THANK YOU

dear beautiful readers, 

the solstice has past and summer is here in all its beauty... 

it's been a wonderful year and i want you to know 

that i am hugely grateful for all your visits, 

your comments and your support 

here on the blog and on Instagram.

making art is extremely rewarding for me 

and i love sharing the thrill of that with you.

my biggest hope is that it can add a little smile, a little spark to your day. 

so THANK YOU for stopping by, for sharing, for cheering! 

to a New Year full of art, of ups, of downs, of discoveries and explorations! 

and in the mean time:  

wise little owl

this little guy unfolding beautifully, 

full of attitude...

the beginning, putting the values down

yesterday i spent the whole day painting

and this is where this cheeky little owl and i got to. 

oil on board, 50cm by 70cm

probably many more layers to go. 

upgrading, organizing, learning

going over my notes from 

the color mixing workshop

it feels a little overwhelming... 

it's seems that the more i learn the less i know, 

but i'll keep at it. 

i've upgraded to new better quality oil paints, 

how beautiful are these brand new tubes? 

dreaming and scheming

i believe in the power of intentions, 

words, dreams and numbers. 

at the moment i am planning, imagining and envisioning 

what i would like the new year to look like.

in 2015 i will be in a year 4 

which is the "practical" year.

(this is the book where i get it from)

i can feel its energy already, 

the need to be organized, 

to attend to the details, 

to do some "weeding", 

being hands on, doing... i like it already. 

i also feel the need to have a clearer vision 

to where i want to go with my art. 

so at the moment i am going through Lisa Congdon 

"Become a Working Artist" Creative Live class

and i've also ordered her book. 

(thank you Caro for the gentle nudges ;)) 

Of course it's also Susannah Conway's Unravelling time

which will help me bring closure to 2014,  envision 2015

and find my word for the year. 

i'm also reading "Show Your Work" by Austin Kleon

which is full of great tips!

so yes,

i feel like i'm in good hands...

i'm excited about the new year, 

ready to get stuck in. 

and of course super grateful for each day ;)
especially with this little companion!

mini gifts

making mini Christmas "cards"

loving the playfulness of the woodburning technique! 

learning

on saturday i will be doing a color mixing workshop

 with Dee Donaldson

it's not a workshop i'm the most excited about 

but i know i SO need it! 

my color mixing patience and skills are very poor 

and i know that for me to push further

with my paintings now i need to 

focus and improve on them... 

i'll report back next week 

;) 

distracted

i am distracted at the moment. 

i crave some studio time and yet i seem to find a million 

other things to do.

i know that pattern, i have been here before. 

 it is frustrating but this time around i'm observing.

is it resistance, a need to rest, a rhythm? 

this too shall pass...  

i did get to the studio yesterday

and this wise little owl came out to play

and if felt so satisfying!  

learning. 

always. 

in and out

hello december, 

i can feel your franticness... 

Signal Hill - Cape Town giant star building

i'm off on a trip for another few days

playing

playing with my new wood burning tool on paper...

inspired by Carla Sonheim

family time

summer days, quality time. 

shared moments, memories and experiences.

the beauty of the Cape, 

of family time...

summer days

my parents are arriving from Switzerland this weekend. 

it's time to head outside, 

walk by the ocean, 

soak up the sun, 

connect and share. 

i will see you back here soon! 

in the mean time follow me on instagram 

many steps

the evolution of my "Stan" painting (see posts below):

activating the surface on top 

of the charcoal drawing

mark making starts, 

absolutely NO BLENDING

below is where i was at the end of day two, 

after more or less 14 hours of painting.

this is where i would have quitted without 

Dee's firm/gentle guidance.

She wasn't "seduced" by him yet as she said... 

i had no choice but to push on. 

and done... 

after about 20 hours of painting, 

many minutes changes, big sighs and small marks...

i never knew i could go that far with a painting...

i am "seduced"! 

immersed

this is how i spent the last 3 days, 

under Dee Donaldson's firm and gentle guidance.

i've never pushed so far in a painting, 

i nearly went over the edge of too many tiny marks, 

color mixing and small details. 

but i made it!!! 

today i'm on a complete high, 

super thrilled and inspired! 

thank you my dear Donna

for jumping in the deep end with me 

and for capturing these moments of me in my happy place!

grateful.

the only way

art work by Daramuscat

Giddy

blushing with delight to have some pics of me 

and all the wonderful people i met 

on Misty Mawn's italian blogpost

these were all taken on our last day 

during our 'show and tell' 

Bright little clowns

i've been playing in my handmade journal.

gesso, acrylic and stabilo pencil on collaged background

trying to be quick and stay loose, 

not to get caught up in too much details. 

pink and green 

seem to be the flavor of the moment for me.

the coming of summer maybe

"Jean qui rit, Jean qui pleure, c'est la fete au ramoneur."