A New Year ~ a New Art Team ~ a New Product

Ok so it is February already... but things in my world have been super busy even at the beginning of the year that I'm just now getting time to do a quick Blog.

Exciting times are ahead for my art product business and I wanted to share what's happening with you all.   I normally would include some photos but I'm having upload issues today so just click the links.

MORE ARTISTS = MORE GREAT DESIGNS!  Quirky Happy, is in a huge growth phase and we know have a team of  9 Aussie Artists and 2 Aussie photographers that contribute to our vibrant rage of Giftware and Home Decore Products. Each one of them is brilliant in their own unique way and our range is very diverse now :)  To browse our most popular product range,  PREMIUM PLUSH Cushion Covers click HERE

OUTDOOR CUSHION COVERS HAVE ARRIVED!
In Australia, we live such an outdoor life and even those people who are not really the 'outdoor type' still love to sit on a balcony, veranda, deck, patio or around the pool or garden on a lovely warm sunny day.

Our NEW RANGE of Outdoor Cushion Covers are built to stand up to outside use.  They are a thick polyester material, printed with very fade-resistant ink and they feel nice to the touch, a bit like thick satin.  Pricing is very reasonable too!

 To browse our NEW Outdoor Cushion Cover range, click HERE

How to Paint an Abstract Tree with Oil Pastels

In this short How To Blog, I want to point out the reasons why anyone wanting to be arty, creative and expressive with colour should consider trying oil pastels.  

Oil Pastels are a great art medium that is often overlooked because many people associate crayon type art mediums with children's artworks and school projects.


Oil Pastels are basically pigment sticks of waxy, creamy colour that you can use like a crayon onto a variety of surfaces from canvas boards to watercolour paper. The waxy/creamy consistency varies with brands and you can start with a cheap box of oil pastels from your local discount store.  The cheap varieties do not blend like the artist quality, expensive brands from the Art shop, but if you just want to get a feel for them, then they are completely adequate to experiment with.

The ones I have used to create my Abstract Tree oil pastel painting were not the expensive artist ones, they were medium quality oil pastels with a reasonably creamy consistency.

To follow this Blog How To, you will need to have ready:  

My Studio Work Space

A box of  oil pastels with a good range of bright colours.

Some black matte acrylic paint, a large paint brush and a very small detailer brush.

A Canvas Board (Canvas Boards are canvas glued onto a solid cardboard backing). These are cheap and great to use with pastels because you can press hard onto the board to get thick coverage of colour and blending.

Lots of newspaper to put under your artwork on a table and paper towels.  Oil pastels are MESSY! So work somewhere where you can clean up easily.


Some Matt Spray sealer from an art supplies store. Oil pastels are messy and smudge very easily so when you have completed the painting you will want to seal it. Please note that any pastel, (oil pastels & chalk pastels too) never really dry out completely so they are very fragile and easily damaged.  The spray sealer will help protect your work, but it can still be damaged if touched, scratched etc. This is one downside to pastels.
  

Step One

Paint your Canvas Board with the black paint. Two even coats is enough.  I love the effect of oil pastels over a black background.  The colours really 'pop' and you get the black canvas grain coming through behind the colour.

Step Two

Make sure that the black paint is completely dry before proceeding.  Looking at my Abstract Tree as

Progress photo - guide lines are in and colour started

a guide and using a light coloured pastel (say light grey) draw out the tree shape onto the canvas board.  Press LIGHTLY and let the tree branches flow in arched lines rather than straight lines.

Let the branches touch each-other or even intersect. You are laying down the basic shapes at this stage and if you put a branch in the wrong place DON'T PANIC! you can change this as you go along.

Step Three

Choose some colours to start painting in your tree.  Again look at my completed painting as a guide to colour blending. Pick colours that are harmonious together such as:

Oranges, reds and yellows
Blues and purples
Greens and blues

White is used quite a lot in this painting as a blending colour. White blended with any bright colour will produce different tones of the same colour hue.  If you have problems getting several colours to blend, add some white and it will help the blending process.

So start with a selection of several harmonious colours and lay the oil pastels down in each 'section' where the tree branches form a shape.  You can go over the shape with layers of colour numerous times until you get the right blend and you will need to use your fingers in the oil pastels to help this process.

TIP:  Constantly wipe the ends of your oil pastels with the paper towel after you have used them. Oil pastels will pick up other coloured pastels and if you don't clean them as you go, you will create a streaky mess of unwanted colours.  Same goes for your fingers when blending, clean them often during the painting process.

As you work your way around the painting, add different colour groups as I have to create vibrancy and visual interest.  Alternatively, if you want to create this abstract tree in a limited colour palette (e.g. you pick just three harmonious colours or one colour plus white for tones) you can do this by just repeating the colours you have chosen all over the painting.

You will find that some of the oil pastel will crumble and sit on the surface of the painting as you work so every so often just tip the canvas board on its side and tap off the excess pastel onto the newspaper underneath your work area.

