First cherries #63

Daily painting #63  6"x6" oil painting on primed canvas board

It must be nearing Christmas....cherries are on sale again at the market and the food stores! YUM!!! I love cherries! Fresh, juicy little treats that even look like Christmas.... like shiny red Christmas baubles...good enough to eat!

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I had to share these sweet little images with you ....

My daughter Amy, who is 10 years old and loves spending time pottering around in my studio, decided to start a little daily drawing in one of her sketch books. Tomorrow she will do daily drawing #30 and I am so proud of her! Every afternoon she finds an image in one of her picture books and focusing mainly on shape and spatial relationships she does her little drawing completely independently...no help from busy Mom! She is self motivated and so enthusiastic....daily completion of an image takes dedication...I am so proud of her commitment and passion...long may it last!

Paintbrush #62

Daily painting #62  4"x6" oil painting on primed canvas board  SOLD

It is the end of the last full week of studio classes for the year...WOW... how fast the year seems to have flown by! Hope the paintbrushes aren't left to go hard over the holidays...

Keep those paintbrush miles ticking over ladies... keep those brushes working!
Happy holidays....

Shelly #61

Daily painting #61  6"x8" oil painting on primed canvas board

One of my furry children have been sick! The other morning we realized that my rather fat old lady Shelly cat was nowhere to be found...she is normally under our feet at breakfast time, crying for water out of the fridge (she only drinks cold water!!!) And generally demanding cuddles, scratches and attention from whoever will show interest! She is a homely old girl and so panic set in when we realized she was nowhere to be seen! A massive hunt followed...my husband eventually found her in the thick bush in the public garden adjacent to our house ...she was limp, fatigued and something was wrong!

We wrapped her in a blanket, sped off to our vet and the poor girl spent the night in "kitty hospital" on a drip and antibiotics. We are still not sure what happened, at first I thought it could be a snake bite but couldn't find any puncture wounds...so we will never know! But she is home ....and it is so good to see her sleeping in her favorite spot on the carpet in the lounge! Hope she is on the mend!

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Threatening rain #60

Daily painting #60  5"x7" oil painting on primed canvas board

From one extreme to the next! Yesterday we were sweltering in the heat....today we have been running for cover as short bursts of rain fell! Yesterday the light was so intense in the afternoon, I struggled to paint outdoors...today it was gloomy and dull! As hard as the sun tried to make an appearance, the rain clouds just kept hovering, threatening more rain!

60 days of daily paintings today...thank you to all of you who send me messages of encouragement and comments....I love hearing from you all and your feedback is much appreciated!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends and family!

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Summer light #59

Daily painting #59  6"x8" oil painting on primed canvas board

Today has been a sweltering hot, sticky summers day! The typical Durban humidity was testing our resistance for the months ahead! My children came straight home from school and jumped into the swimming pool! I settled in the breeze (what little there was) on my bedroom veranda which overlooks the pool, so that I could paint...and be a responsible Mommy watching my kids swim at the same time! 

However the light was so intense that the colours were awful, the painting a flop and I was getting hot and bothered!!! I picked up a new canvas and looking out over the tree tops, our house is high up overlooking a public park dense with trees, I decided to stop fighting the light and paint it! The sky was so bright it was almost white....but not quite! So today's painting is a quick sketch with paint...I had fun making marks in the paint, I worked quickly and captured a fleeting image! After my quick sketch I headed straight to the pool to cool off!

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Bowl of white #58

Daily painting #58  6"x6" oil painting on primed canvas board. SOLD

Today was a busy day...catching up on chores, doing admin (my worst) and trying to get my house back in order after the weekend exhibition. The paintings are all sorted and ready to return to their owners, my house is looking like my 'home' again and some little paintings are packaged and ready to travel! The only evidence remaining of the weekends celebrations is the bowls of flowers!

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Bunny on the floor #57

Daily painting #57  6"x8" oil on primed canvas board

It is nearing the end of another happy weekend. Fun has been had by all and my daughter has been playing up a storm! Little plastic villages and fluffy creatures, dolls and figurines camp out on the floor. Some are having tea parties, some are tucked into little miniature beds and others like 'Mommy bunny' have been left on the floor, abandoned ....for now....school holidays are a week away...and then let the playing begin!! For now though...it's tidy up time! 

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Cerulean #56

Daily painting #56  5"x7" oil painting on primed canvas board

"I found I could say things with colour and shapes and paint that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for."

GEORGIA O'KEEFFE

A calm, relaxing afternoon after a busy week....just me...and my paints....

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End of the Season (cricket ball) #55

Daily painting #55 6"x8" oil painting on primed canvas board  SOLD



It is the end of a season. Endings make way for new beginnings. We are nearing the end of another year, (our school year runs Jan-Nov), another happy term of studio classes is drawing to an end and the first half of cricket season is almost up!

