http://search.deviantart.com/?q=by:julestoo&section=today deviantART RSS for by:julestoo en-us Copyright 2009, deviantART.com Thu, 17 Dec 2009 17:30:03 PST deviantART.com http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://s.deviantart.com/minish/widgets/apple-touch-icon-precomposed.png http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/15002358/ http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/15002358/ Wed, 10 Oct 2007 15:16:49 PDT
HI ALL,
Well the paintings are moving along, a little slowly, but they are getting done. I have also started two much smaller pieces, in an attempt to produce more work in a year.
The big paintings are a real challenge, but take so long to do, so I am trying some new ideas on a smaller scale.

I have also opened a new account :Cheebawitches: is a stock account I am doing with my best friend Lav, she will kill me for using her pet name. But you would have seen her in some of my paintings, 'Secrets' and 'waters edge', and she is the model for one of the larger pieces that I am working on at the moment.
Lav is a wonderfull friend, who lets me dress her in different costumes, and then walks around castles and grave yards for me, draping herself over ancien tomb stones, and walking through Arundal Castle in a wedding dress, while I snap away. And all in the name of my art.
Anyway, over the years I have taken many many pictures, not just of Lav, but of all sorts of things, ranging from insect wings and giant hornets, to landscapes and elephants.
So I have decided to put some up for use as stock art.
Now I wasn't thinking photo manips, but more as reference, although any use will be fine.
I am also not the best photographer in the world. And you never know, you may find the occasional picture of moi the other half of 'Lav and Jules' poping up, and it's about time there was some stock photo's of those of us that are no longer 21.
And besides that, I think Lav is beautiful, and she looks good in anything, medievil, gothic,
She is also a constant supply of laughter, my lifeline. It's not up and running yet but I will let you know when it is.
Henry is doing well, although he still has a bad leg. Today we had to shave off all his lovely feathers, as the vet is coming to take x-ray's and ultra sound of his bad leg tomorrow, so we will know exactly what is wrong, and if it can be put right, so fingers crossed.
Jules




]]> *julestoo http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/14755456/ http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/14755456/ Sun, 23 Sep 2007 09:57:06 PDT
1000 pageviews, well 1015 as of today. I would like to say a big thank you to and for the features they both did on my work, I know it helped a lot, and to for letting me use her stock, The Dragon and the Firefly has been really popular, and for all the encouragement from my friends, it has helped me enourmously.
Now if my spelling is off, or this journal is a bit muddled, please excuse it, but I have had a weird couple of weeks. Firstly my Doctor gav me some new tablets to take, packed with seratonin. Now seratonin, or a lack of it in the brain can be a cause of depression. So you take the pills and off you go. Well it would seem that after all these years, my brain just doesn't want any, because I reacted badly,(to say the least).
I asked the doctor, 'this will not affect my driving will it', 'no' she said, HA.
If I had driven, it would likely have been headline news at 10, 'NAKED WOMEN DRIVES WRONG WAY UP THE M25 LAUGHING LIKE A BANSHEE'.
It started off with what I can only describe as an incredible high, which quickly became euphoria. Now normaly, my mind races, all the time, you will often find me reading a book, watching the TV and listening to music, all at the same time, it's part of my being Bi Polar, and shutting down is the hardest thing for me. Well, two days on these tablets and I couldn't even string together a few simple words. People were asking me, 'are you alright' and I was having to think just to get the words to register.
I only took two tablets over two days, but something in my head was telling me, this was not right, and I distantly remembered reading in the side affects 'euphoria'.
I asked my daughter to get the little piece of paper you get with all pills, and read through the, comon, not so common, rare, and very rare, and there it was, 'Euphoria'.
As I began to read down the list I was suddenly overcome with this 'hot' feeling inside, and before I could finish reading, my heart started beating faster.
Within a few minuits I was unable to breath, within a few more I was rushed down to the surgery where I spent an hour on my hands and knees, just trying to breath.
Acute seratonin syndrom is the official name for it, and it was the scariest thing that has ever happened to me, I though I was leaving this world for the next, and a little before time I might add.
Since then I have been having panic attacks, which is sooooo not me. I have also been diagnosed with diabetes, which on top of my PCOS means I now live on lettuce, and my blood pressure is up, so I am also trying to give up smoking, not a bad thing I know, and all for my own good, but god is it boring. I can't even seem to work, although I have done a little, until I begin my new medication, I am left feeling exhausted all the time which for someone who is always on the go, is frustrating to say the least.
With all this to deal with my hubby did something wonderful. I went up to the stable where we keep my daughters horse, and found two of my offspring, one who should have been at school, the other at work, standing by the gate, as I walked around, demanding to know what they were doing, I saw this face in the stable next to Penny, that I did to know. His name is Henry, and I have posted a picture in my gallery just because I wanted you all to see him. He is a big old shire cross with a heart of gold, and you can see it in his face. His feet are like dinner plates with so much feather, his hair is just like mine, about the same texture too, and I love him to bits. Although I can't ride him at the moment, most of the time I feel as if I've had a couple of neat Vodka's, you know when all around you starts to look a bit funny, it's like existing in that time, just before you drop off to sleep, when the tv starts to sound weird, so riding would not be a good idea, I would end up going one way, while the horse went the other. But Henry has become my focus for getting fit, at a time when I was feeling I wouldn't see Christmas.
I am still a bit panicy, which frustrates me, as my body panics, while my m... ]]> *julestoo http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/14343266/ http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/14343266/ Sun, 26 Aug 2007 03:05:41 PDT 'lease try again in a moment'

