background with Distress Inks, and added a little texture with a stencil. Water splatters are a must, dried with a heat gun to give that darker edge to them.

I love the way the texture and variation in the depth of colour shows through the coloured pencils that are applied to bring volume to the drawing. I used Gamsol and tortillons/paperstumps to blend the colour pencils out and create highlights and shadows.

Touches of gold ink will bring some precious luxury to the design.

There’s still a lot to do, however. The first coat of added pencil colour needs to be completed. There may be a need to intensify contrast. And then there’s the patterns and contour lines to be completed with ink. A drop shadow, white ink highlights, and more shimmery golden details.

The appearance of torn, collaged, patterned paper to the right of the tag is becoming a favourite thing of mine to add.

I hope a good night’s sleep will come tonight and I’ll wake tomorrow feeling as ‘with it’ as I’m able to be. I have work to do for my next colouring book called “Daydreams”.

Accompanying YouTube #DrawWithMe Tutorial Premieres at 20:00 UK Time 5 June 2023.

Mandala Colouring Page – 3 Feb 2023

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This week’s template for the Facebook group Angela Porter’s Colouring Book Fans is a mandala.

I need soothing, calming art today. One day I may share why I’m so topsy-turvy emotionally and mentally. But not now.

For now, I’m being creative in a way that soothes my inner maelstrom. It’s a mini maelstrom, but still enough to provoke unease, fear, and unsettling emotions. Still, these things pass in time. And I have a lot to experience and learn connected to this unease and fear. I just don’t know the timescale and that kind of makes it worse!

But art is always my solace, though I need to find others too. There’s my illustrated journal – writing and, erm, art! It’s been a long while since I played my flute. Nearly a week since I went out for a walk. I still have an electric folk harp I’ve not learned how to play! And there’s plenty of tea to drink.

Tea! Twice, thrice and twice-twice blessed! Tea is always soothing, especially at that magic temperature where it just feels like every part of you relaxes, and a sigh of relief and pleasure is released!

So, once I’ve finished all my social media stuff, I’ll get another mug of tea and get a YouTube video done. Yes, more art. But I love drawing!

Hearts and flowers mandala

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Today’s art is a mandala with hearts and flowers as the main themes. I’ve only used three colours – red, green and gold! That’s surprising to me; usually, I go to town on colour. However, in this case, it gives a coherency to the design I prefer.

One thing I may do is to revisit it and add textures to the spaces between the design elements. And a drop shadow would help to lift it off the paper a bit more.

Mandalas are really soothing and meditative to draw and add colour to. And I certainly need that today.

The last few days have had me intensely inking in colouring pages and adding colour to some of them. Yesterday I was determined to get the last couple done, and I overdid it a bit; my damaged muscles/tendons/ligaments between two ribs are rather stiff and sore. But I got it done! Whimsical Houses is complete, and the cover and back art for the next book is also done. So, now I can take a bit of a breather and spend some time on personal projects.

I’m also so tired today. My mind was working twenty-nine to the dozen last night. I woke before 4 a.m. and couldn’t get back to sleep. So, I see a nap not too far in the future. But before that tea. Lots of tea. Probably some lunch too!

Entangled Drawing Practice

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I’ve been slowly working on this drawing over several days. Little by little, it’s been finished and brought to life with colour.

I’m not quite finished yet; I’m still adding white dots as highlights! That’ll take me a goodly amount of time, no doubt.

Slowly is the correct description of my ability to work, slowly and a little at a time with breaks in between. This muscle healing process is very slow and I’m really learning I can’t push myself too hard. But I really do feel I’m making some kind of progress, which is all that matters.

William Morris Inspired Botanica

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Click on this link to view the accompanying Draw With Me tutorial video on YouTube.

William Morris, one of the primary founders of the Arts and Crafts Movement, is one of my favourite artists. I love the ornate botanical and nature-inspired designs of quite stylised motifs. I also love the way that colour is used simply in them. That is definitely something I can learn from!

It can take a while for pennies to drop with me, and I don’t know how it has taken so long before I took a look at Morris’s work.

Like myself, Morris was inspired and influenced by Medieval manuscripts. That explains a lot!

I use some motifs from Morris’s designs in this drawing. I applied colour with chalk pastels to the pen drawings, with subtle white highlights from white charcoal. I’m quite happy with the result; I’ve not decided what to do about the background.

Where is this study going to take me? I don’t really know! But I know it’s going to be an interesting one. I’m particularly interested in how Morris used colour, and I hope that will make me comfortable with my own simple way of adding colour to my art.