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hello ! 

unfortunately i am experiencing some technical difficulties with the blog at the moment...

i will be back as soon as i figure out what is going on! 

xxx

forced smile...

this is kind of what i looked like after one week

of renovations/maintenance in our house... 

one more week to go and then it should all be back to "normal",

 all fixed up and pretty! 

in the mean time these little guys are having a good (unconvinced) laugh! 

the stripe obsession goes on ;) ink and charcoal drawings. 

surprises...

artwork, card and journal by the talented flowrsinherhair

last week i got a delicious surprise in the post... 

a parcel from my dear friend Jeanne Marie/flowrsinherhair

this year we are both part of a wonderful idea initiated by Annie Hamman called 

Round Robin Art Journal. 

Annie chose 12 south african artists, 

we each made or bought a journal,  

and each month, we receive one and after having done an art work in it,

 we send it off to the next artist and receive the next one.  

by the end of the round i will get mine back filled with 12 unique, original artworks.

brilliant and fun idea isn't it!? 

last week i sent mine off to its first recipient and received my first one by flowrsinherhair.

you can see it in the photo, at the bottom of the pile. 

it is superb! full of gorgeous bits and pieces and i feel a little pressure to be the first

one working in it... 

(i won't show too much so i don't spoil it for the others)

and!!! 

 Jeanne Marie added that little "pondering lady" to my parcel!!! 

i had wanted to buy it, i adore that little face...  but it came as a super generous gift! 

a wonderful way to remember our journey together through 

the 1faceaday of 2015! 

thank you buddy, what an experience, never to be forgotten! 

she looks so peaceful.

she will be in my studio, reminding me to slow down and be present.

PS: Jeanne Marie, very bravely, decided to go on with the daily challenge this year, 

she is painting tiny faces on tea bags, you can follow her here, 

they are amazing! 

making space...

i've just done an epic clean up and clear out of my studio

and 

it feels goooooooood! 

that white wall was my mood-board/inspiration wall last year, 

i took everything down and it's even been repainted. 

i cleared out old brushes, canvases, paint, paper etc... 

it feels amazing, like a clean slate, a new start. 

i feel like i needed it to transition from last year's project

and move on to whatever it is i'm going to create this year. 

clear space, clear head... onward! 

mild obsession...

i'm having a "stripe obsession"... 

it started on the 1st of january and i can't seem to stop! 

the one thing i do want to do more of this year is draw... 

so i guess for now drawing stripes will do ;) 

beginning...

welcome to 2016 beautiful people! 

this is where my mister and i spent the end of one year 

and the beginning of another.

hidden right at the end of that road. 

this forest house, our home for a week, 

away from the madness of the festive season,

it was absolute bliss... 

i finished my 1faceaday challenge while i was there, 

(above is the almost finish december spread) 

what a peaceful place to finish.

(even though i had to mission out of the forest daily to share it) 

i tried to end mindfully, saying goodbye and thank you to this big project, 

feeling content about this incredible experience 

and then letting it go. 

 i even had some fun creative play while i was there, 

without a face in it ;) 

 once back home i felt the gap of not painting daily, 

i missed the organized rhythm i had in place last year 

and felt a bit nostalgic. 

i still don't feel fully engaged in this new year, 

not really sure where i'm going with it. 

but i'm giving myself some space to just be

and see what will unfold. 

ps: a little update, i'm just reading about the New Moon today
and that might explain why i haven't felt engaged in the year yet ;)
thought i would share it in case you feel the same...