New clothing designs!

I've been sketching over the weekend - my head is full of wonderful new clothing designs and I've been finally putting them down on paper. My friends all know I talk about 'new designs' on a regular basis, but don't always get to create them, so having my new Studio will certainly help me do that.

Ahhhhhhh the bliss of walking into my new 'world', a haven where I can feel totally arty and separate myself from the computer/internet side of my brain!

The photo here is of my TeenaTop design in handpainted silk chiffon. Big, baggy, breezy and so sensual and soft on the skin. A true delight to wear, winter and summer. I do like Japanese and African clothing styles, so many of my designs are very simple in white silk, with the colourful patterns I paint on them bringing them to life.


The colourful photo at left is a section of silk chiffon which I painted called 'Coral Reef', inspired by the Great Barrier Reef where I was living recently [for a period of 2 years].

I love living in new environments, I always see, feel and paint fascinating new patterns on the silk ... which surprise me just as much as you.

PS - yes, I physically hand-paint the silk with a small soft brush. Check out the dolphin wallhanging I painted for a client - click here.

Now, must get back to packing up more of art supplies ready for the next trip to Le Studio! Ciao for now ...

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I hope to get a trestle table into the Studio this weekend ...one of my mates said he could help me. I'm very excited to get the Studio looking 'arty', and taking some of my boxes of art supplies there.

Pretty soon I'll have silk wallhangings up on the wall, and paintings, and it'll look very cool.

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Kevin Koala's debut online!

Here is Kevin Koala, I sketched him recently [all my koalas are called KEVIN - this one is on white paper, using a big black marker, and the sketch is about 30x24". [click the link to read more]

I can't help it - I draw koalas all the time, given the opportunity. A friend of mine has a blackboard on her office door and I can't resist drawing SOMEthing every time I go near it, haha. If I could carry an easel and markers I'd be sketching all day long.

I outlined a Koala on some white linen teatowels recently, in blue paint - turned out pretty good, I must photograph them.

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Handpainting dolphins on silk

Last night I uploaded some old photos onto my new Photo Gallery at my handpainted silk site.

I had been thinking about the dolphin project for a few weeks, and remembered that I'd taken step by step photos - I thought it was high time I shared them, so if you've got time, click here to pop over to my Photo Gallery to have a look.

All photos (c) Teena Hughes 1980-2006

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Memories of studios past ...

My first studio was up four flights of ricketty stairs, atop a little old building in Kings Cross. Once inside, it was an artist's dream ... I loved that place!

We created a big workbench with an old cupboard under each end, with all my paints, brushes etc in the cupboards. I had handpainted silk hanging everywhere - it was so colourful and cheerful. In the photo [taken about 10 years ago], the handpainted silk hanging behind me became a coat which I've been wearing ever since - quite the 'conversation starter'.

Friends used to meet me for brekkie [breakfast] in the Italian cafe downstairs, then I'd excitedly climb the stairs and go paint to my heart's content ... ahhhhh this photo is such a wonderful trip down memory lane!

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Sitting in my local café this morning

I was sitting in my local café this morning [Café Next] sipping my latte, and making notes about what to take over to the new Studio.

A nice 'problem' to have. It's great to be planning so many cool things to paint and do at the Studio.
I already have 4 stools for students and visitors to sit on, and large plastic boxes with all my art equipment [or most of it], and I can put some wild silk pieces on the walls while I'm working out what else I'd like to decorate with.

The prospect of being able to come to this little oasis is intoxicating, spellbinding in a weird [good 'weird'] kind of way.

I also need to buy a little one burner stove so I can make my famous lattes - that goes without saying.

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Classes :: Kids

I've been thinking about new classes I can teach in my new Art Studio, and a friend of mine suggested kids' classes.

I love to teach kids, even though it's been a while, and most kids are totally fascinated with silk painting. Kids as little as 3 love it, but it's virtually impossible to get them to understand not to mix colours, so they need to be watched every second or all the paints end up looking like mud haha.

Still - it has given me 'fude for thawt' ... and my creative juices are waking up and thinking about teaching kids from 7+ how to draw and paint on paper and/or canvas, and kids 10+ how to paint on silk. Stay tuned! I'll do some research and formulate some class plans.

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