I really had fun creating this piece! I let the water and paint flow down the page, creating a background that grew organically, and then added my details later.
The original painting was sold via my Etsy store – You can purchase prints and products of this work via Redbubble.
A starry night falls in a colourful garden of trees.
This original painting is available for purchase in my Etsy store. Prints and other products available via Redbubble.
I really struggle with coming up with names for my art pieces, which I’ve talked about before.
For this whimsical painting of brightly coloured trees, the title ‘Forest Flags’ was inspired by the following quotation:
“The forests are the flags of nature. They appeal to all and awaken inspiring universal feelings. Enter the forest and the boundaries of nations are forgotten. It may be that some time an immortal pine will be the flag of a united peaceful world.”
– Enos A. Mills
I love painting with lots of colour, and this painting is definitely no exception! Painted on 8″ x 10″ high-quality watercolour paper, this original painting is available for purchase in my Etsy store.
This original watercolour painting was created on high-quality 8″ x 10″ watercolour paper. You can purchase a copy in my Etsy store.
It’s been a little while since my last update, and there’s been quite a few things going on since then!
In August I was lucky enough to be involved in an exhibition called Heart Felt at the Mezzanine, Entangle Living art. What a fantastic space! The gallery space (the Mezzanine) is housed in an old butter factory, and is located above an amazing store which sells live plants (including unique indoor plants grown using the Japanese art form Kokedama), handmade homewares, gifts, and small artworks. For those who haven’t visited, it’s well worth the trip up to Dayboro. We took the family up for the day during the exhibition, had a lovely morning looking at the Dayboro markets, and the kids were very impressed by the little lolly shop a few doors down from Entangle: Living Art!
I was thrilled to be able to participate in this exhibition alongside some amazingly talented artists, and was able to sell three paintings to a lovely lady who viewed them at the exhibition and contacted me afterwards to purchase.
In September I participated in another exhibition. This one had a unique concept – it was called ‘Ipswich on a Palette“, and invited artists to create a scene representing the city of Ipswich on a wooden artist’s palette. I chose to represent a Jacaranda tree – it’s one of my favourite trees and is very iconic to the area of Ipswich (even though it’s not a native plant!) Every year in Goodna there is a Jacaranda festival, and I just love seeing all the trees in bloom!
Another project I’ve been working on is decorating a Popobe Bear for the Toy to the World charity exhibition. This exhibition has been running for several years, but this is the first time I’ve had a chance to participate. Creating my bear was fun and challenging! I am very proud of how he turned out, but I don’t think he compares to some of the other artists’ entries I’ve seen. It really is an amazing group of artists! All proceeds from the charity auction go to the Victorian AIDS council. Opening night for the exhibition is tonight, and the exhibition runs for 4 days. For those of you (like me!) who are unable to get to Victoria to see the bears in person, there will be an online charity auction held through Facebook. I strongly recommend you to check it out, because I’ve seen a sneak peek of some of the bears, and they are INCREDIBLE. Seriously proud to be involved in such an amazing exhibition alongside so many great artists, and for such a wonderful cause.
Apart from the projects mentioned above, what else have I been up to? Well, I’ve been working on a commission and a new series of works. More to come!
This week’s prompt over at Illustration Friday is ‘Hair’. This is the perfect opportunity to show you two of my newest paintings! Both of these paintings include figures with long, flowing hair – at least, that’s what I see!
As I explained on a previous blog post, I’ve been experimenting with a new abstract painting technique. I start with an image that is purely abstract – I work wet-on-wet on the paper, use lots of paint and water and allow the paint to ‘flow’ in the direction it wants to go (sometimes I help it along). I add textural elements such as gauze, and then I allow the first layer to dry. After it has dried, I start adding more layers, and then an image begins to form – almost like a Rorschach test! As the image begins to form, I help it along by adding in details with a fine brush. In the end, I find the painting isn’t so abstract anymore.
In this first painting, I saw a female figure, floating on her back in the water. I imagined her as some kind of sea goddess, and gave her long, flowing hair. My 3-year-old son still says it looks like a jellyfish though, and points out the ‘tentacles’! I like that about abstract art – people can see in it what they want to. We all bring something of ourselves to the art we view.
In the second image, I also saw figures in the water. This time, I saw two figures and imagined them having tails – so they became mermaids. I added some scales, and like the sea goddess, long flowing hair.
What do you see in the images? Do you see the figures that I see? Do you see a jellyfish like my son does, or do you see something else?
The original paintings Sea Goddess and Drifting Together are available for purchase in my Etsy store. Prints and other products including clothing and accessories are available at Redbubble and Society6. Interested in receiving a little bit of art in your mailbox every month? Become a supporter of KL Bailey Art on Patreon!
The Heart Felt exhibition at :the mezzanine:, Entangle – Living Art, is happening in just under a week and I’m starting to get nervous excited!
This is the first time I’ve been involved in an exhibition since before my daughter was born, and I think the theme fits perfectly with my painting style. Many of my paintings, especially my ‘family tree portraits’, feature hearts and convey feelings of belonging, love and connectedness.
I really enjoy being involved in exhibitions. Not only do they give me an opportunity to showcase my work, but they also allow me to see the work of others. My husband is staying home with the kids on Friday night for the opening, so this exhibition will also an opportunity for a kid-free night out!
If you enjoy my work, I really hope you’ll take this opportunity to come and see it in person. I do my best to scan or photograph artwork carefully, but seeing it in person really brings it to life. There are also 6 other artists showcasing their work, and from what I’ve seen of their work so far, I’m extremely honoured (and maybe a little intimidated!) to be showing my work alongside theirs.
“Heart Felt” opens at 6pm on Friday 4th August at :the mezzanine: @ Entangle – Living Art, 38 Williams St, Dayboro. The exhibition runs through until August 27.
I’ve never been good at meditating. Most of the time I have trouble switching my brain off to be able to sleep, let alone meditating. But I do find that creating art is a form of meditation for me, especially when I’m creating more intricate pieces and lots of little swirls. I get lost in the painting.
Two of my most recent painting are great examples of this.
For these two paintings, I was initially inspired by Linda Melvin’s abstract watercolours. I started working wet-on-wet and letting the paint flow and do its own thing. I also used gauze as a textural element, as she does with some of her work. But that’s where the similarities end.
As you can see, my work is very different to hers. In her tutorials, Linda talks about the importance of coming back in and enhancing an image after it dries. This is the stage at which I get carried away! For both of these paintings, I began to see a shape emerging from the abstract patterns – in one I saw a humanoid figure, and the other, a dragon-like shape. As I went in with my fine paintbrush to enhance the images, I accentuated the shapes I saw. In both cases, I did not know what the shape would be until the initial layers of paint dried. I used swirls and patterns to add details to the images.
I really enjoyed creating both of these paintings – I loved the way I could switch off my brain and get lost in the small details, and the way that an image emerged from the painting seemingly on its own. When I paint, I feel calm and peaceful, and it’s the closest thing I get to meditating.
Original paintings ‘Taking Flight‘ and ‘Dracontine‘ are both available for purchase in my Etsy store. Prints and accessories are available via Redbubble or Society6.
I’m *really* late with posting this Illustration Friday painting – the new topic is due up sometime today. It took me a while to get the idea straight in my head.
Here’s what I came up with for the “rescue” topic:
A heart’s rescue.