The weather’s been too chilly to venture out too much lately so I’ve been staying in catching up on some illustration. Today’s has a blue theme and was a very quick acrylic illustration but fun to do and good to get back into practice!
Category Archives: Paintings
30 Day Drawing Challenge: Day 29: Somewhere I’d Like to Go
I’ve still got a couple days left of the Drawing Challenge, which I started ages ago, so I’ve finally time to blog day 29.
‘Somewhere I’d Like to Go’. I’d wanted to live by the beach in Sydney for years and finally got to do so last year and couldn’t be happier! I did this quick illustration of sea urchins to capture what it is I like about the beach – the pretty pastel and subtle colours and blue shades of the ocean.
Day 25: Scenery
This acrylic on canvas depicts an imaginary dreamlike landscape. I called it ‘After the Rain’ because after the rain the colours of the grass and foliage are brighter and more vivid. I wanted to show how when you go through a very difficult time, you come out the other side and everything looks more beautiful thanks to the rainstorm that has passed.
Day 20: Something Orange
Autumn is here so this watercolour is full of shades of orange and gold and all the lovely colours of the fall. This is for my friend Amanda whose birthday it is today.
She won’t see it and won’t know I’m writing about her as I haven’t told her about this blog. Come to think about it I’ve barely told any friends about this blog yet but once I have some more art pieces up here I might be brave and spread the word!
Day 20: Something Orange (on grey) by Lili Cabena
I loved creating this watercolour so made it into a free printable wrapping paper for you to download and print! Try the link below and let me know if it works! Bear with me as this is the first free printable I’ve added!
Day 22: Something I Miss
Happy nearly hump day! This has been a manic week for me and I haven’t been home much due to too many commitments for friends’ birthdays and whatnot… so here is a painting I started a while ago but I thought it would suit for Day 22: Something I Miss.
This painting sorta reminds me of my home town of Howth on the East coast of Ireland. Howth is a little coastal village which was settled by Vikings in 819. I miss its colourful pastel shop-fronts and walks along the pier to looking out to the island of Ireland’s Eye.
Day 21: Your turn to wash up tonight!
Day 21: Something I Want – A Dishwasher!
I’ve skipped Day 20: Something Orange for lack on inspiration (I’ll come back to that one in the next few days) and gone straight on to Day 21: Something I Want…
Detail of Pots n Pans
I really would have much more time if I had a dishwasher but can’t fit one into our tiny kitchen so in my next house I’m definitely having one!
Day 17: Favourite Plant
A couple of very quick sketches/paintings of some Australian native plants. These remind me of a family holiday in Western Australia a couple of years ago.
Day 16: Inspiration
Day 16: My Inspiration – The Sea by Lili Cabena
Acrylic, mixed media and collage on canvas.
The week I started this blog and the Drawing Challenge, was the week I happened to be moving house. I moved to the little beachside suburb of Bronte, so I like to think my work has been inspired somewhat by living by the sea again: from the bright sparkling turquoise ocean on a hot day to the faded pale grey sea on a rainy day like today, the sea and the beach are the inspiration for my colour palette. I enjoyed playing with perspective in this piece and like how the collaged strips of paper cast shadows on the canvas and add a 3D effect to the landscape.
Day 12: Most Recent Accomplishment
This is the latest painting I’ve been working on. I’m really enjoying working with the geometric trend at the moment and thought I’d mix this with some summer bright hues, earth tones and neons that would work well in any room as a piece of wall art.
There are so many digital prints around of this type of thing but I loved the challenge of starting out from scratch with pencil and compass, getting the geometry right and then working out the colour hue combinations, adding metallic copper as a final touch.
Option 1: Green Base
I painted this with the intention of it hanging on a wall in portrait format with the green hues at the base. Until my boyfriend commented that obviously it was meant to be hung horizontally as it looked better that way right?! Well now I’m confused…which way up does this painting look best? Please vote for option 1, 2 or 3! Thanks for voting!
Option 2: Red Base
Option 3: Landscape
Tomorrow, Day 13: ‘Comic’… coming soon!
Day 11: Turning Point
This is a piece of art that I decided to revisit lately. I started it at a time that was a turning point for me. The dark butterflies fluttering away represent letting go of thoughts that were keeping me where I was. On one hand it was a paradise and on another it was dark and oppressive. Once the butterflies fluttered away like dark clouds the space left behind was full of light and possibility.
Escape from Paradise
Acrylic on Canvas
Lili Cabena 