A little watercolour sketch is all I have managed today.... mainly because I think I killed most of my brain cells and all of my patience when I went Christmas shopping this morning. Now I have to say I am not the best shopper.... I actually believe in blitz it in the shortest time possible and get out of there... none of this hanging around and checking things out, or comparison shopping... except if it art supplies or a book store, but then that isn't shopping shopping it is like grocery shopping, you know necessity rather than the absolute torture that is the shopping centre I usually frequent.
Now some fool in all his infinite wisdom decided that it would be a good thing to embark on a major overhaul of the centre, so there is suddenly a shifting maze of car parking spots, exits appear to move while you are in the centre like some inception type mind bending puzzle and shops are moving... so the shop that was in a certain place for the last 5 years is suddenly somewhere else and I actually found myself turning into a store while hunting in my handbag for my phone, thinking it was a homewares store and finding myself in a store that bizarrely sells these ginormous cat in the hat type hats and the world's ugliest handbags... it was a testament to bad taste and I stood stunned for a good few seconds before beating a hasty retreat... if I wasn't so shocked by the visual assault I would have stopped and taken a photo to share with you, but my retinas were actually singed by a huge purple concoction with a lime green flower and red ribbons... I kid you not... someone is going to buy that and wear it some day.... I actually think I may have nightmares about those hats tonight ... I tell you I eventually came out of the centre happy to have survived and seriously relieved that I had finished all necessary Christmas shopping and won't have to go back there... for months... or maybe until it is finished... certainly not again before Christmas... any and all presents from this point on will be purchased at shops not there...
Home to a huge cup of tea, or two, and then a chance to madly visit blogs and catch up on seeing what everyone is up to, and start doing some following because it has suddenly hit me that I won't have a Mr Linky telling me everyone is... and a little painting, which has calmed the nerves somewhat and means that I am ready to attack domestic chores... oh joy!!!
28 comments:
I love the contrasting colours here. Glad you chose painting to recover with. I enjoyed it. Thanks.
Beautiful painting!! Love the colors on the vase...that one swipe of green among the blues and purples.
Congrats on getting your shopping done! I used to try to finish by Dec 1st...not so lucky these last couple of years. And I kept getting pulled back to the mall to help my less prepared friends!
lol I so love your posts and so despise shopping as well, except for art supplies & book stores. lol Great painting. Love the simplicity of the vase that reveals so much :).
Stay inspired!
What an exhausting experience. Shopping local always appeals to me. I can see you needed those cups of tea. Your watercolour sketch is lovely to look at and it helped to calm you. Thanks for an interesting post:)
xx
What an exhausting experience. Shopping local always appeals to me. I can see you needed those cups of tea. Your watercolour sketch is lovely to look at and it helped to calm you. Thanks for an interesting post:)
xx
lol, I'm not fond of the holiday shopping season because people seem violent at times... eek! too scary for me! lovely watercolor... I think it's best to sit at home with a cup of tea... :)
I have a foolproof way of doing the Christmas shopping; Amazon, Folksy & Etsy or make it myself. And for those things which require going to real shops I have a daughter ;)
Love the vase, and I have a rapidly expanding follow list to keep track of you all :)
LOL, you are too funny!! I love blitz shopping, that is the only way to do it. On the rare occassion I step into a mall I am like a deer in headlights. I think your watercolor sketch is lovely and glad you made it out alive to create it!
Your painting is lovely! The contrasting colors really make it pop! I find myself developing less and less tolerance for shopping with crowds. I can happily meander for hours in a craft store, but throw in too many other folks doing the same, and I get claustrophobic and have to leave.
Beautiful
I don't like shopping the the regular mall or grocery stores, either. But I have all the patience in the world when it's an art or craft or book or pet or natural foods store--LOL!
I just love the colors in this sketch! Beautiful! Amazing what you can throw together. Wow!
Have a shopping-free, quieter day! :):)
I am so with you on the CHristmas shopping frenzy. I purposely keep my shopping to a BARE minimum. Luckily, i only have one son. :-)
the painting is beautiful Tracey - love the white squiggly lines around the flowers & vase. And the red background. love. xoxo
I love the colors and composition of this piece - two things I often struggle with. As to the shopping - I don't even go out if I don't have to, except to art stores of course! Everything else possible, I buy on line. I get tired of driving around looking for things and then the store not having what I want. I do support local, individually owned stores, though - I think that is important.
When I am frazzled my art looks, well, primal. Lots of big swats of paint, inky blots, and other mess. Yours looks so serene and beautiful! Oh no - I would buy that hat! I have several weird ones, especially for Dr. Seuss Day in my elementary school. The kids really love it when I wear my giant blue troll hair wig and dress up as Thing 1. I really get into spirit days at school where we get to wear silly things - my favorite is silly sock day. Do they do that type of thing in your schools?
I love this painting! I also enjoy reading your blogs. You always make me laugh! Thanks for the kind words. I think your art is amazing and for you to compliment me is a treasure. Hugs(((()))))
Oh dear - that's one reason I'm doing handmade gifts this year! Great that you used painting to de-stress.
Oh, to see the hats. I wonder if my imagination is anything close.
Have you tried the inktense pencils again? I've been curious about them.
Love the colors in the painting!!! I hate shopping so
much that I have resorted to giving out .... cash instead of gifts. Q
I love your painting style!
I also had the opportunity to visit Brisbane with my husband a few years ago ... Your city is lovely - as is your entire country :)
P.s. (I'm a new follower of your blog)
I really love this one--the colors, the white squiggly lines, everything! So when do we get to see you in your new ginormous cat in the hat hat? Cuz you know we don't buy that story about you thinking it was a homewares store... ;)
I love your sketch today, Tracey! It's loose and dramatic...great colour choices too!
OH how I hate going near shopping centres at this time of year! It's mayhem and I don't do well in crowds at all. I usually get in just as the shops are opening and then get out before the big crowds. I can't imagine trying to shop where there is major renovating going on at this time of year...what nutter picks the times to do these major upheavals, I wonder?!
Isn't it absolutely amazing what we fit into one day? Especially after having your senses attacked like you did. I laughed out loud thinking of you standing still in shock and then running out of the store.
xo
lynn
Great piece, Tracey! Oh, how I hate to shop even more so living in NYC when you have carry everything and use public transportation. (I cheat order many things online and have it shipped to me.) By the way, I believe I owe you an email back - now that I'm feeling better I'll get back to you tonight or tomorrow.
I know exactly what you mean, I am going to try and get most of my christmas shopping done on friday, with Audrey. Not going to be pleasant. I love that you can come home and do such a wonderful picture, I would be too frazzled.
Lovely.....
Beautiful painting, Tracey. It's been a pleasure visiting you this month!
This year I have discovered that many on-line stores are shipping free, and I can comparison shop in the comfort of my computer chair...thus, except for one foray to fill in the blanks, I have already completed my holiday shopping in relative sanity. I share your dislike of the whole shopping in stores thing and avoid it (except of course for art supplies - altho I get a good many of them on line too). LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE today's painting - if this is "all" you can offer - wow!
I love that the water in the piece has almost a cubist feel to it. Great contrast with the bright red and the happy flowers.
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