Memories and Vixens

I recently read an article announcing that the art college that I attended  many years back now, was to close. After completing a fantastic local foundation course in Wiltshire I went on to study  illustration and graphic design at Maidstone College Of Art  under the instruction of Gerald Rose, Stephen Cartwright and several other teachers.

                                                                 Illustration by Gerald Rose
During the end of my first year the college changed it's name, merged  and became the Kent Institute of Art and Design. Maidstone produced some prominent artists over the years, some of whom I have only just found out about. Tracy Emin  famous, somewhat controversial was there when I was. She was down stairs in the fine art/printing department. Angela Barrett  an illustrator that I admire greatly also went there a few years before me. Other notable artists include Tony Hart  (do you remember Take Hart and Vision on?) and Martin Handford of 'Where's Wally' fame.
I enjoyed my years at Maidstone and have good memories. Thinking about them prompted me into digging out some old work...
I was recently reminded in a comment  that I had promised to share a mask that I had made, so here it is...
At the time I was working on a project producing  illustrations for a text of our choice. I chose a book called 'Lady into Fox' by David Garnett. I did a painting, but also decided to make a mask and do a series of photographs.
 Remember these were made when photoshop was not the norm. I made the mask out of papier mache and added faux fur, took the photo's then hand coloured the prints with paint to get an old effect.  My sister was the model as I took the photo's in half term.  :)

It's funny looking back as it only seems just the other day and the photographs look surprisingly contemporary rather than late 1980's.   It's also interesting to see how we always return to a theme that is dear to our hearts. :)
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Old Cards For Sale

The other day I tried to get into my wardrobe. No, I wasn't trying to get to Narnia, just trying to access my clothes. It's not really a wardrobe, more a cupboard and is very awkward to get into at the best of times as you have to bend your head awkwardly. It would be perfect for a hobbit in fact....  Anyway I noticed that the cupboard has managed to become filled with clutter, you know the way things do! But not only my clutter, it seems I have accumulated everyone else's too. Hmm?  I started to sort some things out and found a bag filled with old cards. These cards are greeting cards that I did for a publishing company years back. I can't sell them on Etsy because they were produced for a company, so I wondered if anyone would be interested in buying any? It seems a waste just to let them sit in a cupboard?
If you are interested send me an email or message me your email address and let me know which ones you want and I will invoice you via Paypal. I'm afraid I can only accept Paypal payment.

Price  £5.00 for a pack of six mixed cards  P&P £2  (P&P for any extra add 50p  per pack) UK postage. For anywhere else I would add on extra.

Pack 1

A closer look... All designs were painted between 1996 and 2003. In fact, if I waited a bit longer I suppose I could sell them as vintage on Etsy. :-)
White fairy angel hares with wings, and hare and friends festivities. The white hare has been on my journey with me for quite a while.

These are all 7x5 in size.
                                              SOLD OUT

                                                      ~*~

Pack 2  
Angel designs.                         SOLD OUT.
Size 4x7.5

The cards are mainly blank inside, but a few of the Angel one's have 'Seasons Greetings' written inside. The design wraps right around and continues on the backs of each card.
There are a limited amount, so I will sell them on a first come first served basis.
                         ~*~
I'm  trying to fit in as many wooden bits and pieces before Christmas as I can. These pendants were finished last night, and they will be listed in my Etsy shop later today.

Have a great weekend folks.  I'm off to bake a cake now for Husbands birthday today.
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The Love Of Stars

I want to sleep in starry meadows where the hare runs wild as the wind. With a lace pillow of clover petals, thistledown and tom thumb I will lay my head down low, shaded by umbelliferae.  Beside the wild thyme stems and stalks I will dream where the mice and beetles dream. And when the darkness falls glow worm will be my lighted lamp.  Soft rustle of grass sings my lullaby and high above when I stir, the ancient constellations kiss my drowsy eyelashes with stardust. 

 Karen Davis 2012


March has come in like a lamb and I have painted a hare.
                                                                             Lepus

Lepus ....a constellation lying south of Orion. It's name being latin for hare.

I love stars and the night sky as you have probably already guessed. I do paint rather a lot of night sky Maybe too many? Can you paint too many? I don't think so. ;) I was once told by my tutor at Art college to go and paint an article on abortion and that I couldn't make a living out of painting starry skies. He of course was telling me that life is not all sugar coated and twee and encouraging me to stretch myself and make my work more adaptable for commissions which of course was his job. I know that life is not all starry skies, we all know that, but we can choose what we want to include in it to a certain extent. Yes, I could do dark and I did and I still can if I want to. Just to prove it, here is a glimpse of that old  darker work....

I still added some stars though. ;)

My son is a keen amateur astronomer and the other day I tried to take a photograph of the moon through the eye piece of his telescope. While it didn't turn out quite as I'd hoped, I like this photograph all the same.

A couple of weeks ago we visited the William Herschel museum in Bath. William Herschel was a musician and  astronomer and from his residence in Bath, which is now the museum, he discovered the planet Uranus in 1781.

It was very interesting there and I really enjoyed myself.
I wonder if he was a night owl? I am a night owl, a lover of indigo skies, familiar to the creaks of the house in the night when all are asleep. When larks minds are weary mine comes alive.

I am back to painting Peaceable Kingdom now after being distracted and chasing a March hare.
Thank you for the comments about the sketches. I love the idea of a theme being passed around on this. Maybe I could make a page and you can send me anything you create on the theme, pictures writings etc? Just a thought?