Planning day #435

Daily painting #435. 4"x6" oil on primed canvas panel

An early start with the daily painting today. I had to finish off the commissioned paintings of a family farm for a client and have then spent the rest of the day organizing, planning and packing for our trip to the Kruger National park. We are leaving tomorrow morning, Monday, at 4am to get on the road early and make a good start. We will hopefully reach the Swaziland border post early. The trip is about a 9 hour journey by car and we travel through Swaziland, an independent land locked country inside the borders of South Africa. Having to exit South Africa to enter Swaziland and back out to South Africa again is time consuming and while the border posts on the South African side are not too bad, the Swaziland border post is a 3rd world African experience! The roads are also pot-holed and you can share the road with a number of means of transport like tractors and donkeys and even the cattle being herded off to goodness knows where! So we plan to get on the road early and hopefully miss some of the craziness. I can't wait to get to the bush...I love the smells, the sounds and the natural beauty....it's like soul food to fill the soul tank!

I will try to share some pictures via Instagram so you can follow me at www.instagram.com/heidishedlock

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Farm study 2 #434

Daily painting #434 oil on primed canvas panel NFS

The second little study for the commissioned paintings I am working on this weekend. Then it's time to pack my painting things up, throw a few clothes into a bag and sort out some food....we are off early on Monday morning to the Kruger National Park, South Africa's largest game reserve for a weeks holiday! Be sure to follow me on Instagram (heidishedlock) to see a few of our holiday pics! Heading off to the bush is right up there with one of my favourite things to do! 

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The farm #433

Daily painting #433 oil on primed canvas panel NFS

I am going to be working this weekend on some larger paintings of a family farm for a client. I prefer to paint from life and where possible if I paint from photographs I like them to be photos I have taken myself but of cause this not always possible and in this case I have to work from the photographs that have been given to me. So a little planning sketch today just to get myself familiar with the images and the land....in preparation for a weekend of painting! This little 'planning painting' was so helpful. I can already see where I need to improve and what I need to change. It is especially important to do drawings and planning sketches especially when you are not familiar with your subject!

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Breakfast and a spoon #432

Daily painting #432. 6"x6" oil on primed canvas panel

My last painting class for the year today....and tomorrow my daughter finishes Grade 5 and my husband goes on leave from work....the holidays have arrived!

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The greeting #431

Daily painting #431 4"x6" oil on primed canvas panel

That magic time when day and night share the same sky in a momentary greeting....

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Green chili #430

Daily painting #430 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel

My mother-in-law has a friend who gives her a weekly box of organic produce from a home organic vegetable garden. She regularly drops off produce with me which I accept with glee (and you regularly get to see in my paintings!). This week some rather lethal looking green chillies were in the bag. I think I am probably safer painting them than cooking with them!

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Scarlet lid and a brush #429

Daily painting #429. 4"x6" oil on primed canvas panel 

It didn't take long after the big studio tidy up for me to find my things lying around again...oh dear! 

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