Super-C sweeties #587

Daily painting #587 5"x7" oil on primed canvas panel

Amy and I went to the local store to stock up on water, bananas and a few other refreshments for Ross (they play the whole day...it's a long day). Thrown into the loot were some little rolls of Super-C sweeties as a treat. One of the rolls came apart and the sweeties were falling out so before they were eaten...they were painted!

We have been playing at some beautiful cricket grounds...but it is cold!!

My little (big actually) darling...trying to keep warm during their morning warm-up session! Love this boy!

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Changing light, changing colours #586

Daily painting #586 5"x7" oil on primed canvas panel

The winter light is beautiful and in the chilly afternoon the subtle colours seem to move and change as the light shifts. South Africa really is blessed with abundant beauty! 

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Cherries on blue #585

Daily painting #585 6"x6" oil on primed canvas panel 

By the time this post shares tomorrow morning, we will be on the road. My children have finished school and it is winter holidays. We are heading off north, inland, to a place called Nelspruit for my son and his school teammates to participate in a Cricket Festival. It's about an 8 hour journey by car. After the cricket festival (which ends on Tuesday) we are traveling about an hour away from Nelspruit to the Kruger National Park, South Africa's largest game reserve. To put the size into perspective it is said to be similar in size to England. We love spending time visiting the bush so I hope to have lots to share with you (I promise some photos too)!

My day today was spent shopping for supplies for home and for our journey, packing all sorts of bits and pieces and trying to tidy a bit so that the house is relatively organized before we leave. I tried to tidy up a bit in my studio but I got easily distracted. I remembered some cherries that I had put aside so that no one ate them (don't tell my family) and it was too tempting to not paint them....they won't last until I get home! So I managed to squeeze in a daily painting .....it was a good way to take some time out from the rushing around (my ankle needed it!).

I am looking forward to some special family time and a good rest....it's been a crazy, frustrating and testing Autumn term!

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Exhibition

A selection of daily paintings.

I have been rather scarce this week...I hope you have missed me...and my little paintings! Or maybe  your week has flown by as fast as mine has and you have barely noticed my absence! In just a days time I will be leaving with my family to go away and there seems to have been so much to organize. The most exciting item on my extensive, never ending and exhausting TO DO list has been to sort, label and price some little paintings for a show and I have been desperate to share this exciting news with you. 

I was contacted by The Gallery in Westville (situated in The Junction Shopping Centre, in Westville, 7 Westville Road) to exhibit my little daily paintings for the month of July. So I have been hurriedly gathering together, labeling and pricing little paintings to send on their way before I leave. Like a mother hen gathering her chicks. I love looking at a few of them together like this...each one a random often insignificant recording of something ordinary that for some reason on that particular day caught my attention and has now been transformed...through paint. A visual diary or recording of my days. A 100 little paintings (about half of them are shown in the photo) have all been delivered and will be on show for the whole month of July so please pop in at The Gallery in Westville to see! By this afternoon this very same table was full of canvas panels again...only spot the difference...

Blank canvas panels ...waiting for the stories they will share. I feel just as excited looking at these...a sense of anticipation and wonder at what random recordings and significant memories will find their way onto my little white boards....keep watching this space! The only thing that is packed and ready to be put into the car is my paintbox...who needs anything else anyway!

P.S. Well considering it's winter and we are heading north, maybe a jacket ...and warm clothes might be a good idea too. I'll add that to tomorrow's TO DO list. I am getting quite good at prioritizing, don't you think?

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Prawn (tagliatelle) #584

Daily painting #584 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel 

My daughter is away on school camp so Ross (my son) asked if we could have prawns for supper...Amy will NOT, under any circumstances, eat prawns (it's the eyes!). I think Ross said it as a joke, so he was really surprised when I whisked him off with me after school to a fish market to buy prawns. The market is not in the nicest area of Durban so I was grateful my daughter wasn't with us (she would have had a fit heading off into such a dodgy area). But the seafood is delicious and fresh...and so worth it! So tonight I treated the boys with a lemon and garlic prawn tagliatelle and other than cleaning the prawns, it is SO easy to make ...and SO yummy! If you love prawns and pasta...this one is for you! I will share it with you...

