Day 100: I See You

Something completely different on the last day ... and yes, there were morning and afternoon teas involved in the process.

I was invited by an american friend to attend a artists' workshop by Webinar centered on 'finding the artist within' where one of the outcomes was that, through the analysis of your work, an artist could come to develop and build their personal artistic statement. To ensure that analysis achieved 'viable and self fitting outcomes', there was a practising psychiatrist, and art critic and a gallery owner as some of the programme leads. Run from the University of California, the core team numbered 6.

40 artists from around California attended and I found the two days interesting and, given the time difference, at times challenging but I survived the process. There was plenty of time to complete the mental exercises, questionnaires, discussions and meditations, but in order to meet the time frames for the completion of the paintings, you had to work fast.

I decided before I started that whatever the final piece of art I worked on was, it would be the one I would use to finish this project. My last painting, as were all the others, was totally different to those completed by the other artists taking part. Their work tended to feature shafts of light, clouds of billowing colour and rotating spheres and circles floating like planets in starry vistas. Clearly, my meditative, investigative and free thinking exercises led me on an alternative path.

At the end of the process, and following some word adjustments by the team leads, my completed artist's statement read as follows:

By examining the ambiguity and origination via variations, Debra tries to increase the dynamic between her audience and herself by objectifying emotions and investigating the duality that develops through different interpretations.

Debra's paintings directly respond to the surrounding environment and she uses her own everyday experiences as a starting point. Often these are framed instances that might go unnoticed in their original context. 

Her paintings do not show the complete story. This results from the fact that she can easily imagine her own interpretation without being hindered by the historical reality and her understanding that the viewer brings their own story to her work. Through the use of aesthetics, she seduces the viewer into a world of ongoing equilibrium and the interval that articulates the stream of daily events. Moments are depicted that exist to find poetic meaning in everyday life.

Compared to some of the statements for other artists in the group, mine finished in quite a readable format and, according to the art critic, was 'one of the most refreshingly straight forward and honest' Artist Statements he had seen in some time - and I thought it was a bit over wordy. Perhaps for New Zealand it is. Different cultures = different norms.

Medium: Windsor & Newton acrylic paint on Fredrix Artist Canvas

Time to complete: 1 hour

Day 99: Zebra Teapot

Day 99 and only one more to go. I was struggling to find something to do that excited me. I scratched around amongst my art supplies and found an old piece of tatty lino and my problem was solved.

A quick check confirmed that I did not have any printing ink, my lino cutting tools have been lost somewhere over time and I could not find the right sort of paper - but I felt impelled to improvise. My heart was set on a lino print.

A raid of the garage provided some tools I could use for cutting; the ink is an acrylic paint mix; the paper is low grade watercolour paper. Voila!! What fun. A one off lino cut print.

Medium: Lino Cut print with Acrylic paint on Watercolour paper

Time to complete: 40 minutes

Day 98: Plastic Mug

I have never used this mug before. I decided to choose a mug from the collection of drinking vessels in the house that I would normally avoid to draw and this is it. One of the plastic variety.

It is designed to be light to carry, unbreakable and keep your coffee warm.  There has been, I accept, a lot of design and engineering work that has gone into creating the perfect plastic moulded cup. People have slaved over drawing boards, calculated the perfect plastic consistency and measured the perfect density for moulding  However, the product of all that hard work does not impress me at all. I don't like it. I don't want to drink from it. Give me china, pottery or porcelain any day. Yes, I know that many china items are moulded these days but I much prefer the chink of china and the smooth feel of it in my hand.

Now ... where is that cup .... I put it down somewhere. Tea time.

Medium: Pencil on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete:  30 minutes

Day 97: Japanese Teapot

This little pot doesn't belong to me. It lives in the home of a friend ... but I wish it was mine. It has lovely earthy colour tones and a bamboo handle which has a softly aged patina.

The pot is only used to make green tea, which was the perfect accompaniment for the home made salmon and vegetarian sushi. They were made for each other.

I remember when green tea and sushi was not as popular here as it is today. With the merging and assimilation of cultures, we have gained a bounty of new flavours and I am grateful for it.

Medium: Pencil on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 25 minutes

Day 96: Mugs

More mugs ... I did not realise until I started this project how many cups and mugs I actually see in a day. I pass through the day and these common every day objects play an important role, but I had hardly noticed them. They are mere background noise in my world.

