paintings prints and stuff

Necklace in anthracite coloured beads, with pink and mauve lucite flowers, just put intomy Etsy shop I thought I really ought to put some things in my Etsy shop. I've neglected it for ages.  So, along with a few others, this necklace has just been added.   If you fancy taking a look, click here .  This one looks great with black clothes. I'll get around to adding some small paintings and prints soon. the whole necklace and others ..... there are more ....

Hearts and Flowers, beaded necklace with lucite flowers, Vivien Blackburn This and others are in my Etsy store now Committments have cut into my painting time lately - but these necklaces I can work on under artificial light in the evening and I'm enjoying playing with colour combinations and beads. Help??? I'd appreciate some advice from you who wear necklaces - what length do you like to wear?  16inch?   18inch?  20 inch?? (that's excluding the pendant flowers).  In the past the ones I've made have been just for me and I'd like to know what lenght you would consider the best generally? Off to do some painting now ............

Gold and Black:   Flower necklace, Vivien Blackburn photo taken from above showing the scale of the flowers more accurately Tommorow I'll have time to paint after a spell with very little time. :>) I'll also write another installment in the Key Elements in improving your painting and drawing series over the weekend.  Previous posts One , Two and Three   - click on these to recap or read for the first time. In the meantime I've been learning more bead techniques, brick stitch, ladder stitch and a complex bracelet with picot edging  (some needing much practice if I'm ever going to be any good at them! - they require neatness    8>0 ).   I. Don't (Can 't) . Do. Neat.  : >(     The little (scruffy) samples I produced yesterday won't be seen here!  I'll show you when I'm better. Daisy chain necklace, Vivien Black burn But the techniques learned will feed into my more free form, make-it-up-as-you-go-along,...

I made a spring themed necklace as the weather has a definite, if cool, feel of Spring.  I was really pleased with how it all came together as I'd hoped.  I've not learned a lot yet but I used 2 of the techniques I've learned so far :>) I'm going to do variations on this them, different colours, different seasons. I must update the Etsy shop with paintings - and I may - just may - do a page for some of these when I makes some more.   What do you think?    From a different angle. I had a puncture this morning : > (   and whilst waiting for the AA to come and put the spare on for me, I sketched the trees I could see.  Nothing brilliant but better than being bored : > )   They were done with Derwent Graphitint.   The colours were really suitable for the cool morning light.  It's better in real life though, the photo doesn't show up the colours quite well enough. I'll carry on with the series of issues to...

Night Beach, pendant in kiln fused glass, Vivien Blackburn I said I'd show the work I did on the kiln fused glass workshop day - I haven't photographed the rest yet but this is the pendant I made that I'm really quite pleased with. It may not be brilliant for anyone who knows about glass - but it's my first attempt and I'm delighted! It's supposed to be the beach at night, abstracted, with the moon and reflections in copper metallic particles. This was a metallic powder that I added. The deep blue glass is sort of glittery, frosted and the paler blue grey was little lumps of coloured glass and is supposed to be the light on the sea. It's finished off using a bail stuck on with epoxy glue, a shoelace knotted with silver beads and Tibetan clasps to fasten it. I really like dichroic glass and with the metallic elements fused in, this one has something of that effect. It would be great to have a go with some real dichroic glass. (it reflects colours dif...