Diana Jane

Stuck.... trying to get un-stuck and failing miserably.............

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Fri, 04 May 2012 15:19:00 +0000

Its been weeks since my last post, I did start writing one, but when I went back to finish it my thoughts had changed so dramatically and I couldn't finish it.....
Note to self..... do not leave posts un-finished as they don't make sense any more....

So what have I been doing, well going round and round in circles, battling with myself and my creative block.... I really need to learn to take time out and give myself a break..... I just keep trying to force myself to make, create, paint when I know I am not "feeling " it so nothing really works and that makes me feel even worse.......

I really get soooooo frustrated with myself when I feel like this.... It has been brewing for a few weeks now, the darkness slowly descending and fogging my brain, the more I fight it the worse it gets, its like a creeping ivy that slowly squeezes and crushes until you have no strength left to fight it.
So I am doing a bit of pruning at the moment and hopefully will emerge out of this soon......
I know that I should really give in and just go and do something else for a while but I find that so hard to do .... arrrgggh Why???

I have decided to get back into Yoga and start going to the gym again. I do actually really enjoy yoga and swimming but it is hard to get back into the routine when you have been out of it for so long... but I am going to give it a go as I feel I need the time out and hopefully this will help........

I have a couple of new paintings to show, most of the work I have done recently I am so not happy with and these are the best of a bad bunch........

So.... I hope to be back soon with a slightly more up-beat post and maybe some new work, going to do something different for a while, jewellery, little quirky robots, angels and maybe a mosaic!!!!!

Just to have fun...... no pressure......

Hope you all have an amazing bank holiday weekend xoxo

Moo Cards, Etsy Sales and a trip to Brighton........

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 17:16:00 +0000

My MOO ( business cards not cow's) cards arrived this morning....... How excited was I opening them, like a child at Christmas....... I love them. I have heard so many people say that Moo do a fantastic job and thought I would see for myself..... they are fabulous, little prints of my art work......
They have made me very happy.......

Moo Business Cards

If you use the link above you will get 10% off your first order, I really recommend them, excellent service and fab product and easy to create on the site.......

Sooooo My Etsy shop has been open for 5 days and I have sold two paintings this week...... Big happy dance. So excited and I hope there is more of that to come. There is still 10% discount until Monday 16th so you can still grab a bargain......

I have not actually done any painting this week, first week in ages that I haven't, I have just been so busy with the shop, Facebook, sorting and organising but its all good and going in the right direction......

I went away for a few days to Brighton before Easter with my husband and best friends. I absolutely love going there. I went to university there so it has many happy and funny memories for me. They have built a mini "Eye"..... The brighton Wheel, so we just had to go on, amazing views.........

Next week I hope to get back to painting, I have many ideas in my head all waiting to come out. All the wood is primed and ready to go.......

Hope you have a great weekend.

See you soon x0x

PS: We played crazy golf and I beet my Husband....... That truly is amazing as I am normally so rubbish at any games involving balls. I just have to mark the occasion xx

Opening my Etsy Shop.... Opening Sale.... Very Exciting...

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 12:17:00 +0000

My Etsy shop is opening...... Yaaaayyyyy

Over the next few days I will be listing all the paintings I have ready, I have spent the last few days sorting the photographs and doing draft listings so they are all ready to go.........

I am so excited about this. I am really looking forward to getting involved with all the teams and forums and sharing my finds with you all. There is such a wonderful amount of talent on there. I have already bought some beautiful beads from Soul Silver, Sally's work is amazing, she is so talented and has some beautiful jewellery in her shop. I have found many other thing that I have my eye on so need to get some sales so I can go shopping....... :)))

As I am so excited about opening my shop I am having an opening sale so you can get 10% off for the first week, enter the code OpeningSale2012. Keep checking all week for new things being added. I really hope you may find something that you love and I would really appreciate any feedback on my shop.

I have a few new paintings to show you that will be listed shortly.

Mother and Baby ( I love this)

Phunky Chick.....

I am not amused

The four seasons

Woodland spirit.

Thats it for now........

I hope you all had a lovely Easter break, I had a great few days in Brighton, I will let you know all about that later in the week.

Keep up to date on Facebook for listing.

Be back soon x0x

Hello.........

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 16:35:00 +0000

Just thought I would do a quick post with my latest work to get up to date.......

I have been really busy setting up my Etsy shop ( it is still empty!) ....... I am just so excited about this and really enjoying browsing around and finding some totally fabulous creations on there. It is a haven of talented people with really beautiful items for sale. I am so looking forward to sharing some of my finds with you and finally opening my shop.......

I have had a couple of shops on Folksy for almost two years, it has at times been quite good mostly for my mosaics but recently it does seem to have gone awfully quiet. I know that in order to gain traffic and sales to your shop you have to put the hours in with the promotion and recently I have not really done anything with my folksy shop but that has been half deliberate and half because I have lost interest with the site. Last year folksy made many changes, quite a few for the better but this has definitely changed the mood and I feel people are looking else where. So my folksy shop for now will remain as is, maybe I will return later but for now all my time will be directed at my etsy shop......

A few new paintings for now

Trust

Imagine

Remember to breathe

Be still

Fallen

So now I am up to date with everything on here, hope you all have a fabulous weekend and the sun makes an appearance for you. It has been so lovely this week, spring has most definitely arrived. Just loving the sunshine!

