Dog Photography (Scruffy and Socks)

 

Projects in the Making - Upcoming artworks

Watch this space. 

Watch it very carefully. It will continue to be interesting. I promise.

Whether its craft, art, or cardmaking you're interested in, don't worry - my creativity is apparently very busy (like, rather a lot of the time) and has a very, very vast spectrum of abilities. (Hence why I get a lot and a little done all at once.)

There is always more than one project going on in my room! Just as there is always more than one thought.... Well, as I am learning about driving my trains slowly.... I guess I am also practising driving my creativity slowly too.... well, just a teensy bit slower. I think, though, creativity is an absolute need to output if that's your personality type... which, well, it is mine.

So, projects, waffle back in your box.. put the lid on, and here we go.

 

 Uhm.... you say... yes, well, it's not just any cardboard horse. It's actually model horse armament. Believe it or not - and he is finished (tutorial soon!), so keep watching for updates....

And these two? Well, they are 2 of 4 of one of my latest canine experiments... and, not actually finished yet, despite the beautiful coloured layer of acryllic. Wait and see how these guys will look come December...

This one.... well... remember that odd-looking cardboard horse up there? Well, that's him - his armament is becoming more, uh, 'well-built' if you like.
I finished this project last night. It looks pretty amazing.
Oh yes - that pink thing is my phone....
Followed by... doggie Christmas tags!

Bridges - Photography

 

Tiger Repaint - Comission

Bengal Tiger Female - customised comission hand repaint, as requested. Originally cheap plastic model, scraped down, and redefined. Painted according to photographs of real female Bengal Tigers. 100% Acryllics used throughout, 4+ coats total.

In this photo (left), the base coat (the grey) has been on for 24hrs and is doubly thick. (x2 coats)
The first coloured coat is being added here, and is still wet. I applied two coats of this colour, letting the first dry and then shading/mixing the second.


























First coloured coat can be seen (above). Shading is incomplete, only the lighter/white edges have been added to the undersides. Once this coat dried I then applied the shaded colour layer.

Completed Tiger. (Above image.) Once Shaded layer had dried, I shaded inside of white areas slightly, as well as facial light areas.
I then carefully and painstakingly painted each stripe on, using a photographic guide (one photo of each side, front, and back view) and my pencil at an angle, by dragging it across, instead of painting directly onto surface. Facial features were then added, including mouth, eyes, nose and toes were deatiled. Highlights added to eyes... and complete!

Completed tiger (above) with similarly-sized Schleich Tiger male, Bengal. Not as realistic, but not bad.

Kaelen the Kelpie - Update

We are not (both me and the dog) sheep experts. Not even close, but - that's never going to stop us having a go.
This dog is incredible. He's intelligent. Hardy. Really really smart. Silly, puppyish and clever all at once.

We started off with daily training sessions on-leash, blah blah. Really boring, basic, foundational stuff. Come. Stop. Sit. Wait. Walk in. Blah blah. Monotonous. So boring, with him often straining at the leash begging badly to be let off. But I kept on with the boring, until I was happy he could be trusted - on and off. Now, after 3 months of it, he finally is.

We started with a very small yard, in and out of the shearing shed. U and in. Down and out. Up and down... over 100 times I am sure.

Off leash. Listen! Kaelen's not stupid. He started off headstrong, and his personality still leans that way. But even headstrong dogs can be tamed.

Trying to teach him rear mob casting - was draining and like we were both bashing heads.

Finally, after ages of getting nowhere...

"God, I reaaaaaaaalllly need to know what to do with this dog!"

Let him go. Watch him. And listen. Listen to what he is saying.

So, after a bit of debating (not because I was worried he would do anything dangerous, but rather he would form bad habits, I did.)

The best thing I've done with his training yet. I let him go, in a bigger yard, free-running, with our mob. I stood and watched, for over 10 minutes. Then, over the next hour, we both listened to one another, to the sheep, and to the situation.
When we all tune in and listen, it's amazing. Like a dance, or a trance. Wobbly, a little uncoordinated, yes. But that dog has balance.

He also has brilliant eye, and a smart mind.

I stopped forcing him to back sheep - a caster I have - and discovered his incredible style - and it really is amazing.

Kaelen is a front caster. A side caster. When he needs to, he backs. But not very often.

 

(Practising "Stop" - as well as mouthing off, smart a..)

Now, we still do daily trains, only much longer, much harder, and he is doing brilliantly. Now everyday we practise casting, stop (lie down, freeze, he's very good), backing, barking, and are learning fetching. Kaelen is also very responsive and always looks and waits for audible commands or body language to initiate his next move. Yes!

