Saturday's Six Thoughts

1.  These photos are taken from just outside my back door, this is my kitchen view - it's beautiful.  The photos were taken on 24th Sept, 27th Sept, a month or so ago and tonight 1st October 2011.

2.  Today is the start of Blogtoberfest - the challenge is to blog every day in October - click on the button in the right column for more info and join in....

3.  I was invited to be a guest blogger on Colorsmith's blog - I found this post on the wheel of feelings to be an awesome resource for children, teachers and parents.

4.  I'm grateful for my online friends who make me laugh and smile.

5.  I'm thankful for my 'real life' friends who have provided me with so much encouragement and support and inspiration.

6.  I'm grateful and thankful that my Darling Husband (DH) returned home safely from his motorcycling holiday.

Breathe....

At Monday Morning Art Group I took an old painting that I didn't like, Mexican Water Jugs (pic 3) and covered it in gesso and texture paste, then left it overnight to dry. Then covered in Cobalt Turquoise paint and did a bit of stamping including stamping circles onto it. Then I covered it in Quinacridone Red Violet/White and did a little more stamping.  Then I covered it in Phalo Turquoise and blinged up the circles with gold!!! 

Sorry I never got more pics of these final stages. I was going to cover the turquoise in a blue but really liked the turquoise. If you do have a painting that's just not working for you then keep on going with it or start again.  I love the cobalt turquoise with the red/orange/yellow stamping on it - I came across this combination when I was doing my layered painting for the Arts Festival.  I'm still debating as to whether I should add some gold bubbles/dots to it but I think I have enough.

One of the best things about this painting is that now I love it and whilst I'd love you to love/like it too if you don't it doesn't matter to me.  I did learn something from reading Steven Pressfield's The War of Art - Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles - "A 'professional' distances herself from her instrument."

Tomorrow is the start of  Blogtoberfest  - a challenge to blog each day in October - click on the link or the cute blog button at the top of the right column for more details and join in.

Have a great day - see you tomorrow!!

:D

Do you suffer from the disease called Perfection?

How many of us suffer from the disease called "Perfection"?

Read this blogpost by Dan Pearce.

"Perfection" is the artist hating themselves because their lines aren't straight/neat enough, the faces they paint aren't good/perfect enough...She would give anything to create beautiful, perfect paintings just like her beautiful, perfect artist friends do.

It may make you cry....some of those hit so close to home for me and all of them are so very sad.

Will you help me spread “Real”? Tell us below just how perfect you aren’t. You never know who might be alive tomorrow because you were real today. You never know who needs to feel like they aren’t alone in their inability to be perfect. Even if you comment as an anonymous guest, please comment. Tell us what you struggle with. Tell a sad or dark secret. Get vulnerable. Get real. Let’s see if we can get 1,000 people showing the world that we’re not defined by perfection.

I'm not perfect....

{Shell's Sunday Snippets}

I created a banner for my Etsy shop.

This is the definition of optimism.

I don't have an Etsy shop at the moment.

I have to make enquiries about getting prints made from the photos I've taken of my paintings.

Yesterday, I painted and did chores around the house.

Today, I spent a few hours updating my website getting it more how I want it.

How did your weekend go?  Join in on Sunday Snippets and let us know how your weekend went...remember to leave me a link....

Beautiful Blogs

I've read some great blogs this week that I'd like to share with you....

Brandy had a baby....welcome Brooklyn Corey.

Lori's friend Kate needs help to adopt another baby....how cute is Mia???

Donna's video link to Derek Siver's Obvious to you. Amazing to others.

Check this out....Leanne's beautiful collage she made for her art exhibition.

Captivated and in awe of Flora Bowley....

Design Seeds great colour blog....Puppy Tones

I found this blog through Pinterest and just loved all the different colour inspiration and ideas.

And then there's this controversial blogpost on How do you earn the title of "artist"?

I found some great quotes this week too....

“Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.”

- Marcus Aurelius quotes (Roman emperor, best known for his Meditations on Stoic philosophy, AD 121-180)
"Dance like the photo's not being tagged, Love like you've never been unfriended, Tweet like nobody's following."
A tweet I found on Twitter....

I'm off to walk the dog, photograph my paintings, paint and iron whilst the paint dries.

I'm also looking forward to Tinniegirl's Blogtoberfest. which starts next Saturday, 1st October.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Wet Wednesday

I just opened my kitchen back door to take a photo of my view for you...can you see the rain drops????

Here's my view in good weather....

This blue fairy wren tried to visit me yesterday - this photo was taken through the window...

I tried to get more canvases from the art store but they still don't have any in my size/price but they are at the docks waiting to be unloaded....check on Saturday......though I did get one canvas and an entry form into another art awards show.  :D

Still waiting on some sunny weather and some time to take some photos of my paintings and take them to the printer to see whether they can be turned into prints...will ask about business cards/cards etc too...

Looking forward to the weekend and doing some painting.....