Be back soon x0x

New Mixed Media Houses

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:41:00 +0000

I had been thinking about creating these for ages having had the idea after making my mosaic beach huts, thinking that I could create them using papers, paint and embelishments. Well I finally got it together and made some. I love them!....... so much fun to create and each time I make one I have more ideas for the next one. Soooo many possibilities, thats what is so fun about working with mixed media and using many layers, every time I create something I learn and new ideas are born.....

Love is the only rule.

May all your dreams come true.

Keep peace in your soul.

Don't be afraid to grow.

They are cut from 12mm MDF, the edges are wonky to give them a bit of rustic charm and individuality. Many layers of gesso, paint and papers make up a wonderful textured surface, made to resemble old plaster work. Each house has an inspirational quote and embellishments including, keys, door knobs, number plaques and wooden shapes. There are two sizes at the moment, small being 12cm x 31cm and large, 48cm x 14cm. They are finished with a few layers of varnish to seal them. They look fabulous on the wall, I'm so happy with them.

One more finished piece that I am really happy with is two hearts.

This is also made on MDF, I am loving painting on wood, it makes the piece so versatile for adding things to it.

Thats it for now, I have a few more pieces to show then I am up to date.

Lots of exciting things coming up in the next month. First I am finally opening an Etsy shop...... so excited about this, I am in the process of sorting it out and just need to get all the things photographed and ready then I can open. I cant wait to start selling all of these things I have been busy making for the last few months.

The second thing is that I am doing a HUGE, massive, FaBuLoUs give-away. This is my first and it will be a really special one, so one luck person will receive quite a few lovely gifts.

More information coming very soon.

Have a fabulous weekend!

x0x

Tamara Laporte, Juliette Crane and me

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 11:50:00 +0000

Its been three weeks since my operation now and I am recovering well, still incredibly tired but all is good......

I was going to do separate posts about these wonderful on-line courses that I have been doing but time is running away with me so I have decided to group them into one.

I have mentioned Life Book already here when it started at the beginning of the year, but now it has been running for a few months I feel it needs an update.

The course is fabulous, so varied and inspirational. The wonderful thing about it is that you can dip in and out of the course and refer back on projects that you have missed or want to watch again, and it is not necessary to do all the pages, you can go at your own pace and do as much or little as you like. It is so well organised and structured, I don't know how Tam has the time or energy to be so efficient with her home life and business, and she is so giving with her time, that is the one thing that really strikes a cord with me. She is always there offering help and advice to anyone who asks and that is truly a wonderful quality, time is so precious and few people give there time freely and gladly.

As a general guide there are two lessons a month, one from Tam and one from a visiting artist. They have all been hugely inspirational and have accompanying texts to help explain methods, processes or hints to help generate creativity and thoughts. The course is designed for both beginners and more experienced artists as you can take the inspiration and use it to develop your own work or you can follow the step by step guides and copy the process entirely. Either way you will most definitely learn new techniques and it helps you to keep experimenting, creating work you may not normally do.

This course has helped me to keep moving forward with my art work, it really helps to generate new ideas and if I get stuck I can always watch a video and try a different approach...... and I love the fact it is a whole year.... it some how makes me feel safe....weird I know!..... but it really helps keep my focus on my art work and the future which for me is amazing as I can get so bogged down I feel like I am drowning in the here and now. So I am thoroughly enjoying my life book experience and if you want to join in you can still enrol, it is not to late to start.

These two mixed media paintings were inspired by Mystele's class in Life Book for February. I just love her process so much. It really is about having fun and just going with the flow. I have learnt so much doing this class and it has helped me a great deal.

Child of the Universe

Be at peace with God

These next two pages I created just for me, they had been in my head for ages, along with so many other un-painted creations....... I am trying to set some more free this week....

The other amazing course I have done this year is Juliette Crane's course "How to paint a Girl". Juliette is just so adorable in how she teaches. She comes across as being so calm and peaceful, but so full of positive energy and inspiration. In her class she explains all about how she creates her backgrounds and the different ways in which she approaches creating her girls.

All of the classes are fun and inspiring. Juliette 's videos show step by step how she creates different girls from start to finish, I found it interesting to see how she would change elements of the painting so many times, just going over them and starting again, this is the great thing about playing with so many layers, if you don't like it just cover it up.

She also shares her thoughts on working as an artist and references to her sources of inspiration. All these things I found really interesting and thought provoking. Juliette is also very giving with her time, she is always available to offer help and support when needed and adds encouraging comments on work posted in the gallery. This course is running again later in the year, just click on the link for more info, it is great fun and I am sure you will find it a wonderful source of inspiration.

I created so many background during this course, I got a little carried away, so I now have a stack of them waiting for me to decide what to do with them, I did a few girls but it is these two that I am most happy with and it is this process that I found to be the one I enjoyed the most so will keep going to see where it leads..... love the possibilities that are generated by experimenting and evolving.

If I were a Flower

Twilight Garden

I just love these two and I'm so looking forward to where they lead.

So, if you are still with me and haven't fallen asleep, thanks for stopping by. I will be back shortly with some more recent work and "My Story" which I just have to set free. xx

Fresh Start and a New Blog.........

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 18:55:00 +0000

Hello and welcome to my shiny new Art Journal.

I'm so excited to be here and have so much to catch up on.
If you have just landed on my page you may wonder why I say it is a new blog with so many old posts... well I have transferred my old blog post with me as I did not want to lose them completely as they are still part of my history and wanted to keep them.... but this is a new beginning for me on so many levels.

