And the winner is........

It's time, it's time

Thank you all for playing !

It's 7 September here (only just still) so I will do this before midnight (our midnight, NZ is GMT + 12) 

So I entered all 321 names into an Excel sheet (trust me I did and it was great to see all the peeps that "like" me and comment etc.etc.) It feels good to have so many of you cheering me on ;)  alas there can be only one winner......... 

I did the boring random.org number generator and ......tadadadadadadada.........number 48

which came with the following name...........CARMEN WING !

Congratulations Carmen !!! You now want to come join the Trodden Path (follow this link) and I will make sure that you will get a free pass into the FRESCO class. I hope you are going to enjoy the workshop !!!

To all the others, if you get the chance do join the Trodden Path, it's free to join and a great supportive community of artists. There are some great workshops, including some free ones and maybe you still like to join my FRESCO one, it's loads of fun, packed with information and very reasonable. Hope to see you on

Give away time !

 I am teaching Fresco projects at the Trodden Path now 

and to celebrate this, I am giving away one FREE spot  !

If you like to be in to win:

* follow me here on my blog and leave a comment for one chance,

* like my Facebook page for a second chance

* blog, share or tweet about it for extra chances. 

I will be drawing the winner on September 7th

Finally ..... 'the Lure'

-some details-

Usually I start a painting with a 'story' in my head, while I work the story evolves and I tend to get excited and dream away with the story that the painting tells me while I am working on it. Sometimes however -like with this painting- the story takes turns and starts to reveal things I do not want to hear or see and this time it got the better of me and I got a bit scared and had to leave it alone for a while, even considering of abandoning it all together. But once the meaning of it all started to make sense and I could live with what it said, I decided to finish it and I am glad I did. The left side of the painting is traditional and in traditional fresco style, the right side of the panel is a liquid and thin with layers of inks and paints, the centre is of course an image everybody knows

- inspired by Michelangelo of course -

  allthough a little adjusted to this particular tale where this then is not a creation of the man, but the lure to the deep by the mermaid

The panel seems to be a little challenging to photograph, as if it wants to say 'you got to see me and touch me to understand me fully'

because I always try to make my paintings tactile, I love to stroke them and feel them and understand them, and now I do this one too which has made me happy in the end. {what the painting has started to mean to me is rather personal, maybe you read the same or similar things from it, I don't want to start telling you all it told me and thus destroying a completely different story it might have for you, all I hope is that you will enjoy it}

- taken at night while still on my easel -

- taken at daylight -

  *) oh and this is part of the Fresco class I have available as on-line workshop here

<center><a href=" http://youngatartdownunder.blogspot.co.nz/p/sign-up-for-workshops-here.html "><img src="http://i1067.photobucket.com/albums/u422/youngatartdownunder/FrescoWSbtsmall.jpg" border="0" alt="Fresco Workshop 2012" /></a></center>

The Secret Life of a Funky Bird

This is the latest spread in my Coptic Journal. A fresco style page on the right (that proud little Peacock Chicky) and the other side and the little insert booklet is matched in colours and paints. I wrote a bunch of inspirational quotes and did a funny little bird collage/painting in the centre insert. Just wanted to show that even with the traditional fresco style you can do some unconventional colours and designs, and hey, I just had a lot of FUN ! and that is what it is all about right ? PLAY pLaY Play ;)

Koru

I made a journal page in Fresco Technique with the Koru, the eternal spiral shape from the Māori traditions (the symbol of new life, growth, strength and peace) wanna learn how to make pages like this too ? Join us here *

Medusa

Medusa
the latest Fresco style on canvas painting

She is this week's project in the Fresco Workshop. 
I still have an idea in my head for a possible last layer.....
will show if I decide to add that of course
If you like to learn how to make works like this, join the class here !

Poseidon - Ποσειδῶν

 I was asked to do a commission before Christmas. It was supposed to be a gift for someone that is completely MAD about Greek Mythology and there I went ..... back to my high school days ..... re-reading the stories, re-acquainting myself with the Gods. Prompts were: It was supposed to look original/old somehow, not a modern painting of the Big Man. He needed to have his trident clearly visable and he needed to be on 24x36 inch canvas and have texture. I had already started my study into Frescoes at that stage, so it fitted in well. My mindset was historical and "old" and this is what I came up with some plaster added as if he were a statue rising up from the deep....I didn't share before obviously because he was not to see it before Christmas and then I got so busy with preparations for my Fresco workshop and also didn't want to spill the beans about what my workshop was going to be about..... But now that the class is open, this is something I can freely share. In week 3 and 4 of the workshop we will be working on canvas panels as well.