Have FUN seeing how your colours blend and interact and every now and then, stop and just look at your painting from a distance to see how the coloured sections are looking next to each other and to view the overall balance of colours in your painting is to your liking.

TIP:  If you blend several colours and they don't work, look wrong or go muddy you can just use a butter knife to scrape off the oil pastel from that section and start again :)

Step Four

When you are happy with your blending and your colours and the whole painting is finished, except for the black tree trunk and the branches, leave the oil pastel painting to 'set' maybe for a day or two.

As I mentioned, oil pastels never really dry completely but they will set over time.  Some of my previous oil pastel paintings are dry to touch after a year or two, but they will always be more fragile than a standard acrylic paint artwork.

Step Five

Get out your black acrylic paint again. Now to finish off your painting you need to go over the Tree trunk and branches carefully with your black paint and brushes. Use the bigger paint brush to fill in the trunk and then use the detailer small brush for the finer lines and branches.  Acrylic paint will go over the oil pastel, so don't worry if you have not left a perfect branch line between the oil pastel sections.

Just follow the section boarders and put all the branches in place completely one side of the tree and then the other so that you do not smudge the work. Allow to dry.

The last little detail I used and you can also use if you want to, is that I decided to add some extra branches to my abstract tree painting for visual interest.

If you want to do the same, don't go crazy with extra branches, just a few will do the trick. End the branch with a fine line, or you could add your own ideas such as a few leaves, a bird on a branch or whatever takes your fancy.

YAY you are done :)  The only thing left to do is wait a day or two and then spray with the matte sealer spray.  I would recommend using at least three thin coats of sealer spray, waiting at least three hours between sprays.

TIP: To display your painting you can frame it without the glass and hang on the wall or use a display easel or plate display stand.

I hope you have enjoyed following this How To Blog and that it has inspired you to work with oil pastels in your art projects.

Here are some of my other Oil Pastel Paintings...

'Chevron' ~ used as an art design in my cushion range

'Two Trees' ~ oil pastel and acrylic paint

'Midnight' in the Garden ~ oil pastel and acrylic paint

How to Save Money by Choosing The Right Cushion Covers

You may not give it much thought, but choosing the right Cushion Covers for your home or business can save you money in the long term. 

Having designed many beautiful and unique cushion covers over the last few years for my home-ware business QuirkyHappy.com, I know that not all cushion covers are made equal.  If you want maximum bang for your buck you need top quality, style and durability ~ so think before you buy.

Especially at this time of year with Christmas family visits and the coming New Year, we all want to freshen up our homes without spending a lot of money and new cushion covers are a super easy way to do this.

Cushion covers can be changed to suit your mood. They are easily stored away when not in use and can totally transform a space, giving a 'ho hum' room an injection of uniqueness and personality whenever you like.

Here is my easy check list to make sure you will be thrilled with your next cushion cover purchase:

• Are the cushion covers WASHABLE?

If you have children, love resting your head on your cushions or they are located in a very high traffic area, you need washable covers. 

What is the point of buying a beautiful looking cushion cover that cannot be washed (and unfortunately, there are plenty of

non-washable covers around these days). Don' get me started about 'dry clean only' cushions either (ridiculous).

Look for cushion covers that are hand OR machine washable.  I highly recommend you machine wash your cushion covers on a gentle cycle to protect the investment in your cushion covers.  

When I machine wash them, I put them into a gauze laundry bag, like you do with delicate items. This is an easy way to keep them bright and new looking for a long time.

•       Are the cushion covers NON FADE?

Imagine how disappointed you will be when you first wash your cushion covers to find they have faded or the ink has run.  Ugh!

You have just wasted your money and the covers are useless.

The best way to avoid that disappointment is to only buy cushion covers that have been printed with the best quality inks, like Italian Ink and sublimation printing (heat set) because they will stand the test of time and save you money in the long run.

• Do the cushion covers FEEL WONDERFUL to touch?

I don't know about you, but I simply would not buy a cushion cover that did not feel lovely to touch because cushions should be hug-able. They are there to make you comfortable as well as look great.  

Look for fabrics that are tactile such as plush or satin feel cushions that feel as great as they look.

•  Are the cushion covers WELL MADE?

Look for strong stitching of the seams of the cushion cover for durability. A quality cushion cover MUST have an 'invisible' zipper (a zipper that has been sewn across the base of the cushion cover and can hardly be seen). This allows for easy insertion and removal of cushion inserts.

The Quirky Happy Plush Cushion range features joyful, inspirational hand painted art 

by a talented team of Australian Artists and a wonderful photographer.

 

Quirky Happy Product Review

I was fortunate enough to connect with Kellie from Mamapyjama.com recently.  Kellie is a young Mum and Blogger from Western Australia.  She, like me believes that surrounding yourself with joyful, happy things really does lift your mood.

Kellie wrote a Products Review for my Quirky Happy Cushions, Wearable Art Necklaces and Drink Coaster sets very recently and I wanted to share it with you all (Link is below).

