Full of Colour and Life...

She begins to appear...

Medusa.

Work continuing progress.

Day 3... My head, heart and soul says Please - STOP THE CULL.

Tonight's small writing and small paintings come from my love of all animals, and particularly my love of Badgers. I know so many of you out there feel the same -  I was on the march where the news said 'a couple of hundred people turned out', and there we were in a peaceful and passionate crowd which numbered over 7000 people. Some of whom had come from abroad just to have their voices heard.

It's been about a year now that I've actively been involved with campaigning against the cull. I can't believe that this inhumane slaughter is now taking place. There are so many reasons why this cruel and barbaric cull is wrong.
In this blog post I'm not going to discuss details about the cull, and how it affects the Badgers, the Cattle and Farmers too, so please follow the links at the bottom of this blog post if you would like some more information.

I made some ACEO's (Art Cards, Editions and Originals) of Badgers earlier this year, and I'm going to paint some more for an auction later this week.
Here are some of my Badger ACEO's... most of them have Badger loving homes now, but there will be more coming soon.
Save Me used the Scapegoat image on their facebook page.

'Friendship'

'Scapegoat'

'Smell the Flowers'

'Moon Badger'

'Look into my Eyes'

'Innocence'

If you haven't signed the Petition yet please sign here.

For more info please visit: 

The Badger Trust

League Against Cruel Sports
Save Me

Please do what you can to protect our wildlife, and to find a more humane and effective way of dealing with Bovine TB.

Thanks for reading.
XXX

Art Blog Day 2 - Etsy and WIP

Evening all. Well there were some drawing plans for today that have as yet gone astray, but I'll hopefully bring them into tomorrow's blog.

Firstly today was beautiful, sunny and bright, and as we are in September I feel it's important to make the most of the last of the Summer Sun, as Winter feels a long time grey. I took a nice amble on to the Heath and got some inspiration from the Trees, which I'll talk more about tomorrow.

As now we are in the Ogham Tree Calendar month of Muin -  the Vine/Bramble I spent some time connecting with, and munching on the Blackberry Brambles...I sat and meditated by a large area of Bramble that was shaped like a mound or a lodge, with a small doorway in it. I'll post my thoughts and sketches on this tomorrow!

The afternoon was swept away with photographing Pendants and updating my Etsy Shop -  it does take a long time, but it was worth it! Popped some of my newest Pendants on there, so do take a look if you get a mo! :)

So the photos today are more progress on my Medusa painting... still a little way to go, but I'll share some of the images. The photo quality is not that great as they were taken on my i phone in all different lighting.

Medusa without her mask...
Night!

Sketches from Hackney City Farm

I am currently taking a brilliant course at The Princes Drawing School, called 'Animals and Art'. Animals... Art, my two favourite topics in life ever. :) I always think it's important to keep pushing oneself, and drawing animals who usually decide to move, just when you are about to finish your picture is without a doubt a challenge. This course is 10 weeks, so expect many more animal pictures!:)

The Avalon Faerie Ball and Fayre - Glastonbury and The Magical Faerie Fest - Canterbury

At the Magical Faery Festival in Canterbury, April 2011 - Photo by Leon Staden

As Medusa at the Avalon Faery Ball in Glastonbury March 2011 - Photo by Gordon Burns

My Stall at the Avalon Faery Fayre...

Glastonbury Tor Pilgrimage

With Artist Esther Remmington

A wonderful time was had at both faerie events, I met so many lovely, magical people, sold some art and got very inspired!

Roll on more events! xx

Seidr - The Gate is Open

This is the forthcoming book from author and all round wonderful witch Katie Gerrard. Her previous book 'Odin's Gateways' is an informative and very accessible guide to the Runes, and this new book 'Seidr - The Gate is Open' looks at Seidr, Norse Witchcraft and Trance Prophesy.
The cover art for both books is by moi, and they are available from the following online shops, as well as all good esoteric bookshops:
www.thebirchtree.com
www.amazon.co.uk/Odins-Gateways-Practical-Through-Casting/dp/1905297319
www.avaloniabooks.co.uk



xxx

Lunar Day 3... I Told You So!

So, the thing is, I really wasn't planing on drawing this! But since when did plans come into the faerie equation eh?

I started out sketching Gordon watching the 'The Bear Family and Me' however I was watching the Bears and the lights were all ambient and dim, so... that went out the window, I did a quick simple sketch of Hope (a beautiful, feisty bear cub), which I will put up here, but Star is sitting on it at the moment and she looks very comfy, plus it's too small to count as my picture a day.
I tried a more detail picture, but I was getting grumpy, and I knew it was a bit late in the day for an epic bear picture (which is a shame, one day soon there will be an epic bear picture!)...

So I was about to lose my grumpy rag, and as I was doodling, She appeared on the page with these words on her lips 'I told you so!'...