• prawns (you can buy already peeled and shelled if you don't want to cut, clean and shell)
• tagliatelle pasta (you can use any shape pasta you like)
• small finely chopped onion
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• olive oil and knob of butter for frying
• salt and pepper
• lemon zest and juice of 1 large lemon
• 1 cup of quality white wine
• extra knob of butter for sauce if needed (sorry this is not one for the diet book!)
• 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped parsley or coriander
• optional is a little chopped red chili (if you like it a little hot!)

Prawns cook quickly so start by cooking pasta in boiling salted water until al dente (just cooked).
While pasta cooks soften onions in a little butter and olive oil combined, once onions are soft add garlic (if added too soon, garlic can go bitter or burn). Toss prawns into the hot pan (season with salt and pepper) and as soon as the prawns colour, add wine and lemon zest and juice. If the sauce needs it, add a little extra butter. 
Drain pasta and toss the prawns and sauce through the pasta. Add the fresh parsley/coriander and check your seasoning. Retain a little of the cooking liquid from the pasta and add a little if needed as the pasta will start to absorb the sauce. Enjoy...

A delicious feast and SO easy (super quick too) and you are bound to impress! My amateur photography meant that by the time I got a couple of photos the sauce had probably gathered in the bottom of the bowl...but you get the idea! I was hero for a moment and my boys thought I was THE BEST....until I asked them to help me clean up!

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It's (almost) the season #583

Daily painting #583 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel 

Look what I found! Cherries are without a doubt my favourite fruit to paint and it has everything to do with their beautiful rich colour. And maybe that they are delicious to eat too, so buying huge quantities makes me feel less guilty if I think I am buying them to paint (if truth be told). These are not local (sadly) but I indulged myself anyway ...so a few cherry paintings coming up in the next few days...that is if they are not all eaten first! 

Remember to pop over to my Tictail store to view available daily paintings...some of them will be going on exhibition soon (EXCITING...will tell you more in a few days) so if there is anything you have your eye on, don't miss out! If you live in South Africa email me privately at heidishedlock@gmail.com if you would like to get prices on certain paintings in ZAR and for direct purchases (rather than online shopping). 

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All things floral #582

Daily painting #582 6"x6" oil on primed canvas panel

Next week my children start mid-year break and we are leaving to go with my son on a cricket tour to a 20/20 Cricket festival at a school in Nelspruit (about 9 hours from Durban). Nelspruit is only an hour or so from our favourite bush retreat The Kruger National Park, so we will then head off to the bush for a weeks down time. Time in the African bush is just my best and reminds me of why I love Africa so much! Of course I will share some of the journey with you...and my trusty paintbox will be my loyal traveling companion as always, as will my camera!

So I have been frantically trying to complete all commissions and outstanding work before we leave. I have been so behind and not being able to spend long periods standing in my studio has really slowed everything down. Over the last 4 days (we have had a long weekend in SA) I have been completing a large floral and working on a beautiful little portrait of a friend's granddaughter. The floral painting is large and has taken most of my time, but I think it is finished (Maybe...? I will have to stare at it for a few days to decide). So the studio is full of florals...hard to find any other inspiration for a daily painting!

Other than painting, my son had a warm-up game for their cricket tour this weekend which of course we all went to watch. If I can't have a paintbrush in my hand, I love to have my camera! I love nothing better than capturing those little moments when my children aren't watching...and the camera lens can zoom up on them unawares. I don't share photos often enough with you (but then maybe you only come to see the paintings, in which case you are by now bored...sorry!) I am an absolute amateur photographer and am completely self taught but love my Canon EOS camera. So today I wanted to share an intimate photo of Ross at his game. He was all padded up and waiting to go on to the field to bat. This image just captures so much about the feeling of a million butterflies that still you as you wait to walk on to that field...the anticipation...the expectation...the quiet contemplation. This image just makes this Mamma's heart melt!

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White rose #581

Daily painting #581 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel

A little daily painting study to get the juices flowing for a large floral I am working on....

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Long weekend #580

Daily painting #580 5"x7" oil on primed canvas panel

By the time I had got my slow behind out of bed this morning (I was tired), the sky had lost that beautiful morning glow and the crisp blue of the new day was already squeezing its way through the chilly morning cloud. I haven't painted much this week...the week seems to have slipped by in blur! 

