Orange #706

Daily painting #706 5"x7" oil on primed canvas panel

Bright orange pincushion proteas. Like little balls of fire in the winter chill. Loving their vibrant colour and just one will brighten up the room!

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Winter break #705

Daily painting #705 5"x7" ink and acrylic on primed panel 

Today marks the start of our 3 week Winter holiday. My children finish school early today and holidays can begin....I can't wait! I have SO much work to do, so it's not like I will be taking too much of a break but it is good to have a change in pace. No school means no more cold, dark early morning rush and no more making and packing school lunches before I have even wiped the sleep from my eyes. It also means no more crazy afternoon lifting around from sports practices, ballet classes, piano lessons....(the list could go on). It means we get to have some awesome family time and although for a change we don't have any travel plans, we do have a few day trips that we plan on doing closer to home which is really exciting. I am looking forward to spending more time with my camera again which is always a treat in the holidays as my painting classes have come to an end until the schools go back. But most importantly I am going to be able to enjoy the beautiful morning winter sunrises with my cup of coffee for a little longer (I am an early riser anyway)....this really is the best time of year in Durban! Chilly mornings and beautiful warm sunny days...it doesn't get much better. 

Happy Holidays!

Good morning!

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One plum and a dipping bowl #704

Daily painting #704 5"x7" oil on primed canvas panel

I wasn't kidding when I said how happy I was to gather all my little studio props again. This little dipping dish is from a local Chinese supermarket that I regularly shop at. I love browsing the shelves looking at all the different ingredients (as you know I love to cook), but I also often get distracted by the beautiful Chinese bowls, dishes and teapots. I can't help but leave with the odd little treasure. I have a beautiful selection of little bowls that we eat our yoghurt from and my studio is full of little treasures from that shop. I think I am a hoarder....(cringe!!!)

As for the delicious winter plums, they are about to become a plum and raspberry crumble to eat with thick Greek yoghurt ...and sugar-free of course!

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Lime (and soda) #703

Daily painting #703 8"x8" oil on primed canvas panel

Its been a while since I painted fruit on a plate. I did a series of different fruit on different plates a long while ago and while having a big (way overdue) tidy-up in my studio this week, I gathered together again many of the props (old plates, chipped cups, little vases etc) that I have used in paintings in the past. They all seemed to have found their way into every little corner of my studio space. It was like finding hidden treasure or reuniting with old friends! I see a few little still life paintings coming up again perhaps...but then again, I do have beautiful flowers in my studio too...oh the choices!!!! If only there were more hours in the day to paint!

So why lime (and soda) you are asking, right? Well if you have been following for a while you will know I don't dedicate too much time to trying to choose what to paint for a daily painting. They are the things that are around me, that tell my story or are in my space. Today I have an abundance of limes sitting in a bowl in my kitchen. I LOVE the intensity of their colour and I love the intensity of their flavour even more. Last year we as a family gave up sugar. One of the first things I did was pour all juices, cordials and fizzy drinks ( not that we had those often) down the kitchen sink (drain). My children initially thought they were sentenced to a life of drinking water (not a bad thing)and nothing else! How boring they thought, until I introduced homemade flavored water and one of our favourites is lime and mint. Place a few slices of lime and a few mint leaves in some water and chill the water in the fridge for about an hour or two. Take a large glass of ice and pour the flavored water (including a few slices of lime) over the ice and enjoy! It's known in our house as 'Lime and soda' (a sugar free and fizzy free version)  and there is nothing more refreshing for steamy Durban weather (winter lasts for maybe 4 days if we are lucky). These beautiful limes are soon to become 'Lime and soda'.

If you are in South Africa, I hope you have a fabulous long weekend. Remember to message me privately for prices of little paintings in ZAR and for direct purchases (in SA only). My email is heidishedlock@gmail.com

Four day weekends are THE BEST!

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Red 2 #702

Daily painting #702 5"x7" ink and acrylic on primed panel

Another little share from the group of little paintings that will be heading off to Switzerland...
(Wish I could jump in the package and go on an adventure too!)

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Red #701

Daily painting #701 6"x8" ink and acrylic on primed panel

I am working away on some little paintings for a Paintings in the Post friend and follower who lives in Switzerland. They are all little florals and most of them are South African florals. They are a mix of oil paintings and ink/acrylic paintings.
So just in case you think I am ignoring you or even worse...not painting, I thought I would share a little red protea with you. It's new home will be Switzerland (lucky fish!).

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A rose, of course! #700

Daily painting #700 8"x8" oil on primed canvas panel

So how does one decide what to paint for daily painting #700? My dilemma is that I don't usually think too much about what I am going to paint for a little daily painting otherwise I would spend all day deciding (my star sign borders on the indecisive Virgo scales) and I would never get around to painting. So it is usually something object based (often floral) and something that is close at hand in my kitchen/studio/house. However I have been brooding over what to paint for #700 for a while ...it needed to be something special...a good little painting....I had to 'get it right'. Those of you who have been following Paintings in the post for a while, will know that this type of thinking goes against my whole philosophy behind why I do these little daily paintings. But thank goodness things worked out just fine and my problem was solved before I had even realized it....and I had a good reminder about just giving something a go and not overthinking....

I had to teach a Painting class but many of the ladies were away. We ended up with just 3 people in the class and so a suggestion was made that I paint along with the ladies for the morning. Kate (yes....the rose lady if you remember a few posts back) had bought me some beautiful roses from her garden and so without even thinking about it, I sat at an easel popped the roses in front of me, grabbed a little daily painting board and painted along with the ladies. I stopped to assist if they needed me,  but finished a little painting before the class was up. It suddenly dawned on me that I had just painted daily painting #700! I had spent so much time thinking about #700 and in a way was dreading painting it and buckling under the pressure I was placing on myself to paint it. There is something to be said for just getting stuck in and doing something without agonizing too much (overthinking)! I had avoided painting this little painting but had just got stuck in and painted it without even realizing it. I paint these little paintings so regularly that it feels quite natural to just quickly grab a little board, my brushes and some paint and just do it! Only at the end of the session did I register the significance of what had just happened and perhaps it was because I had not planned to paint that the number 700 didn't quite come to mind (thank goodness) until the end.

So I give you daily painting #700, just an ordinary little painting and no more special than any of the others other than that for me, it marks a special achievement and a little milestone in a journey that began quite by accident and has changed my life. Thank you for sharing it with me!

A corner of my teaching studio...and roses!

To celebrate 700, I will be offering free postage on all purchases made in my online store until the end of the weekend (ends 12 midnight SA time). So make use of the FREE POSTAGE offer and visit the online store at www.paintingsinthepost.tictail.com

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