Cumbrian Adventure

I haven’t posted much recently. Since taking early retirement, I seem to have been too busy.

I’ve up-cycled a load of furniture, helped Julie re-organise the conservatory into a working studio, taken loads of photos, done boring stuff like gardening and clearing the garage, and a load of other things (the shower is a WIP at present).

I spent a day Powertex-ing, and played with DecoArt Texture Sand Paste, and we went to Sheffield to spend a day with a bunch of Yorkshire lasses creating a mixed-media art journal.

And tomorrow I head off to the Lake District for a three day Cumbrian Adventure. Julie will be there to attend a photographic course, which leaves me free to explore! Now, I’ve got nothing planned, but I will have the internet and a large map, so I could end up anywhere – I’ll try and book in with Facebook (technology permitting) so you can see what I’m up to.

 

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Uncharted territory

RIGHT! OK you lot, LISTEN UP! Now all the hoo-ha of Julie retiring is over, it’s my turn.

I retired last week, as well.

It was a bit like my own mini-Brexit – getting free from the oppressive constraints of a huge organisation that has lost it’s way, and being free to negotiate, and make better deals for myself. No more trying to fit things in around work, or taking a day’s leave to be able to get to an event; my time is my own to manage as I wish.

So – I’m available and free! (well, reasonably cheap), open to offers, and raring’ to go!

Latest commission – MV Bluedon

This piece was commissioned as a ship’s log for the MV Bluedon. Not the official log, but one that is suitably decorative for a steampunk captain.

The base is a plain art journal, decorated using DecoArt products, including Media Texture Sand Paste, Modelling Paste, Crackle Paste, and Crackle Glaze, together with Media Fluid Acrylics. Embellishments by Tando and Tim Holtz. Special techniques inspired by Anna Dabrowska and Andy Skinner.

Front cover of the Bluedon ship’s log

Back cover of the Bluedon ship’s log

Front cover detail

 

Design © 2017, Kim P Moody

 

Work in progress

This week I have started a couple of new projects. There are three faux finish techniques I am going to try; old leather, ‘dragon skin’, and burr walnut.

The first part is complete. I have given a blank trinket box an old leather finish with a piece of dragon skin to embellish the lid. The full project will be in a future edition of The Decorative Folk Artist, but as a taste here are a couple of pictures of how it started, what went wrong in the middle, and how it all came good in the end – like all good stories should.

Oh dear! Just when I didn’t want crackle finish!

 

 

Phew! Rescued it in the end!

The faux leather went well!

The walnut (that’s what the coasters are for) is going to be the wood grain from the swollen diseased part of the tree that is so rare, and makes beautiful panels in expensive furniture. But that will be along later …