An apple a day...#161

Daily painting #161. 6"x6" oil on primed canvas panel

An apple a day keeps the doctor away.....if only it was that simple! Thank goodness I am not feeling like I was last weekend when all I wanted to do was climb on the bed and sleep off a nasty head cold. This weekend has been just too busy for that! It is my husbands 50th birthday on Monday and we have family coming over on Sunday for lunch....so lots of cooking! This morning I spent what felt like ages trying to shop for a gift for him with the children. Andrew is an impossible person to buy gifts for...he wants nothing and needs little! Anyway we succeeded in spoiling him and are slowly getting organized for Sundays bash, but I can't say I have had much time to paint this weekend! Although I do have a little surprise for him which I started last night and will finish tomorrow as my daily painting....I had to make a start on it while he was at the Sharks rugby game as I don't want him to see the surprise....a sneaky little painting...you too will have to wait for tomorrow.....

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Fresh asparagus #160

Daily painting #160. 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel 

It has been so unbearably hot and humid today that I have actually felt ill! There is just no escape from the heat and your body feels constantly sticky, your clothes and hair plastered to your body! Summer be gone with you now....after today I am longing for our beautiful April weather! There was absolutely no way I was cooking tonight, I actually didn't even feel like eating! So it was cold salads and some crisp fresh asparagus......

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Load shedding protea #159

Daily painting #159. 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel SOLD

Today while I was teaching our electricity suddenly cut off! A while later I realized that we were experiencing load shedding. A simple explanation for this is simply our electricity provider, Eskom cuts power supply to certain areas for up to 2hours (often more) when our power supplies in the country are running low! I know to viewers overseas reading this, this must sound crazy....but hey, we live in Africa...where anything is possible! Foolishly I thought because we had experienced load shedding in the morning, we would not be affected in the afternoon....HA! Yes did I say that in Africa anything is possible......! Well in the late afternoon just as I was getting settled in my studio with a beautiful protea on the shelf....the power cut again! My studio was quite dark and the natural light faded too fast. So my protea was a bit of a blind painting but I had to push through quickly as darkness was fast approaching and rechargeable lights and candles (which is what we resort to) give off awful color in the light they produce. So thanks Eskom....my Protea didn't quite end up as anticipated but you certainly pushed painting in the dark as a new experience! Oh and by the way.....please can we have electricity today!

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A lemon and a grape #158

Daily painting #158. 4"x6" oil on primed canvas panel

I never wake up knowing what I am going to paint for my daily painting! At some point in the day something will come to me...inspire me...catch my attention...scream out at me...or find its way into my studio as if it was just meant to be there for me to paint! But not today! None of the above! Maybe I was too busy or distracted today but by late afternoon I stood in the kitchen with my children and loudly exclaimed that I had no idea what I was going to paint for my daily painting! My children looked at me with way more panic on their faces than I was feeling, they couldn't believe I had not made it into my studio today and so began to rattle off a number of things they thought were appropriate and might 'save the day'. Bless them but most of the suggestions had no appeal at all until of cause, out of sheer desperation they grabbed two things in front of them...a lemon and a grape (of all things). The suggestion seemed absurd and the combination of the two so weird that of course I just had to paint ...a lemon and a grape! We had a good giggle at how bizarre we are....and I wouldn't blame you for thinking we were a crazy bunch! So after much laughter and craziness the strange combination of a lemon and a grape (a bunch would be way more appropriate) will remind me of good times and laughter!

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Moody day and rain #157

Daily painting #157. 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel

We woke up to moody skies and a drizzle of rain today...what a welcome relief from the heat we have been having! The drizzle eventually stopped and the humidity levels were still quite high but the sky over the sea remained moody and threatening rain all day! Of course the rain eventually came in the evening and murphies law it was my daughters school swimming gala!!!! The gala continued in the rain....see all the umbrellas in the photo below....fine for the swimmers who were wet anyway...but not so nice for us poor parents watching! Anyway at least I had beautiful views of the Durban skyline  to distract me when my daughter wasn't swimming! So beautiful I had to share with you....

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Raw almonds #156

Daily painting #156. 4"x6" oil on primed canvas panel

I was such a glutton today! I bought a bag of raw almonds...we eat a lot of them, in yoghurt, for school lunch boxes, or just a handful to snack on. They are supposed to be so good for you! The almonds I bought today were just so fresh....I ate way more than a handful! I couldn't stop eating them....I don't want to see any more almonds now....serves me right!

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A little posy in a jar #155

Daily painting #155  5"x7" oil on primed canvas panel

I am not quite feeling myself today....I have a bit of a head cold and an aching body. My son is learning for exams and my daughter is catching up on school projects! Not quite a fun filled day ....so a cheerful little posy of roses to brighten up the day!

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