Hello dear friends!
Is there still anyone out there in Blogland? Or did we all abandon it for Instaland? As much as I like Instagram, I still prefer blogging. A blog to me is a piece of home one creates. And Blogland is the place where we meet, where we visit one another and have tea and a chat. In Blogland there is still time for such indulgence, while in Instaland I feel like we mostly have a quick peek through the window, wave, and then leave for the next window.
So, can I offer you a cup of tea? Biscuit?
It's Autumn here in the northern hemisphere, my favourite season. Fallen leaves, mushrooms, the smell of earth after rain. My focus tends to be on the forest floor when hiking in the woods.
After working hard at my illustration skills for so long, I started missing working in my hand bound mixed media books and also working with fabrics and fiber. The funny thing is that I notice these crafting hours now are heavily influenced by my illustration work, where my main focus is on children's books.
These illustrations are a mixture of digital drawing and hand painted textures, among others. The fox is a personal piece. The forest library is a piece I did for one of the online art school classes I'm following.
The mixed media forest book I'm working on at the moment is one I shared with you previously. You can see more of it HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. It's a project I'm adding bits and bobs to gradually, so it will probably take me years to finish it, if ever. Pages are never declared finished and will probably added to, until I'm completely done with the whole book. And there are other books I'm working on in the same manner.
This week, I did some knitting and added a little piece to one of the pages. I think I will do a bit of embroidery on top of it perhaps. Some day. The drawing of the deer I had started ages ago and never finished. I felt like working on it a little more today. And I added some pieces of lace and even embroidered a little creature in the spiderweb like thingie on the top right. This is how my brains work. Hopping from one technique and material to another and mixing everything together.
There is something else I'd like to share with you as well. When renovating the house, my loved one found these old wallpapers hidden behind other layers:
Aren't they beautiful?
I even like the texture when peeling off the layers.
That's it for today. I quite like being on my blog again. I might do more blogging again in the future. There are some things I'm going to try to learn, like needle felting and knitting. My mind is filled with ideas, all fitting this path I'm currently on, trying to find a way to incorporate all kinds of crafts into my illustration work and vice versa. Because no matter how much I love drawing and painting, I could not live without crafting and needlework either!
Wishing you a sunny day,
big hugs xx,
Wen
Wen it's so lovely to see you on here this evening, how i'd thought you may have chosen the Insta way full time. I tried it but compared to blogger it's reminds me of a drive threw take out for one rather than sitting for a three course meal with family and good friends.
ReplyDeleteLovely to see what you have been working on, your illustrations always amaze me, illustration was something i'd always wanted to get into but then life and a family became my focus.
Love how you keep adding to the mixed media journal, it's what they are created for.. and never finished. To alter and add is something of beauty in the eyes of an artist.
What wonderful finds hidden underneath the paper, layers and layers of love with their own story, I hoped you managed to salvage some?
Enjoy the beauty of the season and I hope to see more fabulous work on blogger very soon.
Stay safe.. until next time creative wishes Tracey x
Hello dear Tracey, so good to hear from you again! The way you described insta as a drive through, that's exactly it. It's probably called insta-gram for a reason, cause it's an insta hello and whoosh insta out again :) Thank you so much for your kind words about my work. And yes, a lot of the mixed media book is made from salvaged pieces. I love that, it adds to the story of the book and I notice it makes me more attached to it, more caring.
DeleteSo good to hear there are more people in favor of blogging, I'm off to visit you now! Sending you big hugs and hope to see you again soon, xx
Hello dearest Wen, I'm delighted to hear from you again! Your charming, whimsical woodland illustrations brought a much needed smile to my Friday face. :) That sweet minty yarn knitted piece adds such a cozy texture to the page, especially for this time of year.
ReplyDeleteI can imagine you jumping for joy when you discovered your home's "buried treasure". The colors and flowers are dreamy vintage at her best! It's hard to match the utter charm of vintage wallpaper.
Wen, I could hug you! Thank you for voicing your thoughts on Blogland vs. Instaland. I'm not much of an Instagram follower, I find it too impersonal. It's difficult for me to grasp the essence of an Instablogger's (I made that up) personality, her thoughts and emotions when she's looking into a camera, speaking to an audience. Many have done a good job perfecting their Instagram presentations, but communication between the Instagrammer and her followers, truly visiting, as you so aptly named it, in a group is impossible. Many bloggers I once so enjoyed have moved away entirely from blogging in favor of Instagram or Facebook and I miss them. Thank you for deciding to stay and share your incredible creativity as Wen of AppleApricot. I look forward to your next visit.
Hello dear Judy, I'm so happy to hear from you again! Thank you so much for your sweet words about my work. And yes, it was a jump for joy when discovering those wallpapers. The top layer was a plain wallpaper, so imagine our surprise when finding these treasures!
DeleteI feel you on the impersonal side of instagram. To be honest, I find it tedious to type a message on my phone, so I tend to not comment or only comment just a little. And I dislike that very much. I loved the conversations we have in Blogland. There is just more room and breathing space, connection on a deeper level than just the usual "beautiful" and likes. I hope many bloggers of our dear community of old will return again as well. Not to abandon instagram all together, I will definitely try to do both. I'm not a very structured "must have a post every week or day" (or whatever regime) person anyway, so I post whenever I like :)
Dearest Judy, I hope to be back here again soon and have a tea and chat with you again. Sending you big hugs and sunny smiles, xx
so good to see you posting again, good to hear you are well and I just love your illustrations, the fox is such a beauty and sweet! Love all the texture you are bringing to your book! Love the little bunch of mushrooms you found on your walk. Pretty wallpapers, will they be added to your book too?
ReplyDeleteHello dear Connie, so nice to hear from you again! Thank you so much for your kind words. I had not thought about what to do with the wallpapers yet. That is, the photos of the wallpapers, as the actual paper itself is gone. I was not there when it was removed, alas. Big hugs xx
Deletesuch a lovely book!!! Hope you are well!
ReplyDelete