Morning coffee #471

Daily painting #471 6"x6" oil on primed canvas panel

Lots to get done today! My children begin their new school year in just a weeks time and I still haven't finished sorting out stationery and school uniforms. I will be teaching Visual Art part-time at a local girls school and so have lots of planning to do and I have 4 commissions that need to find their way onto my easel....daily paintings....posting paintings...invoicing....cataloging daily paintings from the holidays...replying to messages and emails....organizing private painting classes for 2015....and my studio looks like a tip after the holidays! My husband is also off to Cape Town on a cricket tour so single mom for a week...which I don't mind at all. So much to do...but not before a morning cup of coffee!

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Pain candy #470

Daily painting #470 4"x6" oil on primed canvas panel

Wherever possible I will always try to go the natural or homeopathic route but over the last few days I have gladly handed out these little painkillers to my son...and he has accepted them gladly, like a child accepts candy! Anything to dull the senses! I am happy to say that today he is much better! For the first time this afternoon he said he didn't think he needed any pain medication and although he  still has a lot of discomfort and a concoction of eye drops that he needs every couple of hours, I am delighted we can say goodbye to the little green and red painkillers! 

Last time I painted my mum's medication I got some really strange messages from people ...one kind lady even sent me links to self help rehab programs. It was clear many of the people had not read my post....so I post this random painting today with a smile knowing that someone out there is going to think I have lost it! I never think too much about what I paint...it would take me too much time and I would never get around to it ...so something random yet significant from my day!

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Morning...with no sign of rain! #469

Daily painting #469 4"x6" oil on primed canvas panel

I was awake so early this morning. It was hot and sticky and I had been plagued by one lonesome    mosquito all night! Quite frankly I am convinced there is nothing more torturous or detrimental to your sanity than one little mosquito making sport of dive bombing your ears in the night! So I was up with the sun....it looks like the heat is continuing and no sight of any rain clouds. One of the dams up north, Hazelmere Dam, which feeds the water supply to most of the northern suburbs is sitting at 35%  full and all these areas are on severe water restrictions. We are in desperate need of some rain up country to full the rivers and dams again. It would also be great to have a respite from the heat. I am dreaming of standing outside in rain.....but it doesn't look like any is heading our way just yet! Today is going to be another hottie!

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Band-aid #468

Daily painting #468 6"x6" oil on primed canvas panel 

If only 'fixing things' was as easy as putting on a band-aid! I remember a time when my kids were little when the slightest bump would send them running for a plaster (what we tend to call a band-aid)  and they would proudly don their patch like a war medal! Well a plaster is not going to do the trick now but we are focussing on healing and Ross is feeling better today, although still on strong medication. His sight is slowly coming back and he is keeping sunglasses on at all times and staying out of bright light. The terror of suddenly not being able to see is very real! I am grateful though that this procedure is going to prevent the need for him to have a cornea transplant and quite frankly when I watch the news at the moment my troubles are really quite insignificant. I always turn to gratitude ....if one can find gratitude for even the smallest thing ...you are heading in the right direction I am sure! Thank you to all of you that sent messages yesterday for Ross or responded to my post ....I was so touched that people from all over the world had read my post ....and taken the time to respond! Love, kindness, empathy and gratitude are better than any band-aid!

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Keep drawing ... #jesuischarlie #467

Daily painting #467 4"x6" oil on primed canvas panel

Today has been an emotional day! My son had to go to the hospital to have a procedure done on his eyes this morning. We are home and he is in such agony (despite strong medication) and cannot see at all....it will get better! The 'mamma bear' in me is heartbroken that I cannot take the pain away! It is late and I have only just painted after watching the news channel to catch up on the awful events that have played out in Paris. Watching the gathering of people in Paris with pencils raised set me off on a massive  big sobbing session which had probably been brewing all day as the 'mamma bear' in me tried to be brave! I feel devastated for the families that have been affected by this awful massacre ...it is a sad reflection on humankind that some can feel justified in killing others. So through teary eyes,  I raise my pencils tonight in my studio (with my paintbrush) to all those who lost their precious lives in such an awful way..... #JeSuisCharlie #CharlieHebdo

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Ripe nectarines #466

Daily painting #466 5"x7" oil on primed canvas panel

Back to reality with a bump! I did what felt like a never ending pile of laundry, took Christmas decorations down and packed them away (my worst chore), went shopping for school uniforms for Ross who seems to have grown SO much in the holidays and also managed to do a large grocery shop! Shew I think I need a holiday! I was planning on getting back into my studio to do some work but that will have to wait for tomorrow, other than doing my daily painting and loading it online, I really haven't spent much time in my studio and my emails are starting to look like my dreaded laundry pile....never ending! It's time to get back to work....and some healthy habits!

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Five roses tea bag #465

Daily painting #465 6"x6" oil on primed canvas panel

The last few days have been so relaxing. I have almost finished 2 books, spent some quality family time with my special people and managed to continue daily painting! We headed on home today as we did exactly a year ago when I painted my last Pumula painting...painting #100. How awesome it felt to have reached 100 paintings back then! Today I have reached 365...plus 100 more! 465 daily paintings in as many days......I have surprised myself!

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