February Challenge (2012 revisited)

So 12 months on, we’re nearing the end of February 2013 and I can’t help but reflect on what I was doing this time last year….approaching the end of my “picture per day in February challenge”.

At the time I kept a small diary (in words as well as pictures) and note this particular entry:

It’s funny, but despite the fact I feel so energised when I am being creative, I seem to find so many reasons not to do it, or to put a lower priority on it than other things in my life. Despite my hope that I could generate a regular income stream I guess I am still persuaded by the notion of my art as a hobby, which pushes it behind housework, shopping and a whole myriad of other things on my “To do” list. I really do need to kick that one into touch!!

That in mind I challenged myself to produce an art work per day throughout February (2012). This would be a daily attempt to either create a new piece or complete one of the bits and pieces hanging around that had been started and never quite finished…I did manage to polish some of those off too!!

End result an assortment of images/items in a variety of media:

Images from the February 2012 Challenge Images from February 2012 Challenge Day19 - 29 February 2012 Challenge Day28

12 months later and I have adjusted my priorities to focus daily on my artwork in one form or another. Some days it’s a focus on the administrative stuff and tweaks to my website, others it’s researching opportunities and competitions and on the best days of all I listen to my music and paint or draw to my heart’s content on my latest commission or my next “big idea”. Whatever the day brings, though, I relish every opportunity to explore, learn and be creative and can’t help but think my February Challenge helped my focus and kicked some of the old doubts into touch!!

Some of these items (and lots of others) are still available to buy from the KL Art Shop if you’re looking for something a little bit different for Mothers Day (March 10th 2013).

"Sunrise" Glass Plate




 

Giant Panda portrait

 


 

"Sailing" Glass Plate




 

Portrait of a Pit Man with head lamp




Purple Mamba 6…and finally

Previously in The Purple Mamba…

  • Fridges got raided
  • Buns went missing
  • Dulse got drafted in and placed on hold
  • More fridges got raided
  • John out-Bellamied David
  • Santa ate Christmas
  • Professional bun-eaters were left distraught
  • Les Hontas interpreted evidence to identify The Purple Mamba…..
  • Technology Gnomes slaved
  • Pixelating Pixies collaborated

All because of the crime of the century – theft of food from starving civil servants!

So, without further ado, here’s the final edition (Director’s cut) of the aged Purple Mamba cartoon.

Please be warned: Content may not meet today’s exacting PC standards and not all underpants worn are Calvin Klein’s!

Purple Mamba cartoon strip Part 6

Oops – I missed: Part 1 | Parts 2 & 3 | Parts 4 & 5 | I’m just glad it’s all over

If you’ve made it this far, wow and congratulations on your stamina! Thanks for sharing a little stroll down memory lane with me and a couple of old friends – I hope you were able to share a smile with us along the way.

Remembering where this self-indulgence all started last week (or 17 years ago to be more accurate) I’ll finish by wishing a fond farewell to the friends who willingly appeared in these cartoons and who are no longer with us – gone but by no means forgotten!!

Purple Mamba Pt 4 and 5

Previously in The Purple Mamba…..

The dull but deadly, dogged detective Dulse has been called in to follow the trail of the mocking, mad munching monstrosity that is the bun shaped bun burgling bum The Purple Mamba. Though hot on his trail, Dulse was unable to catch the calculating, caped cake crusader before another attack….but he was trying really hard to meet his current key performance indicators!

This week, by the Power of Grayskull, (well actually, it was by the Power of Scotland, Scottish Power being the company who won the latest annual “battle of the energy switch” to supply my household gas and electricity. This is not to be confused with the Flower of Scotland which is a delightful and tuneful song when sung well by patriotic Scots) oh, I digress again!

…the Technology gnomes of the Photoshop room in my computer have successfully negotiated with the pixelating pixies. These are the little folks who live inside my Canon Ixus camera and wind the shutter opening crank, before running the images over to my desktop machine. Between them they have successfully cleaned up some more old copy and conspired to bring you…..

Purple Mamba Parts 4 and 5

Purple Mamba cartoon strip Part 4

Purple Mamba cartoon strip Part 5

…watch this space for the next “exciting” instalment (I think the three of us are still enjoying this anyway). Until then…

Help! I missed Part 1 | Parts 2 & 3 |