Taking Stock

I don't know about you but I'm terrible at keeping track of what supplies need replacing. So when faced with a trip to the art supply store, I tipped all my paint tubes onto the floor to take stock of what I was nearly out of. While I was organising them into colour, (they look so much prettier that way) I realised that I had no idea how many red's I had! Seriously...look

And I hardly even use red! So this is basically the result of impulse buying and never really looking at what I needed.

And then there was a distinct lack of one colour...

I don't not like green, I just obviously haven't used it much. At least not enough to notice such a small selection. I wanted to change this though so on my trip I bought a new green paint- bright green. 

This little exercise made me realise how little I know about my own supplies. I can't even imagine what's hiding in the back of those drawers I keep avoiding. So I'm going to continue on and start to clear out, and keep a record of what I have. With buying new supplies nearly out of the question, I have to get creative with what I already have. Part of that is working out what I have to get creative with.

Have you ever found any hidden gems in your art space when you started looking?

-Rhiannon 

A Reminder - Family is Awesome

-Rhiannon 

Link to with Love

I'm joining in with Daisy Yellow today to share some of my favourite art related links. There is such an abundance of knowledge and talent out there on the web but sometimes it is hard to find. 

1) Courtney from Little Raven Ink has given us a look at her most recent journal pages. The colours are so vibrant and I love seeing such personal pages with photos. 

2) Alisa Burke is working on a whole load of amazing collaboration pieces with her husband. The combination of clean and realistic portraits with Alisa's loose and colourful flowers really are quite unique and beautiful. 

3) My biggest passion at the moment is watercolours. More specifically watercolour sketchbooks. I love seeing rough ideas jotted down with a splash of colour. This one by Josh Ferrin is simple but so lively.

4) Diane's 'art journal pages' are enchanting. 

5) Serena Lewis made a fab colour chart for her watercolour pencils. Something I should do myself since I can never work out which colour I need.

What have you found recently that you have loved? Why not join in the Link Love Challenge this April :)

- Rhiannon 

A look inside an Artists Studio

Today I want to share a peek at where I work each day. Since moving into our own home I have been slowly working on decorating and getting the space set up exactly how I need it. I used to dream of having a studio that I could set up how I liked, with no landlord limitations. I dreamed that it would be drenched in natural light (check), super comfortable (check) and be an ongoing source of inspiration (double check). I still have a board on Pinterest that I add to if I find something that I think I could set up or use in the future.

Below is the desk for today, in all its messy glory. I have been working really hard to create inventory for the launch of my store in less than two weeks. While I'm on that note, if you are on Etsy, pop over here and follow me to be notified as soon as listings go up. Trust me, it's going to be rad!

It is essential for me to create a space where I feel happy and inspired; a place where I can have all my weird and wonderful trinkets on display. The two handmade skull figurines below are gifts from my wonderful mum and aunty all the way from Tucson, Arizona where my aunty lives. They are insanely cool! The bowl is full of all my favourite shells that I have collected this summer, and I sketch them daily as a warm up exercise in the morning before I start my days work.

Another place I store my trinkets and knickknack's is on my bookshelf, which I have nearly finished arranging. I have a little collection of bee things, some of my living dead dolls (from the Alice In Wonderland set), a little snow globe from San Francisco (a gift), a mini big planet figurine, a tacky porcelain cat I bought from a second hand shop for $1, a tiny dinosaur, and a small painting I did for my TLC course a few years ago.

I have also create a small area next to my desk that I store all my crystals, as well as some lavender from the garden. They create such a positive energy in the room and lets be honest, the colours are incredible!

There is still a lot I want to do in here; paint one of the walls, hang (maybe even sew) new curtains, get a better light system set up and build my own desk just to name a few. However they are more long term goals- right now I am making it as cosy and user friendly as possible.

I hope you enjoyed a little look at where I work. Next week I will be sharing a few of my favourite books, and I have some really great ones so until then my lovely readers, have a great weekend!

-Rhiannon

A pop up kitty Christmas

It's official- I work with some of the most amazing people!

