A PAINTING AT LAST

I've been finding it rather difficult to paint here in our rented house as there just isn't a dedicated place where I can puddle away

. I was very spoilt in our farm house, my own studio, lovely cupboards and shelves, a sink and plenty of room to spread out, to have various projects running at the same time. The sad thing was that I didn't use it as much as I could have...

Now I have a corner on the kitchen bench, opposite the sink and although not ideal, it does work. The benefit of being in the middle of everything is that I can pick up a brush for five minutes every now and then, a way of getting the 'show on the road'. The not so good thing is that the painting can be a bit disjointed.

Quinces from the tree here. I wasn't able to cook any as they all seemed to have fruitfly in them. As Kate, Greedyforcolour said I could have chopped around the bad bits but I wasn't dedicated enough! They are so difficult to peel and chop anyway, let alone having to 'prune' the good bits out!

I've tried to be much looser in my approach with this painting, something I find quite difficult...just to let go and let the paint do its thing. Apart from the messy sides I'm fairly pleased with it.

I do hope you have all had a happy Easter break, and now for us on this side of the world, our Anzac long weekend. Anzac Day just happened this year to fall on Friday and so we had an extra long weekend. We have been quietly here at home, family all having gone on their way. 

See you soon!

FAMILY.....

No words necessary...

EASTER REFLECTIONS

Good Friday today, time for reflection and family time. We are blessed to have family here including our youngest grandchild, almost four months old. A reminder of the continuation of life, the joy of love and life.

Happy Easter and a happy holiday to all.

SHOPPING EXPEDITION PLUS...

I'm really enjoying my bike/trike, it is a great success. I'm lucky that our little town is fairly flat, has a small population, only 2or 3 mainish roads...therefore plenty of quiet roads for me to wend my way to the shops!

I did look to see if Jeremy Fisher was hiding under a lily pad but he was well hidden! I'm hoping to one day see some flowers here, water lily flowers are so beautiful.

And the proof of my bike at the supermarket with the bags of shopping in the basket, the bike being tethered, (I know it is actually chained, not tethered!) to a post in the car park!

It was such a beautiful ride, perfect temperature for me, a 'good to be alive' day!

And tonight dinner was cooked for me, always a treat...

A chili con carne dish, guacamole and sour cream. Since we have comes here to live E is cooking once a week and is trying out things that are new to him. This dish was inspired by the delicious meal we had on Saturday night cooked by daughter no 2. She gave her recipe to E and voila! Our meal!

I do enjoy cooking...mostly...but it is lovely having a meal presented to me!

A PAINTING EXERCISE.

A few weeks ago we had a very dear friend to stay for the weekend. It was a precious time of catching up and just being, that lovely feeling of being with someone close, where words are sometimes unnecessary...

This friend is an artist, you may remember when we bought a painting...

This very clever artist painted this, her sideboard, her display of treasures upon it with another of her paintings hanging on the wall. L teaches watercolour to a small group of friends, and is always thinking of something she can pass on. Some of the students have little or no experience so she is enjoying helping them begin. Whilst staying with us she developed an exercise for the class, drawing lines behind the subject, easier to show than explain!!

These are demonstrations she did with her class as a way for them to learn to mix paints and to understand tones and values. I of course had to try it out. My first attempt was a good drawing of lilies but then go clumsy with my tones and had to begin again. The second attempt was a bit of a challenge.

I decided in  'my wisdom' that my painting needed more dark to try to correct the wonky perspective in the tin...silly me as then really I half defeated the point of the exercise! When to leave alone!! That is an exercise on its own!

I picked quinces this morning and have drawn up a sketch of them to paint. I. Going to have fun with them, painting, cooking, enjoying their divine scent as they decorate the table..?That is before they are cooked. I have a batch on the stove at the moment to pre poach them, if this is a possibility! They are so blinks tough to peel and core so thought If I soften them first it might be easier, soften, then cool of course! I'll let you know!

Have a lovely weekend! As we will.

THE PROBLEM WITH IPADS...MINE ANYWAY!

This

isnt the problem! This is just my lovely yellow rose we potted up to bring from the farm. It has survived being transplanted in the heat and it's new environment very well...thank goodness! 

Now to my ipad and my blog...ugh! I LOST ALL MY FAVOURITE READS ON MY SIDE BAR yesterday, just like that, not a single one left, not even the space for one! So frustrating!! Lucy, a computer whizz came, set up the spot for my favourite reads but couldn't find all those I had lost. I have spent several hours tracking down these special blogs and restoring them to their rightful place and think I have most of them. There are so many inspiring reads out there and I enjoy my catchups with you all, my old friends! This is a wonderful world this blog land! I'm bound to have missed some, if you know you have been missed, please let me know! 

My other ipad concern, and I know others have the same problem...is the ipad freezing when I want to comment on other blogs. Very frustrating when the words stop coming! Something I've discovered by trial and error is that when the ipad freezes I tap Preview...next to Publish. A little box comes up with Edit...I go into that and MOSTLY the ipad unfreezes and the words begin to flow. I might have to persist two or three times before it works...try it and let me know. 

I picked four gardenias before lunch and the scent is wafting over to me as I write...delicious! Only three in the photo I know...not today's photo!

It is a lovely Autumn day here, blue sky with white fluffy clouds. The lawn is being mown and in a lull a kookaburra decided to serenade us, full voice. A very Australian afternoon!

I hope you are all enjoying your day!

EASTER BUNNY AND HIS FRIEND PLUS A BIKE UPDATE

We spied Easter Bunny again this morning and found he had brought a friend..

They decided they both needed a good cleanup, a lick and a promise I'm sure!

Easter Bunny was shy and kept his back to me as he cleaned himself...

And then they were off!

TODAY's BIKE news is that I did indeed ride to the shops and the PO! A three kilometre round trip! I'm so pleased to have done it and it is nice to have destination. Lucy lent me her cable lock so was able to hitch up to a metal post next to a car park in the supermarket car park. It was beautifully safe and out of the way of other people...and cars. It has been quite humid today and I must admit my legs were pleased to get home! Heat and I are not friends at any time so I was very happy to semi-collapse onto the couch with an E made cup of tea!

                                   PROOF of my shopping!