Long Time No Post

I rather doubt anyone will read this or will have missed my postings as its a long time since I did but here goes: I toyed with the idea of closing this Blog down but I rather like looking back at the memories so it has had a reprieve. The truth is that last year on the memorable date 29th February I had a stroke which put me in hospital for nearly a month. I consider myself very fortunate that this occurred while I was in A&E whilst being checked over after a mini one. Symptoms had gone, all checks normal, and as I waited to be discharged a second much more serious left side stroke occurred. Because I was in A&E they were able to give the clot busting treatment that can only be administered within three hours of the stroke. I had wonderful therapists and sheer determination to walk again in order to look after my husband who has COPD.

As part of my recover which has been amazing, I practiced drawing with my left hand which had lost power. I have now recovered all that I lost and can walk freely and my left side limbs function again. As new pathways form in my brain the improvement will continue. I will paint again but in the meantime here are some of the drawings I managed to o with my left hand whilst recovering. These won’t make any gallery but they were a triumph like climbing a mountain at the time.

Long Time no post!

To my horror I see that I have not posted on this blog for a year. I am ashamed but will work to put this right. One of the reasons has been my deteriorating sight. I have been having eye injections for the last 18 months to halt Macular Degeneration. I have lost the central vision in my left eye but the right is good though I did have injections in that too. With cost of fuel I did not use my studio in the winter but now I have started painting again. I have only two new works to showcase so far both of my garden and started over a year ago.

The top Painting is titled ‘Summer Garden’ 80×80 cm. oil on cotton box canvas

The lower painting is titled ‘Spring morning in the Garden’ 80x80cm 0il on cotton box canvas

Getting ready for the Art Trail

It can’t be too difficult to hang a few pictures up I hear you say, or at least I imagine it. Nothing could be further from the truth! 2018 was the last time I was able to take part in this event and I am painfully aware that I am not as young as I used to be. There are pictures to be unpacked, edges to be painted on new works and hanging fittings put on, browsers to be mined out from the depth of the garage and filled up. Price list up dated, cards priced, and on top of everything else the house to be cleaned. Emerging from the burrow of lockdowns and coming blinking into the daylight one is suddenly aware of all those jobs left undone over the last couple of years, As well as all this there is the endless job of feeding us, mowing the lawn and tidying the garden and studio ready for visitors. The trail starts on Sat. 30th and is on for the first two weekends in May including bank holiday Monday. Wish me luck!

Oil man

Whilst distressed and angry about current events I decided to work more on an idea I had a couple of years ago. I did a small digital sketch with a view to working it into a painting later, then covid happened and threw a spanner into my creativity. Now with this charcoal rough sketch I have made a start towards turning it into a large painting. It’s called ‘Oil man’ though I may find a better title later, the main thing is that I’m making a start so watch this space for progress.

‘Wake Up’

I started this painting at the start of 2020 after the distressing forest fires burning in Australia and other places in the world then covid took off and lock downs happened and somehow my painting dried up in favour of growing vegetables. At last I have started to work on it again though its quite a daunting task as it is a very big canvases big I have to stand on a small stool to reach the top. So far I have had two sessions on it and have made progress but there is a lot more work to do. Watch this space!

WAKE UP