Since my last post back in January I have produced so much art work it will take ages to post it all so I will do it all gradually and try and keep some order to it. I have also taken Juliette Cranes 'How to Paint a Girl" course which was fab, I will tell you all about that in a separate post, also I have had my operation to remove my Fibroids.... this I will post about soon. It was a massive black cloud hanging over me and now it has passed I can breath again, I cannot tell you how happy I am to have my life back, I still have weeks of recovery but everything is going well and I am just so happy to be here....

Here are a few paintings from the end of January......

I have really enjoyed experimenting with new techniques and just having fun with my art. I had got really stuck and bogged down with making everything perfect but have found a new freedom recently which has taken me on so many new journeys I am just loving it......

I would love to know your thought about my new Journal and any tips or advice you may have will be gladly received.

Thanks for stopping by, hope to see you back soon xx

Experimenting and my art journal.....

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 16:15:00 +0000

Hello....

Well this week started really well, I was full of positive energy and happily painting away , experimenting in my journal and creating some little paintings...... not quite sure what has happened as I now feel quite flat..... think I am expecting too much from myself and getting carried away thinking every day should be a success and have lots of finished work on my desk.... really need to remember to take a break and fill my time with other activities or I just get stuck and start floating.... in space somewhere.. Not every day is going to be the same, some are good, some amazing and some I should just do something else.....like go to the gym... lol!

That is a good idea though, I do actually love being in the gym, just me and my music, it is the only place that I actually turn off the voices in my head ( not mad voices just annoying ones) and just exist in harmony with myself...... I just have a problem with getting myself motivated to go..... Think I may work on that it will really help to energise me and give me fresh eyes on my work.....

So my art journal for this year is coming along well, not to sure it is an actual "Art Journal" as I have not done any journalling in it yet, just experimenting with different techniques and trying out ideas for larger paintings later...... anyway I am enjoying the process and am sure it will help to gather my ideas and thoughts together..

and here are some of the small paintings that I did earlier this week, they are painted on MDF, lovely to paint on, nice smooth surface....

I am loving creating these little girls, I am going to keep at them and hope to improve over time as I am not quite comfortable doing faces and features, feel a bit out of my depth..... but hey its all about learning and developing.... so I hope to be back soon with some more.

Book list 2012...... lots of reading.

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 14:56:00 +0000

Books, books and more books......

I have been going through my books that I want to read this year. Some I have have had for ages.... years in some cases, one of my obsessions collecting lovely books..... one bad habit, not reading them!!!!

So I have compiled a reading list, some of them are in preparation for my Masters that I start in October, and others just because I know they will help me in my creative life, and others that I have read before but would like to refresh my memory.......

So here we go, in no particular order, I love them all......or I will once I have become aquatinted.

1. Art in Theory 1900-2000

That is going to take a while, massive book, If I manage this one alone I will be amazed.......

2. Life is a Verb

Looks like a very interesting book about living intentionally and being mindful....

3. Living the Creative Life

Lots of inspiration and ideas about being creative from working Artists..... Love this book

4. Woman's History of the World.

Cant believe I have not read this yet!!!!!

5. The Story of Philosophy

I have some knowledge on this subject but it is so long since I have read anything about philosophy I need a refresh.....

6. A little Knowledge, What archimedes really meant......

An amazing book with so much information on a variety of subjects including contemporary economics, physics and architecture...... help me!!!!

7. Ways of Seeing- John Berger

A brilliant book, quite an old essay but still very relevant to any artist.

8. Camera Lucida- Roland Barthes

Another classic, based around thoughts and relationships with photography.

9. The Philosophy of Andy Warhol- Andy Warhol

Think this will be interesting.......

10. Art and Fear- David Bayles and Ted Orland

Observations on the perils and rewards of making Art.

11. What is Contemporary Art - Terry Smith

Preparation for my Masters, good to get familiar with the subject.

12.The Photograph as Contemporary Art - Charlotte Cotton

Another re-read to refresh my mind......

13. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying - Sogyal Rinpoche

A must read, just for me.

I think that will make for an interesting year if I can actually get through all of them....... to be honest half of them would be good!

I will report back as I read through them and let you know a bit more about each one as I go.

Please let me know of any interesting books that you have read that may enhance my reading list, I love to hear about new books from peoples experiences, recommendations are the best...

Back soon with my art journal fun.

Back to Creating.... Yaaah!

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 18:33:00 +0000

Its sooo good to have my studio back and it is super tidy as I have finally cleaned everything away and sorted it all out..... totally organised!

Problem is I am so used to working in chaos now it feels wrong to get anything out to start working again.... It wont last long, I feel a creative spell coming on.

Look how Tidy! In comparison to this ( scroll down a bit to see the mess)

I am so excited at the moment about a new on-line course I am doing by Tamara Laporte at Willowing Arts It is called Life Book... One whole year of creating beautiful art journal pages that will then be bound into a book.....

There are two video lessons per month, one from Tam and another from various visiting Artists. All sharing various mixed media techniques and inspiration. In addition to this there are so many more things to participate in each month, ATC swaps, monthly challenges, forums and discussion boards, all for you to do at your own pace and you can contribute as much or little as you want. It is amazing the site Tam has set up, so much more that I had imagined it to be, but exactly what I was looking for. A whole art community at your fingertips so fabulous!....I am so happy to be part of this course and I am itching to get started on some work....

