Toasty tongs...

  You know how some people handle being busy with style and grace

 they sort of cruise through it all with all the elegance of a swan gliding on a calm lake

 well that isn't me... I handle it with the same sort of grace as a cat thrown in a pool

 I hiss and freak out, flailing about like a mad thing until I make it to the other side

and then I emerge bedraggled, tired and rather sorry for myself 

Not that I would ever throw a cat in a pool so I am not entirely sure how they would handle it

 but I think it is safe to say they might not be entirely happy.

The last month has been the busiest of my creative life

I have been balancing illustration work, with a huge order of canvases for a designer and a couple of commissions thrown in so it has been quite a ride

but I am happy that the pace is now slowing 

and I have time to appreciate the small things again

like the greatest invention ever... toast tongs

I bloody love these things

I seem to have rather sensitive little fingers

which is not ideal when combined with the truly nuclear temperatures 

that both rice bread and gluten free bread reach when toasted

those slices are hot like they have been toasted on the side of a volcano or the sun, 

or on the black leather seats after the car has been roasting

 in a concrete car park with no shade for ten hours

and my poor little fingers kept getting burnt 

which led to cussing and dancing around the kitchen like a mad thing

but no longer... now I am plucking those little slices of hellfire with abandon

Yes I could have used normal tongs or chopsticks 

though chopsticks are a bit like socks in our house and mysteriously love being single

but his little eggy type face makes me smile

and he is perfectly suited to the task at hand

the only thing that could make him better would be if they managed to somehow incorporate a teeny tiny whoopee cushion into him so when you plucked those slices of pure molten horror from the toaster it made a fart noise... now that would elevate it to genius

happy painting all...xx

 PS... happy thanksgiving to all my US friends...

The Warm- Up Sketch...

Do you remember a couple of months ago I said I had been busier than a blue arsed fly?

 Well that was nothing.

 The last two weeks been crazy busy, hugely fun, completely out of control

 and totally glorious

my brain has been a bit all over the place and jumping from project to project

which led to me drawing this into my sketchbook upside down

but I kind of like it just like that actually

as glorious as it has been it hasn't exactly been blogging friendly

and I haven't had much time for painting just for the fun of it

but the work has been fun so that is ok... sort of

I really miss my friends and blogging when things get a bit mad...

However I did start this little number as a warm up this morning

well it started as a little number

and then it sort of grew until it is kind of large

but I will need warm ups for the next few days so it will pull double or even triple duty...

I love using warm up sketches to start my day

as I get to draw out  any creative stiffness and loosen up and get into the groove

these sort of projects that are a mix of loose paint, and line

with careful, observed tone are just perfect

because it hits all the skills I am going to be using later in the day

plus they often turn out as some of my favourite sketches

amazing what happens when you have no expectations isn't it

now I just have to hope I don't muck this up over the coming days...

happy painting all...xx