And so she came to life on my page (with no help from me I hope you understand...) and she certainly is... well she certainly is her faerie self! Her name is Callista, with something debonair as a surname which didn't exactly roll off the tongue...

I will be making a painting of her.. I doubt whether I'll have much choice in that one...

The Vampire and Baldr the Dragon

Here are 2 new paintings... The Vampire and The Dragon.

In the Vampire I wanted to capture a sense of reflection and being lost in the moment. With a trickle of blood on her lips, it is left up to you to decide whether she is revelling in the taste of blood, or feeling remorse for her actions....

The Dragon (who let me know his name was Baldr, after the Norse God of light and beauty) is a recent commission, and my first attempt at painting Dragons... I have now realsied I LOVE DRAGONS! They have been creeping or flying into my dreams, and so watch this space for more Dragon paitings.

There's much more art, new and old on my website http://www.lauradaligan-art.com

And one more Undine....

Sketches for Undine...

Drawings/Paintings for an upcoming project with poet Anna Mcerrow...

Little Ganesh completed...

Little Ganesh, is indeed almost identical to his big brother. Yet compared to his brother's 2'X2' stature, Little Ganesh is a cute 8"X10". Little Ganesh has already found a home. Big Ganesh is still looking for his perfect home. Contact Laura at http://www.lauradaligan-art.com for more info.
Acrylic on Canvas.

Day 16 - Ganesh!

Even though I may well tweak him still (!), this is Ganesh pretty much finished! This is still a rough picture of the final piece. Will have him scanned in to his full glory very soon.
He is 24"X24" Acrylic on Canvas, and now... FOR SALE! All enquiries please e mail laura.daligan@gmail.com

Day 8 Burlesquey Goodness!

Been working on Psychic a lot past couple of days, so not much time to create much, yet many ideas have been had and plans discussed! Through delusional tiredness today, I met up with the burlesque performer Ivy Paige and we hatched a few plans. Very exciting indeed. After trying to set up my new Psychic website (why do I even try this close to mercury retrograde in Aquarius??!!) I sat down with some sketchy ideas. Top one is Ivy. Hopefully much more to show tomorrow!
Night ...

Day 3: In this twilight

My friend Anna said this blog was a good idea, because those pieces that would have otherwise been lost or unseen, would be viewed. I thought, Yes, how cool. Until I painted these randomities tonight, whilst listening to NIN Year Zero Remix album. This now begs the question... should some things really be seen? Answer: Hmm, probably not, but too late, I'd already promised myself to upload what I was doing everyday, and this is some of what I was doing tonight after work. The themes of Year Zero are hardly a walk in the park, maybe a walk in the park via the apocalypse, but anyway, I didn't say it was 'good', but It was needed and I kinda feel a bit better for it...

Day 2: A Ganesh in progress!

Ah... Day 2 and Ganesh (the unfinished) was sitting on my easel looking appealing, plus my star sign said 'don't take on any more challenges until you finish ones you have already started...' so I took that as a sign, as it were. I did a commission of Ganesh a couple of years ago, and that's where my love affair with this gorgeous elephant God started. I researched the myths and beliefs and now have little Ganesh and Shiva shrine in my flat, a few months ago I started the above painting, a slightly smaller(approx 2ftX2ft) canvas of him for my set of world Godesses and Gods, which so far includes a lovely lioness (Sekhmet) and this almost done Ganeshy! He will be done soon and, and then there will be a better picture of this painting online.
Random insight...there is a statue of Ganesh in the Yoga studio I go to, when I feel I can't do a pose I often imagine he is helping me with the poses w, pulling me up, stretching me out etc. Elephant yoga= genius.

A Little Introduction!

The Autumn Queen - Laura Daligan
Inks and Watercolour on Paper.

'Macabre and witchy, womanly and bizarre. I aim to express emotions as powerful visuals in my work.'

I am an artist and illustrator, living in North London with my lovely man and our two crazy kits Cobweb and Star, they're at that age where they are probably to big to be called 'Kittens' but are too much my babies to be called 'Cats', so we shall have to stick to Kits and Cattens for now!

To view more of my paintings and drawings please go to my website, where you can see a full bio of illustration commissions that I have done, plus loads of finished art work... you know you want to... go on.. just click your mouse over this pretty word...here!

From the 1st of January I shall be doing a 31 Day Art Blog, which I am very excited about! Basically I shall upload the art that I create... everyday. Whether it be sketches, finished and
unfinished paintings, ideas, whatever, this is to get me started in 2009 in the best way I can, by pushing my work as far as can be...daily!

As I do currently have many other a job to do, being a psychic, astrolger, writer and wiccan witch, I shall probably not be able to upload finished pieces everyday, but I shall do my very best as, being a typical Aries, I have a lot of projects on the go! To find out more about my psychic work, or to book a reading please check out my www.laurapsychic.tv

It is, and has always been my dream to be able to paint and draw everyday, and in 2009 I am determined to make it happen!