This has made me feel so energised and enthusiastic about the start to this year, an art journal has been something I have wanted to do for ages, see what happens when you throw away all the to-do-lists, you just go with the flow and stop worrying and stressing.... love it.

I will keep you posted on my journey with Life Book and will be back soon with some new work to show xx

Happy New Year....

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:10:00 +0000

Ahhhhhh. I can now breath again......

I do love all the celebrating at the end of the year but it is so good to get back to some sense of normality again. It is always so crazy over Christmas and New Year. I love January for its calmness, I know some people find it a bit depressing but I like to think of the beginning of the year as a time to re-group and de-stress... and appreciate some time out........ just chill for a while and enjoy being.....

Last year I started to make some changes, not consiously but they just seemed to happen....

Normally I make grand sweeping statements at the beginning of a New Year, lots of New Years Resolutions, I will do this... I will stop that... I must accomplish this etc.... but this year my view is very different. I have been writing list of things to do for years and I had kept them, many many lists, sometimes I would go through them to see what I should have done and all it would do is make me down and depressed about all these things I had not achieved..... many years of torturing myself with my own disappointments.... Then last year I just threw them all away.... Yaaaah! What a release that was.... For some reason I had been scared of letting go in case there was something important that I would forget to do..... Ha! If I had not done it then so be it..... It is so silly the pressure we put on ourselves, and all you end up doing is concentrating on is all the things that you havent occomplished in stead of celebrating the things you do.....

So I have no resolutions for this year.... just to be me and go with the flow.

That is not to say I don't have a plan, and I do have things I want to achieve this year.... I am just viewing things from a different angle..... and I like it.

I feel much more energised and enthusiastic about my work and life in general than I have for a long time. I feel free to explore and experiment and also know it is ok to not always be so dam perfect.....

So... Heres to 2012.... may it be a fabulous one for all... Happy New Year xxx

Just had to show Fred the tree, he is all packed away now ready for next year.....

Birthdays, Christmas and end of year mayhem.....

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 18:04:00 +0000

As soon as it hits September for me, I know the last few months of the year will fly past so fast I feel my feet don't touch the ground... It all starts with my brothers birthday in October, then Halloween and Fireworks night, then my Birthday in November followed by my other brothers Birthday just before Christmas and the New Years celebrations..... So many landmarks in just a few months, thankfully January is empty so I can stop to breath for a while. It is just so hectic, but I love it. I love getting together with friends and family for parties and celebrations, making memories..... Christmas dinner is one of my favourite times, my Dad always cooks and what a fabulous job he does, it is just so much fun when we are all together round the table chatting and laughing, we dont do it often enough at the moment, to many things going on and sometimes life just gets in the way.

You have to stop and take time out, make room in your life for the people who matter and get together with them and make new memories, I love making memories, they are so important to me.........

I just have to share a couple of my birthday presents, because they are both gorgeous and totally mad....

I love this so much, from my little brother xx Just need to find a home for it now...

Ok... this is from my Best Friends, lol very funny, love you two, you do make me laugh xx She is called Susan, apparently!

My studio is such a mess at the moment as I have been very busy making more Girls. I am totally addicted, just love creating them sooo much.... but I have to put everything away as I need to get some mosaics finished for Christmas, I have been putting them off for ages, really must get on with them and tidy up.....

I love my studio, but I cant wait to have more room, I am overflowing into other areas of the house....and I now have to share my room with all the Christmas present so there is no visible floor space left.... cant wait to hand them all out so I can organise my space again....

Just two new pieces to show before I start on my mammoth task, I am sure to have more ofter Christmas.....

I love this girl, so funky and I love how her boots came out.......

I wasn't to sure about this one at first, but it has grown on me.......

One fabulous thing I have gained from taking Christy's courses is that although she is so crazy ( in a good way) in her way of working and I am usually quite ridged as I tend to get bogged down with making things perfect, she has helped me to be free and expressive in my art work and not worry about the finished piece and just to go with the flow and enjoy the journey.....

That reminds me of something a friend said to me a while ago, we were talking about how with some people it is all about the destination and they don't even acknowledge the journey, I on the other hand love the journey so much I forget where I am going..... true xx

Its Been a While.....

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 12:50:00 +0000

Oooops.... I seem to have neglected my blog.... again..... I really dont understand why I cant get it together to keep up on regular posts.... In my head I write a blog every day, I wish I could just send it telepathically to my blog and miss out all the typing..... It would help if I could type, I totaly refused how to learn to type at school as I said I wanted to be an Artist not a Secretary... ha ha ha so wish I had learnt now, how was I to know artists needed to type as well as paint....

So what has been happening in my little world... Well so much has happened since my last post I think it will be better if I break it down into a few posts rather than one big one, that will go on forever and a day.....

So when I was last here I was just about to start my MA in Fine Art.... Well I did and it was going very well, but soon after starting the course I found out I will be going into hospital for a major operation quite soon and would have to have 6 to 8 weeks off recovering and not being able to do much.... So after lots of deliberating and talking to my tutor I came to the decision to postpone my studies until next year.... I will start again in October 2012... Even though I was very disappointed at having to do this it has put me in a fantastic position to get myself totally prepared for the year as I now have an insight into what is expected and I have 10 months to sort out some projects and decide what I want to achieve while I am there.... So in the end it has all worked out fabulous... Just took me a bit of time to wrap my head around it all...