Every day they fill spaces around me. At home, at work. at cafes, at restaurants, walking down the street ... I see cups and mugs. The diversity in the shape and size of them staggers me. They are painted, screen printed, turned into advertising media, shaped into all sorts of interesting objects and yet their core purpose remains unchanged. They are vessels to hold liquid so that we can drink fluids easily. Simple as that.

Medium: Winsor & Newton Acrylic paint on Fredrix Artist Canvas

Time to complete: 1 hour and 20 minutes

Day 95: Apples in a Bowl

These juicy apples came from an orchard in the Hawkes Bay. They are just as I like them - sweet and crisp.

I like to core and slice them and put them in a bowl and drizzle orange and lemon juice on them. If you let them sit in the fridge for 15 or 20 minutes, the citrus flavours infuse the apple slices. A very healthy snack and absolutely yummy.

My favourite apple dessert would be apple and blackberry pie. My mum used to make it with apples from the trees in the back yard and blackberries we gathered on rambles in the country side. Her pie had this sweet tangy taste and the smell was divine. Sweet memories.

Medium: Pencil on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 30 minutes

Day 94: Still Life with Guitar

The composition was accidental. It is the scattered remains of a celebratory afternoon gathering. The champagne and water bottles are empty. There are not remnants of nuts left in the bowl. The leis draped behind the guitar are discarded ... but will keep for another day.

This is the first piece I have not had time to finish on the day. Life has intervened and I must put this piece aside and finish it another day. It deserves a background. The items need to be placed on the table, the guitar needs strings and the leis need some colour on their petals. I will work on it later this week, finish it and sign it off.  If I have time, I will repost the picture.

Medium: Winsor & Newton Acrylic paint on 350gsm paper

Time to complete so far:  2 hours and 20 minutes

Day 93: Cherry

I brought a small fruit salad to munch on for afternoon tea and there was a cherry on the top. It must have come from somewhere overseas, perhaps Australia or Portugal, as cherry season here is till some weeks away.

It did not look plump and juicy ... so rather than face the disappointment of a not so tasty cherry morsel, I set it aside and painted it instead.

Medium: Golden Acrylic paint on Canvas block

Time to complete: 1 hour and 40 minutes

Day 92: Dappled Light

The stream at the back of Stancich Reserve was running fast after all the rain over the last few days. I sat for a moment, while my dog had a 'poottle' around, and found a patch of water on the side where the water was still.

The shadow of a tree lay on the surface and an old dying leaf floated quietly. The breeze ruffled the water and the sun danced on the patterns it made. Nature performed a special show just for me.

I watch entranced for some time as the dappled light sparkled and gleamed and the breeze danced the water into every changing patterns. After a few moments, I was brought back to reality when a cold wet nose nudged me to let me know it was time to move on.

All morning, I remembered the sparkle of that dappled light and decided to capture the memory of it.

Medium: Winsor & Newton Acrylic on Fredrix Artist Canvas

Time to complete:  3 hours and 30 minutes

Day 91: Red Teapot

I completed a small study of this some weeks ago. I liked the composition and decided to size it up and do a larger version. I went back to my background drawings for the piece and it was nice to revisit those drawings and thumbnails.

This time I spent a little extra time matching the red hues on the teapot and I really enjoyed working on it.

This little pot is just great for herbal teas. It makes two cups, which meets my needs perfectly. I am not sure where it was made but I have had it for many years. It sat idle for many of them ... I am a recent imbiber of herbal and fruit teas. I am glad I did not part with it in my regular kitchen culls over the years. I am a fan of bright colours and the red always appealed to me.

Medium: Rembrandt Soft pastels on black pastel paper

Time to complete: 2 hours

Day 90: Stacked

Piles of plates ready for the dishwasher signal the end of a meal and some quiet time at the end of the day. Tonight we had pasta and the bowls will soon be stacked to be washed in the dishwasher along with the other miscellaneous items that have collected during the day.

The kitchen will hum to the soft swish and swash of the washing cycle and everyone will settle down to read books, listen to music, watch television, study or, in my case, draw. It is a comfortable feeling.

Medium: Black Marker pen on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 25 minutes

Day 89: A Jumbled Teabag

My used teabag was sitting on the saucer and the dark leaves inside looked like a pile of little letter shapes. I just had to draw it that way.

