I just bought a Nintendo DS Lite off ebay, so I’m pretty excited about that! I [...]]]> Someone kick me and make me update already! I’ve been toying with the idea of updating my blog for about a month but I keep putting it off. So voila, an impromptu update with no topic or meaningful content whatsoever!

I just bought a Nintendo DS Lite off ebay, so I’m pretty excited about that! I got it because I’m going to Holland in a few weeks BY BUS. So for the lovely 10 hour journey I thought I’d get something to occupy myself with. Thing is, going by bus, AND buying a Nintendo DS, is still cheaper than flying… flying is quite expensive at the moment.

Since you didn’t ask, I’m going to Holland (my lovely country of birth and corruption – my corruption, not the country’s) to sign papers for my house which was sold. I’m also visiting my best friend from uni (who is American, studied in England, and then him and his Italian girlfriend moved to Holland.. go figure) who has recently had a child!! And I’m catching up with two of my best friends from high school who I last saw at my wedding where we really didn’t have enough time to properly talk.

A while back I started another painting. Similar to the one before, in the same watercolour Moleskine, with the same techniques, just a different face. I painted the face & hair, I still have to colour in her top and the background (have needed to do that for about 2 weeks now..) which I will get around to sometime, and then I will show you, because I know you’re practically dying to see it.

I’m watching season 1 of Gossip Girl at the moment and it makes me wish I was a teenager again because I have unresolved issues and there are lots of people I would totally kick in the teeth. But not literally. Also, I don’t really wish I was a teenager again because adolescence = hell with too many hormones.

Oh and last night I had this awesome dream and Nathan Fillion was in it.

I’m going to do a serious post (cue ominous music) soon in relation to this book I am reading. But I need to get in the mood to write about srs bsns, so not yet my pretties, not yet.

Also I don’t know why my site is so incredibly slow. Maybe it’s the theme? I just hope for your sake you are reading this through a feed reader.

So I’ve been thinking that I want this blog & site to be a bit different. OK I go through a phase [...]]]> Soooo I haven’t updated since August! I’m so bad at sticking with something (like blogging). I’m so good at starting stuff, just not great at finishing, it’s the story of my life I swear!

So I’ve been thinking that I want this blog & site to be a bit different. OK I go through a phase thinking that every so often and then fizzle out, but gosh darnit this time I’m serious! I think.. Soooo this blog post is gonna just incorporate everything that I was thinking this site will incorporate too, which is pure and undiluted ME. What else did you expect, right?

First of all, what has been happening in the life of Iris since August 2008? Well, I guess the most groundbreaking, earthshattering and interesting fact is that.. *drumroll* I got married! The lucky victim was (and is) Andrew, my boyfriend of 4 years. We got married in London on 31 October 2008.

We went on our honeymoon to Leicestershire (how exotic, I know) where we had rented a narrow boat. It was so peaceful and amazing. I would recommend this type of holiday to anyone. And even though we went in November and it was cold, that didn’t make it uncomfortable or anything. The weather was just part of it and we had some amazing days.

I did a bit of art while on the boat but haven’t taken pics of that yet, but I will soon. I just can’t stress enough how amazingly tranquil it was, SUCH a good place to get inspired and do art. It’s also nice to be in a place that doesn’t have the usual distractions of computers & the internet.

Now that we’re married we’re incredibly poor. *cries* I know I know, children in Africa are starving and I don’t know what the word ‘poor’ really means. It’s been good for us in a way though, because we’ve had to really evaluate what we spend, and what we can spend. Nevertheless, at certain times it depresses me a bit because going without luxuries, even though very doable, can be a bit of a dampener on our spirits. It also makes socialising very hard. People suggesting we go catch up with a drink/dinner, a friend of mine who has invited me to her wedding. Can’t afford to do those kind of things. Blegh, talking about it is making me feel sad, so I’ll just move on!

On January 5th it was my grandmother’s (if I recall correctly) 92nd birthday! Isn’t that amazing? As she doesn’t really need anything and we couldn’t afford anything, I made her a present! I created a painting for her.

Because of the ‘deadline’ (her birthday) this is actually the quickest mixed media piece I have ever done (2 evenings). I think that was really good for me, because it meant I had to just DO IT, rather than thinking about it for ages and ending up leaving it half finished in a drawer somewhere.

Apparently it made her cry profusely which was weird on the one hand and very touching on the other. I think maybe she thought it was supposed to represent me and my mother. I painted it having in mind a grandmother & granddaughter figure though (not necessarily me and her).

