OwlCrate March 2017 Box Review

          OwlCrate was the first subscription I looked at when I was looking for subscription boxes for books. I'm a book-dragon, (I refuse to be called a bookworm 😜) and I wanted a box that catered to that. I read the description but wasn't sure so I shopped around some more. However, I kept coming back to check it out. Finally, I decided  "What the heck, I can always cancel it if I didn't like it."

          It took a while for the box to arrive, but that was down to Kuwait customs and Aramex rather than the people at OwlCrate. They sent it on time and it arrived pretty fast to my holding box in the USA. 

      

          Opening the box, the first thing I saw was a postcard with a beautiful picture that tells you about the theme of the box. On the back of the postcard, you see an explanation of what the box is all about and where the items came from. 

I really liked that. I liked knowing where the items came from, this way if I wanted more of them or something along similar lines I knew where to look.

Under the postcard, I found a pouch and a button. The button was really cute, it had an owl pirate on it and it made me laugh so hard (yes...silly things will make me laugh).

The pouch contained a compass pendant necklace, which was designed by the people at OwlCrate and produced by The Geeky Cauldron. The necklace is really pretty and I can totally see myself wearing it. 

          The next thing I saw was cloth. At first I didn't know what it is (I have a habit of not reading content lists until I look at all the items in the box) and when I opened it I realized that it was a tea towel. It had a beautiful hand printed design on it and it came from Kitch Studios.

          Underneath the towel were two things that I tend to hoard: a notepad and a roll of washi tape. The washi tape had scales on it, which was inspired by the mermaid picture on the postcard and it was made by Simply Gilded.  

The notepad had a cute octopus and came from Boygirlpart. 

Apparently, there were two designs made for the notepad and which one you got was random.

          The next few items were my favourites of the favourites from this box. In fact, it can be said that they are the reason I got this box.

Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller, is a book that I have not read from an author I had not heard about before. This is perfect for me because I love to try new authors and expand my horizons.

The letter from the author, the signed bookplate, and the temporary tattoo were all beautiful touches that made the box and its contents special for me.

          The people at OwlCrate also included a sneak peak for next month's theme, which is "Head Over Heals". I can't wait!

          I'm so glad I got this subscription box, it is well curated and the items are all a delight. Even if it had been just the book, I would have been happy as it was by someone new to me. New authors and new books were the reason behind me getting a book subscription after all.

Interview with Jane Brideson (Artist)

Shining a Bright Light Interview 
by Morgan Daimler

**First published in Air n-Aithesc Volume II Issue II

1) What first drew you to visual arts?

          As an only child, I read voraciously and created a rich fantasy world that I expressed through drawing, painting and making up stories. As I grew older I realised that I had a keen sense of colour, (even now I feel uncomfortable in rooms where colours seem to clash)  and I continued to paint because I had to. 

          I also find that creativity brings a sense of balance and calmness to me as well as the feeling of  'rightness' I experience when a picture goes well. 

          As an adult, I went to Art College and gained a degree in Graphic Design.

2) What is your favourite medium to work in?

          I work in watercolour and gouache sometimes adding pastel to get an effect I want. I did paint in acrylics for a time but returned to water based paints as I find them easier to work with and I enjoy the fact that water becomes part of the fabric of my images and alters colours as it dries.

3) You seem to draw a lot on themes from Irish mythology and folklore; what makes you choose those images?

          I first began incorporating images from my personal spiritual path, dreams and pictures I had seen in meditation and ritual, back in the 1980's. 

         When I first came to live in rural Ireland I immersed myself in Irish mythology and folklore, listened to older people tell stories and visited many sacred sites. 

          I didn't practice ritual and did little artwork during those years as I wanted to listen to the landscape. 

       The images of the goddesses and gods, The Ever-Living Ones, came to me in a dream - so I feel that the themes chose me!

4) Do you hope that people get a specific message from your work?

