I was away for a little while last month and came home to find my maiden hair ferns dead. I forgot to ask the boys upstairs to water them.
Over the last two weeks I have removed all the brown, dried up foliage and pepped them up with plant food from Safeway in the hope they will resurrect. I had all but given up on them until yesterday morning when I finally spotted one tiny piece of verdant foliage beginning to unfurl. Yay.
This morning I checked again. There are now two new shoots making an appearance..in one pot only. None in the other yet. They have been sprinkled generously with water and are sitting under the eaves of the falling down veranda out the back of the studio.
new growth March 2016
It has also been quite a while since I have either written anything, either here or on my Drawing Life blog www.drawinglife.me. Writing feels clunky when you don't do it regularly.
It has also been ages since I have gotten into a painting. I had tidied up my commissions before Christmas, had a big Christmas Day and a beach holiday up north, then got the youngest two back to school and then away again to catch my husband and son in America. It was my first trip to the United States.
Bryant Park 2016 KB
So, I am finally back putting paint on canvas and thinking about the sort of paintings I want to do this year. With Art Town 2016 coming up, I have given some thought and done a few preparatory sketches. The rest can now wait until April 2, 3, 9 & 10 when the live art weekends will take place. Following that the plan is to continue with still life work and the urban portraits.
One of the commissions I did last year was for a book cover. The brief was that it had to encompass sport in the form of footy, cricket, golf and horse racing. The artwork was oil on canvas and 100cm high by 76cm wide.
Let me know if you would like a copy of the book.
I am still posting some sketches and watercolours on Instagram...@ Look at Melbourne
And on Facebook you will find some in progress pics from the studio.
Got to go...Easter liturgy at school followed by a cake stall.
May there be abundant blessings for peace among all, new growth for the maiden hair and that the tigers remain strong and bold for 2016.
#GOTIGES