March on, little mouse
“There are things that are not sayable, that’s why we have art.”
— Leonora Carrington
Both relaxing and full of adventures, this month was filled with surprises! I saved small creatures, flew to Melbourne and found new ways to stay productive while taking breaks.
In the Studio
I had lots of trouble working with masking fluid on some of my recent watercolour paintings. I had to find ways to salvage it and am so glad I pushed through! Things turned out so good in the end! The issue started when masking fluid ripped a portion of a really good painting. I decided to turn to gouache to finish it off and it looks in perfect condition! Don’t give up to soon on paintings, I’ve seen many disasters turn into masterpieces!
Reflections & Inspirations
This month was filled with so many adventures! It’s hard to decide where to start.
The highlight of my month was most definitely catching a mouse in my home and setting her free. I have humane mouse traps so I can catch the little creatures and take them somewhere safer. This little one was so bewildered when I found it the next evening. I quickly put her in the car and drove her to a nice national reserve close by. I found her a nice spot with water and plenty of foliage. I’m thinking of her daily wondering what a life she’s carving out for herself! Sometime soon I shall draw her!
I also planned a trip to Melbourne during this month. Flying among the clouds was such a surreal experience. It reminded me of one of my favourite songs, the intro of “Heidi” animated TV series. Since I live in Adelaide, Melbourne is a pretty big city to me. I was fascinated by all the antique-looking shops. I had macarons, bubble tea and some delicious Chinese food. It was my first time tasting macarons and I never knew what I missed out on! The little French shop we bought them from was so quaint. My little bat plushy accompanied me all the way!
I’ve been following the work of Kisung Koh for a few years now. He paints animals in impeccable detail. I’m always in awe of how he brings out the intricate personalities and characteristics of each animal. It’s really inspired me to do a full-scale painting filled with many animals.
Plenty of life and health situations got in the way of creating art this month, but I managed to push through. I’ve found a way to become more productive when time is pressing. Often it’s the initial push required that demotivates me to sit down and create, so I’ve broken up productive time into 20 minute creative sessions. More often than not, once I am in that headspace, I end up spending more time than I anticipated making art. This is also a great technique to help yourself overcome art block.
I’ve recently found a new band I’m really into! They go by the name “Saint Agnes”. My favourite song is “Vampire”, of course, but they have plenty of other amazing hits! I’ve had them on repeat now for weeks!
Events & Updates
I've been running monthly art challenges with my Twitch community on Discord. It's a great way to find inspiration among your fellow artists and become part of a creative community. If you're keen, feel free to join my Discord.
In the shop
I’ve added a few more watercolour paintings to the shop! Check them out!
Featured Video
Share your thoughts
Thank you for keeping up with my artistic antics! If you'd like to comment on anything, share a quote or inspiration, feel free to comment here on my blog post. I'd love to hear from you!