KEEP THEIR SUNNYSIDE UP

It's springtime, and the challenge at Opus Gluei is EGGS, so it seems the right topic for a vintage song, with a few changes from the original lyrics:

KEEP THEIR SUNNYSIDE UP

Keep your sunnyside up, up,

Let your laughter come through, do.

If you think it's raining for you

Just remember others are blue

Keep your sunnyside up, up

Turn that frown to a smile.

Stand up on your legs,

Go and fry some eggs,

And keep THEIR sunnyside up.

Linking to Order of the Opus Gluei,

ANOTHER MOMENT OF HAPPINESS, AND A STORY

A4 Watercolour Sketch - Jez
Drawn in the Clinic Waiting Room and coloured at home

In 1939 my mother, sister and I had been sent back to England, while my father stayed on duty at his naval base.  For me it was, in fact the first time in England and I found it so cold and wet, and the house seemed dark and had very little furniture.  In addition we had a new baby brother shortly after our arrival, and we would look after him while my mother tried to sort out our new lives.

My sister and I played in the almost empty front room with little brother.  I'm the little curly-headed horror in the pink dress.

We were rather mischievous children, and one day we had the idea of giving the baby roundabout rides on the wind-up gramophone that was one of the few things in the room.  My sister would wind the handle to start the turntable going (without a record on it, of course), and my job was to help him sit up as he slowly went round.  I don't know how he grew up to be so normal.

I drew this from my memory and imagination while waiting in yet another hospital clinic.  I didn't feel like sketching the people around me, and suddenly this memory jumped into my mind.  Strange how memories like this just come unbidden into the mind.

I shall send a copy to my sister, a fun memory to share and talk about on the phone - but I won't send one to 'little' brother, he probably doesn't remember it and is better off not knowing!

The finished sketch gave me a smile and made me happy to think of those times 75 years ago, so I am offering it as another entry for the Art Journal Journey challenge of Moments of Happiness this month.

Linking to Art Journal Journey, Paint Party Friday, Manon's Paper Saturdays

SPA - LIGHTHOUSE

Pitt Pen and Inktense Pencils - Jez Eden

'Lighthouses' is the theme for Sunday Postcard Art this week, which makes this the second lighthouse I've painted in the last week or so.  The other one is a couple of posts back.

This was one of those drawings where I didn't know what I was going to do when I started.  I liked the idea of doing doodly waves crashing on the rocks, and it grew upwards bit by bit from there.  The grey sky spaces asked for something to be written there, so I made up this little poem about the lighthouse:

THE LIGHTHOUSE 

How many lives I've saved I cannot say,

From rocks and reefs along the way.

Who needed me I do not care:-

Enough to know that I was there.

Linking to Sunday Postcard Art,

HAPPINESS IS LIME GREEN

A couple of Limeys - Jez
Pitt pen, coloured pencils and digital framing

The Three Muses this week asked us to create something using Turquoise and Lime Green.  I asked myself what I could paint with Lime Green, and the answer was obvious - Limes.  I even found that I had pencils labelled Lime Green and Turquoise in one of my many sets of coloured pencils, so it was meant to be.

When I was younger English people were often referred to as "Limeys", mostly by Australians and Americans.  This seems to have died out in favour of other nicknames.  The name Limeys was derived from the fact that from the 1800s the British Navy issued lime juice to their sailors to help prevent Scurvy, which is a rather nasty illness caused by lack of Vitamin C.   

Nothing like doodling - Jez
Acrylic paint

For the April challenge at Art Journal Journey the theme is Moments of Happiness.  I was stuck for a while because it can be interpreted in so many ways.  Inspiration struck when I was doodling with paint, and realised that doodling and colour - particularly yellow, orange and red - give me a lot of pleasure and many moments of happiness.  Who needs diamonds and couture clothes when we've got colour to play with!

Linking to The Three Muses, Art Journal Journey, and Manon's Paper Saturdays

MIXING IT UP A BIT

Doodle-Town Map - Jez

'Welcome to Doodle-Town' is my entry for the Mix it Monthly challenge to create a map and use pinks and browns.  Wherever you go in Doodle-Town there is a great deal of variety - in fact it can get a bit too much variety if you are driving around looking for a particular address because there are no signposts.  The best thing about Doodle-Town is that all roads lead out of town and away to something more like civilisation.

