Sunday 31 January 2016

Goodbye January and hello February...

Photo Cred : Sas

While Digz and Corks were doing this...
Kitty and I were walking to the top of Chapmans Peak.


With views like this... almost 10kms - it was a little ouchie.
But then getting fit always is.  But we had a lovely time.



Some beautiful captures from the Waterfront on Friday night.
While Corks was at the Spinathon we were keeping ourselves busy.

I'm not going to lie - this weekend was BUSY with much running around and dropping and carrying.

It's the 1st of February and it's already looking like a blurrrrr...

I'm trying to not get too overwhelmed.
There is much excitement happening the next two weeks... new ceilings going in, birthdays and drivers licenses, Art Gallery walks, pottery classes, barn dance, school big walk etc...

The list goes on... but we will embrace it and love it.
Because although it's been busy, but it's been very beautiful and uber exciting!

Friday 29 January 2016

Life... Love... and everything else...

While Corks was climbing to the top of the mountain for her moonlight hike...
We came here for a sunset walk... This is what 7pm in Summer, Cape Town looks like.
Could this be anymore beautiful... same goes for my Kitty Girl!  I love spending time with her.



Tasting freedom... final push to the end of school.

Corks taking in the Sunset and the Moonrise over the City.
It was such a beautiful highlight in her life... she's having so much fun!
What a crazy beautiful evening in the City - She isn't called the Mother City for nothing.
Absolutely breathtaking.

Eeeeckkk - one more week to go to the {love} auction.
I'm nervous excited.  My inner critic is giving me a hard time.
I might close my eyes and open them on the other side of the auction.
But for now, it is what it is.  Hope you will come visit and bid along.

My little garden... 
The stars still call me out everyday and the flowrs - well I love them.

This happened... we got the pics.
Corks getting her colors with Cherie Vale (SA Champ).
What a delightful little thing that happened last year.
We are so happy for her.  How big is that smile.

Left - Supporting local artisans... a small handmade bag, plus I love blue and white..
Little happy birthday to me.

Right - Beautiful Nancy Holly sent me some of her beautiful work and some love.
(I'm so stoked by Nancy's goodness and beautiful work but that I also got mail... eeeeck.  Getting mail from beautiful artist friends makes me sooo happy.  Thank you Nancy.)
This totally made my week more beautiful!  #SoGrateful!

Oh my goodness - at last... my parcels have started arriving at their new homes.
And nothing makes my heart happier... thank you for waiting patiently for your packages. 
I know there are still some parcels in transit but I'm so hopeful for their arrival.

Today I drove over the mountain to book Corks for her temporary drivers licence.
Really exciting times ahead for all of us.

Big hugs and happy weekend.

Sunday 24 January 2016

For the {love} of Flowrs...


Lying on my Studio Desk...

I think we are finished for now...
I wanted to keep the flowrs quite loose and free.
but at the same time keeping her face quite serene.

This is supposed to be my auction piece.  But I'm not sure yet.
It's not my usual way of working - to me it just feels a little back to front.
I don't usually like to create under pressure - I feel it robs me of much joy and spontaneity.

But I guess it's how we are supposed to grow and learn and mature in our art.
To lay down expectations and goals for ourselves and push through to reach them.

For now... we will see if this is auction material.
If it's not - then she's heading to my Esty shop or to be framed.
Either way - I really loved painting her.
I loved working loosely and finding much freedom with my brush.
It's my 2nd finished piece this year and that makes me ridiculously happy!

Can I just say - I am having so much fun #inmystudio space... 
from teabaggirls, to journal play and to finishing pieces... I'm one happy girl!

I filmed myself painting her on my very very make shift rig. 
I will see if there is any material worth keeping... documenting this process,
for no other reason than just for me.

Otherwise - Happy Sunday folks... I'm heading back into my Studio.
To work on another piece with buildings and hoping a beautiful story will emerge.

Saturday 23 January 2016

Every story has an end... but not for quite some time...

This has been going beautifully.
I am a happy girl!
#23 of #366Faces - #1FaceADay {TakeTwo}

I made a quick time-lapse video of this one... 

Wednesday 20 January 2016

Auction pieces....



I finally started my auction of {Love} piece this week... Well, kind of! My first layers are down.  I'm doing a few pieces and hopefully I will have one or two ready for the auction on the 5th February!  Please come join us https://www.facebook.com/events/582226115268182/

Sunday 17 January 2016

Taking time... and going slow...

The past 2 weeks since we got back from leave, was just me playing catch up with life.  But I'm glad to say I'm back up to date and that feels pretty good.  Our routines are back to normal... with school and life back on.  I love routine - so I'm not complaining.


My new beautiful print works have arrived and I love them.
It's always so exciting sending new works in to be printed up.
Happy heart!

