COLOUR FOR THE MASSES - AM I 12?

Of course I'm not 12, but I might be.. I might want to be 12 again. Given that I feel 12 when I see this new book sat  on my desk. Yes, what kind of book is that I hear you say, some kind of picture book.. er no.. it's a colouring book. Not just any old colouring book, a book for people to colour in - yes, but why the hell would I want one? Given that I'm now 40 (cough cough)...???

Well I'll tell you peeps, it's because I'm still trying to draw each day, I'm still trying to draw something of reasonable quality and yes I want to be good at colouring in. Especially on those days when I can't draw a flippin circle even. You see my patterns need colour and where do you get that from? No, not from years of slaving away in the back room of a colourist, or taking a textile degree, or from dyeing peoples hair.... its by experimenting with your own colours. I'm not talking those 20 pencils ya mam got you in Wilko when you were 10, (because you'd been good all morning and not taken any of the plastic square toppers from M&S coat hangers honestly Mum... ) I'm talking about Copic markers, Sharpie markers, Faber -Castell and Zig loveliness.  If they were shoes, we're talking Jimmy or Vera here. (perhaps not quite so expensive, but really quite good) 
I was listening to this the other day and I just love the way Khristian A Howell can use colour.. she is amazballs. I mean she has the full package, colour, pattern, everything, and looks like a super model too.. ! Darn it.

So my intention is to grapple my way through the hell of his Tax Return, (why do men seem to be able to do big things, but none of those little hit you in the eye this is a crap job for Monday) jobs??? - Not that I will add any colour to THAT but at least at the end - I shall be able to colour something in. 

Haven't started yet, but that the fact that I'm writting about it, means that 
A) I will in due course, 
B) If I don't I will have wasted an hour writing this and 
C) I will look a ninny). 

The book is called Secret Garden - by Johanna Basford and here are few more pics for you..

Hopefully after I've done a few pictures I'll let you see them. (I recently got aquatinted with Instagramenes (that's Instagram) for those failing to keep up - I'm Surface Hug if you want to follow me.. and maybe I'll follow you back.  

So what have you been colouring in lately? 

Currently I'm listening to The Potato Factory - which is a sort of historical fiction book about a real life pick pocket in London in the 19th century.. some say is the character Fagan in Oliver Twist. 

On the T.v.v.. I'm still watching and waiting each week for the next episode of The White Queen. I have to say I didn't really like the what I'd read about the Woodvilles but I am now warming to them (and I love the name Jacquetta) I would pay the BBC dearly if they made the drama of Mary Queen of Scots.

Bye for now.. 

(ha 2 posts in 2 weeks - getting better)

Trina 

x

It's not often!

Hello, hello, hello. How long has it been? - like ages and ages right? - Of course, I want to say that i've been on a gigantic adventure, been to the moon, raised ten thousand for charity... but alas no I haven't. I have however been reading a bit. Since the ending of my lovely e-course Art and Business of Surface Pattern Design.. I'm flummexed. Departed from sane thinking, what am I doing, well, I tell you. I've been finding it really difficult to get going. 

The e-course was just so fab, but there was a plethora of information, just too much to take in in one sitting, let alone the 5 months or so I was taking part. I'm actually still digesting most of it.

At the beginning I did think, ha ha, this is going to be just perfect. Once I've finished the course I will have a boat load of fantastic things to sell to you all. I'd have a mountain of patterns, and loads of exciting people breaking down my door to buy them. But No. It is not yet to be. 

I have't given up hope yet. But life has sort of got in the way. Why?

Well simply because what we think will happen never does. What we assume is the next step, can never be. It's not quite so easy to be creative with a 2 year old at your feet. (and two more at school) So here I am flummoxed..

Of course I've been making the odd pattern. Some of which have received supper feedback from my co- patterners.. and thats fantastic, we all need it. But then I've waisted so much time on things of little creative calorific value and I really wish that the Twitterness, and that blasted FB would just switch off sometimes. It does however confirm my belief that even at school I was easily distracted - I'm still the same.

Anyway - going back to my statement above.  I've read my FB, my Twitter, I've read Pillars of the Earth, The Help, (supper fantastically bloody amazing by the way), and I've read a pattern, making book thing. I took the option like many of my fellow patterners to purchase the new book from Lilla Rogers. I Just like to Make things. 

Here is my review:

Beautifully bound, lovely illustrations, great photos and lots of inspiration. It goes along the lines of 'well after you've made all these lovely things, what are you going to do with them?' 

There are some sub heads - Getting into the process of being creative, being good and how to be great at what you do. Then it moves onto some nice interviews from successful individuals, how they got there, what they do etc etc... after that there is quite a large section on different areas to get your work into. Such as Picture book, home decor, fabric and such. Whilst it may seem easy to make patterns, design stuff, Illustrate happy thoughts, what are you going to do with them afterwards? - There are some exercises to complete to get you moving along and helpful tips on getting your plans written for goals and such. 

So if your just starting out - and want to know more, get yourself a bit of direction and see whats out there, this is for you. 

Downsides, there actually is not a huge amount of information that you might not already know, or can seek out easily on the web. It's not a 'grand plan' more of a 'dip ya toes' if you are just starting out and it looks lovely and happy and the interviews do have depth. The book is sort of fatter than the information, as it's all quite well spread out and loads of blank spaces.. (not entirely sure if you're supposed to be scribbling your new ideas in the margin, or dictating your grand plan to take over the world with your new home made dolls, none, of which you've actually made yet) - but I think if you follow it - do what it says to do, then it could be beneficial.

All in all, a nice read, interesting and colourful. Brilliant if your determined to make money from the market but not quite sure whats next, or how to go about it.

Coffe table envy - 4/5

Value for money - 3/5 (amazon did it for £10 at one point)

Information overload - 3/5

Keep forever to refer to again - 5/5

So that's it - hope it's given you a bit to think about.

See you soon

In the mean time - stay well, eat loads of scrummy food, (actually don't do that save it for Easter) -  be nice and make lovely things. 

And of course if anyone has any bright ideas as to  a)how I'm going to make money from my patterns - because despite reading the book above, I'm just on a merry go round.. my fault..or b) what I should be doing next - or c) what to become my mentor for a year and tell me what to do a bit then let me know.

Trina 

x