Catching Up!

Ever feel like you're wishing you could catch up on everything you need to get done? That's how I've been feeling lately. And believe me, it really doesn't let the creative process flow easily! So this morning I decided to start "catching up" on everything I've been wanting to do for a while now. To clear the creative air, so to speak. We moved to a beautiful part of the world, the Midlands in Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa, in January this year. I had thought that with such a beautiful environment the creative juices would easily flow. But somehow life gets in the way. Unpacking all our boxes took about month. And just after that, I badly broke my arm in a car accident. I've had very limited mobility in my left arm since then. Fortunately I'm right handed so I can still paint. But it has slowed me down some. So I thought I'd just post what I've done so far. None of the paintings are finished. A couple are just backgrounds just waiting for inspiration to get finished. I'm determined to get back on track. I've heard of artists who commit themselves to doing one painting, sketch or creative thing a day. Maybe that's just the thing I need to do, so watch this space!

Out of Africa!

It's been months since I last posted. But a lot has happened: we've relocated back to South Africa, into rural South Africa; from the dry dusty desert to lush green Kwa Zulu Natal (KZN)! It's been quite a challenge technologically as we have been without a phone connection and an internet connection. But it's amazing what "they" can do these days; we're almost in the middle of nowhere and we've got internet!

Our view is amazing and I'm so keen to paint and let those creative juices flow but I am hindered by all the boxes I have to sort through to be able to do that. I did manage to do a few sketches while we spent a couple of weeks with family before our final move. This is my favorite one of Gemima doing what cats love to do.

So hopefully, before not too long, I'll have my studio unpacked and I'll be ready to step right into that creative zone that I love.

New beginnings!

I love this time of the year in the Middle East, the weather is starting to cool down and one feels like change is in the air. New beginnings. And as I write this it is my birthday which makes the theme of this blog post even more apt. For me, personally, I have come to a season in my life where many things are about to change. My family and I are about to embark in our next great adventure: moving to South Africa.

We have lived here in Doha for almost 11 years. Our children have grown up here. It's all exciting yet also quite sad as we will leave many friends behind. And perhaps knowing about our move back to Africa, I finished the following painting just before I went on vacation in June: "Giraffes in the mist" reflecting my African roots. I am finding though, as I embark on the task of sorting out all our "stuff" that my creative juices are struggling to flow. I love to paint and create, so I know I have to make time and space to still do what I love to do in the midst of the chaos of packing. I also just released my first children's book! Clarisse the Cow, which I wrote and illustrated. I'm so grateful for such a supportive family who always spur me on; and to my heavenly Father who fuels my desire to create and be creative. One of my friends gave me a plaque for my birthday which says "If you can dream it, you can do it", and really, I do believe it's true!

Living the Dream: "Let the river flow"

Living the Dream: "Let the river flow"

"Let the river flow"

I have just finished "Let the River flow" which I have painted for some friends of mine. I had this picture in my head when I was in church one day. The start of it was featured in my last blog post. The second one, of Giraffes is still a work in progress. I'm still trying to decide if I like it as it is, but I have this voice in the back of my head telling me it still needs a bit of work.

Today I want to dedicate my blog post to those who died in the tragic Villagio Mall fire, here in Doha. I want honor those who died, and I pray for the families and loved ones left behind. My heart goes out to the parents of the 13 little children who died. I am reminded of the verse in Romans 12 which says "rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn". To the brave fire-fighters (two of whom paid the ultimate price) and to the amazing paramedics and civil defense personal, thank you for commitment to saving lives.

I'd like to end this post with a verse from a song I wrote for my father when he suddenly passed away two years ago:
"And now you're safe in His arms
free from all live's harms,
with the King by your side
you're walking, walking
on streets of gold"

Calling all angels...

It's been ages since I've posted. That's not to say that I haven't been busy. I've been working on a really large painting of three angels. I must say that I enjoyed doing this painting. Co-incedently Bethel Music's "Loft Live Sessions" arrived in the mail as I was working on this piece and I was blown away by a track called "Angels"
http://itunes.apple.com/au/album/the-loft-sessions/id489526875
I know that God places His angels all around us :"He ordered his angels to guard you wherever you go. If you stumble, they'll catch you; their job is to keep you from falling." Psalm 91. I was really reminded of this as I marveled at how we narrowly escaped the devastation of a car accident this past week. As My husband and I considered the damage to the car, we praised the Lord at the protection He had given us. My daughter, who was in the back of the car where a bus went into us walked away with only a few scratches.

I also just finished working on a painting for my husband as we celebrated our 21 wedding anniversary today!

I recycled another painting and ended up with this. The texture left from the painting underneath gave some interesting effects to the final painting.















And lastly, this is a painting I'm working on now.

It's still in it's beginning stages so I'm not sure yet how it will end up. I'll post it when it's finished! Until next time, happy easter holidays...

Season's Greetings!

It always amazes me how one can begin a piece of art with one direction in mind only to end up with a final product that is totally different to the way one started out. I love the adventure of painting. You never quite know where you'll end up. Sometimes I have a very definite picture in mind and I'll sketch it out and it ends up pretty close to the image I have in my head. But, with the mixed media approach to art, there are times when I'll do layer upon layer, upon layer until I begin to sense where to go next. This happened with one I've just finished : "A Walk in the Woods".

I started it before a recent trip to England. While in England I was so taken with the trees and 'fall'. It was the first time I experienced a Northern Hemisphere fall! So when I got back home it was a pleasant surprise that 'trees' began to appear in the painting. The other painting I recently finished picked up on the "swirly-heavenly' theme that I wrote about in my last blog (featured at the top of this page). I'm excited now to begin my next painting; who know's where it'll take me...