Summer Painting

Since I've finished college I've filled the time by carrying on with my interest in fashion, but I have started creating some paintings. I'm still researching fashion and finding upcoming designers/trends/street style/collections, which I do want to blog about, but I do have a reason why I haven't! I've been busy painting, whilst at college I did a little bit of painting but mostly drawing so it was quite daunting to start a proper painting. It started by my mum wanting paintings for her house, so we matched photographs to fit in with each room that she liked. My style is realistic but I like to think I add an old fashioned/vintage twist by the colours I use and how I paint it..

Crashing Waves

This painting was so hard! I should have expected it would be as I've never attempted water before, it's hard as there's so much detail but it's so subtle and is all in the same tone and colours, so its hard to make it stand out. This is my first canvas painting and it's going in my mum's room.. 

I set up my own mini studio in my mum's conservatory which was cool as I had my own space to work in but wasn't as glamourous as it sounds as the only way I could get the canvas to stay up was to prop it up against the chair so I was sat on the floor!

I painted it over 2 days, it took me about 8/9 hrs, these are photos over the period to show how I built it up at different stages. I probably have built it up wrong as you are meant to underpaint and all that but I find painting easier to do it section by section.

 I chose my favourite sections from my canvas here, I really liked the white crashing parts in the photo so that is what I wanted to highlight with the painting and I didn't forget to sign it this time!

Old Paintbrushes

This was my second piece on A2, I've always liked how paintbrushes age with old paint layering on and flaking off and the stained colours on the brush, so when I found a photograph showing this I knew I had to paint it. I changed the colours and background slightly to fit in with the lounge ...

I started this off by just painting the top half of the brushes, I know it sounds strange but the glass changed the shape of the brushes in the jar as it was a shaped curved jar so I thought it would be better to build the other half of them up with the glass.

Glass finished! I really like the highlighted right side of the jar with the white as it shows the shape and form, I did manage to make a few accidental marks on the paper so I had to layer the backgrounds colours on thickly.

A camera flash is a nightmare with glass so excuse the flash mark! I decided to go for a light blue and brown for the background, I purposely made the shelf edge a little unsteady as that was the shadow.

Bottles of Flowers

This is my first proper painting I've done, when I started it I really thought I wouldn't finish it as the bottles were hard to get the hang off and so was working out how to show the transparency of the glass but I figured out that layering thin washes of paint worked well. This time I painted the background  first then painted the bottles one by one...

Half way through, I had a real problem with this dark bottle as I painted it too dark so I kept lightening it up and trying to add highlight and shadow, which took sooo long! I really enjoyed painting the flowers though.

This took me the longest, about 3 days but I'm really pleased with it and it inspired me to do more as originally I was just going to create one painting but I want to keep going and trying out new subjects and painting styles.

So they are all the paintings I've done so far but I'm hoping to do a few more so I'll keep you updated hope you like my paintings!

Thanks for reading,

Finally its carboot weather!

As you can tell from the title, I'm pretty glad it was sunny on sunday as I finally went to my first car boot of this year, all the other sundays had been too rainy to hold one. I love how cheap everything is! Most of it is just naff stuff, but it is good for some vintage buys. One of the sellers had an old fashioned navy pram and it was in such good condition and so cute! I went along to help sell so I got there at 6, which is so early for me since I've been on summer break. We sold quite alot but still ended up with a full boot worth of unsold items, mostly clothing! We had to pack up early in a hurry as the heavens opened pretty quickly so it was a mad panic to get it all packed up and into the car, good job I had my new jumper to keep me warm :)

Here are my favourite buys, I managed to spend under £10 and this is only about half so you'll probably see the other half styled up in the future...

A gorgeous laptop bag for 50p with a load of tops, skirts, jumper and dresses.

The girl I bought this jumper off said it was from Paris! So that's cool, I think it's a unisex jumper, it looks nice oversized and isn't too thick. I really like the colours in it as they are my colours, I don't really suit bright shades. I think the key to wearing something oversized is to keep it skinny on the bottom, so skinny fit trousers or bare the legs in a short skirt! It's hand knitted so this was my most expensive buy at £1.50..

This blouse is such a vibrant red, it suits me under a jumper but on its own not so much, I think my sister has her eye on it and it would look great on her. It isn't particualry old but I really liked the unusual embroided pattern running down the centre. There are usually a few blouses like this in charity shops but they are always miles too big for me so I was pleased that it's an XS. 50p

This was meant for my boyfriend but its quite short and did look strange as it was oversized baggy but then finished way too high! It would have looked so good if it was longer but, it wasn't a total loss as it has meant I have another thing to add to my overflowing wardrobe! So it's mine and I lived in it yesterday:) 50p

Recently I'm buying a lot of monsoon, well second hand monsoon, way too pricey new.. It has two little rips in the seams but they are easily fixable so I didn't mind. The print looks like precise paintbrush marks in pinks, blues, yellows but from a distance they match my curtains and look polka dot. £1

Thanks for reading and I hope you all see what great buys you can get on a early sunday morning! Hopefully it doesn't rain!