I based the jumbled letters on a line from Oscar Wilde: "You have filled my tea with lumps of sugar, and though I asked most distinctly for bread and butter, you have given me cake. I am known for the gentleness of my disposition, and the extraordinary sweetness of my nature, but I warn you, Miss Cardew, you may go too far".

Medium: Stabilo Pen on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: 20 minutes (including researching the line from Oscar Wilde)

Day 88: A Little Froth

It was a surprise to me when this carbonated fruit drink frothed on the top when pouring but I liked the effect in the glass, so I just had to pour me another.

The colour of the liquid poured from the bottle is a deep red, due to the blackcurrant content, but it softens in the lass and you can see the deep red of the fluid as it dives down below the froth into the and merges to a softer red colour in the glass. It tastes good too.

Medium: Stabilo Ink pen on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 30 minutes ( with a couple of breaks for sipping)

Day 87: A Tangle of Mugs

It is going to be one of those weeks where any spare time is going to be a precious commodity which must be used wisely. Weeks like this are rare and they help me to appreciate the quieter rhythm and flow of my normal routine.

I have grabbed a moment for art ... and in the few scant seconds created something from the nearest thing to hand, a mug on my kitchen bench.

Medium: Stabilo Ink pen on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: 5 minutes

Day 86: Tea

I have quite a number of different types of tea in my pantry. It never ceases to amaze me to see the variety of flavours that are now available in New Zealand. We have moved past English Breakfast and Earl Grey to more exotic blends of Green, Oolong and white teas and from Chamomile to Peach, Orange Blossom and Cinnamon Chai flavours.

Speciality tea shops pop up in malls and shopping areas, enticing me in with the luscious odours. They promise exotic tastes and exotic places. One can travel a long way with a a cup of tea. Must be time for me to stop and have one.

Medium: Stabilo Ink pen on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 15 minutes

Day 85: Birds on the Deck

It may feel a little like winter outside but the birds are busy nesting in the hedge behind our house and spring is definitely here.

These two little sparrows were having a chat on the railing of the deck. I don't know what was being said, but they were having a rest between showers. They entertained me as I sat at the dining room table enjoying my break between household chores. It is not hard to be waylaid by these little amusing birds when the task of washing the kitchen floor awaits.

Medium: Stabilo Ink pen on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 25 minutes

Day 84: Cafe Moment

It was a cold day with gusty winds and sweeps of rain and the forecast for the next couple of days was not going to be any better. It wasn't warm in the cafe and, just like me, the lady at the table in front of me kept her coat and scarf on as she sipped her coffee and browsed through a magazine.

Medium: Stabilo Ink pen drawing coloured with Watercolours on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 20 minutes

Day 83: A Little Linen Tablecloth

My second day in a row where I am going to have to squeeze in a moment for art ... but the lack of quality time will not defeat me. Again a quick study and to keep it simple, I limited the colour options.

This cloth has been with me for many years. I use it often even though I have to launder it carefully. The pattern is cut out and the little cutouts are hand embroidered in blue. Someone's labour of love.

Medium: Winsor & Newton Watercolours on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete:  20 minutes

Day 82: Three Pears

I had a very busy day today and had to grab a brief moment to fit in time for art and dive in for a short period. Still got one done on the day and, given I am on the home stretch of my 100 Days effort now with less than 20 days to go, that is what counts.  I don't want to fail at the final hurdle. Not my style at all.

There is lots wrong with this little pear study, but I did enjoy splashing the paint around. That's what counts on a day like today.

Medium: Winsor & Newton Watercolours on Sketchbook paper

Time to compete: 15 minutes

Day 81: Blooming Fireworks

I am pleased that the weather was so lovely today as I had planned to redo all my garden pots ready for summer and I had counted on it being warm and sunny.

I left early in the morning for the local Garden Centre and picked up some bright, colourful and vibrant potting plants in red and orange shades. The plants were home and potted up in quick time.

As I sat with a well earned cuppa and looked admiringly at my work, I caught this bright red bloom set against the clear blue sky. The light was so dazzling that the glare cascading around the flower gave the appearance of a light filled firework exploding in the sky.

It was magical ... and I had to try and capture it.

Medium: Golden Acrylic paint on Fredrix Artist Canvas

Time to complete: 3 hours (in two sessions on same day)

Day 80: Glass Bottle

This bottle is all that remains of an organic apple and blackberry fruit juice. It has been rinsed and is ready to go into the glass recycling bin.

