GraceGarton

only enough room for one

2012-02-24T00:37:00.000-08:00

So whats happening in my studio?
A bit of a tight squeeze in the studio these days, I've 6 paintings on the go, 8 new art dolls and oodles of other odds and ends to be painted.
The large painting on the floor is a commissioned piece for a lovely woman in Melbourne. The four smaller paintings and another large painting under the table are for an exhibition in mid March.
As you can see one needs to be rather dexterous to get in and out of here, but it's doable!
I have to close the door at night as the cat loves to riffle through my paper stash and he loves to have a walk on the tables to check out my sketches and perhaps add his own..he is not very dexterous!
Well back to it...oh it's time for Doctor Who....cheerio!

Meet us at Nook Market 19th February

2012-02-15T15:10:00.000-08:00

Little Black Crow has been very busy in her sewing studio...oodles of new items are to be found on her stall this Sunday at Nook Market..starts at 10 till 2..St James Church, Elizabeth St Newtown...come along and say hi!

say hello to George...he is one of my own pattern bears..I've been working on this for a while..he was supposed to be just a design model before making a real one with my mohair..but I just love how he turned out..he's stained with a yellow ocher paint reminiscent of an old bear belonging to my older brother Shane that my mum threw away..it upset me so much at the time I was only 4 or 5 but I still hold that bear in my memory. I'm not selling George but you can have one custom made.

Next to George are two new embroidered hoop art designs.

There will be tigers, elephants and more bears.....

new prints and Donkeys....

plus new fiber art brooches!! Hope to see you there!!

TODAY - Online Auction for Very Special Kids

2012-01-29T23:26:00.001-08:00

Little Black Crow Studio is taking part in Very Special Kids auction starting TODAY from 7pm till 7pm on the 10th of February!!

Connie is my little bunny that will be up for auction today

6 little seaside paintings finished

2012-01-24T17:40:00.000-08:00

Anchors Away, 2012

He Wants To Go Sailing, 2012

He's Home At Sea, 2012

Sirena 1, 2012

Sirena 2, 2012

Sirena 3, 2012

Waiting to be finished

2012-01-23T18:58:00.000-08:00

It's a hot summers day here but it's even hotter in my studio!
At present there is a painting waiting to be finished..she is not a patient girl and already I have had to change her t-shirt twice..I'll post more photo's soon just need to do a bit more work in the sewing studio...

Quite a few unfinished new projects happening here and not all just dolls either. The fabric brooches I've been stitching are becoming refined the more I make. They are selling well both locally and on the mainland,(Australia).

and an inspired idea from Natalie has led to another new design..these embroidered hoops.They are still in progress..thinking I might add a little paint..

Well I better get back to it..which studio will I head for....sewing room first I think...ok cheerio for now!

Cards...something new at LBC studio

2011-12-07T18:22:00.001-08:00

A project I've been hanging out to do for quite a while now..and as we all know all good things takes time, so here at long last is my first greeting/party/birthday card!
I've listed just this one design for now on Etsy just to see if there is any interest in my cards.

The image on the card is based on one of my early mixed media paintings 'The Tea Party'

The illustration was digitally drawn using a program called Adobe Flash, it produces what is known as vector based lines which don't produce pixelated drawings giving you a smooth line and crisp clean images. The paper is made from sustainable tree plantation and the envelope is 100% recycled paper!

There are 5 available for now but if you have a big party planed and need more invites just let me know and I'll be happy to print up some more.

finished...Friends For Tea

2011-11-23T14:45:00.001-08:00

'Friends For Tea' is finished and already hanging and up for sale at Rebecca Roths's Gallery in Salamanca. I really enjoyed making this painting..all their clothes are real fabric. theirs little cup cakes and teacups, weedy grass and red headed birds. It really was inspired by where I'm living now in the midlands of Tasmania lots of grass and little wild flowers and also from my memories as a child playing with my brother, friends and our dolls. For so many Christmases I always received a tea-set...wish I knew where they all went.

new work!!

2011-10-24T18:27:00.000-07:00

A new theme...or re-visiting an old painting...Tea Time with friends..still in progress.

new works on paper...one good thing about moving was finding all my old water colours and paper...so I've been re-antiquating myself with these mediums and having fun doing so!

