Psychedelic

I’m sorry but I am the worst sewer knitter or crocheter than ever lived. I would LOVE to be good at crafting in a conventional sense.. in any sense .. I can knit a square sew on a button dodgily. That’s as far as it’s ever gone, much as I’d like it to be different.

As I’ve mentioned elsewhere my sewing teacher huffed in disgust at my botched stitches as she examined my “work” at her desk. I copped a swift slap across the buttocks for being so useless. Later in my crafting career, if you could call it that, my mother was called into school to discuss why I couldn’t knit. I mean did that really matter for a seven year old? My mother drily remarked that trying to make my daughter do anything she didn’t want to was a hard ask. ( thing was though I did want to but I just wanted to be good without any effort!

Anyway my point is there are other easier arty ways to be for the lazy. Inspired by a childhood poster( free with Chocolate wrappers if I remember correctly ) in the style of The album sleeve of Yellow Submarine by the Beatles, I was idly doodling at work one day, not so long ago … and my first trippy pic was born. Don’t worry I wasn’t really slacking, but the students were doing “mindful” colouring so I began doodling alongside them. I took my beginning doodles home and added to them. I’d been given a set of gel pens for Christmas.. so I cracked those open and coloured it in. There was born my first trippy pic.

After being told off by one of my students for using the good craft scissors for cutting out paper shapes I felt a bit ashamed but look I was trying out different methods to make my pictures pop.

Mostly they consisted of gel pen colouring but I did employ other methods too. For example Incorporating photography and filters to create a different look. Example below

What is the point of these pictures? They are nostalgic fun! The 60s and 70s psychedelic poster art was mind bendingingly arresting stuff. I certainly thought so as a seven year old and clearly that stuck with me.

Are they for sale? Ha ha no but you are welcome to them if there are any you like. I really hope you like some of them. If nothing else they are bright! I know they look simple in style however they do mark a return to drawing after an absence of ooh, about 40 years!

Drama wasn’t available as a school subject in my day or no doubt that’s where I’d have been, but I loved to draw. Art was my thing however I was only ok at it and when I failed a crucial exam by only a few marks I packed away pens and paints and never touched it again. I think therefore my style has forever been arrested at a teenage level.. I mean I know it shows. But I’m having fun with it.

When schools went into lockdown. I got my scissors stapler and black marker pen out and created colouring books one for the students and an adult one as well. I am happy to host your creations on my Facebook page Trippy Pics by Gillian

These colouring books and sheets can be had from my website or on Pinterest I’m pretty sure you can just take them if you so wish.

Please do! Let me see your colouring interpretations!

Thank you for reading. Please check out my page and Pinterest