Strength and Determination

Hi everyone - yes once again it's been a long time between posts. I haven't created much art recently, and I'm not big into making New Year resolutions, but I am going to try and endeavour to create more art this year. If I do, I of course will keep you updated so cross your fingers for me. Perhaps you could also check back every now and again, or drop me a note to encourage me too!

Another area that I haven't done much of recently is write. I love to write. For me it's just as valid an outlet for expression as drawing, playing guitar and I'm an avid book reader and song lyric listener fan as much as one of art.

If something gets stuck in my head and rattles around and won't get out, writing it down in some form, whether prose or a poem, seems to exorcise the daemons! I'm not comparing myself to Blake or T.S. Elliot - I'm more like Pooh Bear or Dr. Seuss when it comes to verse and I'm somewhat rusty with it too. But, I had a bee in my bonnet and needed to let it out, so here's me just getting it out there.

I am me by Angela Cutler

To be as me as me,
Took a very long time.
I am what you see,
What else could I be?

I struggled a lot,
The path that I trod,
I’d pause to take stock
Searching like Sherlock.

I got there you know,
Discovered my truth,
I go with the flow,
Not one to follow.

I’m happy it’s true
To know that I’m me,
I can’t be like you
With your differing view.

Take what you see,
No sliding scale of
Christianity!
Accept me for me.

You tell me you’re right.
I know my own mind.
I’ll put up a fight,
I may not be polite!

Don’t say I’m misled,
Don’t want your doctrine.
I’ll look straight ahead
Feeling quite liberated!

My heart is my own,
In that I delight,
Love I’ve been shown,
Bright like a gemstone.

I’m glad to be me,
Be all that I am,
I’m finally free,
Living my reality.

So as you can see
I’m really alright,
Cos I’ve found the key

To be as me as me. 

Copyright 2017 Angela Cutler

Sleeping Ferret Prints Available

Fine Art Prints Now Available on Etsy

Thank you to everyone who liked my drawing of the sleeping ferret. As I received such a positive response, I have made an Etsy listing if you'd also like to own Ruckus! In order to keep the integrity of my work the prints are professionally Giclee printed on fine art paper and I have to say the quality is astounding. I actually prefer the prints as there's a little more contrast and the art paper is a little whiter than my original and there's no graphite shine. The prints are available with off-white card mounts and fit into a standard 10" x 12" frame.

I know there's a lot of art lovers out there...and ferret lovers - this would make a fantastic gift.
https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/289866403/sleeping-ferret-drawing-giclee-print

Mounted and framed original drawing of Ruckus Ferret Sleeping

Creating a Ruckus!

I'm an animal lover, well perhaps nature enthusiast might well be a better description. I've always loved being outdoors and as a child growing up I loved all the nature that lived around me, avidly watched 'Life on Earth' on BBC TV and always had a wistful Disney-esque hope that I could surround myself with animals that would feed out of my hand or not run away when I approached them. Living in the suburbs of London that only really limited me to sparrows, ducks and the neighbourhood cats which were willing to come close for a pat or food. Now that brings me onto the topic of pets. My parents weren't pet people, nonetheless, my elder brother's resourcefulness for 'not pets', meant we grew up with his small menagerie of frogs, toads, snakes and lizards and escaped crickets that would chirrup in his bedroom that were dinner for his 'not really pets'!

Click on images for larger version.
Completed graphite and water colour pencil drawing.
Ruckus ferret sleeping © 2016 Angela Cutler

So now I have my own proper pets what did I choose? I don't remember where or why, but there has always been one animal that has fascinated me from the age of about 10. I must have seen it on TV and then there was a book in the local library which I looked at repeatedly. This animal was then certainly on the 'not really a pet' category as it was then the preserve of old men in flat caps 'up North'! However it captivated me with its cheeky bandit mask, slinky long body and intelligent beady eyes. Of course, it was a ferret and in those days they were a working animal and had a reputation for fierceness and being somewhat malodorous. People didn't keep them as pets, until much later when they did!

Paw detail.
Ruckus ferret sleeping © 2016 Angela Cutler

Light Space & Time - updated

Special Recognition Award From Light Space & Time Art Gallery

I am so pleased to announce that I have been awarded with 'SPECIAL RECOGNITION' in the Painting & Other Category by Light Space & Time Online Art Gallery for my art work 'SING FOR THE SUN'. This was my first foray into art competitions and I am just so surprised and happy to be placed, and I am hoping this will help me gain increased exposure for my art and for myself as a serious artist. As an emerging artist who has yet to sell or exhibit my work - it means so much to receive such positive feedback whether it's Google+ likes, comments or in this case to be placed alongside many other talented and experienced artists.

My art work 'Sing for the Sun' has been awarded with Special Recognition
from Light Space & Time Gallery's Sept 2014 'Nature' competition.

Hidden

The Mighty Wren!