Good morrow one and all
God I love Sundays

Well it's been a busy week this week.
Firstly the hubby bought me a new Vaio laptop. My poor old fieldtech one has been retired from the hectic life of surfing and live updates. To the more sedate pass time, that we have come to know and love as 'Bookworming'.
So, welcome to the world of windows Vista.
There are a few problems that need ironing out, just don't know if the creases are mine or Vista's.
My printer only prints when I shut down the laptop, useful I know, and I have to keep refering to the 'classic view' or I get lost, (think that might be me age though). Alas and alack, xp is now one more thing in my lie that has become, 'A classic'.
It's how it begins you know.
I am also having trouble on my replies on dA. When I put two new pieces up last weeks, (one of which changed in front of eyes). I also fond, that every time I send a reply or comment, I get the message,
'There was a problem sending your reply'
'lease try again in a moment'
Now I don't know if it's me, Vista, or dA, but some comments are getting through, others are not. Some are getting through but to the wrong deviation, and vice versa when replied to me. We spent a good half hour trying to keep up with each other, but in the end I didn't know what I was replying to anymore.
I have since tried again, and to reply to fav's but it is still doing the same. So bear with me until I find out what's going on.
We also have a new addition to the family. Her name is Penny, and she is a Welsh section D, who is the most laid back horse I have come accross, a real Hippy of the horse world . Except that is if you ride her in windy weather. BIG BIG lesson learned on Wednesday. NEVER NEVER ride Penny in the wind, unless you like being Zorro for a day
But I now have a cure to my not being able to find a suitable stock pic for my unicorn, We now have the perfect model, I just have to work out, how to get her ito rear up, with me laying on the floor beneath her without losing my face when she lands, should keep me out of trouble though, (I hope).
Think I feel another sunday morning snooze coming on.



]]> *julestoo http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/14238133/ http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/14238133/ Sun, 19 Aug 2007 09:48:24 PDT
At the exhibition I entered recently, I met a very successful artist, who filled me with, well, so many things, confidence, hope, joy. She was so enthusiastic about my work, and invited me to her studio, to see if she could help me move forward. I accepted her invitaion, and duly showed up, very nervous , but curious, I left devastated. She told me my work was flat, I achieved no sence of distance, there was no form to my figures, their skin was almost slimey, I could go on.
For the next week, I couldn't even pick up a brush, when I did, I just started crying, I felt as if every day of the last ten years had been a waste of time. She asked me what I wanted to do with my work,'I want to get better at it' was all I could say, because it's the truth. There is no need for material gain in my work, there is just the need to paint. The silly thing is, she warned me of what she was about to do.
'When you try to teach someone, who has taught themselves, it is a very emotional thing'. 'You have to strip them bare, leave them with nothing, and begin again'.
I listened to all she said intently, I remember everything she said, but sometimes when you strip everything away from a person, all you leave them with, is nothing.
At the bottom of my room, stands Darrock Anyon, six feet tall, his Dark violet eyes follow you intently, the warning in them clear, 'she is mine, and I will fight you to the death to protect her'.
I started this work just before the exhibition, and as I struggled with all that this lady said to me, it has sat there, untouched. His nose isn't quite right, his hips at the wrong angle, and his left ear looks like mr Spocks. The chain mail cod piece looks entirely too rude because the roughly painted leather undneath, well you will see what I mean, his fingers look like sausages, I could go on, but instead, I picked up my brushes.
This is the last time I shall paint Darrock, (I think) he has changed a lot since the first one, but then so have I, but when I look at him now, as he watches me typing this, he has taken on a whole new persona. He was always a strong character,but it's s if he is now the embodiment of what my painting means to me, his eyes push me on, even when I'm working on other things, he watches always. It's going to take me an age to finish him, so I decided to put him up as a WIP, the first I might add, I don't like people seeing my work half done, but what the hey, you only live once The last ten years will only be a waste if I choose to waste them, and I can't abide waste.
I admire this Artists work, and I don't intend to ignore her words, she knows what she is tlking about, she's been teaching for thirty years, and her work, which is mainly equine based, is like captured memories, but for this painter my soul chooses my path, and I can't fight that, don't want to either.
So for all Artists, be they painters or poets, writers, uncle tom cobbly and all, when people give you advice, if anyone ever makes you feel that bad about your efforts in life, pick up your pride, thank them very nicely, and then tell them to ....off thank you, I'm doing quite nicely as I am.
And I must say a big thank you to :empty paper: coming online and seing my work featured on my new insane friends space, and the kind words, really, really helped me so much, just as each and every comment does.
Deviants are the best.


