Thank you #561

Daily painting #561 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel

Well it has taken me a whole month to get daily painting #561 painted! I have never been so happy to squeeze paint out of tubes and picking up my brushes was like taking the hand of your child into your own hand and feeling that instant connection to the very core of your being! I momentarily forgot about a leg that was now throbbing from hobbling along on the crutches to get to my studio! I was initially frustrated as with both hands on crutches I couldn't carry the things I needed or get to certain things but where there is a will, there is a way! It is amazing what you can carry in the grips of your jaw when you can't use your hands! Once I was finally seated at my little wooden daily painting box I had demons sitting on my shoulder. I haven't painted for a month (feels like a lifetime) so the internal dialogue went something along the lines of "maybe I won't be able to....maybe I should just not do this....what if I just can't paint today...." If you are a painter or artist or even a writer, you will be able to relate to all the insecurities that rumbled through my head as I stared at that little 6"x8" rectangle of glaring white board! But once I picked up that brush...it just felt right!
This is no perfect little painting and many of my daily paintings are not master pieces and are never created with that aim in mind. They are about the process of doing, of applying paint and the joy it gives me, the ritual of recording something ordinary in a short space of time for the sheer pleasure the interaction gives me. Daily painting for me is never about creating magnificent paintings. It's about me and my paint and the silly little daily objects or stories that make up my every day. It's a meditative daily ritual and I have missed it like crazy! Today I have never been so happy to sit at my little wooden painting box! The good news is that my ankle will not require surgery but the break has not yet healed and there is severe tissue damage to tendons and ligaments on both sides which is why I still have no movement in my foot. But with time, this will heal. I am able to move around more at home with the help of crutches (and a willing husband to help me downstairs) and the doctor has said no teaching until June. But with a little effort I can make it to my studio and that is a fabulous start!
I have been so overwhelmed by the generosity of family, friends and art students who have helped with my children, dropped off meals, cakes and flowers and the overwhelming amount of messages I have received has been heartwarming. I wish I could thank you all personally but for now today's daily painting carries a message of thanks to you all! Healing happens one day at a time....and starting the day with a little painting was a step in the right direction! Thank you friends x

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From my room....

I am off to the doctor today to have a check up and hopefully will be able to move around a bit more soon. Living in a double story house is a disadvantage when you have limited movement. Getting down the staircase, the same staircase which you tumbled down in the first place is not an easy task when you are balancing on crutches and trying to hop with as little jarring movement as possible. So I will glamorously descend the staircase on my bottom this morning for fear of creating more havoc than my last descent. (I tripped over the cat and fell down our flight of stairs 3 weeks ago). For what feels like a life time I have been confined to my bedroom and so much of the household activity including evening meals have taken place picnic style in order to keep Mum company. I am missing my cosy studio and can't wait to get back into my little space. I am hoping to be sharing a few little paintings again soon. For now I want to share a special little image of my daughter. She brought her sewing machine (she has been designing beanbag babies) into my bedroom to keep Mum company. Hoping for good news today and that the next image I share will be a little painting! Thank you everyone for all the messages of well wishes....I really appreciate them and am delighted to hear how many people are missing seeing Paintings in the post.

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Broken ankle

Well it's definitely not a painting I am sharing with you today, I wish it were! When asked by others what was going to break my continuous daily painting spell, I would joke that it would probably have to be something serious like landing up in hospital or such like to get me to stop as NOT painting had become harder than finding the time to paint. It had become such an integral part of my daily routine after 560 days without a break, the entire process had become meditative and almost necessary to my everyday existence! Well I must have jinxed myself and I can only say I am grateful the accident was mine and no one else that I care dearly about! On Monday morning I tripped on the staircase at home, trying to avoid my cat and fell down half a flight of stairs! My husband took me to our local hospital and thank goodness all I had done was break my ankle bone and severely bruised my body as I landed on a concrete treated surface. It could have been much worse but I was in such pain that I wanted to be physically ill! Fortunately the orthopedic surgeon has made the decision to keep a moon boot on the leg and immobilize the break as the bones could be aligned. He will reassess it in 2 weeks time. I am trying to avoid having surgery to pin the bones. So I was at hospital before I had even loaded my daily painting (or even had a morning shower!!!!) and have not yet been able to paint since. Between a heady cocktail of painkillers and the need to stay absolutely still or as still as possible, I have been unable to paint. I have sobbed out of pain, frustration and the absolute heartbreak of having to end 560 consecutive days of daily painting. It would have been amazing to complete another 365 consecutive days (730 days of daily painting that would have been) and I was so very close but it was not meant to be! 560 days of daily painting is still an amazing achievement!
So for now I concentrate on healing and keeping as still as possible to avoid having any surgery and I hope to be daily painting again soon! I will be less focused on the number of days I have painted for and more focused on the joy of engaging daily in little painting exercises which have become as important to my painting as they have been to my soul. Taking time out to engage daily in something creative is not only a blessing but it is like a daily top up to your creative tank. It gets you painting and focussing on the joy of painting rather than the end result! It forces you to just DO and not overthink too much as one can do when working on larger pieces of work. I have shared many paintings that quite frankly don't work and I am okay with that! It's good to make mistakes...it's how we grow...it's how we learn! So my lesson right now is never make the mistake again of trying to avoid the cat on the staircase, if she happens to fall instead of you chances are she will land her feet a lot better than you! Mistake made....lesson learnt!
Thanks for all the messages from everyone and sorry if I have not replied to them all. I hope to be daily painting and sharing again soon....as soon as I can move a bit more! I have received such lovely messages from all of you saying how much you are missing seeing the daily paintings and that warms my heart....thank you! Click on the link below and you can browse through some 'oldies' until I can start sharing again..... Thank you Heidi

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Berry breakfast #560

Daily painting #560 5"x7" oil on primed canvas panel 

I have been reading 'Art before breakfast' by Danny Gregory. It's a really inspiring read on how to incorporate art into our busy daily lives. So I got painting early this morning with a little share from my breakfast bowl...

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Early on the East Coast #559

Daily painting #559 5"x7" oil on primed canvas panel

Back to the East Coast and the beautiful early morning sky! I think my bedroom must have one of the best early morning views and I am always so grateful that I am an early riser! 

Simply the best time of the day....

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One bite #558

Daily painting #558 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel

Back home to my happy place, my studio and my trusty oil paint! Squeezing out oil paint again is just sheer joy to my soul! Deciding what to paint was another story as the cupboards where empty! I often end up painting that which I cook but there was not a thing to cook in the house! The boys hardly look malnourished but I am not quite sure what they have been surviving on while I was away! A big trip to the grocery store is in order! We have had a fabulous trip away but being home with my whole family together again is just the best!

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Bye Cape Town #557

Daily painting #557 pen and watercolour from my sketchbook NFS

Always sad to say goodbye to this beautiful city! It's been awesome catching up with family and it's been a special trip with my Mum and my daughter...the two most special ladies in my life! But tonight we are homeward bound and I can't wait to see the boys! My husband and son stayed behind because my son Ross is playing in a hockey festival. I have missed them both so much and can't wait to see them! I also can't wait to squeeze out some oil paint again too!

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