A little something I made

2011-09-30T17:35:00.000-07:00

A little look into the Enchanted forest painting...secrets of layers, paint and mediums..Enjoy!

New exhibiton...at Rebecca Roth Gallery

2011-09-05T03:53:00.000-07:00

Ole, 2011, mixed media

Ruby's Red Velvet Dress, 2011, mixed media

Spring, 2011, mixed media

Spring Mistral, 2011, mixed media

Friends Next-Door, 2011, mixed media

Ruby's Red Velvet Dress

2011-08-01T01:07:00.000-07:00

Ruby's Red Velvet Dress...nearly finished....my favorite part of the painting is this little section of the house in the background. A quick spray of cranberry ...I wasn't sure if it was going to work or not gave it a go and I really like it. I think if I did the same on the other side it would spoil it.

His Dream

2011-07-29T23:14:00.000-07:00

A new painting from a little series currently in progress..about childhood memories...this painting titled 'His Dream' is about a little boy on his hobby horse..daydreaming he is a cowboy or riding a real horse through the country...or what ever else little boys dream about when they are on their hobby horses!
Recently I was contacted by Lisa Cousineau from ArtistCellar, where I buy my mixed media products and asked to have this painting added to their online gallery. How exciting!
Thank you Lisa

sneak peeks at works in progress

2011-07-23T17:14:00.000-07:00

A new series in progress...a little autobiographical in some ways...depicting memories of childhood.
I'm very fortunate that I still have lots of photo's from my childhood..mostly due to my fathers passion for photography..he converted the kitchen into a darkroom...and my brothers and i would watch him preform his magic of making pictures appear on blank paper!
However I never really liked my photo taken and a majority of the time photo's were taken of me wearing a new dress that my mother had sewn...it's only now looking back at these photo's I can truly appreciate these dresses she made...mostly from her own design or from McCalls patterns. This is was one of those dresses she made, a red velvet dress...really I can't remember where I wore it but it was one that I really liked. The photo my father took it reminds me of the portraits painted around the 1700's of little children wearing their fine clothes in staged farm setting. I always appeared wearing my lovely new dresses in our backyard amongst the rhubarb and forget-me-nots.

Decision making

2011-07-16T18:59:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I started a new painting for a group exhibition in Melbourne...the paintings been a bit of a battle till last a couple of days ago...nothings been glued into place yet as the wood panel needs braced at the back...but this extra time was good for me to work out where everything needs to go in order for it to
be balanced..my only decision to make now is whether to place the man in blue into this painting or the little girls...both change the meaning of the painting drastically...and putting in both was just a bit too creepy..One way I make a decision if a painting is working is by taking a photo of it

..for some reason you see it in a new light..and straight away I could tell that the man is not working...I'll keep him for something else. The little girls work much better but I still might play with the central character..her line work is a little different to the painting.
The ArkMetal boys are busy making some more wood boards for me to paint on...and remember if you live in Australia and want to give these wood boards a go you can purchase them by emailing them at arkmetal.tas@gmail.com or contacting me on this blog.

New mediums

2011-07-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

Something new to play with...Fresco Flakes, Distress Stains and Adirondack Colour Wash. I purchased these online through a company called Artist Cellar. I found out about these products through Suzi Blu.

You can see how I used the Fresco Flakes in this painting...it looks like bits of chipped paint.
Oh and did you noticed I removed the doll from the bottom painting..after living with it for a couple of days I decided it didn't work with the scale..I might use her in a bigger painting one day.

A bit of Distress Stain was used around the edges of the cat drawing to make it look old and perhaps a little burnt.

Whats happening in my studio today?

2011-07-07T22:19:00.001-07:00

In my studio today are 5 new paintings some finished and one or two in progress..inspired by my memory of the illustrations from Little Golden Books and the photo's of my brothers and I when we were little, our dad was a keen photographer and had his own dark room.
Having had so much pink paint left over from my paintings the other week there was not other choice but to keep painting with this pink theme until all the paint was gone..It was quite enjoyable almost like icing a cake!
I've been practicing with a new medium too, it's called Self Leveling gel by Golden Fluid, I first heard about it in Suzi Blu's painting course..when dry it has a very glossy almost glass like surface and appears to make everything on the same level. It doesn't take too long to dry so you have to be quick to apply it, a palette knife is best and don't play around with it!! Because I've been using bees wax to finish off a lot of my recent paintings so it makes a nice change to do something different and that gives a happy result!