So after all the drama with my MA and preparing my self for my operation, it had really affected me mentally and physically. I was really struggling to focus on anything and creatively I had lost the plot completely. It is very difficult when one part of your life becomes such a big issue that it starts to dominate everything else. It has been one big roller coaster ride for a long time now...... but I can now finally see the light at the end of this very dark tunnell. Even though life is not dealing me the cards that I wanted I feel so much better than I did this time last year.... I know it will all be OK, more that ok it will be fabulous... I have a wonderful husband who has been so supportive every step of the way, I am so grateful and lucky..... Thank you xx

I am learning some very important life lessons at the moment and I need to feel everything, actually opening yourself up to experience each moment and accepting that sometimes things are just the way they are and no matter how much you struggle and fight they wont change. All these things can only make you stronger........

Well thats all a bit heavy....I feel much better now.....

So trying to find my creative spirit again I decided to take Christy Tomlinson's She Art Class. So much fun... Christy is lovely, even if you are a complete beginner she explains all sorts of techniques to you and literally guides you every step of the way, I just loved the first She Art course, it really has helped me to get back into creating and I keep coming up with new ideas all the time. Christy is very organic in her creating style which is just so different from how I work, it has taught me to loosen up a bit and go with the flow, loving it..... So I am going to keep on creating and hope to have more work to show you soon.

This is my first girl, I was really happy with how she turned out. Hope......

My next two, just loving creating them, so much fun and the possibilities are endless.

The problem is I have so many ideas I don't know what to do first.....

Last one for now, I have not put the words on her yet, so for now I call her Dancing Queen, I will re-photograph her when she is finished.... I absolutely love how her skirt turned out, my Mum asked me if I could make her a skirt like it, I said yes as long as you don't mind it made out of paper and being one dimensional so you cant turn round.....interesting idea, don't think it will catch on though.....

Thats all for now, I will be back soon xx

PS: its a bit long... sorry !

Cornwall

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 15:46:00 +0000

Well summer has arrived at last, just a tad late but it is fabulous outside, just wish I was still on holiday in Cornwall.

My father is cornish so as a family we spent a lot of our holidays there, generally around Wadebridge, Padstow, Constentine Bay and Watergate Bay. To me it is home, I absolutely love the way of live there and the cornish coast line is beautiful no matter what time of year.

This year we stayed at Watergate Bay Hotel. We used to stay there in the summer holidays years ago. Since then they have done a lot of renovation work to the hotel and have expanded their accommodation. We had a fantastic week, great hotel, gorgeous food and excellent friendly service. If you want to get away for a while I totally recommend a stay there, you wont be disappointed. Problem is that you just don't want to come home. I would just love to be sat on the beach right now, I am not one to wish my life away but I cant wait till next May when we can go back.....

I have found a new love this year. My brothers and I have always messed around with body boards trying to catch some waves, but this year we had a couple of lessons with some great guys from the Extreme Academy next to the hotel. We had a surfing lesson and a waveski lesson. They were both really great fun and now I am determined to master that board next year and "claim my wave" as Dave said. Waveskie is incredibly hard work, made the surfing seem easy in comparison ( and it is not), I was very lucky to have a great teacher who helped me catch some waves, without his help it would have been a complete disaster. Thanks Carl.

My brothers and husband have really caught the bug of surfing now so we will be back for some more help next year. I am going to do loads of yoga so I will stay on top of the board and not keep falling off. I did stand up once, Ok I fell of immediately but it is progress.....

Something to aim for next year and I look forward to my Gin and Tonic on the terrace over looking the sea....

Time waits for no man.......

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 13:24:00 +0000

Right.... Who stole summer????

I have no ides where the summer months have gone, I seemed to start losing time somewhere in May..... What happened to June, July and August and what an earth have I been doing.... Panicking mainly I think.

In July I had a brain wave... I have been wanting to do my Masters since leaving Brighton University in 2003, having done a BA Hons in Photography. I have spent most of my time over the last few years doing mosaics, selling through galleries, shops and on-line, but I had become a bit disheartened and distracted from them and started to just sort of exist with no vision. I like to have a plan and feel like I am heading forwards.... So after thinking about this without actually thinking I suddenly thought what are you waiting for, just go and do it....

So I did. I contacted Winchester School of Art and they said they were still accepting applications so I applied and got in... Yipppeeeee... MA in Fine Art here I come....

Now the panic sets in, I have been so out of the loop and not at all up to date with the Art world I just hope I don't sink on arrival... I had planned on doing loads of research, reading a experimenting but that hasn't quite gone to plan, life has a funny way of throwing a spanner in the works when you least expect or want it.....

So here I am with two weeks to go till I start.... I am very excited and looking forward to it but also really worried that I am not prepared with a plan... My tutor has told me not to have a plan, to arrive as a blank canvas, open and willing to experiment, it makes me feel uneasy.... Fail to prepare, prepare to fail..... Chinese proverbs..... keeps running through my head.

I will be fine, I just need to get there and start then it will all be ok..... I am talking to my self here.....

I am going to use my blog to follow my progress and document my journey through the next year. This is going to be one amazing ride and one where time just disintegrates like sand through a funnel. Stop...... you are here now! Enjoy the journey.