At last we have moved out of the sheep yards and are working at driving sheep through a paddock. This is still a bit scary for Kaelen but he still responds beautifully, especially with his stop command. Excitement does occassionally set in.... but we both respect each other and he responds well.

(Practising "Stop" and "wait" - last week. This was before big yard introduction, and Kaelen has improved rapidly with his control of the sheep as well as response to me since.)

"How do I start this thing, Mum?"

Masterpiece A Day - What Day is it?

Not that it matters. I... lost track of time, set myself an impossible goal... and yeah. Let's just say the artwork still happens, it's just silly to think a Masterpiece can be completed in under a day. Haha.
So, with that in mind, don't think that is it!

I will attempt, at least, a masterpiece a week, perhaps.Actually, I am currently drowning in a collection of many different masterpieces - and hoping desperately I find an actual crafting desk soon, otherwise my already tiny computer desk will be covered in layers of it all - like a giant explosion of creativity.... oh... too late.

Masterpiece 3 - (or Wednesday's missing artwork) - Felt Chihuahua

 Yes, that's my lens cap. This puppy is super duper weenie tiny.

Not to mention outright adorable.

Made out of felt and stuffing, this Chiwa is entirely handmade, and took a few hours to complete.

Stands up on it's own, and has a lovely pink collar. Nawww.

I made this one while I was pretty sick and stuck in a chair for weeks. (I made a lota things then.) This puppeh is a fawn Chihuahua and is very breed-like with it's big ears and cute belly. I also made a brother (slightly bigger), not a Chi - but a cream/off white Labrador.

They are so cute! - and miniature. I may make tutorials on these guys some day.

Black Caviar - Customised Model Horse

Introducing... "Black Caviar" - the customised Model customised by Anna Jane (me).
Sleek, black and with a tint of brown, this model was actually created using a photograph of the real Black Caviar. Yes, the winning race-horse.

 Painted using 100% acryllic and 3+ something hours of work...
and standing at only 4.5 cm tall - this beauty certainly wasn't easy.

Originally I was going to sell this baby. But it turns out I like her too much. So, she remains mine - an original artwork.

Greeting Card Tutorial - "Hoot" Owl

Howdy. Or Hoot, or whatever you'd like him to say. Ain't he adorable?

Yes.

And, of course, as my brain is the most creative brain I know (can't say I know a lot, but from my experience... mine tops the list) .... art and creativeness is always a thing of the today.
In fact, so much so that my mind hardly ever rests, makes sleeping impossible, and ordinary jobs just as difficult.
Pah.

This adorable fellow was made quite a while ago now - during my worst 'sick' days about 4-5 months ago. Yep, those were crawl out of bed barely moving days. And this took a lot longer than it might now. But he was well and truly worth it.

Hoot Owl Greeting Card

You will need:

1 card (I used boring white)
Paper bag, brown
Cardboard, natural colours
2 Buttons
Scissors
Glue
Wool/yarn, thick
Pencil
Corrugated cardboard

Step 1: 

Cover card with brown paper cut out from thin paper bag. This isn't necessary, I just used it for the natural tone look it gave the finished card.

If doing this, make sure the brown paper is folded down on the inside and covered neatly with plain white paper, using glue.

Then select a range of colour schemes to use on your Owl and on the rest of the card. I used brown, cream and yellow tones.





Step 2:

Sketch out your owl. I designed mine simply by experimenting with paper shapes first. When you have decided on the shapes you need, cut out in the paper you will use. Also cut out exactly the same shapes in the cardboard - and then glue the paper onto the cardboard.
This makes the owl pop out a lot more.

I also really, really wanted the buttons as eyes for my owl - so I basically worked all my shapes around these.

Again, try to stick with natural colours.

 
Step 3: 

Once the owl outlines have been stuck (glued) together, as well as dried, stick (glue) onto card. What you should have is separate outlines which double up on top of one another. Don't add eyes yet.

Let glue dry....

Step 4: 

While waiting for the glue to dry, we can have a go at our 'Hoot' word. I did this simply by first seecting a round/rectangular bit of paper and gluing it onto cardboard, like the other shapes.

Once dried, I then took my pencil and wrote each letter for the word very faintly front side up.

Taking a large needle, thread with wool, and follow the outline of your pencilled words.
Once completed, tie off, and glue to card.

Step 5: 

Add finishing touches, glue on button eyes, and whalla!
A Hoot Owl Greeting Card!