Cricket is  a popular game in South Africa and while I may not have a sporty bone in my body, I am married to a professional cricket coach. My husband Andrew runs his own cricket academy called Shedders Cricket Academy, and naturally my son too, lives to play cricket! If you don't know anything about cricket....cricket usually lasts the whole day....sometimes it can last 5 days...it is a long game that I have had to learn to enjoy watching, but it is time consuming to say the least. Cricket season is always a busy time in our house!

So finally we have reached the end of another season, cricket kit (and tired bodies) can be given a rest. The studio exhibition was a great success, only a few more days of school and ....another 'season' is over....think it's time for Summer holidays!

A Floral Welcome #54

Daily painting #54  6"x6" oil painting on primed canvas board.  SOLD

I love fresh flowers in my home! Tomorrow evening I am opening up my home for an end of year exhibition and cocktail party for all of my 'students'. Every person, regardless of whether they are a beginner or have been painting for years, has to participate in the exhibition and submit at least one piece of work which has been completed this year. It is a wonderful celebration of a years achievements, a chance to reflect together and most importantly an opportunity to celebrate the wonderful opportunity we have been given to nurture and explore our creativity. 

So....most of the furniture has been removed from my back veranda and entertainment area.... stacks of paintings are waiting to be hung in the morning and my house is full of beautiful fresh flowers...ready to welcome everyone into my home tomorrow! I promise to share a few photos with you....it is sure to be a special evening!

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Reflection #53

Daily painting #53  4"x6"  oil painting on primed canvas board

Today has been one of those days when life sends you a wake up call. A reminder to feel more gratitude and  hold your loved ones closer! 

A shopping mall which was under construction in an area called Tongaat (north of Durban) collapsed yesterday and rescue workers worked through the night to try to find survivors that were buried beneath rubble. My heart breaks for families that are affected by such unnecessary tragedies.

A special friend of my son (he is 12 years old) also underwent important surgery today and we are delighted to hear he is recovering in hospital after a successful operation....my thoughts have been with him and his family all day. I guess every now and again we need to take some quiet time, reflect and count our blessings!

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Three blushing apricots # 52

Daily painting #52  5"x7" oil painting on primed canvas board.  SOLD

Three little ladies take centre stage...shy...coy...bashful...huddling together...blushing!

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Strawberries on a floral cloth #51

Daily painting #51  6"x6" oil painting on primed canvas board

The start of a new week. Early breakfasts and school lunch boxes....roll on Summer holidays I say!

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Evening on the East Coast #50

Daily painting #50 5"x7" oil painting on primed canvas board  SOLD

Today has been the most beautiful day on the East Coast. Even though the wind picked up, it did not keep the folk of Durban off of the beach! Everyone seemed to be out soaking up the sunshine after all the rain we have had...and that summer vibe was contagious!

As evening settles on our east coast city, summer holidays are around the corner and my mood is joyous! It is the end of a beautiful day...the last remnants of sun are bidding farewell....it has been a good weekend...and I have lots to celebrate! 50 days of  little dinky daily paintings....'CHEERS!' Thanks for all your encouragement x Heidi

Summer is almost here....

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Bone China and a Navel (orange) #49

Daily painting #49  6"x8" oil painting on primed canvas board  SOLD

This little bone china cup is like a cat with nine lives! It has a broken handle and has had far too many close encounters with the floor! I have to admit to being a bit of a hoarder when it comes to the broken, discarded and unused, especially if it is pretty or quirky and can be used to hold flowers, pens or paintbrushes. It will usually end up on the shelves in my studio, with all the other 'junk' and treasures!
I bought some juicy Navel oranges from the market and they were sitting, along with all the beautiful 'junk' on the shelf in the studio....this little broken cup just caught my eye. And so it has been given another 'new life' ... on my canvas! Who says the 'broken' can't be beautiful....

The key #48

Daily painting #48  4"x6" oil painting on canvas board

The key to ... happiness. The key to ... success. The key to ... I have no idea what!!! I found this key today while looking for something. I am fascinated, as I don't remember ever seeing it before and yet it must belong to something or for somewhere...!!! It is actually quite beautiful, it is solid and old and looks like it could be straight out of Alice in Wonderland or The Secret Garden! I have checked old cabinets and cupboards in the house and it doesn't seem to fit...but it must be the key to ... something! For now it is the key ... to a random daily recording, in paint!

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Pink bunch #47

Daily painting #47  6"x6" oil  painting on primed canvas board SOLD


Some people love 'pretty' rose paintings and others just don't. Either way...I know of very few of us who don't love to be given a pretty bunch of the real thing! I love having flowers in my home...and besides who doesn't enjoy a little spoiling every now and again?

