Whether you’re spending today with family, friends, pets, chocolate… or a big pot of paint and a messy art table, I just wanted to pop in and say thank you for being here. This community is full of heart 💓 in the way you show up, encourage each other, share your experiments, and allow yourselves to play and grow. That’s real creative courage, and it makes this space feel so special and warm. Today, I hope you: - Do something kind for yourself - Give your inner critic the day off - Let yourself create just for the joy of it If you’d like, share a little Valentine-themed doodle, collage, or colour palette in the comments, it could be hearts, flowers, your favourite pinks and reds, or even an “anti-Valentine” piece if that’s more your style! Sending you all a big, paint-splattered hug and lots of creative love today. 💕Caroline xx

“Oi Yoi Yoi” Roger Hilton 1963 Oil and charcoal on canvas. The Painting I Can’t Stop Thinking About!!!! I saw this painting at Tate St Ives back along that I cannot get out of my head. It’s called “Oi Yoi Yoi” – a wonderfully quirky nude with fabulously wayward boobs that just made me grin from ear to ear. My husband and I were standing there, and I suddenly said, “That’s me getting out of the bath!” We both burst out laughing, and honestly, it still makes me laugh every time I think about it. I love it, it was human, funny, and full of character. Art doesn’t have to be serious or flattering; it can be playful, a bit awkward, and still completely brilliant. It’s been sitting in the back of my mind ever since, whispering: “Go on… you need to make your own version of this. Your own ‘Oi Yoi Yoi’ moment.” And now I really want to create a piece inspired by it, something that captures that same mix of humour, vulnerability, and joy in being a perfectly imperfect human body. I’d love to know: - Have you ever seen a painting that just stuck with you and made you laugh or feel really seen? - Is there an artwork that’s nudged you to make your own version or response piece? If you feel inspired, share a picture or a quick sketch of a piece that: - celebrates the wonky, wobbly, or wonderfully realside of being human or - if you have your own playful “Oi Yoi Yoi” moment. Let’s celebrate art that makes us giggle, blush, and feel a little more at home in our own skin. 💕

Good evening lovely arty people. Today’s topic- Have you got any favourite arty tools or supplies that you can recommend to others? My favourites are: ❤️ Old store card or credit card to scrape and move the paint around ❤️ I love to use the other end of the paint brush to scratch into the paint 🎨 ❤️ I love to create collage papers with the gel plate. This technique is fairly new to me but it’s great fun and easy to master……. You just need a gelli plate and acrylic paints 🎨 and normal A4 printer paper 🫟 (I can explain more about this if you’re not aware of this tool, just let me know x) I can absolutely recommend these arty tools to add texture, interest and intrigue to your artworks! Please share your favourites with us all here, it might become someone else’s favourite tool soon?!

Since spending much more time. Infact almost all my time with art and painting. Due to the influence and encouragement of Caroline, I have come across an unexpected difficulty. That is, when do I consider a painting finished. I seem to have a habit of constantly going back to something I'm working on and changing it slightly and adding more detail. The hardest thing lately is accepting its finished, and to move on. I wondered if anyone else finds this. Anyway, these are the latest two paintings I've been working on. The ship, with the mermaids closing in, during the attack. The above water scene. If you look at the bottom left you can see a mermaid under the water from above. The second is the same mermaid below the water looking up above with the flames from the ship reflected on the top of the water. These were going to be the last of this project to visually show the historic record of the event. But not quite happy, I am now working on a final two paintings, and adding more detail. Before moving onto a new subject. These could be a while as I am presently being distracted by the winter Olympics, and my study of Cartography.

I thought it could be fun to try setting you all a little challenge?! It’s all about turning the ordinary into something extraordinary! 🫟 Find a small, everyday object, like something you might normally throw away or overlook (think: a ticket stub, a button, a scrap of fabric, a tea bag tag, a feather, or even a bit of string). 🫟 Your mission: Incorporate this found object into a mixed media artwork! You can paint around it, stitch it in, collage it, or let it inspire a whole new character or scene. (It doesn’t have to be anything grand, just a little creation is great!) 🫟 Let your curiosity lead the way and have fun with the process. 🫟 Share your creation in the group and tell us what your found object was! Let’s see how many different ways we can turn “junk” into joy. 🫟 Enjoy yourself 🤩🤪