I have realized that in order to allow myself to heal (it's taking far too darn long for my impatient being) I need to be kind to myself and I simply can't do it all! I still have a boot on my leg and need the support of only one crutch now. That being said I am back teaching all my classes, have had visual art exam papers to grade this week and my own kids are writing exams, not to mention hockey matches and piano exams thrown into an already manic week. One joy is that I have managed to cook supper every night this week (my husband is sighing with relief I think) and I ended the busy week off with a delicious balsamic slow roasted lamb which cooked for about 5 hours yesterday filling the house with the most glorious, heavenly aromas all afternoon. My darling son Ross, on arriving home, took in the aroma and grinned at me "Mom is back!" he said. I was about to explain that I hadn't been anywhere but I knew what he meant....he made me feel loved! So the busy week ended off with a delicious family meal and a bottle of yummy Diemersfontein Pinotage wine.

Today starts a long weekend. Tuesday is a Public Holiday and schools are closed on Monday so 4 days of some go-slow time (and study time for my kiddies). I woke up desperate to paint. It really isn't even about what I paint, I just need to paint! It's good for my soul and that quiet time with my own head space is like food for my soul tank....it sorts me out! I don't know why I allowed the week to go by without painting. So this weekend I will spend some much needed time in my studio. I have a beautiful painting of a gorgeous little girl to finish for her grandma (Annie if you are reading this I haven't forgotten you), I have a large floral painting to finish and I am going to fit in a quick daily painting whenever I can....this weekend I NEED to paint!

What are you up to this weekend? I would love to hear from you....
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Rossy red buds #579

Daily painting #579 6"x6" oil on primed canvas panel 

Mmmmm....some more florals....rosey red buds to brighten up your day. My daughter is doing her piano exam today at the Durban Music School and my son starts his mid-year exams at school. So we all need a little cheering up in this house (the tension!!!!!) ....I hope you have a cheery day too....and I hope my kiddies ace their exams today!!!! (Holding thumbs!) 

P.S. Sorry about all the explanation marks, can you feel the tension (!!!!)

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Cheese and mustard powder #578

Daily painting #578 5"x7" oil on primed canvas panel

It's been a tough week of trying to get back to 'normal' (Am I normal? Maybe not!) so I was determined to end the week with getting back into my kitchen. My son has been craving French toast for breakfast...so French toast it was. My husband planned to stoke up his regular Sunday fire and braai (barbecue) so I decided to make some homemade cumin and coriander burger patties for a change to charred (burnt - don't tell him I said that) meat.  Granny Jean (my mother-in-law) was also coming around for mid-morning tea, so I made some Cheese scones (Aunty Pat's Cheese scones to be specific). Talk about getting back into my kitchen...I think I did a pretty  fine job! I also did a pretty fine job of leaving a wake of devastation behind me and my kitchen looked like it needed a cleaning fairy to clean my mess. Unfortunately for my husband he was the 'cleaning fairy', with the help of the trusty dishwasher!

Aunty Pat's Cheese Scones (muffins) were a favorite growing up. She seemed to whip them up for afternoon tea in minutes and they really are dead easy. My little painting is of 2 of the ingredients but I think I will share the rest of them with you...maybe you will give them a try! I would love to hear from you if you do...happy (easy-peasy) baking!

• 1 cup flour
• 1cup grated cheese
• 1/4 tsp mustard powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (I prefer a little paprika or dried mixed herbs)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2tsp baking powder
• 1 cup milk

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and place into muffin trays (I usually use mini muffin pans and make bite size ones). Bake at 180 C for about 15-20 min. Eat while warm.

I hope you have enjoyed seeing a recipe for a change (I even took a photo for you) and not just the ingredients painted. I often get asked why I don't share the recipes for mushroom sauce, spicy aubergines, apple crumble, marinated olives, Christmas mince pies and cake...and all the other yummy things that find their way into my studio as objects or still life for daily paintings...so today I give you a recipe. I know Aunty Pat won't mind. What do you think? 

Busy day...full tummy...happy heart...exhausted and ready for bed!

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Weekend floral #577

Daily painting #577 5"x7" oil on primed canvas panel

A little bit of floral to brighten up your weekend! I love flowers and floral patterns...but I think I have have told you that before!

