art equals happy.

Raiding their closets. :: SA Style.

Grandma did a little clear out while I was there and it was fun to play dress up a bit. The black jacket was my Grandma's, she bought the jacket and added the stitching herself. It's got pretty prominate shoulder pads. I've been blessed (or CURSED!) with pretty big shoulders already, so I don't really need them, but they make me feel a bit more rock n' roll. haha. Crazy can be good, right?The shirt is one of Ted's (my Grandpa) that he's outgrown. It's a lovely short sleeved number, in the perfect 'dad' plaid. We had fun taking silly photos. Here a few of the outtakes- I'll share some of me & Ted tomorrow.

Daily Sketches. :: SA Sketches.

A few more pages from the notebook I kept whilst in South Africa.

We spent a lot of time talking about art and dreams and making it as an independent business. Some of my favourite memories.
See more things from my trip here.

End of term and sketchbooks. :: My Life.

It was our last day of term yesterday! Yay! Holiday time. [: We did some fun stuff to celebrate- had a really cool christmas market (I'll share photos later! See last years party here.) and went to Oxford as a class for our brand new project. We went to the Pitt Rivers, which was amazing! I'll share those photos later too.
I'm enjoying my first day off by not doing any drawing. I'm watching Ice Age and knitting and resting. 
It's nice to switch gears for a while- but here is what I look like most of the time while I'm drawing. Silly, messy hair and using a brush pen.
(Jazz took these back in May.)
This last project, and the one we've got now, are both based heavily on sketchbook work. I'm trying out using water soluble pencils, but actual watercolours are still my favourite.

P.s. If you're feeling Christmassy- my dear friend Amy is having a cool blog party type thing all month, where she's sharing DIYs and photos and things for 25 days of Christmas! Go check it out, it's wonderful. 

Thursday Holiday Markets. :: BA Illustration.

Busy day for me! I've got an in-college market (YULETIDE) during the afternoon and then a rush over to BLACKHEATH for the fun fun fun fair my year is putting on! Woo!

If you want to come to the Blackheath market- it's going to be lots of fun, with things for little kiddos and big kids at heart- all xmas themed & you will be helping us raise funds for our final show. (Final shows cost a lot! This is our first fundraiser for it!) It's from 5pm to 10pm. Here's the facebook invite. 

Woo Woo Woo! I'll take some pictures, promise! Kimxo 

Nights in at my house. :: My Life.

Generally, if you come round for a cozy night at my house- it will probably involve a good cup of tea, some knitting, some cuteness in the form of a kitty cat and a good movie. We like movie nights around here. Whether it's some obscure 20's silent film that relates to college work, or good old Harry Potter. Talking and laughing and singing along is highly encouraged and there are plenty of quilts to cuddle up under!Jazz came over tonight for a movie and a knit. That reminded me of these photos she took back in February. There's nothing quite like a good night in. 
kimxo

Cones of Wool! :: Workspaces & Knitting.

Today, I spent some time organizing my cones of wool. [: I bought them all second hand, from people who didn't do machine knitting anymore and were just going to throw them away. Some of the cones don't even have enough for a garment- so should really have been chucked out anyway- But, being the ever-conscious-of-waste person I am....

I adopted them all, and now I have a huge beautiful colorful wool family. Seeing wool on cones is probably my favourite way to see them. That and skeins. And balls. Oh, ok- I just love wool- no matter what shape they're in! Having them stacked around my house, constantly makes me think of new colour combinations and keeps me inspired (not to mention how handy it is to grab them!). It's amazing to have lots of shades of the blue (for example) because that makes my colour work so much easier. 

Here are some more photos I took of this little collection:
Do you have a favourite supply or collection that constantly inspires you?
kimxo

p.s. All the swatches in my shop are made from wool I've 'saved' from the dumpster. By hand knitting with this wool, you get a much finer fabric- which is perfect for colour work and the dainty little mini tapestries. I love it when my work and saving the planet go together. [: 

Meow!

Negs just wanted to say 'hey'.