Change

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 14:04:00 +0000

“The ever moving, ever changing surface creates endless possibilities for renewal. Everything must change, nothing remains the same. Fragments of time encapsulated in an image, but time’s hand continues to move – creating, distorting and destroying.” Diana Jane 2003

Change is inevitable, but generally people shy away from change. It makes them feel insecure and vulnerable, especially if the change is out of their control or thrust upon then unexpectedly. People can start to react to change in dramatic and hysterical ways, this is generally a reaction to change its self not the conditions of the actual change.

Jumping straight in and shouting your arguments without thinking and analysing what has actually been said can take you down a very dangerous path, one of no return. Many will jump on the band wagon with you, all shouting there own opinions and disagreements. This from my own experience usually ends in disaster, with no significant effect to the greater good of anyone. If you want to express your opinions and express them using grand gestures of revolt in any way then you have to be prepared to face the consequences, and also be happy to be left on your own to do so. Many will be very quick to jump in, but when the heat is turned up they are the first to quickly remove themselves and suddenly become very quiet.

Being confronted with a change that effects your daily routine of life, work, existence in general can and is a challenge for anyone, it is how you handle the situation that counts. Think about how it will effect you directly and how you can make this change work for you rather than against you. Accept that change is inevitable in life and you will find your path much easier to follow. There will always be winners and losers, this can be a hard lesson to learn but it is a fact of life, learn from your experiences and move on, take the experience with you and use it to your own advantage to gain a better understanding of life, work and yourself.

There are some things in life that are inevitable and change is one of them, it is up to you to decide what to accept and what to challenge, but be aware that actions have consequences and don't make choices you cant live with.

I love this quote by Karen Kaiser Clark:

Life is change

Growth is optional,

Choose wisely.

Links: Suppliers for Mosaic/Photography & Jewellery Materials

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 10:34:00 +0000

I have put together a list of some of the suppliers who I have used and still do. I have included some of the best places I have found to be of value and with excellent products or services. I hope this will be of help to you, it is always good to have personal recommendations. I will be very happy to hear from anyone who has found any sites that you think will be of help to me.

MOSAICS

Mosaic Trader

They have a fantastic collection of glass and ceramic tiles, tools, grout and basically everything you will need to create a mosaic. Barbra is very helpful and will help with any requests you may have. Excellent speedy delivery also.

Opus Mosaic

A lovely mosaic gallery in Exeter. If you live anywhere near them they do mosaic classes and are very helpful if you have any questions. They stock a lovely assortment of stained glass and other mosaic equipment and glass tiles.

The Mosaic Gallery, Bexhill

Richard is very helpful and approachable. They stock a large range of Bisazza Glass tiles that are harder to get hold of from some places. Excellent customer service and delivery.

Reading Stained Glass

An amazing selection of stained glass, very helpful. They don't have a website yet but you can get there contact details from their page.

PHOTOGRAPHY

Just Ink and Paper

Good price on epson ink cartridges.

Online Paper

An excellent selection of Fine Art printing papers and excellent customer service.

Spectrum Photographic Lab

High quality developing and printing lab in Hove. They do an excellent personal service.

Silverprint London.

One stop place for all film and digital needs. Excellent selection of films, paper and display portfolios.

JEWELLERY

Beads and More by Lois

Lovely selection of Vintage Natural Brass and many more beads and findings. Great service, sign up for the news letter and get promotional codes for discounts and free findings. Great friendly service.

The Bead Shop

A huge selection of beads, charms, tools and findings, also has some helpful tips on jewellery making foe beginners.

Semi Precious Beads UK

A beautiful selection of beads in all colours.

Recent Mosaic Work

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 11:41:00 +0000

I have been really busy lately with lots of mosaic work and seem to have built up a small amount of "stock". This has taken quite a while to get to this point as for the last year or so I have been making them to order or sending them out to shops and galleries as soon as I have completed them. I am hoping that this flourish continues over the next few months as then I should have enough to send of to another shop, The Emerald Grove that has approached me to sell with them. I am really excited about this new shop as I think it is the kind of place my work will be successful in.

Once I have created more peices I will be able to rotait my work around the different venues and hopefully keep the interest fresh and exciting. Many of these gift/art shops have regular customers who just like to browse and discover new items, if they keep seeing the same peices of work the interest is lost and they look but don't see. I feel it is really important to keep changing the displays within a shop setting as it keeps people's interest and they will start to notice different things that maybe they had not noticed before , it is alway exciting to go into your favourite shop and see a new display with fresh products to stimulate your imagination.

This is my aim in order to keep the interest and enthusiasm in my work and hopefully to generate more sales. I have recently been making quite a few smaller mosaics as they are much more affordable and I can sell them on-line without huge postage costs, one of the drawbacks of mosaics is that they are very heavy. It has been quite fun to make smaller peices of work as it also makes my working process more interesting, but I am itching to produce a large piece soon as it gives me a great sense of achievement once it is complete.

I love these key hooks, I am really happy with how they have come out, they look gorgeous on the wall and are so useful for not losing your keys, as so many people do.

Mr Flower power, so cheerful, he would look fabulous in a bathroom to brighten up your morning.

I am still making some small ACEO mosaics ( you can read about them in this post), they have been very popular and I love making them.

So for now I will keep on making and creating and hopefully get every where stocked up soon.

Pros and Cons of Working at Home.......

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Tue, 31 May 2011 08:14:00 +0000

Working from home does have many advantages and in many ways it does make for an easy way of life. I am sure there are many people who think that working at home is very straight forward and simple and would love to be able to, but the reality is very different to what you might expect.

