Winter aloe #593

Daily painting #593 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel 

In South Africa many of the succulent plants flower in the winter months. They make beautiful winter gardens and range from small little ground cover plants to large tall stately aloes that grow taller than us and particularly in winter, stand out in the bush like tall orange capped soldiers. Their rich warm colour is beautiful and these winter flowering plants are one of the many things I love about winter in South Africa!

Below is a little bit of winter colour photographed in the bush while we were away.....glorious colour for winter....don't you think?

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Figs and a cherry #592

Daily painting #592 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel 

I was invited to demonstrate a daily painting for the North Coast Art Group. Thank you for inviting me I really enjoyed meeting some new friends! 

I always find it really hard to talk and paint at the same time. Painting for me is quite a meditative process....the world could tumble down around me and I wouldn't notice! I also get totally lost with regards to time so to try to paint, talk about what I am doing and clock watch so that I don't go over time really spins my wheels and takes me way out of my comfort zone! But I think that is a good thing to verbalize when I am demonstrating a daily painting as the reason I share what I am doing is to try to encourage people to climb out of their comfort zone and loose the fear of making mistakes. We are as humans naturally quite self critical (we shouldn't be) and so we don't like to do things that we do not feel confident doing....we are scared of failure. What daily painting has taught me amongst many other things, has been to find the courage to believe that I can do it! If for some reason I am not happy with the outcome or the painting has been a struggle then I view that as a positive rather than a negative ....we learn from our mistakes. If we are not making mistakes, we are staying in our comfort zone and not exploring enough. And I share the paintings regardless...with the world...or whoever chooses to visit my blog. I am not ashamed of my mistakes....they help shape where I am going, what I am exploring and hopefully encourage others to loose the fear of failure and find that inspiration to paint because you love it not only because you want to experience success! I have to believe everyday that I can do it...and most importantly I have to love what I am doing. Take time out to do what you love doing. We have busy and stressful lives and there never seems to be enough hours in the day so I encourage you to make the time for yourself....make the time for doing the things that you love. It's good for the soul and besides ....you deserve it!

Thank you so much ladies and gents for letting me join you for the morning.....as promised here is the picture of the little 6"x8" "Figs and a cherry".

Purchase paintings at Heidi Shedlock Fine Art 
(Click on the highlighted writing to view gallery of available daily paintings and for all purchase details)