GENOVA.... BEFORE THE FLOODS LAST WEEK
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
I'VE BEEN AWAY...... I haven't posted anything for a while because I have been in Sardinia for a few months. Whilst I was there I downloaded an app for my iphone called hipstamatic and have taken literally hundreds of photos since. I love it because I can take my little iphone and make some beautiful images ( I realize this is a subjective opinion) Anyway what I also now know is that they print really well... so I am in the process of printing some 30cm by 30cm photos I have decided to do a whole series of photos of Dublin and surrounding areas... basically where I live and will post this here shortly... however if you are dying to see some examples now here is a link to an album in my facebook profile.... it's called My Hipstamatic Prints.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
Today I am too hot to do anything. I can't muster up the energy to go to the beach or even eat. Even having my laptop is making me hot! I never thought I would say this but I think I'm missing the weather in Ireland... at least a couple of days of wind and rain would hit the spot!!! All I can do is mess around with some photo editing apps that I have found on my Ipad.... I have a new obsession!!.... it's called Instagram.... if you use it you can find me at @helencarter1! every time someone likes one of my photos I get a little thrill!!!! In fact as I am writing this 10 people have clicked that they liked my photos!!
There are so many good photos there but it makes me wonder whether we are good photographers or is it that anyone with a reasonable capacity for pointing a camera at something can make good photos with all the editing tools that we have to hand. Is it a bit similar to when kids play driving games with Playstation and believe they can drive in reality? I currently think I am up there with Ansel Adams!!! I'm just joking... I am far too heavy handed with the saturation and contrast facilities that the apps offer. Also I think that you can spot the professional from a mile off. Still I'm having fun and it is passing the time whilst I am incapacitated with the heat. I use mostly Snapseed which so far is the best (in my humble opinion). I have also got Hipstamatic but haven't got a clue how to use it.... but give me a few more hot days in Sardinia and I'll crack it!!! Oh I also have bought 3 lenses for Iphone from Photojojo...it's the most excited I've been in ages... but I have to wait between 2 and 3 weeks :(
Finally all the photos I have taken were with my Iphone... what did we do before the Apple?
Above are a few more examples of my similarity to David Bailey!!!!!!!!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Orgosolo
I returned to Hotel Su Gologone on Tuesday in Oliena.... It definitely is my favourite place to relax here. The countryside around it is stunning and even when it's busy at the hotel the service is great. I was also in Orgosolo for the afternoon, a town infamous for it's bandits and kidnapping! Now it's famous for it's murals (definitely inspired by Picasso's Guernica) I have to laugh every time I see a road sign here because there are always bullet holes.... They are obviously used for target practice! Look at the door in the photo I'm posting it is full of bullet holes!!! Obviously Saturday nights are interesting there!!I was at one of 5 biggest houses in Orgosolo owned by the Corraines family, Sa Dommo e sos Corraines. It was built in 1907 with 4 floors and 15 rooms....they were definitely the bigwigs of the town. I was shown around by the daughter who runs the house as a museum. After she gives you a glass of wine and a homemade pastry/sweet... All for a fiver!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Hotel Su Gologone
Whislt I was in Nuoro I stayed in a lovely hotel in the mountains near Nuoro called Su Gologone. it has it's own art collection, a jacuzzi on the terrace of my room, right in the mountains....Gorgeous! There is only internet connection in the lobby and there is no room service (I think...I didn't ask) but it is easily one of the best hotels I've stayed in recently... really homely and comfortable. The area is beautiful too with a lake nearby and the sea not too far away. I found a beach which is easily my favorite so far.. I love the pine trees etc and there weren't too many people... I spent two lovely days there and am going back next week for a second look.... ahhh the beach is called Capo Comino
Dreamtime exhibition, Nuoro sardinia
I went to see an exhibition of aboriginial contemporary art at the Museo Man in Nuoro yesterday. It is on until the beginning of August and if you are in Sardinia and want can spare the time away from the beach it's interesting to see. I like the museum too... it is always empty and you can walk around and take your time. They always seem to have something interesting on and things that you wouldn't expect.... such as aboriginal contemporary art... I have other photos on Flickr if you are interested just click on this photo to take you to my flickr page.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
la sfilata della madonna delle grazie, Iglesias
Some more photos of my trip to Sardinia. I took them with my iphone and then edited them with an app called Snapseed.