All Quirky Happy products feature designs created from hand painted Australian art by myself and a group of talented Aussie Artists that I have selected to be part of our team. Our Artists get paid a percentage of our sales and we (my hubby and I) do all the work e.g. manufacture, market, sell and distribute.

One of the important 'Missions' of my business is that I can bring amazing joyful artworks created by Aussies for everyone to enjoy, everyday on practical products.

I hope you enjoy reading Kellies Article and check out her adorable son hugging one of my Euro sized Plush Cushions featuring a retro Orange Kombie!

Here is the link to Kellie's Article... QUIRKY HAPPY ~ ART THAT WILL MAKE YOU SMILE EVERY.SINGLE.DAY

Just Like a Hug From Mamma

Remember being a little kid and the comfort you felt when hugging something soft ~ a blanket, Mamma's tummy or your favorite soft toy.  There is something wonderful about things that are soft to touch, especially if you are a tactile person.

When I was searching for our Plush Cushion fabric and designing our Art printed Cushion range years ago, I wanted a double 'whammy' for our customers not just a so so product.

I wanted AMAZING Cushions... First you SEE them and their vibrant joyful designs created from hand painted artworks by myself and our growing Aussie Artist team.

Then you TOUCH the velvet fabric and you are totally hooked.

Finally you find out that they are really PRACTICAL too - Washable ~ Italian Ink Printed ~ Non Fade ~ Non Shrink ~ Tough.


There is nothing like the feel of a great Plushie. Velvet soft to the touch and just soooo HUG-ABLE.

At Quirky Happy we wish that everyone, everywhere could FEEL our Plush Cushions because once you have hugged one you won't want to put it down.

We know that if you like our Cushions in our shop photos you will LOVE them when they actually in your hands!  Check out our growing range of beautiful Cushion Covers ~ Square, Euro and Rectangular HERE.

Each of our unique cushions feature hand painted artworks by Australian Artists.  Cushions are hand made from super tough but beautiful velvet feel fabric after being Italian ink printed and heat set to create a durable art print. Each cushion has an 'invisible' zipper and includes a small tag with the individual Australian Artists name.

We have a Return Policy to ensure that you are totally happy with your purchase. If not we will Exchange or Refund.

My Son’s Brain Cancer Journey is behind my Colourful Happy Art

In July 2011 my son James was about to turn 21 but he never made it to his carefully planned 21st Birthday Party because just days before, he was rushed to hospital and diagnosed with a terminal stage IV brain cancer called Glioblastoma Multiforme. 

As a Mother, I am supposed to ‘fix things’ for my children but I could not do anything but love and support my son through his cancer journey to the best of my ability and try to hold it together. To make it all worse, James lives in Brisbane and I live in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney so I told my husband (James's Stepdad) I would be staying with James in Brisbane as long as he needed me.

It was a nightmare watching James go through two brain surgeries within two weeks to remove the 8.6cm tumor and then endure daily treatments of intense radiation followed by several chemotherapy rounds.  When James was well enough to leave hospital he and I went to stay with a family friend who was kind enough to give us a place to stay for months.

Painting and Drawing is my passion, but during this horrible time in my son's life, my life and my families life, I stared blankly at a white canvas for weeks on end. I had never felt so much pain and helplessness before and the world turned black and white for quite a while.

Then, to help myself cope, I forced myself to paint something, anything.  What I painted during those first terrible months during James's treatment and recovery was sunny yellow Sunflowers.  

I didn't know it at the time, but this Sunflower painting, which I donated to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane where it still hangs on their Neurological Ward wall, was the beginning of a new journey in my arty life. 

I became 'obsessed' with my painting and drawing. I painted every day, sometimes all day and often way into the early morning hours too. It as a coping mechanism during the darkest days of my life so far and it was also the birth of a joyful new business.

My motivation with my art has always been to bring joy to myself and others and now I have a Gift and Home-ware product range that brings joy into everyday life in practical ways.

One of the many drawings I created while supporting my son in Brisbane was a whimsical little Angel holding a big red heart.  I named her Angel Heart and she was one of the very first designs I used in tart product business I run today.

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Angel Heart (as a Wearable Art Pendant and a Plush Cushion Cover) seems to resonate with many people who are going through their own very tough times such as cancer or illness, or they are supporting and caring for someone they love like I was.

 

According to the Australian Brain Cancer Foundation Brain cancer kills more children than any other disease in Australia and more young people under 40 in Australia than any other cancer.

Although our family is very aware that James’s cancer journey is still ongoing and life threatening I am overjoyed to say that he is in long term remission, despite every Doctor telling us that he would not live past 2011.  It is a true blessing because James's type of brain cancer is very aggressive. Many other people are not so fortunate.

Lisa is Managing Director of www.QuirkyHappy.com  Her Angel Heart design is available for sale as a unique handmade Pendant Necklace and as a Plush soft Cushion Cover.   

10% of Every Angel Heart Product that is sold at QuirkyHappy.com is donated to Australia's Cure Brain Cancer Foundation.