Welcome to ByShi, Art by Shiloh!

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Sunday, April 3, 2016

Luminous Lizard

 'Luminous Lizard'
©  2016 by Shiloh Moore
A4 Pitt Pen and Watercolour on Paper 
Using an Aqua Brush by Jasart

A young teenage friend did a painting at school as an exercise in cross contour lines.  I loved it!  I found a similar one on Pinterest, with a simple explanation you can see at this link on a blog by Flying Shoes Art Studio.



I wondered if I could complicate things and add an extra element, and thought a Lizard might be simple but fun.  I tried to keep the colours minimal to not interfere with the detail of the image.

I used new watercolour blocks, experimenting with an Aqua Brush Pen by Jasart.  I experience high levels of pain colouring with pencils, one reason being my muscles ache with tension from my grip being hard.  These pens you need to be gentle with.  You have to sit up as it's watercolour and can be messy, but if I'm able to sit up, I find these pens easier to control than ordinary watercolour brushes, and far less painful loading on my arms than pencil colouring.

I'm pretty pleased with the result!!!






Sunday, March 13, 2016

Poem: 'I Dream Of Simple Things'

Some healthy people ask what it's like to live with severe ME/CFS and Fibromyalgia.  Living with severe chronic illness my dreams are simple.  Conquering basic tasks become monumental achievements and things to be celebrated.  Here I try to describe just a few of my dreams:

‘I DREAM OF SIMPLE THINGS’
© 2016 By Shiloh Moore
  (13/1/16)
 
I dream of doing simple things
Even chores and basic tasks
Like to do things independently
And not always have to ask

I’d like to really cook
And not just have to defrost
To eat sitting up with company
And painlessly consume without cost

To have a daily shower
And shave my legs with ease
Clean my teeth for two whole minutes
Tame my wild hair to look less teased

To do all my own shopping
For groceries and necessities
To buy my own choice of things
And treat myself occasionally

To be able to sit up for visitors
Not to have to lie down all the time
To go out for coffee or a social meal
And stay for a decent while

To create art while sitting up
With no need to lie down throughout
To have freedom to fearlessly create
Without a long term pain payout

To type while I can sit up
For as long as I wish each day
To use a phone to text and talk
Without dead arms, neck cramps, and strain

To walk a fair distance and stand
Without instant pain and feeling faint
To exercise and feel good
To help with my Diabetes and weight

To need less than fourteen hours sleep
And to wake up feeling strong and refreshed
To feel bright and alert every day
Rather than tired and needing rest

To lie down perfectly still
Yet to feel no intense constant pain
Is an experience I have forgotten
And can only dream of knowing again

To be able to joke and to smile
With no face pain limiting my laugh
To talk comfortably, to be truly me
Is this really too much to ask?

My dreams may seem very simple
But I’ll celebrate if any come true
The truth is I appreciate all I can do
And I try not to fear losing that too


Disclaimer:  Feel free to share this link, but please do not reproduce this poem without consent from the author. Shiloh Moore can be contacted at her website at:   http://shilohmoore.wix.com/byshi

Sunday, February 7, 2016

A Pug's Life

'A Pug's Life'
© 2016 by Shiloh Moore
A4 Pitt Pen and Watercolour on paper


To those who are struggling or who live with long term depression, I'd like to say:  
"It's ok to be sad and to cry.  You're still just as cute and lovable as a pug."

The original sketch:

Inspired by an image of a 'sad' pug from: 

Bag and Scrapbooking/Cardmaking picture by TYPO Cotton On Australia



Sunday, January 31, 2016

Precious Mosaic

'Precious Mosaic'
"You are not broken.
You are a Precious Mosaic of experiences.
You are beautiful."

Words: © Sept 15 2015 By Shiloh Moore
Artwork © Jan 2016 By Shiloh Moore
Watercolour and Pitt Pen on A4 Paper

The words to this piece came to me after reading a beautiful meme on facebook by Rebel Thriver, quoting Matt Baker's words:  "She never seemed shattered; to me, she was a breathtaking mosaic of the battles she's won." (meme seen below with link to Rebel Thriver's post on Facebook.)

I don't resonate with the image of being in a battle, but I certainly go through a lot, as do so many people, so I adapted the words to something I could say to myself or to someone who is struggling:
"You are not broken.
You are a Precious Mosaic of experiences.
You are beautiful."
 


© by Rebel Thriver (Facebook Link)
www.rebelthriver.org
Used with permission

I didn't know how to approach bringing my words to life visually.  I don't have the energy to make a real mosaic.  And I couldn't find an app or program to make a mosaic from an image I've already made.  And then I came across this image on Facebook by Leonie Dawson:
Used with permission


The image struck me as something I could do, a creative way to make an image like a mosaic.

Here my version is before colour:
This is the first image I've been able to sit up and paint in many months, and I'm still recovering from the effort, but I got lost in it and it was so fulfilling to do.  Hopefully soon I will be able to do more.


Saturday, January 9, 2016

To Cry Out

"To Cry out
is not to admit defeat 
or failure.
It is to be human" 

Words © 2016 by Shiloh Moore
Painting: 'Woman of Rain' © 2011 by Shiloh Moore
from line drawing © 1998 by Shiloh Moore

Monday, January 4, 2016

Heart Of An Aussie Owl

'Heart of An Aussie Owl'
© 2015 by Shiloh Moore
December 2015
Pitt Pen on Watercolour Paper 

I sell (and give away) cards I've made from cardstock, scrapbooking materials and stickers.  In October a friend wanted an owl card (of which I had many!) but he did not want a 'horned' owl or owl with heavy eyebrows - 'they're American.  I want an Aussie Owl!'

