Poor Sparky -Again!

Sparky cat never does things by half....not content with having herpes in his eye-requiring anti-viral and anti-biotic cream being put in it 4 times a day, he has managed to acquire a huge abscess on his shoulder as well.We noticed he was quieter than normal yesterday and he dint want to go out, but we just thought the windy weather was upsetting him,,and his eye looked sore as well but late last night we noticed the swelling on his shoulder and realised it was probably an abscess.Took him to the vets this morning who said he would have to stay in and have an op to drain it :-((  so we left him there while I went to Ironbridge to do the first demo of the year.....

We picked him up at 6pm m the vets nurse said he was fine and he had been a little darling with them,,,,hard to believe he can be such a little monster at home--he is always sweetness and light when he goes to the vets bless him.He had a buster collar on his head to stop him licking the wound which has been left open and not stitched so it doesn't heal too quickly with bacteria still inside it..and poor Sparky is scared stiff of it! As soon as the cat basket was opened he went loopy--ran off bashing into everything, up and down stairs ,into windows, he was just terrified...we managed to catch him and stick him back in his carrier..and rang the vet who said he must keep the collar on at least overnight.So we have borrowed a big dog carrier to put him in so he has more room to lie down and move about in there..While he was under the anaesthetic the vet took some blood from him and they spun it to get the white blood cells out of it, these have to be dripped into his poorly eye along with the antiviral cream  as well, hopefully this will help the eye to heal--if not he will be referred to the specialist veterinary eye hospital nearby.So he is feeling rather sorry for himself at the moment...so fingers crossed it wll all start to get better and we can get the collar off him,,I have ordered some Feliway for him to help him be less stressed..we have used it once before when he had to be house bound and it worked wonders---he hates being kept in the house-and using a litter tray-but he will not be going out for some time by the look of things!

Congratulations!

A huge big CONGRATULATIONS to my lovely daughter Becki and Wayne her fiance.....they got engaged in Cuba last week while having the holiday of a lifetime!   Wayne did it properly down on one knee on a moonlit beach---very romantic!   I can honestly say I couldn't have picked a more lovely husband for my Becki if  I had tryed..he is a real darling--- and we love him to bits!    Everyone is soooo happy for them...So we are looking forward to a new baby in May  next year followed by a wedding the following year---unless those 6 numbers come up first of course!

Reeds In Breeze Workshop Nov 19th

There are a few spaces available next Saturday Nov 19th at Llanidloes Community centre due to a couple of folk having to drop out due to work commitments...so if you fancy having a go at this lovely subject please contact me---its a very easy one to do...you will use oils on a 16in x 20in box canvas and a range of brushes such as my famous bashing and tickling brushes.....you have a wide wide choice of colours in which to create this painting....and its suitable for all ages and abilities..  the cost of this workshop is just £35 which includes all the materials you will use including light refreshments   -contact me via my website  if you would like to join us there!  www.paintingmyway.co.uk

Bits and Pieces...

It was a cold day to start with on the market today, a couple of the stall holders hadn't come so we were able to spread out onto the next stall...the racks of plants at the back provided a lot of shelter against the wind and rain!

with the plastic sheet up in between the stall as usual it meant I could put my smaller paintings out on display without them getting wet..

We needed 4 lights up today for the first time..it made it nice and bright inside the stall and also made it nice and warm as well!

We have a friend on the next stall called Dave Bytheway who does chainsaw carvings....we always love to see what new carvings come off his van each week...today it was this lovely life size badger...what a beauty.

Dave carves all manner of creatures...owls,hawks and hares among them, I love the toadstools as well...

wonderful stuff..

there isn't one of them I wouldn't like to take home!

This fox was new last week...its life size.

Ive been doing some more to this painting that's been hidden away in the depths of the garage storage! Ive got paintings everywhere and forget what I've got where til we have a sort out and find them again! So I added some more wax detail to this one and Bills mounted the 4 canvas onto a board to make them easier to hang on the stands!

part of the paint detail

some wax  detail--very touchy feely!

Well much as I love Christmas I think its far to early to put up the towns Christmas tree...blimey its only the 9th of November!

I was contacted by a lady via  Affordable British Art at the weekend--she wanted a larger version of one of my paintings on there "Serenity ll"  After agreeing  a price I have got on and done it for her---its seen here on the left of the original one...its as near as dammit! Just got a few more grasses and poppies to add.. in a few days time when its dried off a bit..the new big one is 50cm x 70cm .. a pressie for her hubby for Christmas..hope he likes it as much as Dorothy does!

When I was painting on the market today a couple came by and wanted  a small painting like the one below...however I had sold out of all those colours so offered to do one for them to take away wet...they jumped at the chance! So I quickly got my brushes out and painted a smaller version of it 10in x 12in--the original is 16in x 20in--they were chuffed to bits with it when they came back for it! I have got to get busy this week and get some more small paintings done ready for the Xmas rush..I bought 60 small canvas fairly locally last week and have another 100 on order for a couple of weeks time so that will keep me out of mischief for  a while!