Case in point: I got to work this morning to be greeted by a Ferrero Rocher + this incredibly rad pop up mini Christmas card- with all three of my cats on!! It has totally made my day (possibly my week!) and I want to say a huge thanks to Dane for making this. You totally rock!

Have you received any really thoughtful cards/gifts yet?

Rhiannon xxoxx

Dream Catcher Inspiration ~ Rachael Rice

As you may have noticed, I have a thing for dream catchers at the moment. So on one of my regular dream catcher inspiration searches, I discovered Rachael Rice.

This woman has made 75% recycled dream catchers that are 75% what I envisioned creating for myself. Seriously~ go and check out 380+ photos of dream catchers she has made! Also have a look at her Etsy shop~ Cosmic American.

I have ideas spilling out of me, and I can't get them all down on to paper fast enough. This is going to be such a fun project! I can't wait to show you my thought process and journalled ideas, but that is for another time.

Rhiannon xxoxx

Florence + The Machine & The link between Emotions and Music

You know that anomaly where you have never heard of something and then suddenly its everywhere? Well two days ago Dan mentioned this band I had never heard of; Florence + The Machine. He reckoned I would really like them but I didn't give it a second thought.

Then yesterday my sister mentioned the band too, and she also reckoned I would like it. Again, I didn't give it a second thought and put it at the back of my mind.

It became obvious that the universe was trying to tell me to listen to them though when the same night, a TV ad came on about their new album. So I decided to buy the album off iTunes with a voucher I had. I didn't even know what they sounded like but I just knew I had to buy it. 

The.music.is.amazing!! It makes me think of magical woods, pixies and sprites. Of secret tea parties in the depths of the night, were magic is rampant and glitter is everywhere. That the impossible is possible and that there is hope in everything. I've never had such a strong reaction to music so it was quite a strange sensation. But then I thought, this is the whole point people create music; to be emotionally evocative.

I then began to think about how music can affect someone emotionally, like how does it actually work? Did you know that those chills you sometimes get whilst listening to music, it's actually your brain releasing a whole load of dopamine (your brains pleasure chemical).  The same thing happens when you eat mouthwatering food or take a psychoactive drug. Crazy huh? It suggests to scientists that this is why music has played such an important part in society ever since societies began thousands of years ago.

It would also explain why we are drawn to different types of music depending on our mood. Ever notice that if you are having a bad day you tend to go for something that evokes the same feeling? And the same with a good day. It's quite incredible when you start to think about it.

What kinds of music gives you the chills?
What music do you listen to when you're happy/sad? 

To end with I wanted to share a few songs that I am really loving by Florence + The Machine~ hope you enjoy!!

How to be an explorer of the world - by Keri Smith

I have read review after glowing review that says nothing but amazing things about this book so I asked if my parents could buy it for me for my birthday; and they did! Today is the first day I could actually sit down and read through all of it- the reviews weren't wrong.

This book is stupendous!

Nearly every exercise is something I had never thought of doing. They involve collecting, listing, documenting, seeing, sketching, people watching, smelling, observing...

Going through the explorations in this book is a fantastic way to improve my imagination and really make me start to look at what's around me. To become more perceptive and notice the unusual and strange.



So far Keri Smith has really impressed me with how unique her books are. They are quirky and ridiculously fun to read and the pages being in mostly black and white makes it feel more like a workbook instead of a coffee table book. Maybe this was their plan- so I will be using mine like a workbook. I expect it to get dog eared, spills on it, rippled pages but this is part of the fun of being an explorer. Being able to get messy if you want.



But the best part? I feel like I've remembered how to think like a kid again. I am starting to remember how I used to look at things like picking up a twig and seeing if I could peel the bark off just because I wanted to know. And collecting nice feathers I would find in the woods just because they were pretty. It's quite a freeing feeling so I'm off to do some exploring and see what I can find.

What have you explored this week?

Rhiannon xxoxx

The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore

A big warm hello all you lovely readers! I know I have been missing in action recently but good things are going to come from it, I promise. I am actually looking at moving this blog to another host. After having countless problems with blogspot recently (and still no solution in sight), I have decided that its time to move, re-vamp and re-brand. I'm currently looking into Squarespace and would love to get some feedback from bloggers who currently use this or have in the past. You can flick me an email at rhiannon.e.stone [at] gmail [dot] com or leave a comment below. I am keen to do a lot of research before I take this jump and would love to hear your thoughts on any other recommended platforms too.

