see you soon...

"the world is full of magic things, 

patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper." 

- W.B Yeats

i'm off on a little travel... 

see you soon! 

slow down...

our days are getting shorter here, 

and the weather beautiful and cooler. 

it is inspiring me to slow down, 

take time to contemplate, cozy up at home.

i'm knitting, my second beanie now, 

following these instructions. 

below you can see Pax modelling my first one! 

i have also been painting and drawing, 

more because i feel i "should' than because i feel like it... 

and none of what i've done is working.

so i go back to knitting, giving myself permission to take a small break.

and i have been listening  and loving these podcasts, 

reading and loving this article,

loving Flora's tips, tricks and reminders. 

happy cozy weekend beautiful people! 

opening night

i had a fabulous night at the exhibition opening 

 at the Loading Bay Gallery Durban

on friday evening. 

i went there with my partners in crime 

and it was such fun to discover all the art, 

see my mad bunches on the wall 

and mingle with all the other artists! 

i'm on all the pics because i was a little flustered and distracted to think of taking photos. 

thank you girls for thinking of that ;) 

it still feels a little disconcerting to see my art hanging in a gallery... 

and then we went to S43 for a nice dinner, 

an overall joyous evening as you can tell by my permanent huge grin!

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! 

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. 

new

i needed a new watercolour set

and i decided to splash a little 

 for a good quality one. 

oh and i added some inks too ;) 

i'd love to get better with watercolours, 

they are tricky but i've realised there is nothing worth

than trying to get a decent result out of

mediocre paint. 

plus this Sennelier set is just 

so incredibly smart looking, isn't it? 

the only "issue" is that the set is so handsome

that i'm too scared to start using it 

:) 

garden wonder

the place we stayed at in Kaapsehoop 

was magical. 

Kaapsehoop Horse Trails 

Christo the owner has put so much heart into the garden 

and all the little nooks, it was a delight to wander around and explore! 

i was so mesmerised by all the details 

(i believe love is in the details)

that i forgot to take photographs of people or horses!?!

well, real horses... 

Seriously ;) 

enchanted

i came back from my little break enchanted and refreshed.

Kaapsehoop Horse trail

i was craving being in nature and doing something different... 

my wishes were granted ;) 

it felt great to discover new horizons, 

to meet fascinating people

and to be nudged a little. 

we worked with horses, we connected, we met, we shared. 

a lot happened in 3 days and i am still processing it all. 

around here

 one tiny long stitch journal done. 

and 

extreme measure for intense heat by Pax ;) 

vision

i didn't get to art as much as i wanted this week. 

i got sick last monday,  a nasty bronchitis that i just couldn't shake it off.

but i did manage to work on my vision board 

as part of Make/Do art workshop

and i loved it. 

the word

so this is my word for 2016: OPEN. 

at first i had the word "explore" 

and then just like that OPEN made it's way into my psyche and wouldn't leave. 

to be honest, right now, i wish i had kept "explore". 

i'm having a hard time getting acquainted with OPEN.

here i am trying to figure out why: 

- firstly because it feels like a passive word, 

not doing,  just being open, 

and i realise how much i value doing. 

it's a big part of my persona, my worthiness, the way i show up 

in the world. 

- secondly being OPEN is not really my natural state. 

you probably wouldn't think so if you met me, i can be pretty 

outgoing and engaging but it takes me a long time to really trust 

and open my shell up to someone. 

also i am a loner and an introvert so my private and alone time

is sacred to me, that is how i recharge. 

- thirdly OPEN feels very vulnerable... like there is nowhere to hide, 

no escape plan.

of course "explore" could have been more fun.

but i can feel how OPEN is challenging me already, 

pushing my boundaries, 

making me expand. 

and ultimately this is what i want, to be OPEN to new possibilities, 

to possibilities i haven't even imagined yet... 

to grow, to explore, to learn. 

so i will stay with it and be all i can to honour this word this year. 

OPEN, onward.

i'm in...

i think that i have been very good 

(even if i say so myself) 

with not taking online art classes for a while... 

so when two of my favourite artists,

 Misty Mawn  and Lynn Whipple 

announced their latest classes i had to jump right in! 

Misty's class: 

Lynn's class: 

                         

they're both starting soon, 

i'll be taking my time going through them, 

can't wait! 

updated!

et voila! 

i'm back! 

so my computer is ageing a little and it started clashing with 

all the internet "platforms"... it needed a serious update! 

thanks to my mister (so grateful he can help me with all my technological issues)  it is all done now 

and i can start blogging, exploring and researching again! 

welcome back, i'm glad you are still popping by ;) 

some of my paintings are also being updated, 

time for change, for being brave and for new beginnings... 

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! 

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...