Well I am feeling generous ...keen to to give something away in appreciation for all the interest and encouragement I have received from so many of you! Keen for a little spoiling? Receive your own painting in the post...as a gift! You even get to choose which painting you would like, from the ones that are still available. Take part in my giveaway going on now at ReFab Diaries. I would love to spoil you......the more entries you have....the better your chances. Entry closes 19 November. Good luck....x

Purple 'Red' Onion #46

Daily painting #46  6"x 6" oil painting on primed canvas board  SOLD

So how does a red (actually more purple) onion land up on my canvas? Well today has been one of those manic days when too much is happening and nothing goes according to plan. One of those days when I need to spilt myself in 2 between 2 children that both need me in the afternoon and the hour or so I normally try to spend in my studio on the mornings I teach, was today absorbed by other things on the 'to do' list which took much longer than expected! Are you starting to relate .....? If any of you are wives or mothers you will also relate to how as the day runs away with you faster than anticipated, a nagging question lingers in the back of  your mind, "What am I going to cook for supper(evening meal)?"

Well I was still thinking that as I walked in the door and standing in the kitchen with my kids, we were making a team effort of trying to come up with something quick and easy....when suddenly my son jumped upright from the vegetable basket enthusiastically holding something. We turned to him thinking he had a great culinary suggestion...."Mom look at the colour of this onion....you have to paint it!" We all looked at one another and started to laugh ....daily painting is clearly having an effect on us all.... crazy Mom....crazy kids! So I painted the onion, after feeding my family, putting them to bed and finding some peace, rest and solitude in the quiet of my studio. Daily painting really is the recording of the mundane and the ordinary that for some or other reason just catches your attention.....

Welcome back #45

Daily painting #45  6"x8" oil on primed canvas board  SOLD


Welcome back Sunshine! We have the most beautiful view of the sea and I was delighted to watch a hazy light pushing the grey away as the morning made its appearance. It was not the most beautiful of sunrises....but there was sun....something we have not seen for a few days with all the rain.....think we are in for a steamy summer! Painting the morning light is always a rush ....a race to capture that rapidly changing light! I have such respect for William Turner, he is the true master at capturing that shifting light! Which artist inspires you?

Blue and white bowl...with a dash of red #44

Daily painting #44  5"x7" oil painting on primed canvas board SOLD

Below is an image of how the morning started out in my studio....lots of eagerness and enthusiasm and it's perfect "huddle in your studio and paint" rainy weather! But.....the composition was all wrong....the bowl couldn't sit slap in the middle of the canvas, and besides....that's just plain boring....SO I began again!! The strawberries I was eating for breakfast while I painted saved the day! Never underestimate the humble strawberry....it saved "Blue and White bowl" ....with a dash of red!

Summer Aloe #43

Daily painting #43 6"x8" oil painting on primed canvas board. SOLD

The aloe is a succulent plant that is native to Africa....they are beautiful when they flower and grow in abundance in KwaZulu Natal. I am currently working on 2 large commissioned paintings for the board room of a South African company, but most aloes flower in our winter months and so I'm working from photographic references I took on my July trip to the game reserve.

Because I'm painting aloes at the moment, I'm drawn to looking at every aloe I see, observing shapes, colours, tones....and have felt cheated in not being able to enjoy the vibrant flowers which have already drooped and fallen with the onset of summer. I was pleasantly surprised to find a beautiful flowering aloe in my mum-in-laws garden!! It's beautiful coral blooms jumping out at me ....I couldn't believe my eyes! Apparently it is a summer flowering variety.....well ....you learn something new everyday!!

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Lavender and Rosemary #42

Daily painting #42  5"x7" oil painting on primed canvas board

Lavender is not something I would probably choose to paint....unless of course it was part of some beautiful Provence inspired landscape....but when I fetched my 10 year old daughter Amy from school, she was clutching this drooping, rustic, string bound bunch of lavender and rosemary from a farm they had visited on a school excursion. She smiled broadly and said "I love you Mommy" as she handed them to me....BEST bunch of flowers ever!! They had to find their way onto a dinky canvas as my daily painting, now they are fulling my kitchen with a beautiful 'French' perfume....happy Mom!!

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Starking Apples #41

Daily painting #41 6"x8" oil painting on primed canvas board

Starking apples are a delicious South African juicy red variety. They are crisp and sweet and I think I am as drawn to their flavour as I am to their colour! Sadly with all the delicious summer fruits that are available at the moment, these little beauties have taken a backseat in my fruit bowl and on my kids hit list....the humble apple is going to have to be used in a fruit salad I think!

