Monday 28 March 2016

Ahhhh at last... studio time!

15,5" x 20" x 1,5" on stretched canvas


Painting this piece after almost a month of no painting - was quite emotionally moving for me.
The reunion with my bigger brushes and much bigger than a teabag canvas...
Just felt so deep.  We aren't finished yet but it was such a joy to paint.
I didn't turn on my camera or time-lapse at first - but I am regretting that.
I just felt overwhelmed and nervous at first.

But once I was on my way - I did a time-lapse video.
I think I might be a little addicted to time-lapse recordings.
Watching myself paint in fast motion - is a little surreal.

But each new clip I make is helping me learn the new skill of editing - which is something that I used to be so afraid of.  Like all new things, I found it so hard and intimidating but now I'm finding it much more fun and loving the outcome.  Nice to record more than TeaBagGirls.

I spent the whole day #InMyStudio - while my others tinkered around on their own things.
I love slow bank holidays, so good for us - so beautiful to actually be home and quiet.

#HappyHeart

Sunday 27 March 2016

Finding Love...



I loved breathing new life into this piece.

It's been hanging on my wall unfinished for ages and it has felt so good to be back up and painting this weekend and finishing pieces - always makes me so happy!

I started this piece last year but felt so uninspired and a little bored to finish her.  Her colors were so drab and I wasn't sure how I was going to move forward.

I have been laying some of my unfinished pieces on my studio table and just starting with them... and letting them lead me.  And I love where we journeyed together.

I'm soooo in love with this color scheme at the moment (can you tell?)... I am noticing it's the way I seem to work.  But for now - I'm having fun and loving this.

I can't tell you how having some down time has restored my heart a little.

#sograteful #happyheart


Happy Easter...

It's Easter Morning...

All alarms were off.  I never allow myself a sleep in, never mind a lie in.
Today was gloriously decadent.  Even our fur babies got cuddle time.
Everyone crammed into my bed and deep chatting until mid morning.
I was in heaven.   The girls each got an egg allowance and chose their own eggs.
Both were conservative and rather wanted to save some of their allowance.
I don't eat milk chocolate so it was a small Easter on the egg front.

The doggies were hopeful for chocie but they only got to lie next to them.

After we rose our bodies, we all headed to the kitchen to make breakfast together.
The deep convo continued, music blaring and much craziness was going down.
A simple but divine breakfast.  Hot Cross Buns, a firm tradition of ours.

Corks and I got into some serious Back Gammon.
We are equally competitive - it was awesome!
My fav game.

I rained all night and it's cold.  We even lit our first fires last night.
You can tell by our little pups that winter is on the way.
Riley is like me, he doesn't cope well in winter, he gets down right mizzy.
Kitty deep in some game playing with her fur buddies.

Love... what today is all about.
I got some Easter painting in today!

Today will definitely go down as one of my best Easters of all time.
These intensely quiet days we get to spend together are spectacular in their simplicity.
No agenda, no have to's but totally just want to's.

Monday 21 March 2016

Standing on top of the mountain... looking down!

This mini hike was long overdue...
Spirits were high and expectant.

Choosing our path...
We know the teenage years can be tumultuous and can be a little revolting at times.
But it's days like this that I know everything will be okay!
And our teens are pretty damn fine!


I love this capture - you can see the view.  This is us at the top of our hike.
It was a 970m elevation and being a little unfit - I was worried.
But all n all - it was a brilliant hike up!

When we got to the top - the weather changed and the mist was rolling in and our visibility was diminishing-
 so we decided to head down the same way we came up.

Everything that goes up - must go down.
And it was steep going.  But I was cool.

And down...

So besotted with our fluffy friends...

Mission accomplished!
We got down and were thrilled... we are already planning the next one.
Kitty literally skipped up and down (no fair).
That's what happens when she has sugar.

Sunday 20 March 2016

TeaBagGirl's Commission...

I have been working on this commission.  4 TeaBagsGirls - I only managed to do 3 in this sitting.
But it was a good start.

PS: editing these little clips takes me as long as painting itself.  I am also putting the final touches on a little clip I made for Make/Do Art class... "a day in the life of..."  - hope to share that next.


TeaBagCommission from Flowrsinherhair on Vimeo.

Thursday 17 March 2016

All I have managed...



I have been so full on at work...
This is all I have been managing - to show up here daily for my TeaBagGirls.
But I have some long weekends coming up and it's making me so happy.
The thought of finding rest, time and quiet.

Saturday 12 March 2016

Saturday Sunshine...

Spending a day in the vineyards..
Corks last provincial XCountry Race for the series.
And it was über uber hot but so lovely to be out.


There was a beautiful farm stall with great coffee,
fresh pomegranate juice, pomegranates and figs, freshly baked bread, honey on the tap.
I was in heaven.



Fresh figs and honey in my Momma's homemade sheep yoghurt.
Yummmm! Sunday mornings treat.

Super hot!
Heading into the 4th and final lap.
So glad I got to watch her ride today.

Finishing the series strong, with a podium finish.
So proud of her.  This series wasn't easy for her.
But after 4 events - objective was achieved...
Tougher experience, technical and skills growth.

Not to mention deep character building.  There was lots of tears.
And big time pushing through - so proud of her heart.

Waiting for prize giving = divine forced rest.

Kitty playing with SnapChat filters... funny bambi eyes filter.

I love it.  All in all a beautiful day.
We rushed home to shower and head straight out to watch Kitty's Play.

She was part of her schools Hairspray Production.
Life with busy teens... no one said it would be easy!

Friday 11 March 2016

Friday Selfie...


