The Many Ways to Enjoy, Or Gift Art, Without Needing to Frame It...

Hello there, and hope all's well with you.

I need to confess something to you. And it's this. Although I really, *really* like to *make* art, all the precision and measuring of framing it...is not my thing.

Admitting that seems a bit embarrassing, seeing as how I enjoy the painting and drawing of it so much.

And so, I've kept it quiet. Until now. Because, when a friend mentioned putting off framing things too...I realised I'm not alone.

And so, if you hate framing as well, here are some alternative ways you might enjoy (or gift-because yes, it's "the season" for that as I type...) some scrummy art that can be enjoyed, without the need for fiddly framing.

1. Get a Displate

Art can be printed on metal easily...and sometimes looks even better than on paper.   Click or tap here for info.

Sadly, neither this cute dog nor the ultra-tidy room belong to me :-).
But this scene from Displate does show what all my floral art
looks like as a complete Displate collection...

2. Turn Your Fridge Into A Gallery.

Fridge magnets themselves can display art surprisingly well, and at bigger sizes than I realised. (Though small ones can still be sent inside cards too, just like stickers).

Feel happier looking at your fridge, with this cute puffin...
Tap or clik here to see more...

3. Get Comfy With  Some Visual Joy...

Cushions, throw pillows, call them what you will, still make a great way to display some art, that you get to see every day, and actually use.

For example, you can buy these daffodils as a print...But you can also have a breath of spring and joy to hug in the depths of winter with this throw pillow/cushion cover:

Daffodils in Sunshine Yellow Cushion/Throw Pillow.
Tap or click here to find out more...

4. Wear Some Art.

When you read that, you might  automatically have thought about T shirts. They bear a huge number of designs. But other options are available too.

For example, if Christmas jumpers aren't your thing, you could nod to the festive season with these holly patterned socks.

Holly Patterned Socks-tap or click here for details.

 And if you're gifting things,  am feeling that  must have told you before about the surprisingly large number of people who are walking around the world sporting my marmot, or kingfisher socks...

5. Try Pop-Up-Frames.

But maybe you're thinking, "No, Clare, this isn't it. I have *pictures* that I need to frame, and I still hate framing...".
In which case, you might want to consider a new option, of pop-up frames.

This is a solution I only came across very recently. So I have yet to try them out, and have no idea whether they are available outside the UK, for example

However, these people say that they're pop-up sturdy card frames solve many framing woes. 

I'll add more info here when I have it. But it looks like it might be an especially good option if you need a very light frame,  are framing for fun or household use only, or want to try out lots of options before settling for one look.

6. Buy Something Ready-Framed...

Yes if it's a really special gift or item, some things do still look absolutely great in a frame. But that doesn't mean you have to frame things yourself.

Here's the Barn, Owl, Night sky painting from a recent post, looking resplendent in a frame, which Redbubble can sort and ship for you.

Barn Owl, Night Sky by Clare Walker
Framed print-tap or click here for details.

And finally...

I've really only just scratched the surface of this topic, and know that there are a gazillion more ways to display and use art without having to do the conventional framing thing. To start with, I just wanted to get this post out to you in good time...And at least begin to map out some options for solving the perennial framing problem.

But it is my plan to update and add to this list regularly, and even maybe include some progress pics.  So, literally, please watch this space...

For now though, hope this helps, and thanks ever so much for reading right down to the bottom.

As ever, there'll be...

More soon.

___________________________

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A Watercolour Sketch: Glowing Autumn Berries

Hello there, and I hope all's well in your corner of the world.

Here, the very first kiss of autumn's oranges and gold have appeared. Amongst the still-very-green eaves, as if from nowhere... Berries are suddenly...everywhere...

And so, even though, I confess, have been spending a lot of time this week visiting places and just soaking them up, rather than drawing, there was chance to capture those first glowing berries, inspired by some I saw on our visit to Camley St Natural Park:

Glowing Autumn Berries: An Initial Sketch

Watch this space to see what they'll become. (Update on September 12th 2024: See them in action in this post)

And, as have deliberately gathered inspiration this year to keep things bright during the winter, expect some ongoing flowers this year, as well.

More soon.

___________________________

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Christmas Foliage Graphics...and a Quiz

Picture 1-Right-click, click or tap here to download if you wish.

Hello there

Hope you're well and thriving, and ready for some fun, as well as a not one, not two, but three freebies to download, as befits the approaching festive season.

You're welcome to use any of the set of three graphics in this post, in any way at all that matches my angel policy. Just right-click, tap or click (depending upon your device) on the graphic(s) you'd like to use, and the graphic should download.

And if you're not in need of freebies right now...as well as if you are, this post is also a quiz.

Picture 2: Right-click, tap or click here to download

Each of the pics in this post was created in a different way. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to decide which method (A, B or C) matches which Picture 1, Picture 2 and Picture 3.

Picture 3: Right-click, tap or click here to download.

Painting and Drawing Methods Used

Which of these methods do you think matches which picture? (You may have to scroll up  from here to see the pictures again).

Method A One of the pictures in this post was created using 100% digital watercolour painting and digital ink sketching,  in the wonderful Rebelle 5 app, (not an affiliate link, I just enjoy using it).

Method B One of the pictures was created by wetting hot-pressed, (ie smooth) 300g Bockingford Watercolour paper, splashing colours into wet areas, and then, when the areas were dry, inking in details with a black waterproof pen.

Method C One of the pictures in this post was created by sketching onto 300g cold-pressed Bockingford Watercolour Paper first, and then painting in details wet-on-dry (though white highlights were still added later).

