Afternoon light changing #538

Daily painting #538 4"x6" oil on primed canvas panel 

A beautiful evening, although I spent the evening in agony with my foot up and unable to move! Rushing around the house this morning getting ready to teach, I slipped on a Persian carpet (don't ask me how!!!) and felt my ankle crunch! I sat weeping in a bundle on the floor calling my husband on my mobile, which was still in my hand, to come and help me! Fortunately he knew exactly what to do and sprayed it with some awful smelling spray that sportsman use on injuries (thank goodness I am not a sportsman if I can do such damage on a carpet of all things!) and strapped it up in a brace. He wanted to take me to have it x-rayed but I was determined to get to my Grade 7 class that I was teaching at a local girls school as it would be the last time I see them before the Easter holidays. I knew they were eagerly awaiting their results from an Art theory paper they have just written for me. So I hauled myself off to school hobbling along with my ankle all strapped up and remained seated throughout my class....surviving on serious pain medication and all the TLC from the girls! I must admit a few did look at me sideways when I told them I had hurt myself slipping on a carpet, now they really think their art teacher is a nutter! What a disaster! Anyway, I have just pulled ligaments and seriously bruised the area and thank goodness nothing was broken. But I am so frustrated not being as mobile and active (manic running around is probably the correct phrase) as I normally am. Tomorrow I am driving down the South Coast to speak about Paintings in the post and do a painting demonstration for the South Coast Art group. I really have no time for sore ankles....darn it!

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Trio of lemons #537

Daily painting #537 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel

Back to my trusty oils again today and a little bit of dramatic light added for a bit of mood!
We have an abundance of lemons in the house at the moment. My daughter has had a market day at school this week and one of the things we made besides the decorated sweetie jars was pink lemonade! It seemed to be a real hit but my kitchen still seems full of  lemons! I guess it will be lemon and herb chicken, lemon meringue pie, lemon and garlic butter (used for something) ...oh and definitely a gin and tonic with a slice of lemon on the menu this coming weekend!

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Girl with flowers #536

Daily painting #536 watercolour from my sketchbook NFS

Another little share from my sketchbook. I am so comfortable with pushing and pulling and manipulating my oil paint around the canvas that working with watercolour is a huge challenge for me! It is so very unforgiving! What you put down is there to stay and accidents can either be joyful because they result in something interesting or they are totally destructive because one cannot paint over them like one would with oils! So way out of my comfort zone today....as you can probably see but that is always a good thing to push yourself beyond what you feel comfortable with! I was so happy to read so many people responding to my "10 minutes a day" drawing yesterday and I hope you are finding just 10 minutes in your day....remember the drawing doesn't have to be complete. Sometimes the unfinished is more interesting....so just draw (or doodle) ....for the sake of drawing! It's good for the soul!

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10 minutes a day #535

Daily painting #535. Pen and watercolour from sketchbook NFS

We have been packing sweets into decorated jars for my daughter's market day at school....I just can't resist Liquorice Allsorts!

I have been trying to encourage those in my classes to draw for just 10 minutes a day! So I decided to put myself to the test as I have been told 10 minutes is not long enough. We are all pressed for time in our busy days and so my feeling is that if 10 minutes is all you have then make it work for you! So I put my oil brushes and paints aside today and worked in my sketchbook. I realized how much I enjoy working in my sketch book and how, since I started Paintings in the post, I don't spend enough time 'playing' or journaling in my sketchbooks as I did before. I also realized that I found it quite difficult to get something I was happy with and that maybe I need to 'play' a bit more! Drawing is fundamental  in developing your ability to 'see' and the better you draw, the better you paint .....my personal opinion. I have been doing LOTS of painting and not enough drawing. I am off to Cape Town at the end of the month with my daughter and my Mum ....10 days of  'girly fun' and I think I will take my sketchbook and watercolours for my daily paintings. Traveling by air with oil paints and wet paintings is always such an issue so I think it will be a good excuse to 'play' for a few days in my sketchbook! It will be a break in routine in more ways than one!

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Pearl Earrings #534

Daily painting #534 4"x6" oil on primed canvas panel

These were lost....and now they are found! I am one very happy lady!

Painting small is always a challenge....painting small little earrings and getting them to look like what they are is an even greater challenge. Today my patience and resolve was tested! This canvas is only 4" x 6" so these little earrings are tiny.

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Kingfisher #533

Daily painting #533 6"x8" oil on primed canvas panel 

Today I worked from a photo that I took during the week of a beautiful Kingfisher that regularly visits our garden. During the night a swarm of flying ants had moved through our garden and many of them had landed in our swimming pool and were floating on the surface of the water, having lost their wings. What a feast for the birds! This shy Kingfisher sat on our wooden fence and on nearby branches, swooping down to skim the swimming pool surface and catch his breakfast. What a breakfast he had...a feast for him and a feast for our eyes! Hope he visits again soon!

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Protea #532

Daily painting #532 5"x7" oil on primed canvas panel

On reflection .....it's been quite a floral week!

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