Of course all the scrapbooking materials I can find only have 'horned' or 'heavy browed' owls.  So I looked at Australian Owls at www.owlpages.com and fell in love with their almost heart shaped faces.  So bit by bit throughout December 2015 I drew my own version of an Aussie Owl.

'Heart Of An Aussie Owl - Step by step Collage'
© 2015 by Shiloh Moore

This was the evolution of my drawing. 

May the heart, the essence, the wisdom, the power and the beauty of an Aussie Owl be with you :)

May this owl welcome you to the New Year.

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Heart Of A Family



'Heart Of A Family'
© 2015 by Shiloh Moore
A4 Pitt Pen on Watercolour Paper

I have had this image floating around my head for years.  Similar to the Mother and Child at the heart of my 'Mother And Child Nativity' © Nov 2012 By Shiloh Moore



I imagined a heart based from a family, but couldn't quite bring it to fruition with my own doodling.  Then a few months ago on Pinterest I saw a pin of a photo of a family by Summer Lyn Photography:  Immediately I could see my heart come to life:

Concept Photo
© Summer Lyn Photography

I scribbled a heart shaped from the faces of the mother, father and newborn child.  Instead of featuring the wedding ring, I emphasised the mother's breast, the baby's belly and the father's shoulder, three loving elements to many families.  

 
'Heart Of A Family'
Initial Sketch 15 Nov 2015 by Shiloh Moore

 This is dedicated to so many families and friends in my network who have new born children.  So much love to you all xxxx





Thursday, November 19, 2015

Poem: "A Place That I Go"

From age 16 to 23 I wrote poetry, and in 2004 self published a book, 'Stranger In The Moving Chair' (still available to buy via the contact page of my website http://shilohmoore.wix.com/byshiThe last poem in the book was the last poem I wrote.  It closed a chapter to my life.

I wrote a few more poems 6 years later, but again stopped writing, and focused on artwork. 

2 nights ago I felt I'd really like to write something again, and while lying down, I got out a pen and paper.  I usually write free verse (not rhyming,) but I wanted to see if I could write something that rhymed.  It poured out of me, and 20 minutes later this was what I had written: 


“A Place That I Go”
© 2015 By Shiloh Moore
17/11/15
(Age 35)

Despite constant pain and
Despite all the fears,
Despite the frustration
And the many tears

Over all these years
I have slowly grown,
To accept, and know a place
I can go on my own

Where fears are calmed
And inner peace pervades…
Where I love my life
Despite the pain that invades

I feel ‘held’ by hope
By strength, in reflection
And am ultimately moved
By a strong connection:

Despite the isolation
And no ability to travel
To see the sights nor
Be involved in person

Nor ‘contribute to society’
On a monetary level
Or to live my life
To its full potential

I long for a life partner
To share life and to intimately know
And I grieve for our children
Whom we’ll never nurture as they grow

In my fantasies
I have the strength and the power
To talk endlessly with friends…
Or at least for more than under an hour

Despite all this I feel I belong
To this universe, and to all humanity
Even in deafening solitude
I feel innate purpose, I feel free

I am grateful knowing this place
Where I not only merely exist
But live satisfied with all I have -
This gives me strength to persist

It's hard to imagine
Living this way
For the rest of my life...
Till I'm old and grey

So I live in this moment,
And block out the pain
I go to this place
Where deep down I'm ok.

The pain overwhelmingly aches
But deep within my soul
I know of this place, where
Within this life, I feel whole

Disclaimer:  Feel free to share this link, but please do not reproduce this poem without consent from the author. Shiloh Moore can be contacted at her website at:   http://shilohmoore.wix.com/byshi

Friday, October 9, 2015

'May Peace Be With You' 2016/17 Calendar

'PEACE Dove (May Peace Be With You)'
2016/17 18 Month Calendar
© 2015 By Shiloh Moore
A4 Spiral Bound 

The calendar costs A$25 including postage within Australia.
Overseas postage available on request.

To order, please contact Shiloh at her Website Contact Page Here:  

Inside: 18 months including:

 'Dragonfly'

© 2013 By Shiloh Moore
Featured in May 2016

and


 'Busy Owl'

© 2011 By Shiloh Moore
 Featured in June 2017

Including 3.6cm x 2.8cm rectangles to write in.

Finishing with:

'PEACE Dove (May Peace Be With You)

© 2015 By Shiloh Moore
Featuring an overview of 2017 

On the back:
Collage of some (not all) of the Included Artworks
All artworks © By Shiloh Moore

Over the past year my health struggles have been building and truthfully, quite scary.  Over the past few months in particular I have not been well enough to create any new art and have been in bed most of each day, in constant excruciating pain.  

With every ounce of being I have put energy into creating this calendar, with generous support from my folks and friends at greenridgepress.com.au  Back in 2004 Greenridge Press also generously printed my book of autobiographical poetry, 'Stranger In The Moving Chair,' of which I still have copies for sale.

All artworks included in the calendar have been created over the past 5 years while I've been housebound - at best able to sit up for less than 4 hours throughout a day.  

I am so happy to be able to spread love into the world this way and be a presence in peoples' lives even from afar. 

May Peace Be With You.

Saturday, September 5, 2015

...What If All Goes Well?

'...What If All Goes Well'
5/9/15 by Shiloh Moore
Wording digitally added to
 'Mixed Media Background'
© 11-12/7/15 by Shiloh Moore
Something I've been saying to myself when my mind whirrs with fear of what's to come...

"Oh but, my darling... What if all goes well?!!!"

...