Beaten by time and weather.

Some days you just can't win no matter what.

Today was the yukkiest and coldest day out,

not cold in northern hemisphere terms

but freezing in sub tropical terms.

Yesterdays overnight temperature was so cold
 (10 deg, yes that's cold here) that I'm sure I saw 

icebergs floating out on the bay

and today wasn't much better.

The whole day has been dark and dreary,

as was my mood and that is not good

for painting.

My painting for the Artist's playroom, who's theme

this week is Rainbow, is not finished.

The cold stopped the paint drying

and the dreary bit made it hard to see.

So a not finished painting will have to do

this week. 

It's not a great shot as

it is so dark (at 2.30pm mind you)

that I had to put the lights on

and my head kept getting in the way of the light.

Here is a bit better shot, but 

half of the picture is missing.

It shows the original photo of a bunch of flowers.

If you are interested in how I did this

there are some pics here.

I am putting this into Paint Party Friday,

so go on there and see what 

artists have done this dreary old friday

and of course then go over to

the Artists Playroom 

on saturday

to see what's going on there.

I hope your weather is better than mine.

Step by step flower painting part 1

I was asked if I could take photos

of my progress of a flower painting

that I am doing for the Artist's Playroom,

so here are the pics up to my rough in stage.

I am a self taught artist, who likes to annoy others

to find out how to do things,

and so I am rather slow to say the least.

This took me all day to do.

 These are all the paints I have,

which makes a bright painting very hard to achieve.

Being new to watercolour,

I play with the colours on a spare bit of watercolour paper.

I lightly place the darker colours in

Then go over again and darken it more.

Putting in the pink.

Now the daisies

The colours are in for the flowers

Last for today, I put in the dark green to make them stand out.

If I knew what I was doing, I could probably leave out 

heaps of steps, but I have to try them a little at a time

until I like the colour.  

Tomorrow I will try to brighten up the colours and

make more contrast with heavier paint

and water colour pencils.

Fingers crossed

I don't mess it up.

Public holiday on WOYWW

It's Anzac Day here in Aus,

A day to remember all the brave men and women

who fought for our freedom

and it's a public holiday.

My hubby went to his school's

Anzac day service

(Little miss had hers on monday)

and so I thought I would be smart and get her some little canvasses

to paint while I get on and do some art myself.

For once, she was a great little girl and did just that,

so I was able to get a painting drawn up

for this weeks Artist's Playroom.

The theme this week is rainbow and I decided to do some bright flowers.

Not much to look at yet but by the end of the week

I hope it will be as bright as the photo I am working from.

Here is what my little miss did.

If I run out of time to do my picture,

I'm sure this will be a fine entry for the week.

I haven't had much time to do any art because I was getting 

brooches, cards and paintings ready to take to the Collective store.

Last of all

this is what happens

when you are not concentrating

on what you are doing.

Yes, that's my digestive biscuit

floating in my cup of tea.

It's blurry cos I was in a hurry to fish it out

before it sunk.

Gotta hate that.

If you are wondering why I am telling you all of this

go over here to Julias Stamping Ground

and you will find desks from all around the world

showing what they did on this 

what's on your work desk wednesday.

Oh the pain, coffee or tea? Luv them both.

I can barely see through the haze which is covering my eyes.

I have done it again,

I didn't learn from the zentangle incident

(almost total blindness, with knives digging into my eyes)

and being the lazy bum and twit

(does that become bumwit??)

that I am,

I thought I could use an old halfdone painting

to finish for this weeks

Artist's Playroom theme 

of Coffee or Tea.

Now I do love both tea and coffee

but at a pinch, I think

coffee would win.

So to my painting, which was abandoned

a few years ago

and now I know why.

What kind of fool

paints a crinkled satin background

and a glass vase.

Oh yes, that would be me, 

the bumwit!

So without further ado

here is the rotten thing.

Coffee cups!

Yes, I know the background still needs work

and I'm not happy with the glass vase yet,

but quite frankly,

I don't want to play anymore

and it can go back into the pile

for a few more years.

Not sure if the picture I took is

blurry or if it is my eyes,

hoping it's my eyes,

sorry if it's not.

If you want to see some great coffee and tea art, 

pop on over to 

The Artist's Playroom

and also have a look at all the people who have painted
for the Paint Party Friday
and enjoy.

I need a coffee.

Back to art for WOYWW

What a long two weeks of school holidays that was!!!

It feels like I haven't painted in months.

For those who asked where all my junk went,
it is now in the spare lounge room that hubby
wouldn't let me use as a studio (serves him right).
One whole cabinet was full of his sporting trophies
and a lot of the books were not about art.
All the bottles, boxes and art bits n bobs are in the shelves,
they are just spread out now.
Amazing what you can do when you clean up!

I started my day with a little watercolour painting

to make an original bookmark for Julia

as a thankyou for my WOYWW badge.

Julia, please look away for the desk photo 

or you won't get a surprise. 

Mind you, with our postal system

you will probably have forgotten it by then anyway.

There isn't much going on with this desk, just some water colour

paints left out to dry, plus my badge on the calendar.

The real action is here

No, not the cupcakes, although I would like that just as much.

I have finally been able to get my easel out, now that the room is tidy

and I am going to finish a painting I started years ago.

This weeks Artist's Playrooms theme is coffee or tea,

so I figured I would finish the coffee cups.

I must be insane trying to paint a crinkled satin cloth

but it is getting there.

I still have to paint in the glass vase and the Oreo cookie (yum)

on the plate and finish the cups.

Just hope I finish it before saturday.

Now you've seen what I've been up to,

go on over to Julia's Stamping  Ground

and see what everyone else has been doing

on this What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday.

The best Easter present on WOYWW

I haven't been in my room to do any art 

but I keep coming in  because my sweet husband

let me go to Ikea and get bookcases for the art room

and what a difference it made.

This is my room BEFORE Ikea

AND THIS IS MY ROOM NOW

Isn't it amazing the difference you can make with just $300.

(Get off the floor Tracey Fletcher King, I hope it wasn't too much of a shock for you.

I'm still a grot on the inside).

I can even get my easels out and use my credenza to put my paint palletes on.

Can't wait until the school holidays are over so I can get in and play.

Now you've seen mine hop on over the Julias Stamping Ground and see the other desks 

around the world this fine wednesday.

Something special on my desk for WOYWW

Something very special

is on my desk this wednesday

(although I'm doing this on tuesday 

as we are going to the museum tomorrow).

Yes, it has arrived

no, it's not an empty desk

as right in the middle is this

my WOYWW badge.

Thankyou so much Julia.

My Mr Crab will guard it 

while I have a few weeks break.

I did finish my journal over the weekend

so here are the last few things.

and the cover page

That's about it for a few weeks.

Now you've seen mine, hop on over to 

Julia's Stamping Ground and see all the other

desks around the world.