I sometimes wonder whether all the glass that goes in to recycling is reused in other products or whether there is a glass mountain somewhere that is growing ever bigger.

There must be many people like me, who trust that the urban recycling systems are delivering what they promise. I am sure there will be a report somewhere in the depths of the paperwork at my local council.  I will check the council website to see if they are reporting on the amount of rubbish that is now being diverted from landfill to recycling centres.  I support these initiatives that help protect our environment and I would much rather have a fruit juice from a glass bottle than and plastic one any day.

Medium: Pencil on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: 15 minutes

Day 79: Fern Pattern

I was playing with this fern pattern as I am looking for a repeat pattern I can use on Christmas Cards. The idea came to me when getting a glass of water. I spied the discarded ferns and leaves from an old flower arrangement and liked the way they were sitting on top of each other on the bench.

They leaves had lost some of the vibrancy and colour but I liked their shapes and the uniformity of the pattern they made against the dark background. I am glad I captured it.

Medium: Winsor & Newton Watercolours on Strathmore Watercolour Paper

Time to complete: 40 minutes

Day 78: Green Pepper

A stir fry was on the menu for dinner and I had left a couple of vegetables out to cut up ready for the wok. I decided to have a short break before embarking on dinner preparation and drew the pepper while sipping my cup of tea.

The family love stir fry and green curries and it is a good medium to get lots of vegetables into the mix. Green beans, carrots, peppers, peas, sprouts, potato, soy beans ... they find there way into the wok or into the pot.

Medium: Pencil on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: 15 minutes

Day 77: Bean Sprouts

I like bean sprouts with tomato and cheese on rice crackers as an afternoon snack. The red of the tomato, the yellow of the cheese and the green of the sprouts always look mouth delicious ... and I love the crunch of the sprouts in my mouth.

Today I painted this quickly at a friend's place. I borrowed the watercolours and I did not have the right paper for the medium. The colour pooled and the paper buckled. C'est la vie !

Medium: Child's paintbox watercolours on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 20 minutes

Day 76: A Theme on a Rose

It is fashionable today to use vintage china in cafes. Some match their cups and saucers and some don't. The result is often very charming...sometimes it is not.

Today I took a piece of a rose pattern on my cup - and ignored the brown mismatched saucer - and completed a challenge from a friend's art book.

In the exercise, you are challenged to paint part of the piece with your eyes shut. Yikes ... I was not comfortable with that at all and I won't be repeating it often. It does, however, force you to trust yourself a little and visualise your brush on the paper.

Medium: Winsor and Newton Watercolours on Stathmore Watercolour paper

Time to complete: 40 minutes

Day 75: Still Life with Book

I love books and am always running out of shelf and storage space for them. I have shelves in more than one room piled high with my literary treasures and I can't think of a better thing to do, when I am not mucking about with art, than reading.

An afternoon or morning tea slot is not just a stop for some sustenance, it is a chance to either work on art for read a book. Sometimes I try to do both ... but not at the same time. I alternate between the two and it is a wonder I get anything out of either of them, but I do.

The book and apple looked a little lonely on the bench so I added a vase. It made drawing the still life much more interesting.

Medium: Pencil on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete:  35 minutes

Day 74: Little Condiment Jar

The condiment that came in this little jar has long been eaten. I cannot remember what it was or where it came from, but I do remember the jar originally had a cork stopper which I probably threw out in the rubbish a long time ago.

I have always like its shape and the feel of the little clay container when it nestles in my hand, so I keep it on a shelf in the kitchen. One day, I may find another use for it. Until then, it will continue to sit waiting and I will continue to enjoy the sight of it.

Medium: Pencil on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 20 minutes

Day 73: A Study in Greens

I have a hedge around three sides of my house and all the windows at the back look directly onto it. Today, while sipping my tea, I decided to do a quick exercise on negative space, and the hedge was the perfect subject to explore this with.

There has been occasional talk from neighbours about perhaps removing the hedge but I am happy to say that the cost of doing so and replacing it with a fence has always proved too expensive. I am relieved I have never had to fight to keep it because I love seeing the green border that surrounds my house ... and the birds love it too. I so not want to lose it.

There are parts of rural New Zealand where hedges have been removed to make way for barb wire fences. I read the other day that some farmers are now replanting hedges. They certainly look more attractive marching along the landscape that wood and wire.