Friday, July 8, 2011
Sunset in Iglesias
I am finally here in Sardinia....at least for the summer. It's hot hot hot and I don't know if I'll be able to lift a pencil without breaking into a sweat but at least I can take some lovely(hopefully) photos. I took this as I arrived into Iglesias after driving solid for three days with a child, a pug and a guinea pig for company!!! And just to make it that much more interesting, the pug came into season for the first time on the journey here!!! Anyway lovely sunset!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
If Only this night could last forever!
Just a little sketch I did in a moleskine sketchpad I found whilst I was doing a big clearout before I shake off the mud of Ireland from my shoes and get sand between my toes in Sardinia!!!!!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
SoAkEd
My first picture done for Illustration Friday. This weeks topic is 'Soaked'. I hope to try and carry this on with the same character each week and incorporate her into an idea I have which I will be writing about shortly.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Neat little boxes
Cardboard and acrylic paint...... well at least I'm using up all my old cardboard boxes if nothing else..... and saving money on canvas' and paper!!!!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
SLEEPING
Acrylic on cardbard....... another try at using cardboard... next on I want big.... really big!..Just have to find the right pice of cardboard.
Ladybird
I had a brainwave this morning. I was clearing out some rubbish and noticed that I had kept loads of cardboard boxes. Then I thought about using them to draw on....then I remembered that they had different layers so I grabbed my scalpel and started cutting away. This picture was done just to see what it would look like... You can see that I haven't positioned it very well so that there wasn't enough room for the bottom right hand corner but I was still quite happy with how it turned out... I like the texture and the different shades of each layer. So now I'm going to do a real picture with all four corners....and it just occurred to me that I'm also being very environmentally friendly at the same time!!!!!!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Marmite with Artrage
done on my iPad during the flight to Sardinia. It was a bit of a bumpy flight bud this kept me busy..... I love my iPad!!!!!!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Iglesias
I'm in Sardinia at the moment and so taking a few photos here and there. Iglesias is a town hit badly by the economic crisis and there are shops closed everywhere. Having said that I quite like it but can you believe I can't find anywhere here to buy a 4B pencil and other art supplies.... Next time I'll have to bring my own.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Red is The Colour of Creativity
Mixed media piece again using the eyes, mouth and body from a magazine. the title is a quote from Frank Lloyd Wright, who originally wanted to make the Guggenheim Museum in New York red because he viewed red as the colour of creativity. Red also can symbolize danger.... hence the skull and crossbones and the stencilled rifle......Yes I know... I'm very deep for someone so shallow!!!!!
Organizing a studio
Finally this Easter Sunday I got round to organizing the spare room into somewhere a little more conducive to doing a little bit of work. My next task is to make the walls a little bit more interesting but I'm quite pleased with how it looks so far!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
I posted this picture before on 4th April but deleted the picture in Flickr and forgot that it would be deleted from the blog as well.
My original post went something a little bit like this................
'I have been recently cutting up loads of old magazines that I have lying around the place and I decided to do something with the outfits I found that I would like!!!! This is my first one... I love red and tomorrow am doing another red outfit!!!'
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
another collage done with bits cut out from old fashion magazine. This time I used spray paint for the background. I made a stencil of skull and cross bones because she kind of look like the Angel of death to me. Things I've learnt from this piece:
1. Do not be impatient and let the paint dry before you go onto the next stage.
2. glue the flimsy magazine fragments to a piece of stiffer card/paper otherwise you can see airpockets.
3. Always, always use masking tape when you are spraying the stencils. No matter how well you think the piece underneath is protected... the spraypaint will find a way in!!
4. wash hands regularly so as to avoid smudging and dirty glue marks.
This and the last piece (the woman in Red 1) are really just test pieces for something bigger and better!!!!!!!!! so I haven't added much detail to the background.
That's all folks!
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
STENCIL AND SPRAY PAINT
I made this stencil to use in a painting I'm doing but I've always fancied myself as a bit of a 'Banksy'..... so ok it's in my back garden but it's still graffiti!!!!!!
DRIFTWOOD
I went for a walk on Bray beach today to clear my head a little. When I was there I found this lovely piece of driftwood. I don't know what I'm going to do with it yet.... I'm waiting for it to speak to me (and to dry out a bit!!!!). Anyway I am going to create something fantastic with it.... just watch me!
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