In the meantime I wanted to share this video with you. A wonderful friend of mine, Leanne Choi, sent me this short animation clip today that I can only describe as a book lovers dream come true. It has won countless awards and has even been made into an ipad application! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did (I think I'm going to watch it again now tehehe)

Rhiannon xxx

My video for 2012

One of my favourite things to do at the beginning of the year is divulge in some new years blog post reading. I love seeing what people have planned for their year, the goals they want to achieve, the places they want to go, the people they want to meet, the food they want to eat. It's so exciting! New possibilities, new beginnings...a New Year.

Whilst reading copious amounts of inspiring posts I have noticed quite a lot of people are picking a word for the year. While this may work for some, one word doesn't have much weight for me (as I realised after trying it myself in 2011). I need a message or something with more substance. While I was trying to think of something that would work for me, it suddenly seemed so obvious. I would pick a video for the year, but not any video. A video that has stuck with me since I first came across it.

'How bad do you want it' is a video I came across through Alex Beadon a few months back (and blogged about it here). It's the most powerful message I have come across and I think it would be perfect for 2012 and what I want to get out of this year.

"When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe; then you will be successful."

Have you picked a word or phrase for 2012?
I would love to hear what you have chosen :)

Rhiannon xxx

For the love of shoes....!

I know that 'women loving shoes' is a vast generalisation but I have noticed myself recently leaning towards buying shoes instead of what I usually go for (tops, cardigans, scarves etc). If you had asked me 3 years ago about being a tad shoe obsessed, I would have smirked and said something like "You have got to be kidding right?" I probably only owned about 4 pairs of shoes; my trusty black Dr Martens, a pair of Converse shoes, jandles & DC shoes.

In recent months my desire to buy unique, biker, colourful, sparkly, shiny shoes has grown tenfold and I find myself aimlessly searching for shoes I cannot afford. Want to see a few that I am currently dreaming about?

1. Jillian Ugg Boots // 2. Marlena Dr Martens // 3. IronFist Manslayer Wedge // 4. Frye Carmen Harness Short boots // 5. Steve Madden Beasst

What is your favourite thing to buy at the moment? 

Rhiannon xxx

Link Love

♥ I can't get enough of this Pink Floyd Remix by Pretty Lights

♥ I really love this idea to document each week.

♥ Have you ever wondered what Disney princesses would have looked like in real life? Well wonder no more!

♥ I am a huge fan of the style of tattoos done in BellyButton Tattoo in France. It's very geometrical but all the tattoos have been designed in a way that suits that part of the body. They have become quite famous because of their distinctive style but also their incredible spray paint and graffiti effects.

♥ This is something I first read about over on SRSLYLIZ, and with my skin becoming worse as I get older (not better) I'm going to give this a try and see if the hype is true.

P.S. There will be a new addition to our family soon. I'm going to visit some rescued kittens tomorrow with the hopes of bringing one home with me when they are 8 weeks old. I can't wait to meet them!

Rhiannon xxx

Wish List

I thought I might try something different today and share a few items from my ever growing wish list.

1) I have been literally drooling over this bag since I first saw it on Elsie's blog back in February. It is the prettiest camera bag ever created! I can't wait to get my hands on one of these one day.

2) This is top priority on my wish list at the moment; the new Canon 600D. I currently have Canon Powershot SX1 IS which doesn't have a detachable lens. The auto focus is pretty blegh and I really don't like using it; although it is a preference thing. It may suit some people perfectly.

3) The Canon 18-135mm lens is all purpose and would save having to buy two lens' for different shots.

4) This I cannot wait for; I have heard so many good things about this workshop and can't wait to get involved with 4.0. It will be great to learn about so many different things whilst reading about successful ladies making their mark on the world through a creative outlet.

5) This is another class I have been eyeing up since Alisa announced it. Her watercolour paintings have always been amongst my most favourite, and to learn from such an inspirational woman would be amazing.