I love being my own boss, able to make my own discussions, organise my own work load and time, having the freedom to choose when I work and when I take time out for other things. These are all real advantages and if you are very organised and focused it can work exceedingly well, but they can also be the downfall of your business if you do not have some sort of structure set in place.

When you travel to a place of work, leaving the home behind, your focus shifts, this is a subconscious thing that changes your whole mind set. You are then in work mode... with no other distractions around to inhibit your progress. You work for your set amount of time, with breaks for refreshments and social catchups, then you finish and return home ( life is not really that simple I know, this is just an analogy) Your home is a refuge, somewhere to relax and socialise, a place to switch off and enjoy your time...... So what would you do if you had to spend all your time at work.... It then becomes very difficult to switch off, but thats if you have been able to switch yourself on in the first place... Working and relaxing within the same space has its disadvantages.

This is a problem that I find difficult to manage, oscillating from working all the time to not being able to focus at all.... Being surrounded by other things that demand and distract my attention, reading (I love a good book), facebook, cleaning, washing, cooking, walking Basil, shopping etc..... I find it very difficult to block all these things out and just concentrate on my work, so I end up doing a mis mash of everything and not really accomplishing anything of substance. My best friend can be surrounded by chaos and still just focus on what she is doing, I would love to have that ability but it eludes me.

The other issue of working on your own, at home is that it can get very isolating. If I didn't have my little dog Basil, I think I would go for days and not even step foot out of the house. I sometimes forget that there is a world outside and I am part of it. I do love working on my own and being on my own, it is a necessity as I love my own space but it is also very important to have interaction with other humans, to laugh, talk and express emotions, something that is taken for granted when working in an organisation. I think this is what I miss most about working in a company, the relationships that you have and build with colleagues some of whom become friends.

Having other people around so you can get their opinions about your work and bounce ideas around with is something that I miss, one of the reasons that I love studying and would like to go back to university and do my Masters. Facebook, Twitter and on-line forums can help as you can find many people who are in a similar situation and makes you feel like you belong somewhere.

Having said all that I do love what I do and I am very lucky to be able to. I am moving in the right direction heading towards my dream of a studio and gallery all in one, but for now I am happy talking to my self and Basil........

My Studio

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Mon, 30 May 2011 10:15:00 +0000

Time fly's so fast sometimes, I have know idea where it goes.... thankfully I do record most events and activities with my camera so I can refer back.

It is one whole year since I moved into my studio in the spare room. My fabulous husband and father spent a day last May building it for me so we could have our dinning room back. It had become almost impossible to have anyone over for dinner or any kind of entertainment as I had taken over with my glass and grout and everything was covered in dust and fragments of glass, not the best way to entice guests over.

So after much upheaval I became ensconced in my new Art Studio. It gave me such a sense of freedom to be able to spread my self out and not worry about having to pack everything away, being able to dip in and out of my work and just leave everything out was such a novelty, and still is, I love how it has given me the freedom to make a huge mess and then be able to walk away, to then return and pick up where I had left off. Its just fabulous.

This was our so called Dinning Room before I moved up to my lovely studio, I had forgotten how much a mess I had created downstairs. It was an absolute mission to sort it all out and move everything upstairs but so worth it.

So finally I had my own little space with all of my work and materials organised and to hand, it really has made a difference to my work. The studio does not look quite so clean and fresh anymore, it is well lived in and has many battle scars. I love the way my work surface changes over time, collecting paint, glue, grout and dents as I work, I always think it becomes a work of art in itself, a historical piece, created over time.

Coming Back Down to Earth....

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 19:53:00 +0000

I have to apologise for being slightly off radar recently.

I have neglected my very young blog, along with all the other methods of communication. Rather a strange post to follow my previous one on celebrating my progress....... but onwards and upwards as they say.... I very much doubt that this will be the last dry spell that occurs. Sometimes things don't pan out as you may expect them to and it can send you into a downwards spiral...... I have been going round and round in circles for weeks and creativity (or anything really) has just been thrown out of the window.... but I am back now.

This week has been much better so hopefully I will be back on track.

I have been painting this week (playing really) to try and get back into a flow and it has worked. I am really happy with pieces I have created this week and they have helped unlock my creative side of my brain ( yes I do have one... I sometimes wonder though!!) I thought it has shrivelled up so much it would not return, but it seems ok.

I have so much to catch up on now but I need to try and remain focused on my work and not get to worried about the fact that I am playing catch up.....

One thing at a time... baby steps as I was once told by a friend...... I will get there, I know. I just get frustrated when I get lost.

Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, blog and all that jazz.....

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 18:05:00 +0000

This year is the year that I decided that if I was to make any success with my work as a business then I would have to put much more effort into the promotional side and actually start using my business side of my brain as well as my artistic one. All sounds good in practice..... but I find this so difficult, its all the juggling, I'm not good at juggling especially when one ball is slightly prickly.....

I find that I can only do one or the other. I do actually quite like all this promotional activity, talking to the world through space using all the different mediums, and Twitter has become a bit of an obsession. I did not really have any great interest in twitter but since I have started tweeting I now realise why people love it so. There is such great potential for reaching so many people through it, although I think it will take me some time to master that.... I don't only want to use it as a marketing tool, its also a bit of fun and light relief. I have noticed that some people do tweet continuously promoting their work, I feel that is counter productive doing more harm than good. It is a great business tool but you need to get a good balance.

