in progress

a few projects on the go... 

charcoal drawing:


drawing:


and my birches
still requiring a lot of patience




still life




setting up some of my own still lives 
to use as painting and drawing material.


still into pears


and my beloved Moroccan tea pot




summer


this is what life looks like here 
at the moment...


staying focused on what i have to do in the studio 
is no easy matter...
so i'm falling behind, a little. 
but that's ok because i had promised myself to go gently.



Pax hanging out with the big dogs 
:) 


perseverance



i'm still journaling
day 26 today. 
pushing through the resistance 
and the temptation to stop. 

it's been really good though,
pushing me further beneath the surface...


Mandala

Mandala:
our first journal prompt 
in the Full Circle 
workshop with Misty Mawn

here is the making of my attempt, 
it felt soothing and meditative 
to go round and round 
and work within the circle shape. 



i'm pretty sure i will make some more. 



i chose to use my word for the year 
and all the different faces that it might 
represent... 



"A Mandala is a spiritual and ritual symbol or diagram used in certain religions to represent a universe; the visible world around us, and the invisible universe that is within each of us.  The mandala manifests wholeness, unity,  and balance.    It is often a tool used for establishing a sacred space where all things are connected."   

oils


i'm really pleased with the outcome of my figs & pomegranate
oil paintings. 
and slightly baffled at the same time... 



i painted those under Roz's guidance following 
old painting techniques (the name escape me right now... was is grisaille?)

i started painting in black and white, without any colours 
until everything was in place;
 only in the last layer 
a coloured glaze is added on top.


at first it felt dull and confusing 
and suddenly to my amazement it all fell into place!


and they match my Proteas! 

need a great read?

             

  stories happening in the 1800's aren't 
usually my cup of tea
but because i love the way Elizabeth Gilbert writes 
i gave it a chance. 



well i am so glad i did! 
i loved "Signature of All Things". 
in fact i haven't been able to start a new book since then, 
i just want the feelings and the characters to linger 
in my memory a little longer. 

                        

more about Elizabeth Gilbert here

new beginnings

today 
Misty Mawn's Full Circle workshop is starting


my studio is ready to go
after some tidying up, 
excited!

and on my easel, 
3 pears in progress 


happy monday! 

rusty


on wednesday i went back to 
oil painting classes
with Roz

here is a peek into the freshly repainted studio
(yes it is the cutest studio on earth!)

studio photo by Roz

last year i had these paintings in progress.
i finished the figs early december, 
(will show you next week)
so i got back to my birches


well did i fight and resist and sweat over those birches... 
 i felt rusty, unsure and horribly frustrated. 

thanks to Roz's gentle (and firm) guidance, 
something finally clicked into place 
and
about half an hour before the end of the class 
i found my creative groove! 


this is where i left off. 
far from finished but it's all making more sense now. 
as i walked out the world looked brighter... 

persistence, perseverance, stamina. 
i didn't expect those ingredients 
to play such a big part in the creative journey. 

something new


i've been intrigued by handwriting for a long time,
and decided it's time to explore calligraphy 



i am loving the repetitions, being a beginner, learning.


and i'm getting distracted and ahead of myself
;)



treat


my kind of treat...
trying out new acrylic paints. 


how beautiful are those tubes?!