New Class Subject

This is the new class subject for May 19th---Lavender Lake-- as soon as I put it up on Facebook I had 3 people book for it--and one request to do it in blues instead of purples.....I can see this getting full quite quickly so book up early to ensure a place..

Stormy Skies Workshop

It was lovely to see Christina back again--its been a while since she came to class though we are in touch regularly via emails etc..today she was painting Stormy Skies for her Dad..

when we stopped for lunch Wendy got out the suprise  birthday cake she had bought for her mum Sylvia who was 79 the day before---the painting workshop was Wendy's pressie to her--Sylvia said it was the best Birthday pressie ever!

Rosemary had to leave a little early as she didn't feel well....this was her second painting--lovely job she made of it too...

Wendy, Joanne and Christina with their finished master pieces...lovely jobs they made of them...

Diane , Sylvia and Vikki with their lovely paintings---all first timers with me..though you would never know it to see the end results..

Looking forward to seeing them all again soon..

when we were driving home we noticed this strange part rainbow in the sky---weird because there was no rain around at the time--in fact it was a really lovely day...it stayed in the sky for ages--long after we arrived home ,so I got the camera out and snapped it!

Minatures...

Minature version of Stormy Poppies measuring 6cm x 8cm  in oils,,,the texture on the canvas is showing up more because I got so close with the camera, it dosent show like that in real life!

Ive had great fun this week painting on some tiny little canvas that have been here for ages waiting to be done! The canvas measure just 6cm x 8cm  so they really are tiny! I decided to do some birch trees on some of them to see if they scale down OK--and yes I think it does work, I haven't quite finished the birches yet--I will maybe sit down on Sunday and finish them off!

I will get Bill to add a small D ring to the back so they can be hung on the wall, then they will be varnished to protect them as well.

After the acrylics I decided to do some oils,  you can see from this photo just how little the picture looks compared to the original 16in x 20in...I enjoy working tiny--its great fun!

I had ordered some new brushes on line--ordered a size 4 as that's what I usually use in filberts--but when they arrived they were tiny--but they are ideal for this size canvas so wont be sending them back! Different makes are obviously very different in size!

I love this little tropical scene..

Getiing There....Slowly But Surely...

I haven't updated on here about the health matters that have been going on for some time.....I went for my Dexa scan at Hereford Hospital yesterday...first shock was finding cost of car parking had risen again! £3 a hour, what a bloody rip off...anyway the scan -which checks out my bone density,didn't take long and we were out of there inside the hour..I'm still on quite a high dose of steroids still and they can make your bones brittle when taken long term-hence the scan.  
I have to take high doses of calcium  and vit D to try and prevent damage to my bones.
 The steroids are working well re the Polymyalgia -I generally don't have any pain in my body at all--until I try and cut down on the steroids--I started on 20mg back in Sept and have managed to get down to 10mg once in Nov-but all the symtoms came back and I had to increase again...Ive since been on 12.5mg until last Sunday when I cut down to 12mg.It looks like the way forward for me is to cut back just 1/2 mg every 2 weeks.  
The specialist said it would be a long process to cut down and it looks like he was correct.It look like I just have to be more patient than Ive been! The only side effect I get at the moment is some weakness in my body first thing in the morning before I have my tablets and towards evening when it can be a problem to lift my arms for long, but it hasnt caused any problems re everyday life .

The tinnitus that has been a real pain in the arse (well my head to be more precise LOL) is comiing and going---it still gets really bad at times..but recently it has been going away almost alltogether for a day or two-before returning with a vengence!
But there seems to be a bit of a pattern, Im marking it down in my diary--giving it marks out of 10 for loudness each day so I can show the doc--not that Im sure it will make any difference lol.   
Nothing I do seems to make any difference to the sound or loudness so dont think there is much they can do.Maybe one day it will go away.  
Im having some huge hot sweats as well--I dont know if its the menopause (or mental-pause as Bill cheekily calls it) or the steroids--both can cause the sweats..certainly dont need the central heating on lately!

Other than that Im fine!

Bills been on insulin injections  for his diabetes since before Christmas , that seems to be working well and his count is coming down nicely now his cold has cleared up at last--its been hanging on since Christmas, maybe because he has been on insulin?

Anyway-its all coming right-if a little slower than Id like, but at least Im still able to cope ok with the everyday life and my workshops as normal..I rest when I feel I need to rest instead of pushing myself like I used to, and Im organising  things a bit different to before, but on the whole its all getting better and with careful managment will continue to keep getting better..

Winter Wonderland Workshop Jan 21st

What beautiful results we had in the workshop

Janet was amazed at her results-and the fact that she could produce a lovely painting  without having to be able to draw! She followed my instructions well and seemed to find the process an easy one!

