Brand New Samantha Braund Arts Website

I have been pretty busy lately dealing with a flare up of my shoulder problem - which was so annoying. However it freed me up to do quite a bit of research into moulding and casting ideas for sculptures I intend to make. I also finally got round to creating a website/blog specifically for my Art shop. I have created an Etsy shop for it too, and left it in holiday mode as I am still in an experimental work phase.

The website can be found HERE , and even though I only have a few tester posts on there, it's really starting to take shape. Do have a look and let me know what you think - it's clean and bright, as opposed to artsy which I am not totally sure about, and can always add a custom picture header, or fashion a border of some kind, but I did want the work to be what stands out, so we'll see.

 

Outside of that I have been rehabbing (of course) and made a "Dreamer" themed illustration this week, which I love. I bought these permamnet ink pens with different nib thicknesses and it's made all the difference to my doodling efforts :) I will be resuming work on my shipwrecked Pirate treasure chests, and once I am sure my shoulder has calmed down, I will try to introduce some jewellery making again...which can't happen soon enough for me lol

Thanks for looking ...



Samantha Braund

House Of Cards Doodle

 

This doodle was the result of watching the last few episodes of House of Cards (season 2)!! I believe the intense political wranglings on the screen resulted in one of my most erratic, convoluted doodles yet!!

 I cannot wait for season 3, I'm a fan of the original British series and had been reluctant to watch the US version because of that....however so many friends were raving about it, I succumbed and am now officially hooked lol!! Ooh that Frank Underwood is devious one lol... it's very Shakespearian , a cross between Richard the Third and Macbeth !!


Thanks for looking ...



Samantha Braund

Abstract Wintery Dried Leaves

I have come to love Winter over recent years. I am especially enthralled by the way frost affects the flora and fauna around the house. I find I take more photos of bare twigs and branches than I do of the flush green display of Summer. I was using my camera as kind of view finder and noted the abstract geometrical shapes formed by interwoven dried leaves and branches...this illustration is a quick study in acrylic inks to capture those gnarly jagged forms





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Samantha Braund

Pink Rambling Roses

My shoulder rehab is continuing with it's up's and downs. I bounced back from my recent bout of problems to get back into the studio again within the week. I have been doing a lot of experimenting on scrap sheets of watercolour paper, which basically means me dripping and oozing paints, and inks and scraping at the pigments with scalpels, and twigs to try and get texture. I have also been playing with cling film and salt (the usual watercolourist's toys). So far I have learnt a lot, even if the result is a muddy puddle lol.

Today I decided to make a quick sketch of a couple of rambling rose blossoms weaving their way round a hedgerow (similar to before), then set about throwing paint around. I wasn't intending to make a painting and the focus was not on composition, but more about gestural mark making and texture. I went overboard in areas and of course things got muddy, but I continued to add splatters, and used twigs to drag the ink out, which helped a little. I am in love with granulation as a contrasting effect, but am yet to work out how to get consistently good results

Anyway, I think I am going to probably use more light sketching to provide me with a framework before experimenting next time. The blank paper has been rather intimidating and I have noticed I seem to need a focal point to bring out better results. Here's the result and some cropped views to show the mark making up close. I hope my shoulder doesn't act up tomorrow after a long day in the studio....oh well it's all part of the rehab process :) and I am starting to get more and more excited about the art shop (yay)

The whole piece



Twigs and splatters ...




Check out that granulation, baby (lol) !! (and negative space painting)



Watercolour pencil, intense crayon sticks ...



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Samantha Braund

Rosa Arvensis - A Fresh Hope

I am continuing to do rehab for my shoulder injury and am pleased to report that over the last couple of weeks I have been able to use my arms a lot more and have even been able to do some "art"

I would of course love to be able to take on my wire work, but as mentioned before, this would tax more torn tendon more than any other art form I do. Thank goodness I like to dabble in other media other wise I would be going crazy lol. Art therapy is a major factor in keeping me centred . I have taken to my watercolours again, which has been a surreal experience for me, as this was my only creative outlet back when I was a doctor. I haven't touched the medium in a decade - I had of course discovered the joys of acrylics and mixed media thanks to my stint on the Arts and Design course at DeMontfort Uni in 2012, but I never really thought I'd revisit this old faithful friend lol

My approach has changed though towards the medium, possibly as a result of all those mixed media influences and my love of 3D and texture, so I have taken more of an experimental approach this time. I didn't realise how much texture and vibrancy can be brought into watercolours these days, my old work could look quite washed out. The experimental painting above is of Rosa Arvensis a wild rambling white rose, that runs rampant in the English countryside...I felt it symbolised a vibrant fresh hope for me that I am turning a corner with my health and happiness in general. I have been able to reconnect with long lost family this year, and have managed to achieve significant weight loss in my efforts to address my health - so even though there has been somewhat of a creative drought and not a lot happening with the shop, I would say this has been one of my favourite years so far :) If the current trajectory holds true with my rehab, then I hope to open an Arts shop alongside the jewellery one to sell my other kinds of work , which is a lovely thought for me to hang onto as we go into the festive season



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Samantha Braund

Studio PlayTime

"Forest Floor" - painted in apples and cinnamon inspired hues and values

It's been ages since I've properly reconnected with my blog or even Facebook. I think it's because I was made to feel thoroughly miserable for a while with all the health issues and I knew that would come through online. The appointments and follow ups are continuing and will do throughout November, but I am fine within myself, which is a relief to be able to say

I am going to keep the shop closed for the rest of the year now, to give myself room to relax and play...this is how I come up with my best work to be honest. I'm planning to open at least another shop next year which will be based on mixed media, altered books, paintings and such, so there is a lot of work going into that behind the scenes. The hubby is also literally heading into his final few weeks before handing in his thesis, so a calm stress free household is paramount. Christmas will be fun though!

I have really got back into my painting again recently. I have decided to accept the fact that I'm incredibly faddish when it comes to my medium of choice. All I want to do is paint at the moment, and who knows how long that impulse will last before I move onto something else. That's probably why I'll need all these different types of retail outlets to store all forms of my work lol . Anyway, I will leave you with my latest paintings, they're acrylic abstract pieces, one titled "Forest Floor" and the other playfully called "Grapelicious". They've both been painted in a negative painting style, which I am obsessed with at the moment. I hope you like them...I've included close ups of different aspects of the paintings as well as a view of them on the studio table :)
















"Grapelicious" - hues inspired by both the red and the green grapes on vines















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Samantha Braund