A little boy on a rocking horse....well he just had to be blue didn't he? A lot of research goes into my work..trying to find the perfect rocking horse took time and lots of sketching. Then trying to make it fit into this 10 x 10 cm paintings was tricky...

" I was his little Princess" finished!

Self portrait at 5, finished.

yes that is a little vintage rubber doll stuck to the painting!

Works in pink!

2011-06-26T22:34:00.000-07:00

Two new paintings in progress....I've never used so much pink paint ever!! But I think they are sweet...they are for a commission..I like to give people a choice even if it is only one painting they want...it's getting cold here...might have to start the fire..cheerio!!

black crow stitching in red

2011-06-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

Something new that I'm playing with is machine ebroidery...my poor sewing machine as if I don't put her through enough with making those tiny critters and their tiny tailoring!
These two are off to Rebecca Roth's gallery for a winter brooch exhibition the two below will soon be heading to my etsy shop!

Thank you for looking!

A collaboration between metal and paint

2011-06-03T17:45:00.000-07:00


Miniature mirrors with art panel, SOLD

Miniature Mirrors, SOLD

A unique collaboration between Arkmetal Pig , my partner and myself Little Black Crow!
We knew it would happen one day it was only a matter of time..you can read more about them on Arkmetal..or see them up close and personal at Rebecca Roth's gallery in Salamanca!

The Enchanted Forest Series

2011-06-02T16:58:00.000-07:00

The Enchanted Forest Series is now showing at Rebbecca Roth's Gallery at Salamanca in Hobart. Exhibition runs from now till the end of June.

Cinderella's Midnight, mixed media, 2011, SOLD

Snow White and Rose Red, mixed media, 2011

Rapunzel Banished mixed media, 2011, SOLD

Snow White and the Poisoned Apple, mixed media, 2011

The Enchanted Forest Series

2011-06-02T16:44:00.000-07:00

Alice Reads To Her Kitten, 10 x 10 cm, mixed media, 2011, SOLD

The Journey, 10 x 10 cm, mixed media, 2011

What The Birds Said, 10 x 10 cm, mixed media, 2011, SOLD

The Enchanted Forest Series

2011-06-02T16:28:00.000-07:00

The Boy Who Cried Wolf, 10 x 10cm mixed media, 2011, SOLD

The Lake of Sorrow, 10 x 10cm mixed media, 2011

Escape from a Murderous House, based on the tale of Blue Beard, 10 x 10cm mixed media, 2011

The Clever Mr Fox, 10 x 10cm mixed media, 2011

The Enchanted Forest

2011-06-01T23:31:00.000-07:00

The Enchanted Forest, 51 x 25 inches mixed media painting, SOLD

Detail of texture's..the crocheted flowers I made myself.

A white rabbit, startled by the children leaps out in front of them...could he be Alice's white rabbit?

Two children explore the forest behind their town.

look a real bee took great intrest in the red foxes butt! Or was it the layer of bee's wax?

Up high in the autumn trees birds watch and chatter.

A new painting finally finished and she's a big one! Titled The Enchanted Forest, it depicts two children walking through a forest both real and imagined. As children we read or where read too wonderful stories of magic and mystery. Some of these stories stay with us forever but change in our minds eye playfully entwining themselves into our own fantasy world. A place for us to escape too and wander.

It would be a sad world indeed if children no longer read The Brothers Grimm or Mother Goose and only have movies like Avatar to escape too.

Art prints

2011-05-11T01:45:00.000-07:00

New to my Etsy shop are these two reproduction prints from two of my most favorite paintings I completed last year. The top one 'La Sirena' was painted during my online class with Suzi Blu, and was featured on her blog last year! The bottom painting titled, 'He Marches To The Tune Of His Own Drum' was a small mixed media painting with lots of layers and found objects it was one of the first paintings sold in my new mixed media style.