The wren is the smallest of garden birds, yet for its size this diminutive avian has, gram for gram, the loudest voice! Quite surprising!

As I was contemplating the subject matter for my next art work, I was thinking of drawing something dramatic like a wolf, or admired in the UK, like a fox. However, a series of personal events occured during this period that made me look hard at a few matters in my life. The most significant being that a good and dear friend passed away suddenly. Whilst dealing with my grief, it made me look at what's important in my life and re-prioritise a few things and then quite unexpectedly, I had the vision of a little wren hiding in the hedgerow and I knew this had to be the subject matter of my next work.

Hidden © 2014 Angela Cutler

At the time I didn't know why I should draw a wren as it seemed the farthest away from something large, mammalian and dramatic; but the image seemed burned into my mind so I went with it.

When I start a new piece I have an idea and it just feels right for that moment. I often have a clear idea of how I want the main pencilled image to look, but not always a clear idea of the background. For this piece, I knew that I needed to have the little wren hidden away in the undergrowth as is their natural nature to do. Apparently, they are one of the most common garden birds, but due to their tiny size and secretive natures, we don't often see them. We only notice them by their very loud, shrill warbling song.

My little wren coming to life. ©2014 Angela Cutler

Earlier this year whilst on holiday in Somerset, I took several photos of the spring flowering hedgerows as they were so pretty and delicate. I wasn't quite sure how I was going to incorporate the hedgerow plants in my drawing as I didn't want it to become too busy...it could be easy to over-power the little wren. I just wanted a hint of hedgerow so I drew a few pretty campions, grass and a fern - just enough to give a flavour.

This picture was a little bit of a departure for me, as with my last drawing - Sing for the Sun - I added a hint of colour to the pencilled bird and I was aware that the flowers made putting in the background a little trickier. I wanted the feeling of the bird hiding in the darkness of the undergrowth, but with the light from outside filtering in...perhaps even calling to him to come out.

Wren study © 2014 Angela Cutler

It was then, only once I finished the drawing and even a week afterwards, that I realised what the meaning of it is. Sometimes, you need to step out of a life situation or out of what you are or have become, to chooose between the dark and light or perhaps out of a situation in life that arose, make your voice heard and stand up for what you believe is right and make that change! But I am just as happy if you see my drawing as a pretty wren in the hedgerow.

I hope you have enjoyed looking at the little wren and my background narrative. Please Like on Google+ or leave a comment.

Magnificent Me - Kids Yoga Book!

All I have to say is 'We've done it!"  Along with the author Dawattie Basdeo and me as the designer and illustrator, it taken us a year and a half of hard work, but finally we have our Kids's Yoga Activity Book and our Kid's Empowerment Cards ready for sale!!! And we are so proud of what we've achieved and hope you'll love them for your kids too.

Our book is called, 'Magnficient Me, Magnficient You - The Grand Canyon (ISBN: 978 1 78279 8194)', and is released for worldwide sale through Amazon and other retailers from December 2014 as a paperback and eBook (RRP £5.99). Published by Our Street Books.

Here's what MELANIE LEE, a yoga teacher had to say about our book: "I felt the book was imaginative and informative, there was a clear story that flowed. Lots of visual aids which are so important to children and there was a good balance of emphasis placed on postures and breathing and meditation Loved the affirmation. Personally speaking as a teacher this book would fit in with many areas of the curriculum. Thanks for a good read".

Our affirmation cards are called, 'Magnificent Me, Magnificent You - Empowerment Cards' and are available initially through Holistic World Online Shop and other retailers like Amazon Marketplace soon (RRP £12.99).

Sing For The Sun

 'They sing only for the sun, so I am told, These little wonders, in gleaming gold'.

As I grew up in suburban London as a young girl, I developed an interest for the wildlife around me. I became fascinated that in this urban landscape of tarmac and brick, birds and animals lived happily alongside. We had a small garden and my mother would throw left-over scraps of bread out for the ubiquitous sparrow and on Sundays she'd leave out on the lawn our discarded chicken carcass until all the garrulous neighbourhood starlings had picked it bare. Birds for me in my urban landscape for the most part were made up of these commonplace, noisy squarking avians, and of course pigeons.

© 2014 Angela Cutler. Sing for the Sun. Pencil, acrylic and oil pastel on paper.

Being the yougest of three children and a girl, I wasn't allowed out as much as my older brothers, I seem to remember that a lot of my time was spent gazing out of the windows at the world outside that was denied me. One of my brother's had an ever-changing hobby interest and for a short while he joined a respected UK birding organisation and became a 'RSPB Young Ornathologist', and it was quite a responsibility to have a hobby that consisted of five syllables at the age of ten! So rather than lobbing scraps on to the lawn, he made a bird table and made very serious notes of all the different varieties of birds that visited our garden...which as noted above was quite a small repertoire.