Four figs #356

Daily painting #356. 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel 

For someone who nearly a year ago was terrified of publishing anything that I had written and felt more comfortable (and still do!) with images than words, I certainly have had a lot to say for myself in the last two days! 

So today is short and sweet....four figs from the painting demonstration, which wasn't so bad after all!

If you didn't see the image I shared yesterday of some of the little paintings I put out for everyone see....here it is below. I don't often look at them like this. I loved seeing so many little daily paintings together...like a reunion with close old friends!

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Fig #355

Daily painting #354. Watercolor, ink and pen on A5 watercolor paper

Today I find myself 10 days away from reaching 365 days of daily paintings...I can't believe a year has gone by so fast! The closer I get to this little milestone, the more contemplative I become over Paintings in the post, my daily painting journey and just what it all means to me! I have offered to do a daily painting demonstration for my painting students and the big day is tomorrow!
I have painted many times with people watching (but not for Paintings in the post...other than family peeping over my shoulder) so I have been puzzled today by the slight anxiety I am feeling at painting tomorrow with an audience! It has been niggling at me all day...is it the fear of failure...is it the fear of criticism....is it exposing myself in front of others to the roller coaster ride of emotions ("this will never work...yes maybe this can work") that daily painting pushes you through (I have written about this before) ...will the adrenaline help me produce something good or will tomorrow be a daily painting flop? When doing a painting demonstion one is normally quite organized and will know in advance what you are painting and have some ideas milling in your head as to how you might approach the painting. Well true to almost 365 days of daily painting, I have no idea yet what I will paint tomorrow ...I wish I did...and perhaps that is what is niggling at me?
I resisted painting in oils today. I haven't done a little watercolor sketch since my trip to England when travelljng with wet oil paintings was just not practical. I have no training with watercolors, but I love to play. I should refer to them as mixed media because although I use mainly watercolor, I also tend to add a bit of ink, pencil and pen in too if I feel like it. I find the process quite delicate and soothing and today it was good for my soul! It was also good for clearing my jumble of questions and easing my anxiety about tomorrow's painting demonstration. I realized that my nervousness has nothing to do with any of the above concerns and everything to do with the fact that tomorrow I will let a whole lot of people (special people at that) into my little haven. Daily painting has become like a meditative ritual ...a time of day when I can be alone with my thoughts and my often chaotic headspace. It is my breathing space in the day....my time for reflection ...my soul food ....my time to calm and restore (even when the paintings don't work!). Tomorrow I am opening up this very personal space and sharing it with others....and I feel nervous!

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Postage #354

Daily painting #534. 4"x6" oil on primed canvas panel

A couple of months ago I came across an English watercolour landscape painter who also engages daily in painting charming little English landscapes. I loved the little works and started to follow his journey. I am interested to know what inspires others to paint daily as I do. I discovered that the artist had started up a postcard art group where artists around the world engage in sharing...posting off little postcards to one another as a way of sharing artwork, passion and inspiration. I have heard of similar projects before and so of course I was delighted when I was invited to join the group! A few weeks later I received some delightful little artworks in the form of postcards from all around the world! My sheer joy and elation at receiving something handmade in the post made me feel like a kid at Christmas all over again! It confirmed for me all the reasons why Paintings in the post has become such an important part of what I do! Besides being passionate about painting each day, I love the fact that my little paintings travel all over the world, that people are receiving something hand made in the post and that snail mail in this crazy, busy, internet driven world we live in, is still alive and thriving! The process of sharing through traditional mail carries a sense of nostalgia and intimacy which for me has such charm!

So this week I finally got around to completing some postcards to share. I only made 4 but I am in the process of making more! They were made using gouache, ink and pen and had a bright summery feel (summer is in the air here). They had the Persian proverb "the world is a rose....smell it and pass it on to a friend" inscribed on them. I love this sharing 'thing'....

My little postcards are headed off to 2 places in England, Sweden and Australia. I had such fun getting them ready and finding charming stamps to put on them. The little South African stamps at the moment have pictures of African beading on them and I especially loved the ones I painted today....they have little beaded ladybugs on them! 

The greatest excitement was taking my kids to pop them in the postbox ....have your children ever put anything in a post box? Well mine were fighting over putting them in .... A real novelty (my paintings are sent over the counter as packages not in the good old red box).

Such simple pleasure....a painting in the post!

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Iceberg #353

Daily painting #353 6"x6" oil on primed a canvas panel

We have had so little rain recently and my garden is quite neglected.....other than keeping it tidy, everything sort of fends for itself and nothing receives any special tender loving care. I keep saying I am going to spend more time in my garden as I actually love it, but there are just not enough hours in the day and even my herb garden is now down to those plants like Rosemary, Bay leaf and mint which just tend to themselves. But I have some iceberg roses planted in the front of my garden and at the moment despite the lack of sufficient water, they are yielding the most beautiful blooms....quite frankly I feel like I don't quite deserve such beautiful offerings....but I am grateful anyway! 

I have cut some for my studio to enjoy!

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Doughnut #352

Daily painting #352 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel 

I bought this doughnut on Saturday morning while out grocery shopping and on returning home, dumped the little packet in my studio with the idea of painting it later. Well....my studio has been a chaotic dump site and clearly my brain is in similar disarray....I forgot about it! I was looking for the envelopes to post off some paintings this morning and came across the little packet containing the doughnut ....thank goodness summer is not here yet, armies of ants would have been feasting in my studio by now!! Quite frankly leaving food around or even dirty plates is just disgusting! I am always nagging my kids to take things to the kitchen and not leave them lying around! They were completely 'grossed out' by my doughnut story and I guess I just lost a bit of respect next time I tell them off for leaving something lying around! 

So the very crumbly, stale doughnut finally got painted, I definitely didn't take a bite out of it and my kids are horrified at the waste of a jolly good doughnut.....but I like the painting so all is not lost!

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From my studio #351

Daily painting #351 5"x7" oil on primed canvas panel

I have so enjoyed getting the space which is my new studio organized and sorted this weekend. I am still not finished but at least the space is becoming easier to work in and the piles of books etc that had been dumped on the floor (and every other surface) is slowly being allocated a permanent space! The studio has 2 working areas, one of them being a converted kitchen area from a granny flat and this space is perfect for storage, priming canvases and for washing brushes! I took the photo below from the window above my washing area...washing brushes might just be more pleasant with a lovely view onto my garden! The other area is a working space...space for my easels...space for my desk, computer....and all the other 'stuff' that gathers in a studio...and it has double doors which open onto my garden. This little painting was painted from my new little spot late yesterday afternoon!

I think I am going to be happy in my new creative space!

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Three's company #350

Daily painting #350  6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel 

ONLY 15 days TO GO UNTIL I HAVE PAINTED A WHOLE YEAR OF LITTLE DAILY PAINTINGS!!!

These little bright red companions where keeping one another company at the breakfast table this morning ...the last 3 left from a delicious sweet tray of strawberries that I actually bought for the purpose of painting before eating....but they looked so good it didn't quite work out like that! So before the last 3 were eaten they were whisked off to the studio first!

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