Way overdue an update

It was the height of summer last time I wrote. Unbelievably for the UK we were sweltering away in a heatwave and I was in a post-acrylic weird place, trying to figure out which direction to take. Six months on and I'm kind of resigned to the idea that I will NEVER figure it out. I love to paint but I also love to sculpt and at times I love making bears and sewing things. I've been like that most of my life - drawing, painting, making things - so I don't feel able to give up one for the sake of another, even if it means never being truly successful in any of them.


So, now we're into another new year and I have lots of ideas for new pieces of work of all kinds. I want to open an Etsy store this year, I hope to have a small exhibition of my work at some point this year too, and, having cut out as many bears as I could from all of my remaining mohair stash, I have about 90 bears to complete. And I've even made a start at being organized:

The top of the dresser in my studio is now displaying a large selection of my sewing materials. This makes me very, very happy. No more rummaging in bags or through drawers and cupboards looking for that thing I'm sure I've got but don't know where. Ribbons are in rainbow color order (of course), bobbins of twine neatly arranged and there are just, well, lots of pretty colors :) and a big basket of buttons (£3 for half a pound at Boundary Mill stores).

Okay, so enough waffling - on to some actual stuff I've been doing. Aside from the bears I've started some more pencil drawings.

 Not sure how this happened but at some point I realised I was drawing every stitch!!

I have some Daniel Smith watercolors so there will be iridescent faeries.

 Some of the 'practise' heads I sculpted last year got turned into baby Christmas elves.

There are more faery creatures on the way.

 Some will be complete figures with hands and feet and clothes.

There may be some oil painting.

There will definitely be more bears.

On to less fun things...

As those of you who use Facebook probably know, the new 'pay to promote' system is driving people away, especially artists and craftspeople who simply can't afford it and have seem the number of people they reach per post shrinking to next to nothing. With that in mind, I'll probably be using this Blog and Twitter more ( @shonammacdonald  ), I'm sorting out a Tumblr account, a Pintrest account and may even venture into Google+. I'll post all the links as I create them and will add them to the side bar too. The facebook page will be staying but it just won't be the first place I post anymore.

 Please feel free to comment or ask any questions about my work. 

Thanks for reading.

Shona

xx