Blueberry breakfast #647

Daily painting #647 5"x5" oil on primed canvas panel

Mmmmm....the smell and creamy, juicy texture of oil paint!

These delicious blueberries are from my first batch of organic produce for the year. The little shop which sells organic and local produce from surrounding farms is back to sharing delicious bounty with us! They take a break over the festive season and I have really missed my weekly shop! I have especially missed the delicious farm eggs which have yolks the colour of glorious sunshine! These little blueberries were plump and popping with juicy flavour....breakfast was a treat this morning!

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Small and pink #646

Daily painting #646 5"x5" ink and acrylic on primed board 

This is such a tiny little painting and I struggled to get a clear picture of it. We have had some much  needed rain and the light today is gloomy and dull which is not good for taking clear photos of paintings....so apologies for the poor quality photo!

I think I need to get back to my oils tomorrow....there is something about the creamy texture and even the smell of oil paint that I miss. It will always be my first love!

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One more bud #645

Daily painting #645 5"x7" ink and acrylic on primed board

Yes...another one! This little daily is more acrylic and less ink. I have to admit I am not yet sold on the acrylics, but I do love working with the ink. I find the acrylic more harsh and intense to work with although the one bonus is that they dry quickly and so I can carry on 'playing' and exploring immediately without having to allow drying time....a luxury one doesn't have with a daily painting if using oils. I seem to be a little impatient lately....mmmm....and the loose style I enjoy working with on florals doesn't really appeal to me with object painting or still life. I guess I need to continue exploring! Never get stuck with working in your 'style' of painting. Always push the boundaries. It's comforting to go back to what feels familiar and that will always be your starting point ....but don't be afraid to explore, experiment, play and just have fun! Change your materials, change your brush size, change the way you apply your paint.....push yourself a little further from the familiar and see where it takes you....

I think I need to try some BIG inky florals! What do you think?

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Another inky day #644

Daily painting #644 5"x7" ink and acrylic on primed board

Apologies for the glut of flowers, especially roses, but I think I am developing a love affair with ink! It's a messy affair...unpredictable....sometimes infuriating...it makes me loose control and gives me a rush of excitement when out of the chaos emerges something I quite like. This sounds like my kind of dangerous....maybe tomorrow I will head back to the comfort of my oils. I really am an indecisive kind of gal!

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Small protea #643

Daily painting #643 5"x5" oil on primed canvas panel

A little 5"x5" painting. It's so good to spend time back in my studio! It feels good to have a good spring clean, get organized and rearrange a few things in my studio. It also feels good to have some space on my desk again....it is amazing how quickly and easily that space becomes cluttered! I treated myself to 2 beautiful little proteas in a glass jar on my desk...they give the space a little life and a dash of colour! 

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Croxley Eraser #642

Daily painting #642 5"x5" oil on primed canvas panel

Just as fast as it came around, our wonderful summer holidays have come to and end! My son begins his Grade 9 year at High School today and in a few days time my daughter will start her last year in Senior Primary School. It is quite pleasant to go back to some kind of routine but it is so hot it feels like it should still be beach and bikini (okay...maybe not quite a bikini) weather. 

The last few days have been spent shopping for and sorting new stationery, covering books and getting school uniforms ready. A tedious task indeed..except maybe for buying stationery! I have to own up to being a stationery fiend! I adore new stationery and there is nothing like a new pen or materials... that is if you are a stationery junkie like me! If you can't relate to my stationery obsession then perhaps you are thinking I am a bit crazy but a little crazy is good, so I don't mind! I can't say my son shared my enthusiasm for his new stationery...but then again perhaps it had more to do with the end of summer holidays and going back to school!

Here's hoping my children (and yours) have a fabulous 2016 school year...

"Make mistakes, take chances,

be silly, be imperfect,

trust yourself and 

follow your heart."

(Unknown)

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Trio of cherries #641

Daily painting #641 5"x7" oil on primed canvas panel

My 3 little smooth boards that I experimented on have been used up and with the last few days of school holidays here, getting to a store is near impossible as I seem to be a glorified taxi service for busy teenagers at the moment! So I am left using what is available in my studio and so yesterday I returned to setting up a quiet, moody little still life again.

There was something comforting about the tradition of it all...the familiar oils...the traditional little still life...the more controlled painting...the safety of feeling more in control. Huge contrast to the crazy, dripping, unpredictable and less controlled, messy exploration of working with the inks over the last few days. I have loved both processes and it got me thinking about how we tend to box ourselves with regards to style or expected outcomes. I have a feeling my enjoyment of both processes had more to do with mood and my own head space rather than anything else. That is what I love about daily painting...it is an immediate reflection of that moment...subconscious reflections on a mood, a story, an object, a day. I don't have time to think too much about what it is I paint or why, I just do it...paint, draw, make 'mess' or simply sit quietly and do what feels comforting and familiar!

Don't waste time thinking about what to paint or why...just paint..just do it and the work will come!
(Unless of course you get interrupted by a nagging teenager that wants a lift to a friends house...hehehe!)

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