My creative space: I'll pencil you in

The style I was painting my blanket labels in, all flat and blocky, was starting to drive me mad, they just didn't look like they did in my head.  So I decided to do a bit of experimentation, and to have a go at drawing them in a more detailed way in pencil, then washing over them with watercolour or gouache.  Here's my first one, which is still waiting to be painted:

  And I miiiiight have bought some more blankets, purely for the labels.  Take a look at these beauties:

Love those fonts.  

 Joining in today with "My Creative Space" over here, and remember:

 Happy Thursday!

My Creative Space: a Valentine's Day giveaway

Happy Valentine's Day!  I'm having a bit of a giveaway today, but first up, some blankets.  I've been working on some paintings of old blanket labels and finished this Onehunga Woollen Mills one this morning.  Then in a nice bit of synchronicity I found another Onehunga Woollen Mills blanket at the op shop this afternoon.  For the princely, or should I say princessly sum of $7! It is very gaudy in real life, with almost fluro pink stripes, but it looks much more tasteful in photos!  I think this "Princess" label will be one of my next paintings. 

And now for the giveaway!  I was hoping to have some Valentine's Day cards printed from this fox picture I drew, but I haven't had time to print them.  This gocco print is probably the most romantic thing I have in stock, what with an anatomical heart and a sacred heart dripping blood!  So if you would like to win a copy of this print, just leave me a comment telling me what you're up to for Valentine's Day.  I'll draw a winner from a hat next Wednesday night, and I'm happy to post it anywhere in the world.  

 Oh and what am I up to for Valentine's Day?  I'm hanging out at home with my cat.  That's cool, she's pretty cute!

 Joining in with "My Creative Space" over here today.

Happy Thursday to you!

Daylesford

I finished off my first blanket label painting late last night, it's gouache on watercolour paper. 

I wonder if one of these ladies made the blanket, they're workers from the Petone Woollen Mills, wearing beautiful coats that were made at the mills.  You can click on the image for the source. 

The next blanket label I'm painting is from an Onehunga Woollen Mills blanket...a bit closer to home! 

My creative space: my type

Those beautiful old woollen blankets with labels like "Onehunga Woollen Mills" or "Kaiapoi" seem to be getting few and far between.  Sometimes you can find some gems at one of my favourite op shops, but they're often relegated to the "dog blanket" bin, holey and a bit manky.  I really love the typography on the blanket labels so I thought I'd set myself a little project of making some blanket label paintings.  I'm only part way through my first one, here it is so far:

Scuse the badly lit after work photo

And here's one of the lovely blanket labels in question

 Speaking of lovely typography, I've got this book out of the library at the moment:

It's got profiles of amazing painters of hand-lettered signs, something that like blanket labels is becoming a bit of a rarity. 

I love these ones, they're by Caitlyn Galloway.    

And my Antarctic Explorers are still touring around the South Island.

Joining in with My Creative Space today over here.  

Happy Thursday to you!