I've been going slow and taking time to breath, rest and generally just be.
I've been hiding my phone away a little so when I'm with the girls - I'm 100% present.  After my holiday and sitting out on the veranda everyday - I've created a small space at home for just that.  I'm going out there everyday and what I'm loving is the family have been joining me there, including my fur babies.  My theory - create a space and they will come.  Yay!

Sandy seems to be getting younger and younger and more beautiful than ever.

Kitty and I sat out here all Saturday, deep connecting and sharing stories.
In the afternoon both girls had parties to go to, so Digz and I took in a slow evening... window shopping, browsing books and a healthy dinner together... 

Zucchini 'Pasta' - yummy.

May the whole year be this glorious slow.

Saturday 16 January 2016

HeART & Soul Artist Collective...

I've been invited to be a guest artist for this auction on the 5th February.  I'm nervous and excited and eeeeckkk, at moments completely overwhelmed.  Putting yourself out there is never easy, first of all and second of all - I don't normally create this way.  I create a piece completely spontaneous and intuitively not specifically for anything in mind.  So I have to gear shift my head around not to completely freak out. Or put myself under pressure.

I had a lovely chat with Robin Laws yesterday - which helped calm my inner critic... so now I have 3 weeks to create one/two pieces around {Love}.... I will keep you posted how I go.

Click on the image to find the auction page on FaceBook.

Friday 15 January 2016

Journal Round Robin...

Annie and I started entertaining the idea of doing a Journal Round Robin this year.  It's something we have both spoken about plenty through the years.  Betty and I spoke about it for years too but only got as far as getting our journals.  Annie was pushing hard to get this going and I'm so grateful she did.  She's been running with the admin side of things because she really has been the one with the vision for it. Between us, we managed to get together 12 local artists.  12 means one spread a month and then we swap.  Not only is it a chance to get to know other local artists and create a small community here - but it's good to stretch ourselves in the unattachment to outcome.  Allowing someone else to work in your journal - stretching.  Working in someone else's journal - equally stretching.

I started off with an intro page.  Each of our intro pages will be different.
I made a pocket for each person.  I stuck a teabag onto a card.  Each person is to paint their own TeaBagGirl and write something about themselves on the back of their card.  That way when the next person receives the journal - they can read about the artists prior to them.

Annie asked us to do this in the front of each journal - what a stunning idea!



Working on my inside spread.  I have decided that in each journal I work in - I'm going to do collage creative play - it's a way for me to play and keep it fun and interesting.
And I hope in each one - a story will emerge.

My front cover and inside page.

I have to say - I sooooo enjoyed this! Which I really didn't expect.
Getting started after the holidays wasn't easy and I was berating myself for taking on too much... but like all things - you just have to start and I'm so glad I did.

I'm not a huge journal person because sometimes I can't bear the thought of beautiful pieces being trapped inside a book.  That's just me and I can't help it... so this will be an interesting journey for me.

Our wonderful participants are spread around South Africa, quite a few in the Cape and including 2 art students, one being my daughter and the other, a close friend's daughter.  Both wonderful art students, in their own right, who are going to use their journal work as part of the portfolio for University.  We decided to keep it local because of the postage issues and time constraints.

My journal was received by Anne this week.  And I have received my next journal.
May this be an exciting journal{ey} gals!

Wednesday 13 January 2016

SisterLove...

Look what we found when we were spring cleaning...
I have since stumbled across quite a few pictures of the girls "looking out".
I really didn't realize it was a thing we did and I can honestly say they were all taken purely by chance.  What makes it more incredible is that each one I've found... the girls are always in the same position.  I just absolutely adore that!!!!


10 years later...

One little word....


~ time ~

Beautiful.  Gentle.  Deeply Sacred.

This is my one little word for 2016.

I'm still thinking about it.
But last year my word was {resonate} and life was deeply resonate.
There was a tender fragility to it... but it's a year I will never forget.

And this year I'm asking for precious, sacred time.
Just that simple.

Tuesday 12 January 2016

#1FaceADay - Blessed is the TeaMaker


#1FaceADay.... the journey continues.

Ahhhhh I haven't had the courage to share this here yet.... but here goes.

I was so ready to finish this project at the end of December 2015.  And if you asked me prior to mid-December if I would consider continuing - I would have said "are you completely out of your mind".  I was more than ready to be done.  It was a mammoth undertaking.

However, I soooo enjoyed my December #1FaceADay - I didn't expect to totally fall in love with it all over again, right at the end.  I think it had something to do with the fact that I was doing December on TeaBags and I was loving it... as my December days started closing out, I started feeling quite emotional at the thought of giving up this sweet daily ritual.  I started entertaining the idea of quietly continuing just for myself... when Jackie Cate contacted me and asked if I would consider doing something with her to help her return to her studio.  I guess that message came in at the exact right time, when the seed was just being planted, enough to take root.  After much thought and reflection - the idea came about continuing except this time only on TeaBags.

