Saturday 2 January 2016

In the Blink of an Eye! Show Your Face on Friday with Kim Dellow

Hello and Welcome to Magpiehaven! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that 2016 will be a Happy, Healthy and Creative Year! I can hardly believe that January is here and it's once again time to show our faces over on Kim's fabulous link-up. I don't have a great deal to show this week, as it was difficult shoving aside all those mince pies and Christmas cake to squeeze a little space to create on the dining table over the Festive Season! However, I did make a little brooch for my friend Laural to give as a gift.
Her best friend is focusing on the word, 'Joy' this year. My little princess with the feather in her cap invites her through the tiny copper door, into to a year where true joy can be found in something as simple as a single rose - maybe the first one that appears with the spring!
One of my New Year's Resolutions is to step out of my comfort zone as much as I can creatively and to challenge myself in as many areas of life as possible. 
It's great that this month Kim is suggesting we focus (sorry!) on eyes and maybe challenge ourselves to create in a different style. For my first drawing of the New Year (almost) - the other is a secret, which I will reveal maybe some time later in the year - I was inspired by an eye I saw on Pinterest. I used this sketch as a basis for a study in pencil, fine liner and Inktense, which I hope to use on future projects. My eye is reflecting on a winter landscape with part of a tiny ruined abbey. It suggests to me the wonder of how Spring returns to the dark and barren places each year: wild flowers appear between the roots of the gnarled trees and fresh young leaves curl into life on the boughs we thought were dead. Meanwhile there is something beautiful in the silhouettes of bare branches and the rooks' wings against the winter sky.
Over the month, I plan to create a collection of eyes, which I hope to use with different papers and stamps on a new range of projects inspired by Milagros and Mexican folk art, which often feature eyes at their centre. I hope to link up more eyes and maybe even a project next week! Thank you so much for stopping by today. I do hope you'll have some time to explore different ways of drawing eyes and link them up to Kim's blog. There aren't lots of rules, it's such fun to join in and you can find out all about it here. A Happy and Creative 2016 everyone!

16 comments:

  1. I love this eye!! You are so clever. Happy New year - and happy crafting!

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  2. A wonderful brooch and an AMAZING eye!
    Happy New Year!
    oxo
    Susi

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  3. Magical eye! Happy New Year to you!

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  4. Been over to Kim's blog and love the idea of focusing on one aspect (eye). Love your eye, Julie. i can imagine it to be an illustration in a grimm's fairytale book.

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  5. This is a magical eye and very cleverly thought out Julie. Love it . Happy New Year. Tracy x

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  6. Wow! This eye is amazing! I love the little brooch too! Hugs, Chrisx

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  7. Love the eye!! Looking forward to what you will share with us dear Julie Ann!!
    A sweet brooch as well and I am sure Laurel will love it! xoxo

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  8. Fantastic eye!! Great imagination and your New Year's Resolutions, I'm looking forward your future works. xx

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  9. Fabulous brooch for your friend.
    Lovely eye and idea - love the branches as eyelashes with the birds.
    Looking forward to seeing how you will use the eyes you create.
    Gill xx

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  10. The first post of the year and already I am eager to see (no pun intended!) where your eyes will lead you. You beautifully capture the scene you describe, I certainly feel as though this is my eye as I study the view in front of me, of the abbey and winter landscape.
    The brooch is adorable, with the tiniest of doors.
    I just know I will be enthralled by your art adventures throughout 2016.
    Wishes
    Lynne

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  11. The brooch is lovely, and the eye is really hauntingly beautiful. I just love the tree silhouettes as eyelashes, and the view on to a tiny landscape - magical.
    Alison xx

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  12. This is wonderful. What the eye sees.

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  13. That eye is stunning & I love the little brooch.

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  14. So far this year I am feeling a bit challenged trying to keep up. I did see this lovely brooch on FB and thought I'd commented here...but I guess that was all in my head ;-)
    What a brilliant start to the new year...stepping out with magical eyes and more!
    oxo

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