I have also replaced some of my files with better ones, I will be updating all the ones that are not so good, and they are all bigger, so you can get a better idea of the detail etc.
Sssh Baby has had a few changes as well, her hand and hair for one, and Baby's eye was a bit wonky, all better now though.

:Elandria:
:Fagashlil
:Emptypaper: ]]> *julestoo http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/13318243/ http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/13318243/ Tue, 12 Jun 2007 15:18:50 PDT
'HELP'


=Elandria

]]> *julestoo http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/13289846/ http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/13289846/ Sun, 10 Jun 2007 11:54:19 PDT I was completely over whelmed by the responce they all got. You know what it's like when you visit an art gallery, and you see one of the old masters works, or something that just takes your breath away, and you stand there, and stand there, just looking at it, trying to work out how they did it, the guide ropes straining against your legs as you try to get as close as possible, well last night I saw people doing it to 'my work, it was so amazing. Four hours went past so fast. When we got there, and I have to say I was armed with family, just in case I needed someone to hide behind. Somebody handed me a glass of white wine, and then a lady came up behind me, and asked me if I as the lady who painted the Fairy, (That's you Elandria), The next thing I knew, it was ten o'clock, my wine glass was still half full, I hadn't seen my family since I got there, and I was floating.
I can't remember half of the things that people were saying to me, but I did have the foresight to take a notebook with me, which is now half full of numbers and names.
I'm not going to repeat everything that was said to me, because it will make me sound as if my head is six feet wide, which it isn't by the way. I can't explain it very well, but, putting my actual work out there, for strangers to look at, is like putting my soul on display, my dreams, I know it's the same for many artists, and stock models, and for many, like me, it's more a test of our own courage, to put them, and ourselves on display, to draw attention to our selves, when what we like to do, is stay in the shadows. It's not that I don't have confidence in my work, I do, it's myself I have trouble with, I don't mind being the first one at the party and watch the room fill up, (I was first there, I have to admit), but I can't walk into a crowded room, or pub, that moment when all faces turn to look at you, makes me want to fold up. But last night I learned I can do it, It's not as bad as the fear makes it out to be, and so what if the whole world turns round to have a look at how big my bum really is in that dress, I can paint, and when people see the paintings, the real thing. They watch them. They gaze at every bit of them, getting as close as they can, and they speak about them with such enthusiasm, their faces all smiles and wonder, next to my husband and children telling me they were proud of me, it was the best feeling in the world, and I am so glad I did it. I've worked hard, with every hope in the world that I could actully paint pictures that people would want to look at, to have in their homes, and yes, to pay money for. I still have all my hopes, but now I realy do believe it.
It was a small local exhibition, with just under a hundred exhibits, but it was a start, and I met some amazing people, artists, even a lady who has been teaching for thirty years, a member of the Royal Society of Artists no less, who made me blush with her compliments, and I'm still floating, I would also like to say thank you to my friends on DA, and anyone who has left comments, to Elandria for her stock(Not grovelling now), and lil, because every kind word helped push me on, and gave me the confidence to do this.
I love everybody today, well almost everybody


