What I have learned this week...

turns out it has been a learning week

 I learned that I can't do everything which is a bit of a shock

 and that lists grow exponentially if you don't get your butt into gear

 and actually do some of the things on said list

 plus it turns out that renovation and redecorating 

 are somewhat time consuming and distracting

I also learned that Phantom  believes she is part bat and likes to park accordingly

ie she needs objects around her to park straight

give her a huge truck, and a massive SUV and she can park between them no trouble

no cars around and and empty area and she will park that sucker on such an angle it is almost sideways... okay maybe not quite but she tried to tell me her spatial awareness is better when she has something to bounce off

bounce her eyes that is... not the actual car thankfully

this  supervising her learning to drive malaky is a whole new world!

 Sinus also informed us that he is learning to cook by osmosis

ie he is watching all the shows and flipping through magazines

and somehow this is all magically sinking in

 so that one day he will magically become some sort of genius cooking savant

and start whipping up gourmet meals

at this stage I would settle for meals... in any form 

but the osmosis learning method is quite a long process apparently

now both of these concepts are new to me and has led to wonderful opportunities for Phants to throw lines around like... are you really judging me osmosis boy?

and Sinus running into things and talking about bat senses

photos from Nic McLean

but these are the same people who are constantly having a go at me for believing in the power of intuitive sudoku... I know it is going to work one day... and if I am honest half of the fun is watching Phants pale and sigh as I wack numbers in willy nilly

but I feel a little affronted that batgirl and osmosis boy are picking on my sodoku method

so I have retreated to the studio when I get the chance

a couple of cuppa paintings are sorted

and a lino print of some VW beetles progresses

it isn't quite there yet... but it is getting there

happy painting all...xx

photo from @Suznok

Debris Surfing...

This week has been all abuzz

  we are renovating and redecorating the house

  which of course means it is just one big scary mess

  and of course we aren't doing one room at a time

  nope... bits and pieces, higgledy piggledy, here and there

  is the best way to describe our approach

 We are table-less in the breakfast nook

 which has now been claimed by Phants and Barry as yoga studio/ cat vs paper bag zone

and of course I had commandeered the actual dining room as lino class filming studio

 so meal time has been all about creatively perching amidst boxes 

and debris surfing is now our family sport/ dance/ gymnastic endeavour

we could medal in the Olympics if it were an actual sport

I stick awesome landings I tell you

I am assuming hoping it will all come together in the end like on a mad renovation show 

but in the meantime I am taking every opportunity 

to leave the mess and search out some sun and fresh air

while attempting to avoid the sub arctic winds

and to paint up things like the cakes I am denying myself in an effort to get healthy

it is a sad substitute, but in the long run painting them is quicker than the hours of exercise I would need to endure to work the suckers off

Happily teaching my online class is also there to keep my sanity intact

the Delicious Paint classroom is fizzing and popping 

as 21 new painters joined the fray the last week

it is so inspiring to see the work they are producing and to get to know the newbies

teaching this class is such a joy... seriously

and filming is progressing on my lino class

rather slowly admittedly but progressing none the less

I am a tad distracted half the time as I keep running off to make notes and draw up ideas

I think Phants is about ready to quit as director/ filmmaker because of it

which is rich coming from the one who shot a lovely long bit of the sun reflecting off the greys in my hair which she said it was sparkling like crazy

I suppose it is a step up from her zeroing in one all my chins

but actually filming without mad camera shots and heckling and snorting seems to be beyond my little pumpkin

so when it feels like my brain is going into meltdown

I can't stand the mess a minute longer

or filming has degenerated into a farcical state of duelling hissy fits 

the cuppa with friends project is grounding me

well it means I am keeping my sketching hand in at least

and that is as close as I get to being grounded

happy painting all...xx

Dreams of Spring...

 Today is like a breath of spring after an arctic freeze

  which has me thinking lovely drinks and sunny days by the pool

 which explains the painting above

 admittedly calling the imminent arrival of spring

  may be a bit premature as it is only the first of July

 but after a week of disgustingly cold temperatures

  well awful for us... some of you would probably see them as a nice day

 the waft of warmth is like a heavenly reminder that spring will indeed return

I also completed the test print for this lino block

I am thinking it is close... a bit of tidying up around the spout

and then some general neatening  up and she will be ready to go

I want to try doing a two tones print and having the steam different colours to the pot

it may not work but I know I will have fun trying it

I am loving the lino and have also been doing lots of filming for the upcoming class

which has been mildly traumatic

mainly because Phants has been cameraman 

which has led to snorts and heckling from the peanut gallery

and giggles at how many unflattering camera shots she can manage

plus bloody Barry the studio cat thinks it is hilarious to walk through every second shot

 he is a total camera tart and sniffs at the lens and eyeballs it big time

 but mostly he just likes to walk in and sit in the middle of whatever it is I am trying to do

it is taking quite a while to get through the filming with such distractions

 The rest of the week has been the normal madhouse

made messier by half assembled furniture

left abandoned when ikea instructions proved impenetrable

not to mention we visited ikea to pick up more stuff last night and Sinus spent half the time pushing the trolley thing then jumping on and riding it like a toddler 

how he didn't break his neck I have no clue

mind you I was sorely tempted when he suggested I hop on the front for a ride

can you imagine two middle aged muppets surfing on trolleys in the ikea warehouse section

I do believe we would have done it with style

but I figured one of us should stay safe so I could drive the other to the hospital when they came a cropper!

Also our washing machine has decided it wants to make this weirder than normal sound during the rinse cycle...I truly think it believes it is a kettle in a former life

a delivery was left for us while we were out walking and there was a random glove left with it

just one glove... that is weird right?

Barry has taken to sitting upright on the sofa like a person

he sort of half reclines back on a pillow

but definitely like a person and not a cat

I had a feeling he is only going to get stranger too

happily though in between all of that I have had time to paint some more cuppas 

I managed some illustration work

and even painted up a sneaky drink illustration or two

all round a good week I would say

happy painting all...xx