Medium: Winsor & Newton Watercolours on Strathmore Watercolour paper

Time to complete: 40 minutes

Day 72: Flower for the Table

We had friends coming over for the afternoon so I picked up some blooms from the florist to brighten up the place. I love fresh flowers in my house. The sight of them makes me happy and I love the fragrance.

One of the flowers in the bunch had a short stem and no matter what I did with it, I could not fit it in the other arrangements. It had a large flower head and it seemed out of place no matter what I did with it.

I solved the problem by placing it in a short vase and put it on the table where it sat quite happily in the middle of us all as we chatted around it.

Medium: Pencil on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 20 minutes

Day 71: Packham's Triumph

Strawberries have arrived in the fruit shops signalling the arrival of spring and summer's fare. This Packham pear is probably the last I will get to eat until next season.

There are many gardens in New Zealand with Packham Pear trees. They are hardy and easy to grow. The fruit is versatile - it can be eaten raw, cooked or stewed. I like to eat Packhams straight from the tree. They are quite fragrant and I love the smell of them.

Medium: Winsor & Newton Watercolours of Strathmore Watercolour paper

Time to complete: 20 minutes

Day 70: Polystyrene Packaging

Today we had a new television delivered. The old one had an interesting array of colours showing permanently on the screen and a few blank spots were no colour showed at all. It needed to be replaced.

Polystyrene packaging surrounded the new monster and the remnants of it were standing on the sideboard. I observed them all the way through my morning tea and decided to draw them.

I am not a supporter of this type of packaging. I would much prefer that the manufacturer used a renewable environmentally friendly resource ... but I was told that I was not being realistic. I still believe there are viable alternatives. Customers just need to keep asking for them.

The problem of the appropriate disposal of this unfriendly material is now ours. It is not recyclable.

Medium: Compressed charcoal on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 25 minutes

Day 69: Little Pink Box

I have been gradually clearing out some cupboards in a fit of spring cleaning. This little box was included in a small pile of things that are no longer needed which was left on the kitchen bench. They were sitting waiting to be packed up and delivered to the charity shop in Takapuna.

Hopefully, someone will see it and buy it and the money will go to a good cause. It used to hold the trinklets and treasures of a little girl who is now all grown up. It was a precious possession and it deserves to be passed on to a little person who will care for it like she did.

Medium: Soft pastels on Sugar paper

Time to complete: approx 30 minutes

Day 68: Afternoon Tea and Life Drawing

I was invited to an artist's quarterly working afternoon tea gathering ... and the subject was life drawing. The theme of the afternoon changes each quarter and the idea is that the gathering provides an opportunity for artist's to work and explore. As an artist you also have the opportunity to get some peer feedback and criticism of your work.

Drawing people is not my forte. It is my fault, I do not put in enough practice to build my technique in this area. Throughout the 2 hour session, I had many opportunities to work on drawing the human figure through a number of poses in a series of 2 minute, 4 minute, 8 minute and 10 minute life model sessions. I learnt a lot from the experience and from my peers.

A big thanks to the Artist's Group for the invite. I enjoyed the afternoon tea and the company.

Medium: Compressed Charcoal on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: 8 minutes

Day 67: Billboards and Hoardings

As it is currently just under one week before our National Elections, campaign hoardings and billboards are everywhere at the moment and political discussions ease there way into the general discourses of my day.

It seems that my meetings with people are peppered with the latest piece of interesting news and, if nothing else, Kim Dotcom has livened up the political scene here - even if some of the events surrounding him are questionable.

This piece was completed as a mixed media challenge. The requirement was to complete a piece that resembled a wall that was used over time to post billboards. I kept my content bias within the political arena ... although some of it is tongue in cheek.

Medium: Mixed Media using clippings and Golden Acrylic paint on Poster Board.

Time to complete: 2 hours

Day 66: Mortar and Pestle

An ancient tool still used today in my kitchen is a mortar and pestle. The design is so simple that it has stood the test of time and been passed down through ancient civilisations to us today ... and it has not changed.

I have seen them in antiquities displays in museums around the world and it amazes me that I still have this tangible link to the domestic life of the past in my home.

Medium: Pencil on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 20 minutes

Day 65: Empty Dessert Plate

In my opinion, there is nothing so satisfying for someone who has cooked a meal than the empty plates at the end of it.