          I would like the people who view my work to understand that the landscape, the sacred sites, the Irish people who are my models and the stories I portray embody older Irish traditions and beliefs which endure to this day.

Although Ireland is seen as a predominately Roman Catholic country my experience has been that below the surface belief in the Aos Sí, the Otherworld and the gods continues. 

          I would love it if people chose to visit Ireland to experience the places portrayed in the paintings for themselves and view the artefacts in our National Museum. 

          The focal point of my images are the goddesses and gods who emerge from land or water to offer the viewer a gift, a way of connecting to them. For example, Mór-Ríoghain presents us with darkness where we can face our fears and find courage and strength in our own lives. 

          My hope is that The Ever-Living Ones themselves speak directly to the viewer.

5) Do you think your own background influences your artwork?

          Absolutely. My Father's family were from Northern Ireland and my Mother's from the Isle of Man and although I grew up in Liverpool I spent my summer holidays on the island visiting family, special places and listening to stories about the fairies and Manannán Mac Lír.

6) Where do you find inspiration?

          In stories, landscape, life in rural Ireland and in people. Occasionally I meet a person whose face stands out and I know that they somehow embody my own vision of a goddess or god. Coincidentally these people often live lives or practise a skill associated with the Ever-Living Ones. For example, Fred, the model for the god of healing, Dian Cécht, lives locally and when we talked together I discovered that he holds a secret recipe for a herbal cure that was passed down to him through generations of his family. He is now in his eighties but still makes the cure for anyone who asks for it.

And Carmel Ní Dhuibheanaigh, who fought tirelessly against the building of the M3 motorway in Tara/Skryne Valley and was arrested by the Gardái for her opposition to the desecration, was the perfect model for Mór-Ríoghain. 

7) What do you feel is your biggest challenge?

           One morning ten years ago I awoke remembering a colourful, detailed dream in which I saw the Ever-Living Ones, linked to certain traditions, places and times. I hurriedly wrote about the images and the connections I'd seen before the dream faded. From then on I knew that I had to paint, write and research to bring this dream to reality. Ten years later this is still my biggest challenge and finding a publisher who will publish the finished project of course. 

8) Is there anything else you'd like to tell us about yourself of your work?

No - anything else you think your readers may want to know?

9) Where can people find your artwork online and is any of it available to purchase?

          Art cards & posters of my paintings are available to purchase through my blog, The Ever-Living Ones, where you can view galleries of my work, place an order and read posts about the landscape, myths and customs of Ireland. 

The Ever-Living Ones

For the Gods check out: The Irish Gods Gallery 
For the Goddesses: The Goddesses Gallery 
For People: The People Gallery 
For Places: The Places Gallery

I also have a page, 'The Ever-Living Ones by Jane Brideson' on Facebook.

Art School Boot Camp Review

          My creative side was awakened when I started to Omnijounral (for those who don't know what that is, it is a journal that is used as a sketchbook, a diary, a bullet journal or anything else you like). After a while, I decided that maybe it was a good idea to get a little bit of learning on the subject of art. I looked around the internet for classes and started out on YouTube but quickly moved to Skillshare. 

          Initially, I was looking at lettering classes but soon a class caught my eye. The class was called Art School Boot Camp and there are a few classes in the series. The person teaching the classes is Christine Nishiyama. She is an illustrator and a writer. Christine maybe found at Might Could Studios. She is an amazing teacher and I have enjoyed, and still am enjoying her teaching style. Now let me tell you about the classes I have taken so far. 

Art School Boot Camp I: Drawing Compelling Compositions - In this class, I learned the basics. How to look at a piece of art and how to put together my own, along with some jargon like "Focus point".

Art School Boot Camp: Drawing Dynamic Gestures - I learned to look at a picture, and break it down to the dynamic line and also to draw my own dynamic pieces.

Art School Boot Camp: Harnessing Color - If you have no idea how to mix colors, and make your own palettes then this is the class for you. I found it very simple and straight forward. 