"In the night time we are found.
Misty sorrow swoop unbound.
Whisper you mean it, say you'll stay.
Hold my heart till brighter days."
Good Love - Bat for Lashes

it has been 37 weeks since my last creative portraiture selfie.
why so long... I don't know I just haven't felt inspired to do one.

but there is something about me and friday's - 
maybe it has to do with the end of a long week, that makes me feel introspective... 

My selfies always tend to happen on a Friday!

I think I'm holding my breath and heart till brighter days.
I need to slow down a little.... I feel this week, we are turning a corner.
And I personally, can't wait.

Monday 7 March 2016

Clay testing 123...

Last week after ClayPlay - my teacher, Dale had a plate left over and suggested I take it home and try play and test putting one of my ladies on it.  My plate lay here and I avoided it all weekend long.

I had a fear that I wouldn't be able to do it...
It's a medium I don't really have any understanding for.  I was quite nervous.
I checked it on Sunday night because I was worried it would be drying out.  I sprayed it and resealed the plastic.  I knew I had to do it so when I got home from work today - I just faced myself.



After about 5 start attempts... I finally found how I was going move forward.
And from there, as the say - the rest was history.
I really enjoyed it.  It is very simple and sweet.  I can't wait to see it in color.

I definitely want to try this again and maybe more intricate.

Platter Love...


I'm so in love with these wonderful platters and the color and the patterns.
Quite simply everything, really.

I still have one in the fires and it should come home in a bit.
And today I worked on a raw platter at home.

I also got my first Clay Commission today - for non other than my Momma.
I was thinking about doing one for her the other day, but she's one tough customer.
So I can't even tell you what this means to me to create something for her.

#excited

Kitty's beautiful plate...



This is my sweet Kitty Girl's plate.

It's the first time she tried this,  And I love her design.  Her plate was much smaller and kind of harder in the centre.

But she did a sterling job and I love the color she chose.  Plus she loved it so much and can't wait to come with me again in April.  We have started something... and I love that!

I love that we get to do this together.

She loves clay and pottery.  And that is very exciting for me.

#SuperProud

Sunday 6 March 2016

The Cyclists... having a blast.

One year a part... this time last year.

So much has happened since.
And who knew the cycling bug would bite so big.
Best of all she's loving it.

Last week - she got a podium finish at the Cape Town Mountain Bike Challenge.
And on Sunday at the Cape Town Road Bike Cycle Challenge, she finished 4th in the Junior Womens overall.  She's doing beautifully and her skills are improving each time she rides.

Riding partners... two very special, beautiful girls.
So proud of both of them.

Saturday 5 March 2016

TeaBagGirls... continues into March...


And March is off... after my FebruaryRoses TeaBagGirls -
I wasn't sure how I was going to continue... but these amazing ladies showed up.

And I'm already loving them.

When I shared them on Twitter - it made this sweet collage.

Friday 4 March 2016

Little happenings this week....

In class...

Normal Onions                                       Red Onions

In class, Misty showed us how to make our own inks and dyes.
So this week I boiled onion skins and got these incredible colors.
Not trying to be funny but I thought the Red Onions would produce a red dye,
but it was more like a green yellow and the yellow onion gave that beautiful golden yellow.
Ooooo such fun!!

This weekend I'm trying some new recipes...
I'll keep you posted.

Ahhh my package arrived with Sweet Jackie.
And super quick.... just less than a week.  This is such good news.
It makes my heart so happy when my parcels arrive home.
I don't rest until they do... it's like waiting for my children to arrive at their destinations.
I know that sounds funny - but I travel with each and every one of them.

Our post office debacle has been over a year long saga - but with our new CEO in place and helping get itself out of the $91Million debt, it found itself in, due to mismanagement... for the first time in a long time, my hope is being restored.  Seriously... how do you mismanage to that degree.

Packages are being delivered on time for the first time in nearly 2 years and I'm actually receiving parcels again (not being able to receive packages was a horrible feeling that plagued me all year long, it made me feel very isolated and very cut off).

Last year I found pictures of a warehouse where parcels coming into the country were just being thrown in, never delivered or even stored properly - it was like a big hole.  And anything coming into the country disappeared right in the centre of it.  Heartbreaking stuff for small business who can't afford courier services and for families and friends sending parcels.

This week I finally found the courage to do this...
I have had a commission waiting for me to do since December.
4 TeaBagGirls - for me, sometimes the hardest part is just starting.
 I still have one to go - I made a time-lapse again.
It's awesome fun!  Will share soon.


As you know, I'm working through some of my last year #1FaceADay pieces and breathing new life and color into them.  I have a rescue pile.  I try rescue most of my pieces, before I throw them out.  Last year I got quite stuck on pretty neutral colors and I'm playing with some new colors this year.  I found the original photo of this piece and wanted to show you them side by side... so you can see the transition... quite different.

I love reworking old pieces.  I have quite a lot of unfinished pieces that lie around my studio, sometimes as long as a year, I keep them close and I look at them for some time and then something inspires me or encourages me to finish them... almost as though it's an under painting.  Sometimes I find it far less overwhelming than starting a brand new clean white canvas.

It's just one of my quirky things.


#60 of 1FaceADay 2016
I made a time-lapse video to celebrate the end of February.



It's a beautiful quiet Saturday morning and we are slowly slipping into autumn - I think it might be my favourite time of year, ever.  I love the cool damp mornings and then it warms up later.  It's the mornings I love most of all.  After a very hard working week (I have been working everyday for the past two weeks), I finally have some beautiful early morning calm and sacred quiet.

Kitty and I are going for a run in the forest and then a quick art shop pop in... and then home to my studio to finish this weeks lessons and work on some homework and pieces.

Happy weekend <3

Home at last...


My final piece from #365Faces and #1faceaday from last year is finally home.

All framed up and beautiful and I'm pretty over the moon about her.
It's hard to capture how wonderful this is in real life.

But it took my breathe away.

#HappyFridayHeartToday