Little Black Crow's Etsty Sale

2011-05-09T23:09:00.000-07:00

Little Black Crow is having a one week only SALE at her ETSY SHOP. Hurry on over!

Paintings currently at Rebecca Roth's Gallery

2011-05-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

Rose Red, 2011, SOLD

Snow White, 2011

My Brother Can Fly, 2010

The Tea Party, 2010, SOLD

Trust, 2010

Skipping Girl Vinegar, 2011

Little Red, 2010, SOLD

Twins, 2011

Young Girl with Doll,2011

Suzi Blu

2011-05-03T01:13:00.001-07:00

'Where Suzi gets her wings' A wonderful article by Suzi Blu..you can read it at Crescendoh

2011-04-29T23:52:00.000-07:00

Detail from a new painting. It's big its detailed and I'm enjoying every process of it so far.

Because I can never work on one painting at a time, here is a 10 x 10 painting I finished recently. These two little boys are on a quest to find what adventures and riches lay waiting for them in the forest. There are eight 10 x 10 paintings finished already and these are for an exhibition in June at Rebecca Roth's gallery in Salamanca Hobart. This series of work is based on re-enchantment, fairytales, losing oneself in the woods or it could be finding oneself, danger and fear of the unknown.

Currently for sale at Etsy

2011-04-27T17:04:00.000-07:00

Little Goth Girl, 15 x 32, mixed media, 2010. $180.00 AUD

Madeline Usher,10 x 10 cm, mixed media, 2011, $155.00 AUD

Roderick Usher, 10 x 10 cm, mixed media, 2011, $155.00 AUD

Alice, 10 x10 cm, mixed media, 2011, $155.00 AUD

Little Mermaid, 6 x 6 2 cm, mixed media,2011, $80.00. AUD

Current work, for sale at Dragonfly Gallery

2011-04-27T15:43:00.000-07:00

Winter, 2011, for sale at Dragonfly Gallery

Autumn, 2011, for sale at Dragonfly Gallery

Summer, 2011, for sale at Dragonfly Gallery

Spring, 2011, for sale at Dragonfly Gallery

Paintings from Dunmoochin

2011-04-27T14:51:00.000-07:00

Roo, mixed media, 2010

This painting will form part of a series for later this year.

Bird Watching, mixed media, 2010

This painting will form part of a series for later this year.

Swinging In Spring, 2010, SOLD

Chiones Way, SOLD

While walking to Hurstbridge from Dunmoochin, I came across a plaque dedicated to a little girl that was tragically killed while walking home from school by a car. The footpath I was walking on was dedicated to her memory. The path winded through some trees, magpies flew overhead..I imagined the spirit of this little girl was protected her by these birds of the bush.

The Tea Party, mixed media, 2010. SOLD

Working on the studio floor inside Clifton Pugh's studio one

Four small black and whites

2011-04-26T20:02:00.000-07:00

Here Kitty, Kitty, 10 x 10 cm, 2010, SOLD

Little black Crow, 10 x 10 cm, 2010, SOLD

The Sisters Poe, 10 x 10 cm, 2010, SOLD

Where Do I Belong, 10 x 10 cm, 2010, SOLD

Rainy Day Exhibition, 2010

2011-04-25T20:05:00.000-07:00

Backyard Adventures, 2010, SOLD

Backyard Battles, 2010. SOLD

Backyard Imaginings, 2010, SOLD

Rainy Day Exhibition was a group exhibition held at Cube Gallery, now known as Rebecca Roth's gallery at Salamanca.

paintings from 2010

2011-04-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

Boy And Hi Bunny At The Beach, 2010

The Encounter, 2010

He Marches To The Tune Of His Own Drum, 2010, SOLD

Watching The Pardalotes, 2010

Silver Eyes, 2010, SOLD

Brother and Sister

Mixed media with Suzi Blu, 2010

2011-04-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

Marie Antoinette, mixed media, 2010, SOLD

Celebrating the Life of Mr Biff, Day of the Dead painting, mixed media

Rodeo Girl, using Suzi Blu Template, 2010

Trust, Angel painting, 2010, for sale at Rebecca Roth's gallery

Angels In Love 1, SOLD

Angels In Love 2, 2010, SOLD