A Sensitive Portrait Commission and a Privilege to Paint

 When I was approached to paint this, I was a bit apprehensive. It all depended on the quality of the photographs that I could work with.  The father had recently passed away before his granddaughter was born. The family were grieving for the loss of their husband, father and grandfather. I was asked to bring him from spirit to hold his baby granddaughter that he had never met.

I will admit now that it brought tears to my eyes as the story was told. It was a wonderful thing for his daughter to want to have, for her mother, his wife, and I hoped and prayed that I could do this commission justice.

The dangers lurking in the internet and taking back my power.
The World Wide Web - Traps and Pitfalls of the Internet

Yes, I've been quiet, and I’ve not shared much on social media lately, but sometimes we all need to take a break from the fast lane. I crawled into my shell for self-preservation.

I began to receive huge amounts of messages via social media that were scams, and even had my Instagram account cloned, which thankfully, Instagram deleted as soon as it was reported. I thank my followers for pointing this out to me so that I could report it. It is unnerving when you are targeted in this way, and having to constantly report and block scammers left me feeling whether the whole thing was worth it.

Digital Oil Painting of Cocker Spaniel Dog Portrait

I have decided to embrace yet another form of art. I love experimenting with different art forms and digital painting is no exception. Although I have basic experience using Photoshop for getting my paintings ready to make prints, creating art digitally from scratch is a new path for me.

I have a new tablet and a software program called Clip Studio Paint. It is a steep learning curve, but I have always loved a challenge, and I have only touched the surface so far!  I have to say, I absolutely love it!

My Mum, Liesel .... In Memory ... In My Heart Always






Life has changed and it is much harder for us all

I have decided to put up some pictures of real life.   Ones that have hit me hard.
We spent two years coping with the dreadful COVID pandemic and now we are all hit with incredible hikes in our normal day to day costs of living. I would love to say that we will all get through this, but it is tough, very tough for many.

When I look back over the last few years, I look back with sadness. Sadness at the enormous loss of life and the hardships that followed. Sadness for the struggling businesses. Sadness for the lack of human contact we all needed but couldn’t have while we isolated.  Most of all though, sadness for being denied the precious times I wanted to spend with my lovely Mum, knowing that she wouldn’t be with us for much longer. She passed away last April and I will always feel sadness that I couldn’t be with her as much as I wanted to while she was alive because of the COVID restrictions.

Commissions painted on clay hearts

Commissions and an Exhibition

My “busy” is different to normal busy. Living with ME/CFS is challenging at times and requires careful planning so that I don’t run out of steam altogether. So, my being “busy” might seem to others like being in the slow lane, but for me I have been busy with commissions and enjoying the challenge of the varied work I have been asked to do. This blog image is just a couple of the requests that I have been given permission to show.

7 Small Post Card Paintings Donated Over Last 7 Years to TwitterArtExhibit
My Microscope Painting "Hydrodictyon" donated to Twitter Art Exhibition 2021 Cheltenham

For the last seven years I have enjoyed being involved with TwitterArtExhibit, and each year it has grown in artist numbers. Each year it is hosted by a different organisation in aid of a different charity and in a different place around the world. I donate a small original piece of art which is exhibited along with hundreds of other artist. All the art is sold for a standard price with the proceeds going to the selected charity.

Recovering from keyhole surgery to remove gallbladder
Being in the best health you can be is a good start

It seems that my blog musings have been all about health challenges lately. In truth, that has been my reality and I’m hoping that this recovery after having my gallbladder removed is the last for the foreseeable future. It has caused me considerable pain for the last three years. Covid-19 interrupted surgical plans for everyone, including me.