So far this year I have set up Flickr, Twitter a new shop on Folksy and started my Blog. Thats not too bad going for the first two months of this year but I still feel that I need to work harder.....

All of these things seem to demand my constant attention and I sometimes feel theres no time left to actually create anything... I need head space and time to create, and I feel drained from all the promotional activity on the computer.... The two different areas of this business, creating and promoting seem to be in constant conflict with each other. Its all about balance, organization and accepting that things take time to find a natural rhythm. I will find a harmonious balance between the two as one cannot exist without the other and the more I think about it the more I realise this. As in the Chinese philosophy of the Yin Yang opposites that exist in relationship to each other, the constant ebb and flow of interdependency.

[caption id="attachment_360" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Yin Yang, perfect balance"][/caption]

Renewed Love for Mosaics

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Sat, 19 Feb 2011 13:54:00 +0000

I am very happy and relieved to find that I have found renewed enthusiasm for my mosaics after a while of drifting in the wilderness wondering if I will ever want to mess with glass again. Last year all I did was make mosaics consistently for months on end, I got to the stage where I had become quite fed up and disheartened with them and so started looking around for other things to make and do. I had made the decision that I would not force myself to do them as my heart was not in it anymore , I find it really hard to "create" anything when I have lost heart in whatever I am doing, if I force myself then things go wrong and that creates even more negativity so it is best to leave well alone, do something else and return when ready.

Its funny I don't actually think I did make a decision to return.... it just happened. Thats even better as I know I am totally ready. It is such a good feeling when you come back to something and remember why you love it. So this week I have been really busy making mosaics and planning many more, once I let the flood gates open to creativity then I end up swamped with ideas and plans, problem is trying to stay afloat as I can end up drowning myself with to many thing on the go , to many ideas in my head ...... and I forget to stop.... and breath.......

I have opened another shop on Folksy selling my mosaics and art work, you can find it here Diana Jane Designs. I have had a few sales already and I hope that this will continue as I add many more items over the next few weeks.

In my last post I talked about ACEOs. I have done quite a few mosaics of this size and I am just loving them, such tiny pieces of art work and they look so cute, they will make a lovely gift.

Spring, Summer Autumn and Winter Mosaic Trees. They would look fabulous all framed together but also look really cute on there own.

ACEOs Little pieces of Art

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 09:33:00 +0000

A while ago I was browsing through the forum on Folksy when I came across a post about ACEOs by a lovely lady called Brenda.

ACEO stands for Art Cards Editions & Originals, they only have one rule, that is they have to be 3.5 inches by 2.5 inches..... thats it , they can be any medium, paint, collage, pen, pastels etc...... They are very popular in America, the craze all started from Artists Trading Cards. they would trade their own art with each other, but this excluded the general public from owning these small pieces of art so artists started to sell them. Many people started collecting them and so the obsession began. They are a very affordable way of starting a collection of original art work. Some artists sell print editions, normally a limited edition which will be numbered on the back. They are highly collectable and some sell for considerable amounts of money. You can read more about the history of ACEOs here.

So... since Brenda introduced us all to ACEO in November last year there has been a huge interest and response from many artists on Folksy. So many are making and selling these miniature pieces of Art and its great to be a part of it. The talent that has emerged is astounding and many people have started collecting them, it is so good to see the support that has emerged over the past few months. We have a daily thread where all artists post there work, chat and offer help. There is a great community spirit, good humour and fun.

One thing that struck me about this art movement within Folksy is that one person really can make a difference. Many of the people producing art have not painted for many years and have found a renewed love in there work, for some they have found great joy from collecting, you have to be quick sometimes or you do miss out ...... So thank you Brenda, you really have made a difference.

Here is a small collection of some of the work available on Folksy

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="145" caption="GweddusArt"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="145" caption="GweddusArt"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="145" caption="Handcrafted"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="145" caption="Handcrafted"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="145" caption="The Emporium of Curiosities"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="145" caption="PANTSANDPAPER"][/caption]

: Paul Bailey's Landscapes

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="145" caption="Audrey's Art"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="145" caption="Redpaint!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="145" caption="MillieBeadArt"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="145" caption="Diana Jane Designs"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="145" caption="Diana Jane Designs"][/caption]

Vintaj Natural Brass Jewellery

noreply@blogger.com (Diana Jane) — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 13:53:00 +0000

I thought I would show off some of my Vintaj Natural Brass jewellery as it is not on my web site yet. I started dabbling in making jewellery about a year ago, but just as a bit of fun really, so I could have a break from my mosaics..... It became quite addictive and so I set up a shop on Folksy it was still just a side line though..... and then I found Vintaj... and I LOVE it. There are so many possibilities for real artistic expression and experimentation.... its just fabulous. All the little pieces are blank and can be painted, stamped, riveted, embossed, distressed, altered and much more. Over the last few months I have been experimenting and collecting all the tools and materials that I need. I have finished a few pieces but there is so much more to come.......

I just love all these beautiful blank pieces... but I really need to get on with putting them all together to create some little works of art....

Collecting beads has become a bit of an obsession too...... must stop this magpie behaviour and get on with some work......

Here is a few of the pieces I have actually made, there will be lots more soon..... I hope. You can find more jewellery in my shop here.

Thanks for stopping by.... will be back soon x