When it comes to work, work is just.. work. I wish I liked it more than I do. Just a bit of background, Andrew and I work together on our own video production business. He started it up about 2.5 years ago and I’ve been working full-time for the company for about 1.5 years. It is not my passion, nor what I want to do with my life, but I DO want to support Andrew and help build something for us. I just hope to figure out sooner or later what it is that I actually want to do. It’s all well and good knowing what you don’t want to do, but that still doesn’t help me find out what I do want to do. There are way too many do’s in that paragraph so I will stop it now.

This update is starting to become pretty epic so I think I will wrap it up, that way hopefully I will have something more to say when I update again soon.

No I actually like this piece, I just feel a bit crappy (and that taints my whole view of the world and everything in it) because I was [...]]]>

Pirate Girl, originally uploaded by rrreow.

ARRRRRR!! I am quite pleased with this one, apart from of course the mandatory acerbic self criticism and doubt that plagues me. *sigh*

No I actually like this piece, I just feel a bit crappy (and that taints my whole view of the world and everything in it) because I was sketching some faces and they didn’t come out very well.

I’m pleased with the way the skin turned out (this was done pre Suzi Blu’s class, so I feel quite proud) and the parrot. And I love the colour of the background. I feel like I could’ve improved on the layering on the background though, it all looks rather flat.

The idea for this painting started when I found a bunch of slides and wanted to do something with them. I sketched the girl and sheep when I was on holiday in Wales (how appropriate).

Materials used (LOADS! I’m sure I can’t remember [...]]]>

I actually tried my hand at this ‘layering’ business. I’m pretty pleased with the result!

The idea for this painting started when I found a bunch of slides and wanted to do something with them. I sketched the girl and sheep when I was on holiday in Wales (how appropriate).

Materials used (LOADS! I’m sure I can’t remember all): Slides, plastic embellishments, acrylic paint, Mod Podge, scrapbook paper, tissue paper, beeswax, embossing powder, stickers, thread/wool

Click the pics for a bigger version!

I’m kind of experimenting with different ways of drawing. Trying to find my own ‘style’ or something like that hehe. Haven’t got any ideas for a next painting yet but I know I want it to be more messy and [...]]]>
I’m gonna send this one to my gran as a present.

Click the pics for a bigger version!

I’m kind of experimenting with different ways of drawing. Trying to find my own ‘style’ or something like that hehe. Haven’t got any ideas for a next painting yet but I know I want it to be more messy and have more materials incorporated!

I need to get some new acrylics though. The ones I have are about 4 years old and my favourite colours are starting to dry out. I think I want to try fluid acrylics (since I always mix mine with water anyway) but my art shop only sells Golden and that’s a bit outside my budget range! I think I’ll do some internet shopping, as I also want to get beeswax and mica powders. Can anyone recommend a good online place to order art supplies in the UK?

I got some new canvases today! I got four, two are the same size as Girl and a Frog and two of them are slightly bigger. I am addicted to working [...]]]> I finished a little painting the other week which I have yet to take pictures of. It’s a girl on a swing. Coming soon, I promise!!

I got some new canvases today! I got four, two are the same size as Girl and a Frog and two of them are slightly bigger. I am addicted to working on canvas now! It’s so freeing.

I did a little sketch of a boy & a girl who are getting married (because I’m getting married in a few months and we just got the invitations done so it’s on my mind!!) and that will be my next painting. I’m a bit scared of drawing a boy though.. eek.

If I’ve got a camera available I will be recording myself when I do that painting.

Also also, I asked at the art store for Mica powders and beeswax but they didn’t have any! It’s a bit of a straight laced store, not very mixed media friendly, much more focused on ‘traditional art’. I will do some internet searching for these goodies and order them soon as I especially can’t wait to try out some beeswax.

I get annoyed with myself for not [...]]]> I’ve done some more art over the past few weeks. Not been too productive but I have some stuff to show you. I’ll post them as soon as I’ve managed to take some pictures. I got some new art supplies for my birthday so I’ve been playing with those. Fun!

I get annoyed with myself for not creating art more often but I guess doing it once a week is better than not at all! Hopefully I’ll get another video done sometime as well but I keep getting stage fright. Not about talking on camera but about recording my art, I feel too much pressure!

I also feel like I don’t have time. I know that’s bullshit, but you know how sometimes you know something in your mind but you don’t feel it in your heart? Well that’s what this is like. In reality I have heaps of time, but it feels like I hardly ever have time for the things I want.

So yeah, now I’ve got all the excuses out of the way I’ll go to bed and upload my art tomorrow!