And Here's the link (I hope): devElandria

]]> *julestoo http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/13171182/ http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/13171182/ Fri, 01 Jun 2007 01:08:38 PDT Well after several months, two different broadband suppliers, over two hundred pounds on phone calls, and many tantrums, both necessary and childish, A very nice man in a blue boiler suit came to check my wiring, (Much needed at my age), and after ten min work, and an hour chatting to me about my paintings, and naked women, (what can I say, it's a job, someone has to do it, I spent the last two days with a six foot elf's head on my lap), Anywho I now have my broadband back, 'YIPEE', oh sorry bout that, getting over exited, I'm almost scared to do anything in case it goes off again, the broadband, not the elf.
Anywho, I will be answering all the comments and fav's that have been waiting, and someone has been sending me lots of lovely stock photo's, Elanderia you know who you are, You're painting is nearly finished, by the way, just playing with you're hair.
I will be posting new work in the next couple of days, and I have four pieces going into an exibition on the 9th & 10th of June, it's my first exibition, I am really looking forward to it, and dreading it at the same time, co's I have to be there, hope I can get through it, I don't do large crowds very well and there are going to be loads of people there.
One of the new pieces is a collaboration with fagashlil, with the gorgeouse Darrock and a new charecter Nixie, the new Dar turned out so well I have begun work on a six foot canvas, although he takes up the full height, he is not quite life size, almost 3/4 though, hence two days with his head in my lap, Have no idea how long it will take to finish, But as I keep the painting with me, (I mean I don't take it to Tesco's for the weekly shop, although this would get my art noticed], but the room I will spend the evening in, he is with me, I know it's odd, but I often find that by glancing at it every now and again, I find what's wrong with it, but the hubby is finding it a little disconcerting to have Darrock staring at him, all bare chested and chain mail.
Also in the last few weeks, we have become foster parents, Now I know I am going mad, after thirty years of raising children, some of which have left home, At a time when I can see light at the end of the tunnel, two down, two to go, and now we have a Zoe, or sooty because she always whispers, but she is a lovely teenager, yes a teenager, and has got used to me quite well, still tells me off for playing my music too loud though.
Another new addition to our house has been Luna, a west highland puppy, who steals my brushes from behind my ear, keeps dipping her nose in my paint, so she isn't really a west highland white, more a west highland whatever colour I'm using today, She distracts me far too much by stealing my shoes, then running in the garden so I chase her, and has a 'cute face' she uses when peeing on the kitchen floor, then jumps out the door watching you mop it up, Well it keeps me fit.

]]> *julestoo http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/10442204/ http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/10442204/ Thu, 19 Oct 2006 06:39:52 PDT Unfortunately the man who owned it has some seriouse drinking problems, I had to insist his father was with us for the exchange, I din't want to be seen as taking advantage, and he couldn't even count the money, he was that drunk. I found it hard giving him money, knowing where it would end up, would this money buy the drink that would kill him? I could hear the strain in his mother's voice when she spoke, his father seemed to exist in a world where he daren't say anything for fear of his son's violent temper. And As I watched Drunken Matt shout at his parents, that they had never done anything for him, that all his problems, were their fault, I felt decidedly sad for them. While I cleared out the boat, I found a carrier bag folded over tightly, and when I looked inside, all his photographs of his two little boys, his dog, his girlfriends, were stacked inside. A little tacky, and most of them damp, I brought them home and spent the morning peeling them apart and laying them out to dry. As I did so I found myself looking at little snapshot's of Matts life, happier times he had had with friends, Trips to stonehenge, all dreadlocks and spliffs. sitting inside his boat with Marmite, touring in a large gypsy caravan, always happy and smiling, he looked free. When he got into the back of our car, he had a pizza in one hand, two cans of bear in the other, and all he owned in a backpack. He cried constantly, and inbetween he told me all his troubles.
I had to phone him this morning, just to make sure was alright, he told me he paid a women last night, just to give him a cuddle, and I think that was the saddest part of all. He drives the very people from him that would offer that cuddle, he takes it for granted so much that in the end they pull away, just to preserve a part of themselves. I phoned his dad to tell him his son was stil ok, and on his way to a court appearence, my greatest hope is that they put him somewhere he can get the help he needs, rather than punish him for who he is, his crime was being drunk in the street, But I think the prison he has put himself in, is more punishment than they can ever deal him.
I had never met Matt before last week, or his family, I saw a boat, and it looked about my price range, ( a unique fixer upper, I think they call it), in buying it, I have something that I thought I never would, and the British Waterways system may never be the same again for it, but I am also a little saddened at what someone else has had to lose, for me to have come to this place.
As we packed all this sludgy black stuff into bin bags and loaded them into a skip I realised how lucky I was, two of my offspring were there helping, the hubby kept finding people to gossip to, or phone calls to make, anything to avoid the work, my mum barking orders at us all, until a good dunking in the canal looked iminent, I felt happier than I have for a long time. I'm taking loads of pics, so when it looks like we are actualy getting somewhere I will post some. And if in the not so distant future, you should ever be walking along the canal bank, and you see a small boat go chugging by, with a Pheonix rising from the ashes painted along her sides, (For this is her new name), and a rather plump women smiling broadly, tiller in her hand, Vodka and orange in the other, a paintbrush behind her ear, give me a wave, and know that here on the water, I have come home and at peace with all, I can only hope that Matt and his family will find the same, and we can each paint a different kind of picture, and a happier future.