A successful meal is not just about the food on the plates. It is a shared time with friends; a few laughs; creating memories; telling stories; connecting with others.

"At a dinner party one should eat wisely but not too well, and talk well but not too wisely" W. Somerset Maugham.

Medium: Pencil on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 25 minutes (while chatting as you do at a dinner with friends)

Day 64: Little Cream Jug

This little cream jug gets used for all sorts of pouring jobs. Today it was put to use to hold some raspberry coulis for a topping on a dessert. The splash of red was just what was needed to balance the tangy taste of lemon in the cake.

I do enjoy baking and sometimes I wish I had more time to spend doing it ... but things like art get in the way.

Medium: Pencil on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 20 minutes

Day 63: Ripening Mango with Glass

I have not had a mango that ripened from the middle before. For some reason, I thought that they ripened from the bottom. Perhaps this is a maverick mango ... one plotting its own path through life.

I am not happy with aspects of this piece. I need to align the glass. I am happy with the background and the mango. However, time is up, so here it is. I will have to play with aligning the glass another day. It will keep.

Medium: Golden Acrylic paint on Fredrix Artist Canvas

Time to complete: 3 hours (in two sessions)

Day 62: Rose Hips in a Bottle

Today I played with a mono print of some rose hips and grasses in an old glass bottle. I had collected the materials while out walking the dog in the local park. It is the last of winter's bounty as spring has arrived and with it new growth. It surprised me that the roses had not yet been pruned.

I spent more time playing with the arrangement in the bottle than it took me to draw it but there is a certain satisfaction in getting the fauna right.

The mono print plate has a level of "noise" which I like. Some people smooth out the background with cloth and cotton buds to remove the oil paint residue. I like to leave it.

Medium:Oil paint Mono Print on Watercolour paper

Time to complete: approx 1 hour and 30 minutes

Day 61: Waiting for Food

Luke had not been home from school long and was sitting on the floor filling in time by playing with the dog while waiting for food to heat.

The game required some retrieving of objects before sending them off to be chased and Luke kept returning to the same position in the game. I liked the pose, so quickly captured it.

Medium: Charcoal on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: 10 minutes

Day 60: Old Kindling Bucket

Sitting at the dinning room table sipping tea, I could see this old bucket against the wall on the back porch. No longer used as a kindling bucket, it has become a receptacle for all sort of miscellaneous objects. Cluttered around it are a pair of old gardening gloves, an old rubber ball in a bowl and a small rusty old iron which is often used as a door stop.

Late last week, I met up with a friend and did an art study in a limited colour palette that really frustrated me so I decided to give the exercise another go using this group as a theme.

I didn't find it as frustrating as I did last time and that is probably because this time I knew I was only able to use 5 shades and approached it from the beginning with that in mind.

Medium: Pastels on recycled Sketchbook paper with blue ground

Time to complete: 40 minutes

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Day 59: Mixing Bowl

I had no idea what I was going to draw today so I decided to do a 'lucky dip' from the dishwasher and my prize was this mixing bowl.

This is the bowl that I had used the previous evening to mix together some spices for a green curry. It is a sturdy kitchen object ... and I would be lost without it.

I drew it while having afternoon tea ...

Medium: Pencil on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 15 minutes

Day 58: Blue Hydrangeas in a Water Glass

I was surprised to see these small hydrangeas in the garden at the back of the house. Spring may have officially started, but usually my hydrangeas do not flower until the end of October. They were almost miniature blooms and they were snuggled at the top of the bush bathed in sunlight.

The weather here this time of year is changeable. In the last week, we have had days were temperatures have sat at 9 degrees Celsius, followed by lovely balmy days of 18 degrees. I knew these little blooms would not survive a cold snap, so I picked them and put them is a glass and sat them on the table so I could draw them while I had afternoon tea.

Having them on the table added a punch of welcome colour and I enjoyed the sight of them so much, I decided to paint them.

Medium: Winsor & Newton Watercolours on Watercolour paper

Time to complete:  40 minutes

Day 57: Dessert Spoon

I understand that ice cream is so irresistible because it has the perfect balance of sugar and fat. Eaten separately, the cream and the sugar would over power my taste buds and I would know they were bad for me ... but together they harmonise and provide a creamy heavenly taste.

This afternoon, I needed ice cream. I know what you are thinking ... I had the conversation with myself about not REALLY needing ice cream, but the argument that a piece of fruit was a good alternative did not convince me and I had the ice cream. Two scoops of ice cream, in fact.