What is on your wish list?

Rhiannon xxx

Say Something Nice

This is the nicest video I have seen in quite a long time, and perfect for a day like today. People are wonderful!

Link love

Happy Monday everyone,

You will have to excuse my absence recently; I have been sick (some awful combination of sinus headaches, flu and cold - blegh) for the last week and it got a whole lot worse on Friday so I haven't been up to doing anything (Friday Feature Aritst will be back next week). In the meantime here are a few neat blog posts I have come across the last couple weeks.

• Check out some organisation tips from Moorea of Moorea-Seal.com.
• The amazing Alisa Burke has re-painted the pattern on her hallway floor. It looks absolutely beautiful and would love to do this to my house one day!
• Carrie of WishWishWish was kind enough to share some of her Photoshop actions that she uses for editing her blog photos.
• Super cute free overlays by Lil Blue Boo.
• A fantastic post on treadmill running by the lovely Krista of Saturated Canary.
• Beautiful new art journal pages from Ingrid of My Peacetree.
• Ever wondered about hair extensions? Carrie from WishWishWish does a review of her HeadKandy extensions - they aren't as scary as you might think.

Once I'm feeling better I will be back with some new art journal pages I have been working on.

Rhiannon xxx

photojojo wish list

oh wow - i discovered a website today called Photojojo, that has seen me spending hundreds of dollars (in my head) on lots of different photography goddies. here a just a [small] selection on my wishlist

Fuji Instax 210 Wide Instant Camera at the Photojojo Store!

Bokeh Masters Kit at the Photojojo Store!

Photojojo! The Book at the Photojojo Store!

The Wide Angle & Macro Lens Adapter at the Photojojo Store!

The Camera Lens Mug at the Photojojo Store!

Hope you enjoyed having a wee look

Rhiannon xxx

Illustration

until i started looking for illustration examples i didnt realise that i had already surounded myself with heaps; so here are my three most favourite illustrators of all time.

tim burton
i love his careful but free use of line and colour. they are all very simple and remind me a lot of quinten blake (below). he is also the brains behind my favourite moive of all time 'the nightmare before christmas'

 

jhonen vasquez

he is the creator and mastermind behind the graphic novel 'squee', the comics 'johnny the homicidal maniac' and the animation 'invader zim'. i have been in love with his style and very dark sense of humour (and the macabre content of his comics).

Invader Zim - originally on Nickelodeon

johnny the homicidal maniac

johnny the homicidal maniac comic cover

quentin blake
i have been in love with these illustrations since before i can remember. i was bought up with the fantastic roald dahl and quentin blake hybrid and i still love it to this day.

positive monday

i found out today that i am above what i should be with my course hours. *yay* i have been trying really really hard to catch up from my small break and didn't even realise that i was getting up to date, let alone going past the minimum required. it feels like such a huge weight off my shoulders just to know that. i also found out that i am doing quite spreading my hours out evenly between my four majors which are: painting, drawing, photography, design.

i have been playing around with the canvas book and have used recycled canvas from some old paintings that i don't want anymore (i am very much out with the old and in the the new at the moment). i'm still not sure if i like what i have done so far so i am leaving it for a week or two as i need a set of fresh eyes to look at it.

in the mean time i am focusing more on the compulsary part of the course, specifically drawing. yesterday i watched a couple of hours of the dvd's, which i must admit, i have neglected. i was getting a bit bored of painting and needed to do something much less messy and a bit more precise and detailed. i did a bit of life drawing from the dvd yesterday which was really good. looking specifically on tone, shading, form, negative space etc. it made me really want to go to life drawing classes so i might look into that a bit more. its mainly a cost thing for me.

Blog love

today i wanted to share two blogs that i am totaly in love with. they are both done by the same amazing woman called kim smith. one is her everyday blog and the other is her new one that she has started recently for her illustration course. the thing that makes me love her blogs so much is the honesty and her determination and passion. it really is inspiring to follow someones blog who is living and beathing their passion. make sure you check them out both out:

kim smith does BA illustration
art equals happy

thats all for today - more pictures coming soon!
Rhiannon xxx