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Red #40

Daily painting #40 5"x7" oil painting on primed canvas board

The colour red has so many different connotations...some positive, some negative. For me "Red" marks a milestone.... 40 days of daily painting....hooray!!! Thanks for encouraging me along the way....x

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Morning light #39

Daily Painting #39  6"x8" oil painting on primed canvas board

Summer time means early mornings here in Durban! The sky lights quickly, the crisp, fresh light hinting at the heat the day will bring. The last 2 days have been summer days for sure, but the weekend is around the corner and it's bringing rain....typical!

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Closed Protea #38

Daily painting #38 6"x6" oil painting on primed canvas board. SOLD

I found some beautiful Proteas at our local craft/foodie market called the iHeart Market to decorate my outside table for a dinner party this weekend. They were freshly picked, with petals closed tightly together, huddled up like they were protecting or perhaps teasing us that there was still more beauty to reveal...

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Market Plum #37

Daily painting #37  5"x7" oil painting on primed canvas board

While the weather might be trying to trick us that summer is not approaching...just not yet anyway...the fruit and vegetable markets are just smelling of summer!!! Heady sweet aromas of juicy tropical fruits....mmmm....and the colours!!! A feast for the senses....

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Lazy Days #36

Daily painting #36  6"x8" oil painting on primed board

This boy is such a character! Every now and again he opens one eye to check that I am still around...not another movement...it's a lazy day...when nothing other than a good snooze will do the trick!

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About to bloom #35

Daily painting #35  5"x7" oil painting on primed canvas  SOLD

Drooping...top heavy....heavy with buds which are about to burst open...

Moody Blue #34

Daily painting #34  4"x6" oil painting on primed canvas board

A gloomy early morning sky....we have had some strange weather lately! Umbrella day today...at least the temperatures are still warm though. Looks like it will be a good day to get busy in the studio!

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King Protea #33

Daily painting #33  6"x6" oil painting on primed canvas board (SOLD)


Beautiful, soft, subtle tones, hints of...could it be silver?  The largest of them all...a rightful royal!

Breakfast Croissant #32

Daily painting #32 5"x7" oil painting on primed canvas board

Some days breakfasts just need to be a little decadent...

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Studio Companion #24

Daily painting #24  6"x8" oil painting on primed canvas board

Meet Noo-Noo....the cat with the mustache. He is a special boy who was rescued at 4 weeks old and hand reared and fed by me....he is a special boy indeed! He is my most loyal supporter, adoring fan (look at those eyes)  and my most constant studio companion....xxx

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Anniversary orchid #23

Daily painting #23  6"x6"oil painting on primed canvas board. SOLD

Instead of a bunch of flowers, my husband gave me this beautiful orchid for our anniversary. It is the most intense colour....and I have been staring at it for days trying to figure out how much red, pink and purple and the mixture thereof....the colour is so very intense .... Hard to recreate such perfection!

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Four little raspberries #22

Daily painting #22  5"x7" oil painting on primed canvas board

Plump, juicy little jewels....they don't last long in this house....too delicious!

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Day and Night # 21

Daily painting #21  4"x6" oil painting on primed canvas board (SOLD)

That magical moment when day meets night....

Blue Dinky toy car #20

Daily painting #20  6"x8" oil on primed canvas board


Boys and their toys....a dinky sized version.

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Red Protea #19

Daily painting #19  6"x6" oil painting on primed canvas board (SOLD)

A beauty ....with rich colours and curling petals which look like they are bowing their heads in respect....for the beautiful bloom.

Lonely Pear #18

Daily painting #18  5"x7" oil painting on primed canvas board

It has been a busy few days. I am reminded of that by the fact that only one lonely pear is left sitting in the fruit bowl in the kitchen....time to get to the fruit and veg market... One lonely pear will not do!

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Rose Trio #17

Daily painting #17  6"x8" oil painting on primed canvas board SOLD

There has been lots of rose painting in the studio classes lately. Teaching someone to paint a rose is very difficult...they have to learn to feel the shape and fall of the petals, and capture the way the light catches the bloom....I am still a learner with every new rose I paint...I am challenged with every brush stroke to capture that fragility and softness of the rose ....

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Sunday Orchids #16

Daily painting #16  4"x6" oil painting on primed canvas board (SOLD)

A lazy Sunday sitting on the veranda with a chilled glass of wine, admiring the orchids that are opening up in the early spring warmth.

Shady trees and sunlight at Merchistan #15

Daily painting #15 5"x7" oil painting on primed canvas board

My son played cricket in Pietermaritzburg today against a school called Merchistan. It is about an hours drive from Durban and if you know anything about cricket, you will know a game can last the entire day! To keep me sane I packed my traveling paintbox, found a shady spot where I could watch my son play cricket and paint at the same time....much to the fascination of the other parents there!!! "Look at that strange mother over there..." I could almost hear them saying as they casually drifted past to glance over at what I was doing.....
The day was fabulous and the cricket bearable, maybe even enjoyable!

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