New find.

Thank-you to all you guys who regularly check out my blog as I've just reached 5,000 views!! 

So this post is about this gorgeous Monsoon wool skirt I found, it was a long  straight skirt nearly to the floor! Must have been so warm to wear but it looked bulky and like I'd wrapped a blanket round me so I gave it a chop and heres the result! 

It was just a simple shorten but which left me with a lot of trims, I could make a matching skirt with what was chopped of! The pictures seem to highlight the hem, in person you can't see the line so its a little strange that the camera decided it would show it up!

I brought the skirt from a salvation army sale for £3, I just loved the colours and I thought it would be a simple piece that could be worn reguarly, One thing though the fabric is a little itchy so tights are a definite...

I teamed it with another fairly recent buy, a St Micheal vintage blouse. Its within the same kind of shades, but I like mixing up patterns and prints, I added a pop of colour on the lips and statement large H&M earrings (still in H&M stores), stolen from my sister's window ledge for this look..

The H&M bling! 

Thanks for reading, don't forget to follow me on twitter @QuaintKate

Have a great weekend,

Kate xxx

EBAY EBAY EBAY

Theres more stuff going onto ebay at my shop khwalker! Exciting! I run it with my sister Helen, so I source and model the items and she does all the computer and postage side :) We have lots of vintage pieces being sold ranging from shirts, dresses, shoes, bags...  We are doing a massive shoe sale soon where we are putting all the shoes we have, which are vintage and high street mostly size 5 &6, so I'll update you guys when thats happening.. Heres the best of what we currently have, thats either already up or will be within the next week or two..

 Vintage oversized cream blouse size 8 (currently up for sale)

Vintage black bustier with boning and low open back 32B

Vintage oversized summer beach shirt S/M

Vintage navy thick wool cardigan with red and gold detailing XS 6 (currently up for sale)

Vintage batwing 80's dress with abstract print S/M
Vintage coral 60's/70's a-line dress 12/14 (up for sale)
Laura ashley floral blue pencil skirt 8 (up for sale)
Vintage beige day dress with a cute apple pattern 10 (up for sale)

Thanks for reading, If you have any questions about any of the items you can either comment below or email us on ebay

Kate xxx

If only I had somewhere to wear this....

I found this vintage slip a while back, I think its a night slip, but gets away with looking like a summer dress due to it not being the typical cream/white or black that they usually are (just need to make sure I do wear a slip under as its a little see through!)

Hung up it has little shape, just a bias cut skirt and darts, but once its on, the bias creates a nice curve on the hips and the satin top hangs beautifully over a belt. I added on the brooch on the neckline to transform it from a unflattering scoop to a gathered V-neck. Again I've created a belted look but its always good to show off the waist :)

Thanks for reading,

Would love to hear any comments you have,

Kate xxx

Ebay items.

Tonight I'll be listing a few vintage and high street items that my sister and I have sourced onto Ebay, so If you like them you know where to bid :) Heres a few....

ST MICHEAL BLUE AND WHITE CHECK SKIRT SZ XS/S 

BLACK LACE MIDI PENCIL SKIRT WITH THIGH SPLIT SZ 6

RED PLEATED MIDI SKIRT WITH BUTTON DETAILED FRONT SZ 12-14

VINTAGE LIZ CLAIBORNE SANDAL BAG BLACK&BROWN WITH DETACHABLE STRAP

Thanks for reading, We are posting new stuff weekly so keep checking...

Our ebay name is Khwalker,

Thanks Kate xxx

Sale shopping.

Sooo I went shopping last week to try and find some bargains in the mid-season sales! We started with the charity shops, which always hold something brilliant, I found this silky shirt for £2, we then hit the high street shops. I went to my favourite shop H&M first and found this gorgeous mint green cardigan in the sale £7. The skirt is from primark, I don't shop in Primark usually as I found the stitching and fabric is a little rubbish, but I was really impressed with this burnt orange stretch skirt in the sale for £3. Here the final £12 outfit...

Cheated slightly as I already had the shoes! but everything else was in the sale.

Below are a few looks from Fendi Spring/Summer 11 collection. The colours reminded me of my sale look, the bright mint green with a subtle peachy beige and a orange shade to pull the look together.

Thanks for reading,

Kate xxx