Art School Boot Camp: Expanding Your Style with Art History - In this class, you learn about the different styles of painting and why they came about. I learned about Impressionism, Fauvism, Expressionism and Surrealism.

          The next class I'm hoping to take is Art School Boot Camp: Designing Quirky Characters. You may find Christine's classes at Skillshare.

Holly Journals Subscription Review (March 2017 Box)

          For a long time I wanted to try subscription boxes, but I was always a little afraid of not liking what comes in the box. This year I decided to be a little brave and take the plunge.

          Holly Journals was an easy choice for me because you can never go wrong with journals. I will always have a use for them no matter what they look like or what type of journal they are (size, type of paper and whether it is lined, dotted or plain).

          I didn't make it in time for the February box but I got the March 2017 box.

          The box arrived at my holding box in the USA (Aramex) around February 27 and then it was sent on to me in Kuwait. It arrived at my door on March 7th. I was very nervous as I opened the door. 

          The box arrived with a letter from the curator explaining how this box was different to the previous ones. Apparently, the journal was a reading journal. I was intrigued as I love to read.

 

           Next there were two cards. The first was a page that listed the items included in the box, which was called Book Lover's Journal. I wanted to be surprised so I didn't look at it. The second card included some journaling prompts.

          The items were wrapped with a beautiful tissue paper, which you'll see in the next pictures. A bag of gourmet coffee and some coffee candies were the first two items that caught my eye. I'm a coffee junky and I've had a few amazing cups of coffee from that bag. The candies were yummy too.

          The next thing that caught my eye was the bookmark. It is made out of wood and hand-crafted by David Coplen. I've been using it ever since I got it and it has taken a lot of abuse without anything happening to it. There were also some cute little trinkets, like tags and a charm to hang on the journal.

          Now let us talk about the whole reason for the box, the journal. It is a pretty red number, about an A5 size. I wanted to open it and see why the curator said it was different and it was. Check out my video below.

(Please turn up your volume as I didn't realise I was whispering when I made that video...)

          I thought I was done (should have read that card listing the items huh?) but then I noticed there was one more item still in the box. There was a beautiful fountain pen, a Jinhao with a broad nib. I didn't use the cartridges provided with it, instead I added a converter I had and inked it with one of my inks. It works like a dream and I love the way it glides on the page.

          I guess you can see from the comments I made on each item that I loved this box and can't wait for my April one. Since I've gotten the journal, I've put it to good use recording the books I've read so far this year. It was like the curator of the box interviewed me and asked me what my favorite things in the world were and then just put together the box from my answers.

You may find Holly Journals online at:

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CrateJoy

I am going to give Holly Journals March box 100%

St. Patrick's Day Composition

          I woke up today with a picture in my head and it was all about St. Paddy's day. I'm not a Christian, but it is still a part of what has come to be Irish culture and as such, it interests me.

          I got out my mixed media paper, put down the background, which I loved, and then I went to work on the lettering for the composition...I finished that part, looked at my page and immediately noticed a few things that I hated. I hated the lettering, and I hated that the paper was big. I usually work with an A5 size and this was considerably bigger. Normally I would have cut the mixed media page to give me two A5 pages to work with. I didn't do that this time and so when I did cut it to the size I prefer I had a lot of green-washed scraps but only one A5 page...oh well. Lesson learned. 

          I must admit that my composition turned into a walking cliche, but I like it, and that is what counts in the end. So let me tell you what I used:

- Strathmore Mixed Media paper (Vellum Surface) 9 in. x 12 in. 140 lb (I usually fold it and get 2 pages of A5 after trimming)

- Watercolours Prang Oval -16 colours (Dixon)

- Watercolours Windsor & Newton (the small palette) 

- The Leprechaun came from an old colouring book that I had and never used.

- Infeel.me washi tape for the border.

- Irish blessing comes from the website: http://www.sengoidelc.com