Creativity in Dumfries and Galloway

I've just returned from a trip up north to visit my family in Dumfries and Galloway, I always forget how beautiful the scenery is.  The weather was pretty droll for a few days but the sun did shine for some of my trip.  I lived in this area until I moved to Glasgow to study at the age of seventeen so it has lots of lovely childhood memories for me.

Allan Wright Photography - Lock Ken

Allan Wright Photography - Carrick Shore

Whilst I was visiting I attended one of my Moms workshops in Journal Making. 

I like to think that I am green and recycle as much as I can, but I feel guilty that I've been throwing away so much cardboard!  We learnt how to use discarded cereal boxes,bits of cardboard, old wrapping papers etc

After this workshop I really am inspired to keep as much cardboard waste as possible and make journals, sketchbooks and whatever else I can from it!  It really is such a waste to just throw it away.  Especially when you can create unique and beautiful items that would cost so much to buy new!  Right I'm off to make a sketchbook before Freya wakes!!  

Sketch A Day 2015 - Day 56 - Mandala

I had no idea what a Mandala was when this topic was set apart from it being a round decorative image.....

http://timeavarga.com/

The word "mandala" is from the classical Indian language of Sanskrit. Loosely translated to mean "circle," a mandala is far more than a simple shape. It represents wholeness, and can be seen as a model for the organizational structure of life itself--a cosmic diagram that reminds us of our relation to the infinite, the world that extends both beyond and within our bodies and minds.

Describing both material and non-material realities, the mandala appears in all aspects of life: the celestial circles we call earth, sun, and moon, as well as conceptual circles of friends, family, and community.

A mandala is...

An integrated structure 

organized around a 

unifying center

Longchenpa

I came across this website that gives a really good explanation of how to attempt drawing a Mandala ... follow this link to see how.  How To Draw Mandalas  

I didn't follow these guides and ended up with the following attempt....

Not quite sure I properly embraced the meaning and belief behind them.  I think I'll try again and use my favorite medium watercolour as that would be a lot more relaxing.  Or perhaps it would just end up the same = Uncentered, I do feel like my life is a little off center and disorganised :)

Sticking to 2015 Resolutions

As previously mentioned in earlier posts, I haven't specifically written a list of 2015 resolutions as I have so many ideas in my head that my list would be endless.  Instead I want to be more creative and make time to do something enjoyable each day.  The facebook group that I've joined 'Sketch a Day', is really helping me to do this.  Simply taking away the need to think of a topic takes such pressure off and has really pushed me to cover topics that I would normally steer well clear of.   

Portraits, Hats, Bugs, A Quote, A View, Shoes; are all subjects covered in the last week, I've thoroughly enjoyed all of them and have even got some fabric designs that I would like to develop from these topics.  Sticking to this I feel will really assist me in feeling productive.  It's not always about creating picture perfect images.  

 

Day 7 - Bugs

Day 13 - Self Portrait 

(I set this this days task!! Really don't know why I picked such a difficult one?!)

Day 14 - Hats (This is our Cat Pebbles)

Day 8 - Shoes

 

Day 9 - Breakfast

Above two images are from Day 10 - Window View - This is the view from our living room.

 

Day 12 - Quotes

 

Day 11 - Fish

I've often spent so much time in the past contemplating before putting pen or paintbrush to paper. However I've come to realise that your first idea is rarely your best, but it doesn't matter.  Capturing any idea is beneficial.  This is the beginning. Draw it!  It only takes a few minutes, and it gets the idea out of your head onto paper.  Now draw some more!  You won’t know whether your first idea is the best until you explore others.  It's surprising how quickly you will develop and improve your ability to quickly sketch, paint and express your ideas.

Sketching is fast, rough, and dirty.  Learn to embrace your pen and paper, and you’ll be thrilled at your speed of ideas and progression.  You’ll wonder why you ever fought it. By giving yourself the freedom to put down on paper your quick ideas, you’ll get to creative places you could never have imagined.