And now three digital paintings, which I created for the 'Away from Home' theme at Paper, Paint, Pencils & Pens .  I wanted to illustrate some of the holidays I would love to have taken but never got around to, and here are my imaginary holiday destinations.  All three were painted with the 'Brushes' App on my I-Pad.

Painted on I-Pad with 'Brushes' app - Jez

I love Japanese Gardens, and this little corner of the large garden of the old house we'd spend a month or so in would be where I would come to sit and enjoy the silence and serene atmosphere.

Painted on I-Pad with 'Brushes' app - Jez

Then there was the holiday we fancied in a lighthouse on a cliff, but that was in the days when we would have enjoyed climbing half a dozen or more flights of steps to see the view.  Good job it's got a television aerial and broadband.

Painted on I-Pad with 'Brushes' app - Jez

And a real castle on its own little island, with a gentle slope on the other side behind the castle with a helicopter pad and beautiful gardens leading down to the beach.  At the moment we are out for a ride in the power-boat that is included in the deal.

If you want to come and spend a little time with us in one of those lovely imaginary places, I'm sure we'd find room for you.

Linking with Mix It Monthly,

SPRING APPROACHES, INCH BY INCH

'INCHIES' - something I haven't tried before, so the Opus Gluei theme of 'Inchies' was quite a challenge for me.  First cut up some cream watercolour paper into tiny squares, OK.  Then draw or paint something on these little pieces, but what should I draw that will fit in that miniature space!

Inchies in Black and Cream - Jez
Black Pitt Artists Pen

This is what I decided on.  I thought of arranging them in nice neat rows, but realised I'd never get everything straight, so random placing is what I ended up with and in fact I prefer this arrangement.  I enjoyed the challenge because it was so easy and relaxing to sit in a spare moment and draw one or two.  I'll definitely do more of these. 

SPRING is the theme for the So Artful monthly challenge.  My offering is very simple, just love among the apple blossom.

Copyright-free image from 'Memories of a Lifetime' book
Words added by me on Photoshop

Hubert is such a nice young man, shy and polite.  It's clear Arabella felt she had to provide a little encouragement by pretending to be snoozing, but by golly the top of that stone column must be killing her neck.

Linking to Order of the Opus Gluei, So Artful Challenges, Manon's Paper Saturdays

SOMEBODY STOLE THE SEA!

I drew the sketch below this morning from a photograph I took many years ago on a holiday in Sussex.  Dev and I were walking along the country lanes when we saw this yacht marooned in the middle of a field, well away from a river or the sea.

A4 drawing with Pitt Artists Pen - Jez

I've never been successful at drawing boats in the past, so this was quite a challenge for me.  I decided to be brave and paint it as well, though the line drawings are really my favourites.

Watercolour

I was pleased with the result.  The paper in the sketchbook is not good quality and of course it buckled - served me right for using that book.  But I remembered a comment someone left on a previous post that ironing the back of thin paper when the painting is completely dry will flatten it.   (I'm so sorry, I can't remember who, but thank you).  I had to tear it out of the sketchbook, but it can be stuck back in.  And the ironing tip worked.

The sketch was done for Lynn Cohens Paper, Paint, Pencils & Pens blog, where lots of interesting work is posted several times a day by very talented artists - the current theme being 'Away from Home',  but I am so pleased with it that I wanted to share it here, and hope you like it.

Linking to Paint Party Friday

VINTAGE AND COLOUR

Vintage Image 'Romantic Illustrations'  Copyright-Free Book
Frame - own photo - Jez

SIPPING SODA THROUGH A STRAW

- JESSIE AND DIGBY CELEBRATE THEIR ENGAGEMENT.

Someone should point out to Jessie that a chap too mean
to buy a drink for each of them

is not ideal marriage material.

Linking to Three Muses challenge, where the theme this week is "Vintage and Color"