Neil came along with Bob and Laura, he got on well with his bashing brush and tickling brush and his painting developed quickly,,

Bob hadn't tryed oils before-and he liked how the worked--he was a competent artist...

Ann had been once before and absolutely loved it---all of her friends have admired her picture and want to join in some workshops in the future..

Trevor made a beautiful job of his picture-he was painting with me for the 4th time,

Trina's painting was to be a present for her Mum-who was very impressed with her last Winter Wonderland, this panting was equally impressive!

Mathew came along with his Nan Pearl-first time for both of them...Pearls son and family came to paint the Waterfall before Christmas.Pearl has used watercolours before but never oils.

Jane was paining for the 2nd time--I don't think she was quite as nervous as last time-and she said everyone loved her last painting!

Pearl about to add her water to her painting

Laura made a beautiful job of her painting....

You could cut the concentration with a knife at times during the class---as you can see here!

Janet,Bob,Trina, Laura and Neil with their masterpieces..

Trevor,Jane, Ann, Pearl and Mathew with their lovely paintings--well done everyone!

Sparkys on the mend...

For the first time Sparkys eye is shining when there is light on it.....it has been completely opaque until now, so that's a good sign that its getting better! He went to see the specialist at the vet eye hospital on Tuesday and after a thorough examination he has been prescribed Interferon drops, human anti-viral tablets and anti-viral cream too.He is feeling better in his self-he is playing like a kitten at times--he is now nearly 11 years old---but being kept in as a house cat now he needs to get some exercise or he will get too fat!

Fast asleep after playing with his toy mouse,,,

I put the aloe vera plant in the bath to water it--and Sparky soon followed---he is a bugger for chewing up all my house plants....

is that a guilty face or not ? I think so!

One of Sparkys favourite games if fetching a rolled up lottery ticket and dropping it in Bills slippers....

then he likes to roll them under the furniture so we have to get them out--I swear he laughs to himself watching us do it for him.We are so relieved he seems to be getting better though---its been a stressful time for all of us..back to the eye hospital on Wednesday for a checkup.Our local vet saw him on Friday and he said the eye looked 50% better and it looks better since then so hopefully he has turned the corner now.His shoulder had healed up beautifully, don't know when we will be letting him go out again though--the black cat we suspect is bullying him is still around the area..lets hope he finds another one to pick on and leaves our Sparky alone when he does go out!

Mellow Moods Workshop Jan 14th

Hazel and Vanessa starting their paintings--first time for them...

Bill and his wife Pat were also first timers with me..Bill didnt seem at all nervous,,he got straight on with each stage , even the trees didnt faze him!

Chris had been once before to paint Reeds In The Breeze-and she found this competly different to do--but mastered it none the less!

Bills wife Pat....her painting took on a spooky feel at one point---which wasnt a bad thing at all---lots of charactor in it!

Ruth came along with Chris-it was her first time and in her initial email she said how nervous she was...but she neednt have been--she listened carefuly to my instructions and followed them very well..Her results showed that---

Vanessa adding the waterfall and bushes...

Hazel adding her trees--she seemed to find it quite easy...her trees took shape , she found it easy to get a wobble on her branches,and didnt seem to get scared of doing the big tree when it was time to do it!

Lovely results everyone...

well done everyone!

Lovely results!

Sparky

Well poor Sparky still isn't well...and he knows he can settle down on any seat in the house and he wont get moved bless him--so when I came downstairs yesterday to find him in my seat on the sofa--what could I do but leave him there and set up the laptop elsewhere!

when he woke up he couldn't be arsed to play with his Christmas mouse....

He saw his vet -Andrew on Friday afternoon-who said he needs to be seen by a specialist now as its been going on long enough with his eye, so he is going the Eye Hospital in the morning to be seen .No food or drink for him after bedtime tonight...he will not be a happy pussy in the morning! His shoulder where he had the huge abscess is very much better, healed up nicely and Andrew was very pleased with it. Sparky has accepted being kept in the house much better this time--he was an evil bugger a few years ago when he had to be kept in due to another serious injury-nobody was safe from his teeth and claws then--we joke he is a Jack Russell crossed with a tabby cat!So we will see what they have to say in the morning when we get there...all I can say is thank goodness for pet insurance!

Baby Griffiths -Growing fast!

Well Baby Griffiths is growing very quickly now---Becki and Wayne went for the 20 week scan yesterday and baby certainly gave them a good show! They said it was amazing to see the baby moving around, waving its arms and legs and even sucking....They have decided not to find out the babies sex but to have a surprise when its born which I think is lovely! The names have now been chosen ..and lovely names they are too! The time is flying by so quickly ,May 25th will soon be here-we have had to do some rearranging with our holidays as we were due to be away when the baby is due....so we are having a week in March for my birthday and we are going away for a few days a month earlier than planned  for Bills birthday, so I can be sure to be around when the new baby comes---we have a lot to look forward to this year!