Happy sketching

2015 Motivation - Sketch a Day

Last year I started the New Year with the intention to do a drawing a day, well this didn't go down that well.  I think at the start of each month I had the omphhhh to re-attempt the resolution but never really stuck it out to the months end.  However, this year I have joined a group on Facebook titled 'Sketch a Day', what a good idea I thought!  Well, it seems to be going well so far, I've joined in everyday and posted my 'Good the Bad and the damn right Ugly!!'

 

Although not very impressed with my daily attempts that is the whole point of the group, to just go for it, to not rip that page out of the sketch book and have confidence in what you do.  You will learn from your mistakes and it takes this effort and realisation to keep going and continue doodling, sketching, collaging, whatever medium you work in you can interpret into the days brief.  I'm finding it quite liberating just letting go and actually being given the days brief.

 

I thought I'd share my first few days sketches, now, I am not saying these are perfect!  These are drawings that I have done whilst Freya has been napping or whilst Freya has also been sat next to me doodling, I could have worked on some a lot more to actually achieve something that I liked but that's no the aim of the group or my resolution!

 

Top to Bottom:

Day One - Tea Cups and Mugs.  Mixture of colouring pencils

Day Two - Fruit - Aqua pencil and colouring pencils

Day Three - Blue - Freya's finger paints!! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hope this may inspire some of you to let go and just draw, it really doesn't matter what or what with.  Have fun and enjoy!  I will keep posting my daily sketches, hopefully I'll see some improvement or even a style immerging as I really don't know what my drawing style is!  Perhaps I had better dig out my nice art materials!

IT’S A NEW YEAR!

This New Year arrives with promise; a milestone for goal setting.  A clean, fresh start for all...

2014 was a pretty good year for me.  We moved into our new family home (which I realise I haven’t posted any images of before or after!  These will follow shortly!  Although we are still working towards the finished article the house is looking pretty cool, all down to the hard work of my amazing partner Dan),  Freya turned one!  We had our first family holiday in an Eco Cabin in South Wales which was fabulous, so relaxing.  I have been spending the last week celebrating the New Year, Birthdays and generally enjoying spending time with my little family. 

You might have noticed a change to my blog design, I am still tweaking but this is the start of the new and improved *HANNAH REDDEN.* I wanted something different and a little more simple but still in keeping with my theme, when I started this was not what I thought I wanted but I LOVE it.  New Colour, New Headers for a New Year!  I've been getting organised over this festive period too.  I've got big plans for this year.......  I found this passage from a very influential blog for me.. The Textile Blog

Life is of course full of endless possibilities and of course because of that it is also full of endless choices. How you move through life depends upon those choices. Unfortunately, so many choices are made for us, or we are made to feel as if we have no choice, no decision in whether we go this way or that in our life path. However, life paths are extraordinary things, it is amazing how many times they seem to veer off track and then slowly come back to centre again. 

I've got so many ideas in my head and get distracted so easily, I really feel that the above passage is correct, the last two years have really been driven by becoming a mother (what a big change!), house renovating, becoming a landlord!  I now feel however, that upon reflection, these changes have also given me the excellent opportunity to concentrate on what I want out of life, I'm in a place to drive forward my new business plans.  What an exciting year to come!!!!

I've also joined a new group on Facebook titled 'Sketch a Day' I'm using this as my driving force to actually do a drawing a day!  Check the group out and follow our daily doodles......

Our New Arrival

 

I haven't been very active with my designs recently. This is due to a new little addition to our family. Little Freya was born on the 28th of May, she's very cute, with the Redden red hair gene.

The Redden Studio - Dumfries & Galloway

http://www.redden-gallery.blogspot.com/

Although I am living down in Bristol most of my family live in Dumfires & Galloway in the South West of Scotland.  It is here that my creativity was first ignited, where a lot of my inspiration comes from.  Members of my family have recently been working very hard to open a gallery that exhibits talents from three generations. 

 

redden-gallery: the evening before . . .: "by the end of the day most everything has beenhung & priced & put in place last minute finishing touches & dashing about to be done with so..."

Read more about the Red Den Galery HERE.  I hope you enjoy reading about this new venture, and if you're ever in D&G pop in for a visit.