West Shropshire Flower Club Demo

We had a busy day yesterday..on the market until 4pm then home to sort out everything ready for the evenings demo for West Shropshire Flower Club...we had a longish journey to Yockelton and arrived there at 7pm and was set up ready to start at 8pm.  There was a good turn out of ladies there..all very interested in what I was doing and having a good look at the paintings and photos I had on display.   The time as always flew by and I had the paintings completed in the hour as usual! Afterwards we had time to chat and answer questions with the ladies.My greetings cards proved VERY popular and I have sold out of loads of the designs again...we arrived home at 11pm completly knackered and ready for bed after a nice hot mug of chocolate!

 

Sue and Liz won the paintings....

Its a Girl!

We have just had a phone call to say our 5th grandchild has arrived safe and sound --little Isabel weighed in at 8lb 5oz ----she has arrived on Bills 63rd birthday as I predicted!
We will have to wait until Sunday to meet her as we are away on holiday until then-but Im sure we have some photos emailed us shortly!
Congratulations to everyone love from Nanny and grandad xxxxx

Feb 19th "Serenity" Workshop

We had some wonderful results today--Masoon couldn't make it to class because she was full of cold-sore throat and runny nose-but it was great to see some old friends Chris and Pauline again!

Mandy was painting with us for the second time--dusky lilac proved to be the most popular colour today!

Simone created a great painting considering that it was only her 2nd time...

Sue is well and truly hooked..she goes home and paints again! She bought along a painting she had done at home and asked where she had gone wrong---to be fair it was very good--I think her undercoat hadn't been mixed quite right--but her ideas are good--and she must remember she hasn't been painting long so mustn't expect miracles of herself--each painting is a learning curve!

Vera came for a one 2 one on Tuesday-and phoned the next day to book for today's class.She is well and truly hooked.You wouldn't believe this was her 2nd ever oil painting would you?

Maureen -bless her--rang us at 7.30am this morning to cancel-she'd had a nasty fall on Wednesday and was still aching all over--so  you can imagine my surprise when she walked through the door today saying "I thought Id surprise you!" She went on to say she may as well ache all over at class than stay at home and ache there! I think she is well and truly addicted--well I don't think-I know--cos she has told me!

It was lovely to see Pauline and Chris back today--they have painted most of the subjects I teach over the past few years-and we have become great friends as a result! Pauline has grown more confident in each workshop..

Sue has nearly finished here..I did ask her to say one for me while she was down there!

Chris always does his own thing at some point during each class--today instead of the usual volcano-we had a bright orange sun put in--Chris is a great sport and had a lot of stick from everyone about it---and to be fair it did grow on me a bit----but personally it would have looked better toned down a bit in colour!  Chris did bring along a beautiful pastel picture he had done at home -but I missed to take a photo of  it!

Leominster WI

just managed to catch Mr and Mrs Bullfinch on the birdtable before we left for Leominster WI today.The birdtable had broken off its post during the high winds last week and it was so strange not to see the little birds out there on it.Didnt take the birds long to come back again once it was back up.

Leominster WI was one of the bigger ones we have been to lately--over 40 members --all enjoyed the demo--I painted Winter Wonderland and Summer day--and the thanks I received at the end of it almost had me in tears. Nessa had her raffle ticket drawn out first-and she chose the Winter Wonderland as her prize---we couldn't believe it when the next ticket out was also hers---bought at another time to the first one! She kindly put it back and let someone else win Summer Day--Joan was the lucky winner this time--never had that happen before! We are looking forward to meeting up with some of the ladies again in some of my workshops--they were going home to have a look at the website and see what spaces I have left!

Joan and Nessa

on the way home there was a  beautiful sunset--as I was about to take some photos the batteries ran out on the camera--luckily we were near a lay by so Bill pulled over so I could capture this beautiful scene after changing them!

I can feel a painting coming on........

"Yesterday" Workshop Feb 26th--NOW FULL

This workshop is now full--I will be setting another date for it very soon--keep an eye on the website for details www.paintingmyway.co.uk

Hollys 13th Birthday Party

It didn't take very long to get set up for today's painting party.It was 3rd time time lucky for Hollys 13th birthday!The weather caused the first cancellation and my flu caused the second one--today all went well....

Harriet chose the reds and oranges to do her painting-as did all the others except for Beth-Hollys mum who did the blues/purples

Kitty seemed to find it very easy and she had some lovely effects going on in her sky and water very quickly.

Holly had a beautiful vibrant sky and matched up the reflections in the water very well too

Beth, Hollys mum used the blues/purples and she made a cracking job of her painting--she could have left out the black background and foreground if she had wanted to-she had made such a good job of her shading with the colours!

nearly finished..

drying off the paintings with the hairdryers before doing next stage

while we were painting Bill helped Beths son take down the Christmas decorations

lots of concentration here

great results--Ive left a bottle of varnish with Beth so she can varnish the paintings tomorrow-it will protect them and also really bring out the colours.