Your answers

When you think you have your answers, check the PS at the bottom of this post, to see if you're right.

Please note, this quiz is just for fun, there are no prizes, and the answers are at the very bottom of this post, in the P.S. section.

Whilst I'm in the business of making sure that there's enough text here to obscure the answers, this is probably a great point to remind you that my Redbubble shop is still a great place to look for gifts (most still in time for Christmas, or of course, any other time of year), and that  the printable designs in my Craftsuprint shop can be downloaded 365 days a year.

With that said, I hope you had fun with this post today, and/or found something you wanted in one way or another. It's only left for me to wish you a happy week, and promise that there will be more from me soon as well as...

A P.S with the quiz answers...

And the answers are:

Picture 1 was painted using method B. The surface is smooth (ie hot pressed) and the end result has a pretty sploshy wet-in-wet look.

Picture 2 was painted using method A, and is therefore, 100% digitally painted, (even though the digital paper behind it has a really convincing rougher/"cold-pressed paper" look).

Which means that Picture 3 used method C, with its rougher paper and penwork that am feeling now might have been a little over-the-top :-) .

Whatever your answers, hope you had fun, and see you next week.

More soon.
___________________________

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Free October Pumpkin Illustration, And Some News...

Click, tap or right-click here to download this illustration

Hello there

Yes, it's early in the week again, but thought you would appreciate having chance to see (and download, if you'd like), the free illustration for October.

About this image: The end of a series

The original image was a sketch in Inktense paint pans and pen, (finished with gold gel pen dots) which I then scanned into the computer, and boosted a little in Photoshop, so that it got back to its pre-scanning brightness.

More importantly though, image is a landmark in that it's also the end of a series. Over the last year or so, I have created at least one free illustration for each of the months (sometimes more than one) and also for other events,  most recently, the Equinox.

With this October drawing, this "seasonal," set of illustrations feels complete, at least for now. The free seasonal illustrations will all stay here as long as the blog does. I have no plans to move them, and you're absolutely welcome to use them (as set out in my angel policy) for as long as I can foresee when writing this.

What's next?

Moving forward, am feeling a real pull to take this blog back to its roots. I used to post simply whenever there was something I really wanted to share with you (which often meant that I posted more than I do now, rather than less). I really want to go back to posting in this way, rather than on a schedule, that can end up feeling a bit forced for all of us.

I also used to post art (like the pic below) related to my participating in online challenges, and I may do that again too.

"Yay!" One of my "Art Every Day Month"
images from November 2019

Honestly, it isn't all worked out yet...I just know I need to go back to the simplicity and joy of sharing work I enjoyed, along with the story of how it came be, and where it has ended up (be that a commercial design, or someone else simply enjoying it in their hands, or showing of what they've made based upon my design).

One of my first pieces of digital art,
from exactly 10 years ago-along with its story, here.

Honestly, there may also be more "how to", posts, because if I can learn to do this, really *anyone* who feels they really want to, can do it too, and I'd love more people to be able to experience the kind of joy that the last 10 years or so of art have brought me, for themselves.

There are also likely to be more (fun!) experiments as I love to share and try new things, and it keeps the energy high. Am thinking of things like this quiz, for instance...

Click here for the quiz...

What will the blog be like now?

Blogs at their best always feel to me like a cosy place in which stories like this can be shared, much more easily  than they can on other social media. (Which, I have to be honest, am using less and less. Please sign up here so that you always get to hear about my blog posts, if you currently follow me mostly on other social media).

So it feels as if  what's coming is that this can be a space of joy for all of us, rather than posting-or-reading-just-because-it's-Friday.

Will there still be freebies?

One thing you can be pretty confident about is that there will still be freebies. I've offered them whenever I can for the entire ten-years-plus of this blog, and I can't see that changing.

Most of all though...

Thank you *so much* for being here, for reading down this far, and for sticking around. It means a lot.

Watch out for new beginnings...soon...

___________________________

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New Art: Nasturtium Joy

Hello there.

Just popping in with some watercolour (watercolor :-)) flowers I thought you might like.

The vibrant oranges in some nasturtium flowers were practically singing the other day, and so this was the result.

If you're feeling a bit blue (as have heard from more than one person this week) please take this to heart especially, and let these vibrant oranges give you a boost.

And if you've been having a perfectly lovely week-yay! (And this can simply serve to show what happened to that work in-progress on Instagram :-).

And yes, it's fine to share this image as-is anywhere online. 

Let's spread some joy.

More soon.

Update on October 7th: if you're enjoying this image, the version for crafters is available here.

"The Myth of "Free Time"" Cartoon (Day 63/100)

 Obviously, this cartoon is art-related. But am guessing it applies to many other walks of life as well...

More tomorrow.

Peaceful Window Box Painting

How are you doing? Have you been trying new things, or finding familiarity with the known? 

I've found myself swinging between both of those poles, but did manage some experimentation, but did manage something new: adding in a (tiny) bit of architecture to this little window box scene. After all, have been staring at a *lot* of windows (and not much else, for several weeks :-).

If you're one of the people interested in the "how-it-was-done" details of this, it's actually a stroke by stroke digital pen and wash watercolour in the Rebelle 2 software app, with some final adjustments in Krita.

Be safe, be well, be happy as you can. There is definite light at the end of this lockdown tunnel thingy. 

More soon. 

9/11 Art Online

Mindful of the date, I've been looking at all the different artwork online commemorating 9/11. One child's work seems to have an especially moving and profound message at:

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/multimedia/911children/6.html