Well, life is a funny old thing now isn't it. One minute you're up, flying somewhere with the sparrows and swallows, and the next you've landed on your well padded behind in a great big cow pat!
Now, sometimes these little knocks and setbacks that befall the unwary artist can have you cowering under the kitchen table until someone comes along with some Kleenex and a big slice of chocolate cake to coax you out, rub some Savlon on your tender wounds and generally try to make you feel better. All the time the poor artist is wailing, I can't do this any more it's too difficult, I can't paint; but dear reader, this little artist is learning fast and has discovered there are lots of lessons to be learned from little set backs, all of which may be turned to her advantage if she stops whinging and has a think while she munches on that big slice of cake!
Little set backs now mean new opportunities, isn't that an exciting way to look at it.

Yesterdays little blip has given me a whole pile of new ideas to paint, my ladies are definitely in for a fun and wondrous time in the next few weeks, all doing things that ladies of a certain age should not be doing for fear of disturbing their rollers!!

I'm supposed to be on holiday this week, having a nice relaxing time, leaving the whole concept of work firmly shut in the studio, but tomorrows weather forecast is abysmal, not even a trip to the Metro Centre (the gateway to hell posing as a shopping mall) looks appealing. So all these amazing and exciting ideas can be let out of their cages to join in the organised chaos that looms in the studio. The halogen heater can be parked on the window sill and pretend to be the sun, some seventies disco music on the stereo and we're fit to roll!

So tomorrow I shall be safe in the sanctuary of the studio whilst I leave my poor unwavering husband to keep the peace between the daughter, the dog and two thuggish kittens. Lets turn up the volume and dance!
Mx

Yippee, the sun is finally shining again. I was beginning to think we'd have to build an ark with all the rain and thunder storms we've had of late. But today has dawned bright and sunny if a little breezy.
It all adds to the bright sunny atmosphere in the studio. It's really buzzing in here now, the walls are filled with vibrant and lively canvases, it's so much fun being in here.
Sci fi author Terry Pratchett once said that writing fiction was the most fun one person could have on their own, I disagree and say painting is more fun.
So here I am amid the empty Thorntons chocoalte brownie wrappers and empty Evian bottles, covered in paint, and here I shall be for the next few weeks if you care to come and find me. If someone could come and dig me out of the paint pots about a week before the exhibition starts I'd be grateful...ooo and bring some cakes!
See you soon,
Mx

What a week so far. I feel like I've been hit by a whirl wind, spun around about and upside down and spat back out again!
It all began on Saturday evening, two nice big juicy steaks in the pan, and bang, no electric. The weight of all the water that has recently descended from the grey space above our heads had brought a huge branch down on the power lines and snapped them. Good old NEDL came racing out (20 minutes would you believe!), but it took until 11.30pm to fix it, just in time for bed, so no steak!
I thought that was it, but no, Sunday morning saw the telephone lines come down, so no phone or broadband, (MAJOR disaster, I must have Internet, it's my coffee equivalent!). That wasn't fixed until yesterday. Was that it, oh no, Monday afternoon the car broke down, I am awaiting the mechanic today. Steam rollered I am!
On the plus side a nice big fat parcel of paints arrived yesterday, huge pots of acrylic. The urge to stick my fingers in the pot is over whelming, a bit like Pooh bear and his hunny!
Along with the paint came five little wooden manikins. They are pitifully underfed size zero things, which will have to be rectified. I guess thats what happens to people who are stuck in cellophane boxes and put on public view for complete scrutiny. I do plan to make them fat suits in my spare time (eh, eh, whats that, spare time? Is there such a thing?) and to give them hair and rollers, nice dresses and a slick of lipstick! I can just picture them sitting on the edge of the shelf above the easel, swinging their feet, eating ice cream cornets and bags of fudge while I paint.
It would be better to have five live models to work from, but they'd eat me out of house and home and there'd be no cake left for elevenses!

So work then, after my little moan. The exhibition dates have been confirmed. The Bakehouse exhibition will run from sat 5th September until 26th September. The preview is Thursday 3rd September 7pm -9pm. Invitations will be sent out mid August. If you'd like to come along, please drop me a line. It seems like ages away, but I know that feeling, and deadlines have a way of sneaking the in the back door, quietly dropping the latch and 'POW', you're cornered!

So on that very early note (it's 6.30am in case you're interested) I will make a start for the day, those pots of paint...oooo lovely!!!

See ya soon,
Mx