So now I am off to learn how to paint Roses and Castles, with a bit of signwriting thrown in for luck, and then I have to spend several days with wire brush and wire wool, rubbing down the boat,(it's steel), that lovely metal on metal sound, is something I am so not looking forward to, then it's two coats of anti foul, two coats of primer, two coats of undercoat, and two coats of gloss, And then I get to play. I distictly remember saying that I was going to do a couple of smaller paintings, guess I was wrong there, My mind is racing at the thought of what I could paint on it, so pray for good weather, This Is England after all, and I'll keep you posted .

]]> *julestoo http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/10255519/ http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/10255519/ Mon, 02 Oct 2006 04:36:37 PDT Well I am busy finishing my largest painting to date, it's five feet wide and four deep so has taken some time, but it will be up in my gallery in the next two weeks. I'm also starting three new pieces, one of which is a collaboration with Fagashlil, and another using the gorgeous Eliandra as the main model, if you havn't checked out her stock art please do, she's great, and thanks Otterling for the nudge in her direction, I will put a link on my page, if I can work out how.
I have been struggling a little with the dark place over the last couple of weeks, which is why it takes me longer to reply to comments, and comment in turn on all your work, so sorry if I don't get back to you strait away, rest assured I am watching, but sometimes it would be easier to run up Ben Nevis backwards, that to type a reply.
Now, I have been able, finaly, and at last to get the money together to have two of my paintings printed as Giclee prints, trouble is, I can't decide which two to go for, and this is where you lot come in, I would love it if you could tell me, which two, you would choose, and help me decide, It's my aim to get them all done eventually, well not all, but most of the fantasy pics, but I find it's kinda like decorating a room. If you do the job yourself, then stand back and look, you tend to see the place by the ceiling were there is a crack you should have filled, or the brush marks behind the sofa, but if someone else decorates it for you, while you go out for the day, when you walk in you just see a great looking room. Anyway I would like to base this on what the viewer see's not what I see, if you see what I mean, so over the next couple of weeks, let me know what you think and if you can get anyone else to vote, well, the more the merrier.
Speak to you all soon and keep those creative juices flowing.

]]> *julestoo http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/8909098/ http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/8909098/ Mon, 29 May 2006 07:33:25 PDT I understand they like only the best work, don't we all but to my mind any work that comes from the heart and soul is the best, they seem to have a list of favorites and that is that, but most of these people are well known in the art world and in no need of the exposure. For someone like me these rejections can set doubt in your own mind about your abilities and no one has the right to do that without my painting I don't know where I would go., for many people submitting work is like doing the shopping naked ,(not something I do on a regular basis I might point out) many of us put our souls out there and they have no right to stamp on it.
After a terrible morning I was feeling truly depressed to the point of thinking I was will never be good enough until I came here, I had a message from fagashlil saying she was pissed off with Epilogue for rejecting her work, (Lil this is getting spooky) but believe it or not this has made me feel better, not because they rejected her work , but to be in the company of one so skilled in the art of the pencil is no rejection at all and I thank her from the heart of my bottom for the pleasure of that company.
fuck em Lil get the pencil's out ]]> *julestoo http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/8893053/ http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/8893053/ Sun, 28 May 2006 01:14:42 PDT *julestoo http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/8825033/ http://julestoo.deviantart.com/journal/8825033/ Sat, 20 May 2006 11:08:49 PDT Mood: bit Basil Fawlty
Listening to: Sheila's wheels
Reading: no time there's a garden to dig
Watching: still digging the garden

Ok, Hi to one and all, It has been around a year since I was last here, and then I log on and find I have around six hundred messages waiting for me. Well withought going into a long and believe me depressing story, As some may know and other not, I began painting while suffering from deep depression and it became a posative focus for my thoughts. Since then it has grown into such a large part of my life and helped me to remain atop the dung pile, last year however I slipped down a little and hence my absence and more importantly my lack of responce to all your comments and messages. And so without further ado, I would like to say a VERY BIG SORRY to one and all, and I promise to do nothing else until I have answered every single one of you and pay you a visit. One good thing is that I have finished four new paintings which I have today submitted and two more that I am just finishing, so I hope you like them, I am expecting lots more comments from the lads on one of these in particular and will say no more, but I hope you enjoy them.
So thanks again to you all, your words are as good as paint on a brush to my soul.

]]> *julestoo