Thank you to everyone that left comments on the blog and joined in the GIVEAWAY fun! Please feel free to stop by anytime and leave a comment or introduce yourself ... I would love to meet you..and hear from you.

Daily painting #82 is going to Randi Grace Nilsberg! My son pulled your name from the list of names so...CONGRATULATIONS! Please email me at heidishedlock@gmail.com with your postal address so that I can send you a Painting in the post! 

That was lots of fun...I will do it again some time soon.

Have a great Sunday!

P.S. What is it that on the day you want to announce a painting giveaway, the Internet connection is either nonexistent or so weak it keeps disconnecting....Murphy's law! Finally I am able to post...better late than never.

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GIVEAWAY!!

I HAVE A PAINTING TO GIVE AWAY....please join in the fun by leaving a comment on this blog page (I want to meet you all)!!!! I will share who the winner is on Sunday so there is still lots of time...read below for more details...

It's time for me to share some Paintings in the post love!! It's GIVEAWAY TIME!! 

I am giving away this 6"x8" daily painting. It is #82 in the series and is called "Protea for Christmas".

So how can you be part of the fun?

I would like to meet some of my Paintings in the post followers so...please leave a comment on the blog. I would like to know where you live, how do you follow Paintings in the post (Facebook, Instagram, Google+, email subscription etc). What do you enjoy about the blog and is there anything you would like to see more of? How could I improve the blog...would you like me to share anything else...more photos...other aspects of my creative life....etc. 

Basically I would like to hear from you....and meet you!

A name from the comments will be randomly selected and the person receiving the painting will be notified here on the blog on Sunday! So be sure to check!

So click on the comments button below (near the Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter buttons below), leave a comment and you could be getting a Painting in the post! 

(Only comments on the blog will be accepted for the giveaway offer, not comments on other social media platforms...thanks)

I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU 

Tons of love and a million thanks....

Heidi

(P.S. Good luck!)

Purchase paintings at Heidi Shedlock Fine Art

GIVEAWAY TIME!!

It's time for me to share some Paintings in the post love!! It's GIVEAWAY TIME!! 

I am giving away this 6"x8" daily painting. It is #82 in the series and is called "Protea for Christmas".

So how can you be part of the fun?

I would like to meet some of my Paintings in the post followers so...please leave a comment on the blog. I would like to know where you live, how do you follow Paintings in the post (Facebook, Instagram, Google+, email subscription etc). What do you enjoy about the blog and is there anything you would like to see more of? How could I improve the blog...would you like me to share anything else...more photos...other aspects of my creative life....etc. 

Basically I would like to hear from you....and meet you!

A name from the comments will be randomly selected and the person receiving the painting will be notified here on the blog on Sunday! So be sure to check!

So click on the comments button below (near the Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter buttons below), leave a comment and you could be getting a Painting in the post! 

(Only comments on the blog will be accepted for the giveaway offer, not comments on other social media platforms...thanks)

I LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU 

Tons of love and a million thanks....

Heidi

(P.S. Good luck!)

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What a week! #576

Daily painting #576 4"x6" oil on primed canvas panel

It is the start of Winter, although the days are still hot and muggy with no cooler weather at all! We have been blessed with the most breathtaking sunrises lately (best time of the year for beautiful morning skies) and last night as I sat watching my son's evening hockey match, a great ball of orange in a new moon was rising in a grand, stately manner over the evening sky. It dipped between the slight slivers of cloud, changing patterns and shapes until it revealed itself in a huge golden ball reflecting silver light over the ocean. In short....it was beautiful! Yes I know...I was supposed to be watching hockey but if you know me by now, you will know I can't miss out on a bit of sentiment! Speaking of sentiment, this week has been a big week for me. I have resumed teaching and have driven my car for the first time in 7 weeks! (I nearly kissed the dashboard I was so happy!) I am still on crutches and have been exhausted and sore by the end of the day, but I am so grateful to be up and about and I know I will get stronger each day now. I cannot help but be grateful for the most awesome people in the world....my family. They have kept me going through the last almost 8 weeks and quite frankly they rock my world! I love you guys!

My husband Andrew.....my rock, my best friend....yes and all those other wonderful things!

My son Ross...those dimples melt this Mommy's heart!

My daughter Amy....my little mini-me!

Mamma bear.....I love my Mum beyond measure and can't imagine life without her! Love you Mom x

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