it is aloe time.
i love this time in the garden.
the aloes are all shooting flowers, they grow so fast.
they are not open yet but soon there will be orange bursts all over.
ready
i am ready,
all the paintings finished, labeled and priced.
ready to be delivered to the gallery this week!
i am pleased with the result,
at first if felt a little tighter than when i just painted flowers
as an experiment.
i just couldn't let go of the fact that they were for an exhibition
and that felt like pressure.
eventually my mind surrendered and i was able to take risk,
play and experiment once again.
that's when i get the best results i find.
for example, the painting you see here just wasn't working, i couldn't resolve it
so i decided to risk adding a bright orange background to it... and it worked!
good lesson ;)
oh and can you see my henna tattoo?
we had a baby blessing ceremony for a precious friend,
she got a tattoo on her tummy and we all got one on our arms!
this beautiful world we live in...
i am in awe of this little flower finding her unique way
into this world...
just like all of us,
with bravery, courage and deep trust.
you can see the one flower above it,
slightly more advanced, about to open.
they are magical, like little parcels opening into stars,
i will show you once they do.
nature just does it best!
coming up for air...
shew...
managed to finish 6 of the 8 paintings on time.
i'm busy taking photo and sending them off to the gallery.
i've never worked so intensely with such a tight schedule before,
i'm not great at working under pressure but
it has been a great learning curve!
they will be part of a group exhibition at the Loading Bay Gallery in Durban.
a fantastic new gallery run by super talented artist Grace Kotze.
i will show you more once they are out into the world!
flooooowers...
i am knee deep in painting lots of wild bunches...
trying to finish them this week.
a few details for now,
more soon!
this week
i've kept on going with my hand studies this week
but mostly what i've been immersed in, is flower making ;)
many different stages shown here, still a long way to go with
all of them.
in the city
i now drive to Durban every wednesday
for art lesson.
i am enjoying discovering and exploring.
this city is a strange mix of art deco, tropical decay
and mismatch of renovation...
bringing my camera from now on!
...
it turns out my wild bunches were a hit!
i sold most of them (there is one more on Etsy)
and also i've got
and an exciting new project
came out of them...
i was asked to participate in a group show,
i will give you more detail soon.
the deadline is very tight so i got going this weekend...
flowers in the making.
super thrilled!
painting with oils
recently i felt i needed some guidance
and to be pushed technically in my oil painting,
so i decided to attend Dee Donaldson's weekly classes.
i was super lucky to get a space and even though it is a big commitment
(for me ;) ) it feels SO right for where i'm at right now!
these are hand studies i worked on
in class on wednesday.
they are all still in progress and might even stay that way,
i'm working on getting acquainted with the subject and staying loose.
let's see where it takes me...
wild blooms
details
oh how i loved painting these four mad bunches!
i put so much emotions and energy into them...
i can't decide if i prefer the dark or the light background.
i think they are pretty much done, i will stare at them for a few days
and decide if i need to add a few little touches.
they are all 60cm by 40cm (23 by 15 inches)
mixed media on board, mounted and ready to hang.
i might put them on Etsy soon.
sketching
i had a delicious arting weekend!
a few projects on the go,
one of them being hand studies.
it was cooler here, overcast and rainy.
after the "baking" several months we've just been through
it came as a relief!
and it means i can spend more time in the studio.
more flowers
these are still very much in progress,
but i am loving all the layers of marks
and the madness of them...
i'm diving into Lynne Whipple's joyful tutorials
wishing you a colourful weekend!
making marks, making sense...
yesterday we said our final goodbyes to yet another friend.
cancer once again...
so many emotions in the last few days.
making marks is all i feel like doing right now,
it's how i am processing and making sense of life and death
and everything in between.
these wild flowers are for you Mands,
i know you would have loved them because
they are wild and free just like you.
travel safe beautiful friend, we miss you.
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