Daily painting 747 & 748 Pink on silver

Daily paintings 747 & 748 oil on primed silver board, 5" round

I have been finishing off my painting classes for the year, working on some larger pieces and working on ways to sell my larger work online too. At the moment only my little paintings which form part of Paintings in the post, can be purchased worldwide online. Other than sharing images of my larger work via various social media platforms, my larger work is not actually for sale online and one needs to contact me personally (or through a gallery if it is on show there) should you be interested in a particular work. Well I am trying to change that....and hopefully in the New Year I will have more exciting things to share. I will still show work at galleries and those pieces will still need to be purchased through the gallery, but hopefully one will be able to purchase some larger  pieces online too! Shew... for this technologically challenged girl, this is posing some major headaches...and eating into painting time!

Well enough of that....as I have shared with you on many occasions, when my headspace is chaotic, I need to paint. So everything else got put to one side this weekend and I went back to my little ritual of painting a little painting in one sitting in a short space of time. Actually I painted two in one sitting...my headspace must be really chaotic (I giggle and cringe simultaneously). This weekend I changed it up a bit though by experimenting on a different surface...a shiny silver round!

But enough rambling for today, I will share more about this new surface in another post. I have a few more little ones to add to my online store which will soon be having a DECEMBER SALE! Some great bargains on little paintings coming up...so keep your eyes peeled for Paintings in the post Tictail SALE announcement!

Here is a close up of each new 5" round on silver board which have both been added to the online store if you want to take a look!

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Daily painting #746 I see red

Daily painting #746 8"x8" oil and oil bar on primed panel (unframed)

There has been a whole lot of craziness in the world lately and scanning social media and, even worse, the news has been quite a painful affair! Don't worry I am not going to start my own political debates or share political opinions here...we have enough craziness going on in our own political arenas in South Africa for me to start ranting on other world affairs. I am in no way blinkered or one of those people that sit on fences or stick my head in the ground. But that being said, I have chosen to escape much of what has been going on lately and chosen to find solace in my studio instead. Perhaps that seems quite lame but maybe it is my way of adjusting or mulling things through and subconsciously working through my emotions. You will notice I haven't posted much lately...

So I have beavered away in my studio with my paintbrushes and paint and have attempted to find some beauty to sooth my soul. The thing that saddens me the most is that anger, hate and disregard seem to be so prevalent and when watching what is happening around, both here in South Africa and other parts of the world, I have to fight hard to not become angry and bitter and resentful myself. I have to fight to not respond in a way that encourages the worst in me too. So I paint away, subconsciously finding some light and beauty when I am not really seeing it or feeling it at all. I choose to make a difference by harnessing my emotions and encouraging love and compassion to be my guide. One simple change of mindset that will be encouraged in our family, for some things cannot be altered...but we can alter the way we react. How we respond is our choice...and we must make it count in every small way we can. 

A bouquet from me to you. This week I really had to find the beauty even if all I could see was red!

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Daily painting #745 Studio protea 2

Daily painting #745 6"x8" oil on primed panel

The second little studio demonstration from this week where my painting 'students' explored working with a palette knife.

Below are some of the interesting marks that I photographed in their work...after all when choosing to work with a palette knife the focus does turn to the beautiful mark making.

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Daily painting #744 Studio protea 1

Daily painting #744 6"x8" oil on primed panel (unframed)

This week two of my studio classes have been learning to work with a palette knife. Personally I find it quite limiting to work with just one tool. But it is important for them to explore this tool. I am a believer of using whatever it is that makes the mark that works for you. As a result I use and rely on many different tools from traditional brushes and palette knives to a variety of different treasures, many of them from the hardware store rather than my art supply store!

I completed two little VERY quick demonstrations for them, highlighting some points that might assist them. This is the first of the little demonstrations and tomorrow I will share the second. We painted some beautiful proteas...oh so typically South African!

Below is an example (incomplete) of just one of my 'students' little paintings...they were all SO different which is fabulous...and they were all GORGEOUS! Way to go ladies...happy teacher!

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