For me, it would be for the {soul} purpose of having an exhibition all said and done, together with continuing the art of showing up daily.

I love the idea of doing my first exhibition solely with my beloved TeaBagGirls... 
That makes me so ridiculously happy!

Having a plan, a cohesive theme and size canvas has definitely changed the game for me.

You can find my separate Instagram page called TeaBagGirls_Flowrs and my separate blog page called TeaBagGirls if you want to journey with me.

~

Sooo what I didn't know... 
As the 1st January came around, the messages and tags started coming through of people who not only wanted to also try the #1FaceADay for #365Days but how many wonderful friends were keen to embark on the #TeaBagGirls journey.  Well, I just love that!

There are a bunch of us ladies journeying, encouraging and learning from each other.
What could be more perfect... finding community here... like sharing a cup of tea together.

"Blessed is the TeaMaker"

Sunday 10 January 2016

Hi ho, hi ho... it's off to life we go...

Oh boy, I had a super busy week...

It started off with a mountain of washing from holiday.
Headed out to get the girl's stationery for the new school year.
And I was back in the office for a few days this week... never mind what was happening #inmystudio.

While I was away, my little shop was busy and I came home with much to ship off.
I also had to send off my auction pieces and #1FaceADay and TeaBagGirls... packaging up little parcels makes my heart so very happy.

For all of you that supported my little shop in 2015.

Thank you.  thank you.  thank you.

Corks helps me so much during this process, she helps me make boxes and is my extra pair of hands. I couldn't do it without her.  Plus she's learning as she goes.  I worked #inmystudio all week with her by my side.  Thanks my girl!

I received post this week.  Art swapping.
One locally from Annetolie and another from Galia in Australia.
Which is kind of good news... Galia said it took a really long time to arrive.

But how beautiful, right.  I have such gifted friends.
I hope your pieces arrive soon too.


This has just been released... I know it's going to be spectacular... yet again.
Happy New Year to us and thanks Misty.

This year I'm part of a round robin journal swap, together with Corks and other South African artists around the country.  Our journals had to be finished and on it's way by the 5th January.  But I was nowhere near ready.  Come Friday, the 8th I was still putting together my journal, let alone my spread and cover and intro pages.... yikes.... but I'm happy to say on Saturday morning my journal was on it's way to Anne.  Thank goodness we were both in the same boat.

I will share some of my work in my journal once she receives it.
As for my next journal to work in, Corks is almost ready to hand me her journal to work in.
So much easier that we live together. :-)

We survived our first week...

As you can see it has been a very busy creative, working week.

Monday 4 January 2016

Madre della Città


I did this painting last year because I've been trying to teach myself how to paint building.
Not realistically - just to help add interest and a story to my pieces.

I wasn't particularly thrilled with the buildings piece, as a whole but definitely aspects of it.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it... when I got back from leave I decided to add this lady to the piece.  I'm sooooo in love with where we are heading together.  I have managed to hang onto the aspects of the buildings I was loving... I definitely want to do more pieces like these.

Sometimes I forget how wonderful it is to do backgrounds first and how they become part of the painting instead of trying to find something creative to fill the backgrounds with.

I called her Mother of the City but decided to look up how to say that in Italian - after all it's Italian inspired buildings.... "Madre della Città".

Sunday 3 January 2016

Beautiful Butterfly @ Moonshine on Whiskey Creek

The most remarkable thing to me about Beautiful Butterfly... is the incredible peace she carries.  And the beautiful memories she has held for us, through the years.  Besides this, the single most reason why I  absolutely love coming back here, is for the creatively handmade Gaudy designed shower {you know when you step into it - it takes you to another world} and the incredible stoep {veranda} where we practically lived for 2 weeks solid... we ate out here, played, napped, shared stories and was "just" out here.

I woke up early every single day and grabbed my cuppa, and then another and sat out here and just stared into space for hours.  Sometimes I read, but mostly, I just sat watching the Loeries that came to visit every morning.  Butterflies flittered in and out all day long.  On the cooler non-beach days I just sat here all day, reading, sleeping and resting.  Sometimes I sat here well into the night.

That star you see there - kept me mesmerised for hours.
Watching it twirl in the breeze lulled my soul into peace and quiet.

Are you serious... my happy place.
I know in my lifetime - I need a veranda and shower like this.
I thought I would paint much more than I did.
But I really didn't.  I only managed my 1FaceADay... it was more than enough.
I obviously needed the rest more than I realised. 
I didn't fight it - I just embraced it and napped when sleep overtook me.
Zoned out the rest of the time.  Played a lot with the girls.
Probably ate too much but all in all - it was good to allow myself to give into it.
A luxury I don't often afford myself.

Every time we visit - we have a competition who can capture the best shot of the Loerie,
with our cellphones and this year - the winner was Kitty!
They are really big birds.

Yup I really did sit here day in and day out = bliss.

And night...