Pretty Good For You

I had some rather grisly dental surgery scheduled on Monday, and thinking I'd be all right afterwards for a day in the studio I ended up leaving early due to feeling more than a little wobbly and green around the gills. After getting home and getting some sugar in my blood (and topping up my painkillers) I was feeling frustrated at having my plan of a creative start to the week curbed by other forces. 

On my way home I had picked up some flowers to cheer myself up (they are proven to aid in recovery, reduce stress and anxiety, and boost creativity read up on it on Huffington Post here). The tulips from the week before were more than ready to give up their vase, but the way they had fallen open reminded me of Christopher Kane's beautiful botanical designs for his S/S14 collection.

Looking for an outlet for my creative urges, I wanted to make some drawings of these delicate specimens. Being back at home, there wasn't much to hand as I keep my art supplies in the studio but I had recently organised my make-up hoard and had been surprised at how many cosmetics in a palette of pretty shades I had that I had barely used. And for my sketch book, I could use myself!

The pots of loose mineral eye shadows reminded me of pollen, used as a very early natural pigment. I had been drawn to this lipstick for it's soft petal pink colour, ready for Spring!

Christopher Kane S/S14

I drew out the outline in waterproof eye-liner.

Using make up brushes, rather than paint brushes to fill in colour using strong loose pigments.

The lipstick blends onto the skin perfectly for blushed edges.

Here it is. The tired out tulips went into the compost, but my drawing brightened my day every time I caught a glimpse of it peeking out of my sleeve until l showering the next morning! And the new vase of flowers have looked lovely all week. (Mouth is healing well too...)

Just like the flowers, it was only temporary, but while it was there it made my surroundings a little prettier.

Hope you are inspired like I was to treat yourself to a few posies and some creative time to yourself-just to make you happy!

Bling Pong

As part of The Rocks Exhibition at the Goldsmith's Centre they are hosting a range of activities combining geology and jewellery in interesting ways. Their Bling Pong is one that's on today 'til 9pm:

"Show us your sporting prowess and indulge in your artistic side with the most 

creative table tennis you'll ever play. Beat your colleagues and friends at our 

table tennis table and use the ping pong balls to create your own piece of 

contemporary jewellery." 

​Not wanting to miss out on the fun I opened up my studio and invited some chums round to get creating our own rocky balls, complete with cakes, crisps and adult fizzy beverages...

​Faye's Hematite is geometric and metallic with portions carefully sculpted out with a blade

​Louise's was textured with granite and lots of elbow grease!

​If Gustav Klimt ever played Ping Pong...

​Here's Natty drawing her lovely design

​This yarn is so much like Perthite I had to use it!

​Here's mine! (It still bounces quite well, the texture makes it go in some unexpected angles though!)

​I hope you're inspired to have a go yourself, it was a really fun thing to do together and reminded me of youth club days playing ping pong and reading Smash Hits magazine. To be honest, it was pretty much the same but with an issue of Vogue instead and no curfew! 

Here's a link to the Guild of Jewellery Designers who have more information on these events!​