Well at last I have managed to hobble up to my studio and make a post ... slipped own the stairs at home three weeks ago and broke a bone in my foot ! Jolly painful at the time but since then it has been mostly frustrating as first I spun around on crutches ( literally ! ) and then I mastered the art of manoeuvering up two steps which got me into Brian's studio where I camped out for two weeks and now crutch free I can hop up the garden path back to my own patch and very nice it is to be back ! For just a very small bone I have a rather large cast which is coming off tomorrow and I can't wait ...
I must say the perks to having to slow down or even stop altogether have been to discover the delight of scoffing sweets on the sofa whilst watch Deal or No Deal - a late afternoon habit which I must be prepared to quit soon . The pretty petit fours below were given to me at Christmas by a friend who hand made them herself - I meant to put them up in the last missive and forgot. Have also caught up on some reading and have been much entertained by Mapp and Lucia by E F Benson, South Riding by Winifred Holtby ( a classic that I've long been meaning to read ) and Moby Dick by Herman Melville - another hefty read but well worth it.
Had my longest walk on the week end and bought these treasures in a junk shop. I love Honiton ware with it's lively little spots and stripes and this hand dyed ribbon poking out from it will be put to good use in making some fairy skirts.
Now I must confess life hasn't all been about languishing and snacking - once I got myself set up in my old spot in the other studio I managed to get back in to some painting and found I'd loosened up a little in the time in between. There is a fine line between lively painting and it just looking a mess and then I always have to stop myself from bering too literal and yet I want to be true to what is in front of me - all very absorbing and frequently frustrating stuff. I'm painting in oils by the way and rather like the time you have to allow for layers to dry a little before applying the next layer - it curbs my tendency to keep on going when I should step back from it and take stock. 
This painting of gerberas is 8 inches square - I'm working my way up to bigger pieces as there are even more problems to juggle with as you go up in scale - composition being one of the biggest for me ... I'm enjoying the jewel like quality you get with this size - it's scary to start something bigger !
The winter jasmine in a slip cup is 9x7 inches.
The anemone in a Honiton vase is 7.5 inches square and I felt a had a bit of a breakthrough with the surface of the canvas in this one - I fell the the paint has got a more brilliant quality.
This the one I'm working on now and will post it up when it's finished.
I rather like the very simple sketchy beginning but am not brave enough to leave it there and call it naive !
This last one is one of the series that I did early last year and having had the space to look at it again I have continued to work on it with a little more confidence ... how strange that you can think a piece is finished and then see it as flat and lifeless after an interval and fresh eye. I think Bonnard was known for never feeling a piece was finished and touching it up even when it was hung on somebody's wall !
Lacecap in glass 7x5 inches.One last thing before I go is that I have recently joined a gift website called cherrypicked for you it's got lots of lovely work on it and it will be building up it's numbers of artists this year as it is relatively new, so do check it out.