I like to eat ice cream with a particular spoon. It is not as large as a standard dessert spoon or as fat as a teaspoon nor is it as small as a parfait spoon. It is something in between - a perfectly formed ice cream spoon.

Here it is ...

Medium: Pencil on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete:  approx 15 minutes

Day 56: Apples on a Plate

I love the colour of these two apples, which are sitting together on a brown hand glazed pottery plate. The browns in the plate compliment the colour of the wood on the table top.

Both apples look luscious and ready to eat ... and after painting them, I chose the red one and it tasted just like an apple should. The granny smith apple is sitting back in the fruit bowl for another day. Granny Smiths can be a little tart and if it isn't eaten soon, I will use it in some baking.

Medium: Golden Acrylic paint on Frederix Artist Canvas

Time to complete: 2 hours

Day 55: Upside Down Mug

The mug had been rinsed and left upside down on the bench at work because the dishwasher was full and there wasn't room for one more piece of anything.

The cups are designed to ensure ease of stacking in large cup drawers under the bench and people often attempt to stack them in the dishwasher in the same way, which can prove disastrous if you don't check before turning it on. There is nothing worse than realising at the end of a dishwasher cycle that half the cups are still dirty inside because they have been stacked one on top of the other. For that reason, there is a large note on the front of the dishwasher which reads: "Mind the Mug" which always confuses the visitors to the floor - but not the locals.

Medium: Pencil drawing on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 15 minutes

Day 54: Homemade Meringues

Meringues are one of Helena's favourite gluten free afternoon snacks and so it was no surprise when she brought some with her to share with us this afternoon. They were little snacks of soft pink and white sugary goodness. Each one was uniquely home made.

I hate to think of the calorie count inside of those little morsels ... but they were gluten and dairy free so they are, in theory, on two levels good for you.

Unfortunately, I did not get to draw the meringues before the 'hoards' descended to devour them. By the time I was ready to start, only three remained on the plate.

Medium: Pencil drawing on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 15 minutes

Day 53: Late Afternoon at Wenderholm

The day before my car battery had gone flat and I was told I needed to take it for a good run to top it up. I set off on a rainy afternoon heading North and stopped when I got to Wenderholm.

Wenderholm is one of my favourite places. It holds happy childhood memories of fun, sun and freedom. I pocketed a muesli bar and a drink and headed to the beach for a quick walk between showers before heading back home.

Sometimes the beauty you see stops you in your tracks. While walking up to the sand dunes towards the beach I had one of those moments. The sand dunes were wet from the rain and the sand shone like spun gold. The reedy grass was swaying in the wind. The sky was so blue it hurt your eyes. The clouds were being painted by the wind in long strands across the sky. I had not reached the sea but I could hear the waves crashing onto the beach. It was jaw dropping fabulous ... and much more interesting to draw and paint than a drink can and a muesli bar.

Interestingly, I had a conversation with a friend earlier in the week about sand dunes and how beautiful they can be.

I drew a couple of fast studies and have attempted to capture the scene on canvas.

Medium: Winsor & Newton Oils on Frederix Artist Canvas

Time to complete:  3 hours

Day 52: Lemon Tonic

I have been given quite a few lemons recently and I have been using them up - mostly squeezing and slicing them and adding them with tonic to make a lemon spritz. I read somewhere that it is good for me but I drink it because I love the taste.

If I put my drink down and forget it, no one steals it ... I make it without honey or sugar. I love that bitter tartness. The zing of the lemon. Yum ...

Medium: Golden Acrylic paints on Frederix Artist Canvas

Time to complete: 2 hours

Day 51: Cafe Chair

The table beside me in the cafe today sat empty and forlorn. I waited for someone to come and occupy it so I could sketch a little but it remained abandoned.

I wondered if people sensed the vibe of an anxious person waiting in the shadows of the table next door to capture their lines on paper and so chose to sit elsewhere. Probably not. I am being fanciful.

It was a wet, dank day and the cafe was mostly empty. As my mother would say "it was a good day if you were a duck".

This drawing marks day 51 of the project ... I am over the half way mark. It feels good to have got this far. It though I might be at a point where finding something to draw or paint would be a chore, but to date it hasn't been. May the muse continue.

Medium: Graphite pencil on Sketchbook paper

Time to complete: approx 15 minutes