I would just like to thank you for following along with my 'drawing' blogs over the last year - I can't quite believe that I actually managed to keep a New Year's Resolution! In 2015 I intend to keep it going, and to talk to you about bringing more creativity and sparkle into your life. Drawing, for me, is a lifeline that keeps me connected and positive; for others it might be colour, or shape, or music or movement. I'd like to explore with you what a little (or a lot!) more creativity you could brighten your life with. 

Meanwhile, I would like to wish you the happiest of New Years - and that 2015 will bring you

By the way, we will be meeting for our regular Friday mornings painting at Villa Bologna from this week, 2nd January. Everyone is welcome, all abilities - as long as you are ready for a lovely creative morning.

Wishing you, and all those you hold dear, the happiest of Christmasses and a New Year filled with everything your heart desires........  and lots of drawings  :-) 

                                                               Jeni xxxx

I wanted to create a series of images that I could have some fun with, experimenting with mono printing and stencilling. I find that the best way to approach this kind of thing is to let go of any ideas of the end result and just see what happens....


I began with the idea of expressing the connection I feel between music, colour and movement. They are all different levels of vibration, after all - translated through our senses to affect our emotions.


I started with a painting I created at a live dance event. It is quite a simple image, but I feel that it's quite evocative.

 I had 18 sheets of mountboard in the studio which measured 40 x 30 cms, which seemed like a good size to play with. Then I googled 'free sheet music' and printed off several sheets of interesting looking scores. Which I tore up and stuck to the mountboard with PVA glue.....

Gesso is really for sealing canvas and other surfaces before painting with oils or acrylics, and it is quite water resistant (I use watercolours on it for unusual effects). I use tubs of it and it saves me a fortune in paper. I can paint over anything I'm not happy with and recycle paper, wood or canvas into lovely new surfaces. I sometimes mix in colours or texture to give even more exciting beginnings to paintings. You can buy it in white, black or clear, and it sticks to practically anything. I think it's the same as chalk paint that is now popular for upcycling furniture. Yes, I have tried it!
It can be watered down to make it thinner or left as it is, a lovely thick cream. I use it with a roller or a brush.....

The problem was that I had completely covered the music scores with paint and gesso, so I tried sanding them down. This gave a lovely random effect, especially where the thicker swirls of gesso showed through the dancer. I wore a facemask for this bit, by the way, as the coloured dust went everywhere.

Next step was to give them all a coat of varnish to protect them......  what do you think?