Kate Winslet

I think I cursed myself on Thursday by saying I was looking forward to having some free time. The next day I managed to accumulate enough work that I am working a standard week this week, I had to work the entire bank holiday weekend and I am working this evening.

That worked well then, but at least it is more money. I am beginning to sound horribly mercenary but needs must I suppose.

I did find some time to squeeze out a couple of paintings over the weekend thank goodness, my joie de vivre, and sense of humour were beginning to back away into a corner at the frustrating lack of art time I have had recently. Fingers crossed that should tide me over for a week or two though, or at least until next weekend. One of the paintings I managed to do is the one that is going up for auction for charity at the beginning of next month. Apparently it is being auctioned alongside a signed photograph of Kate Winslet. I am pretty sure that makes me famous by default? No, is not the right answer....

'New Year' 20" x 16" Acrylic on Canvas

Dropbox

I decided to upload all my artwork files onto my Dropbox account today. This was mostly to act as a back up in case anything happened to my computer or my external hard drive, but it is also quite handy to be able to access my high resolution files remotely. I realised that uploading everything in one go may not have been the most sensible idea I have ever had. It has been going for over an hour so far and is still on the 'b' letter files. Oh well, apparently it will be finished in 12 hours. Ouch. Just as well my internet limit is free after midnight. I think I'll just leave my computer to file everything away overnight and fingers crossed it will be finished by the time I need to get up and start working.

I am feeling slightly relieved this evening as my intense period of 'real' working seems to be coming to a close. It has been nice to earn a decent amount of money for a change but I desperately need some time to paint and feel more like me again. I have been doing a bit of sorting and catching up with some art bits and pieces already as I am working from home tomorrow so my time is a bit less pressurised. I feel instantly better. The frustration at having to put art on hold has really been getting to me, making me fed up, tired and slightly demoralised. It looks like I may have made a rod for my own back. I am happiest painting, blogging, website updating and working on my 'art career' but this only pays the bills for a few months of the year. It looks like I may have to cope with being a pauper again for a while, but at least I will be a happy one.

London 2012

You have to love days like today, and god knows I needed one as I have felt like I have worked the last 50 days in a row and I seriously need a break. So thank you England, for being sunny, on a day when I had completed everything urgent so I could walk along the Thames, find a patch of green grass and read my book for two hours in the sunshine, feeling relaxed, tired and lazy. The only thing missing was an ice cream.

I still quite want an ice cream...damn.

I have just enough time to tell you about my latest commission before I have to go and package up a painting I just sold and then settle in for a film and an early night. If I don't get rid of these dark circles under my eyes soon, people are going to start querying domestic violence or ask me whether I have a secret penchant for boxing. I have neither, I just need a few more days like today or just a few work free weekends, or to be able to sleep beyond 6am in the morning - I was made to be a night owl, not an early bird!

Anyway....I have a slightly unusual commission to complete in the next week or so as it is going to raise money for the Make a Wish Foundation by going up for auction in June. This worries me slightly - what happens if no one wants it and it doesn't raise any money!?!?! Nothing like a bit of pressure to make this painting a good one, or a desirable one, or a something one, a saleable one? I am going to try not to think about it too much and just paint as I normally would otherwise it is liable to not go well. I do have a bit of guidance as it has to be in the style or similar to a painting I did before called London 2012. I have done it once, how hard can it be to do it again!?!

'London 2012'

18.45

You know I said I was tired last week? Well. I laugh at the tiredness I felt last week, TODAY, I am tired. Tired. Tired. Tired.

I did decide to paint in the end, by the way, and made a bit of a mess of it. I had to really work hard to pull out an acceptable painting. I managed it though, and it is good, and has been sold already!! Oh yes. I would show you but it is a birthday present so I need to wait until the eventual owner receives it. I will probably feature it in a blog post afterwards as it is a little bit different to 'normal' - whatever the hell 'normal' is!

So, news wise, I have run my society 6 competition and managed to have to post everything half way round the world. Oops. I also have a quick commission to do for a raffle for charity, and possibly three other pending commissions I need to chase. All this whilst currently freelancing 9 til 5 in Reading and having another architectural client's work to do in the evenings and weekends.

Ha ha ha ha ha aha ha haahah ahhaha ha hahaha haha hahahahahah ha ah ah

It is going to be a busy week.

I will not cry.

But I  may go to bed now, even though it is only 18.45. zzzz

The Selfish Giant

I am so tired today. In fact, am I actually awake? *Pinch* Ouch, yes, yes I am. Damn.

I stayed up late yesterday to finish my work so I could have another chill out day today. This has backfired slightly as I have been too tired to really do anything constructive. I am currently trying to decide whether to call it a day and just watch TV and have an early night or paint. I sometimes hate the 'or paint' option. I normally choose it in preference to anything else regardless of how I am feeling. I am not sure today though, I really am half dead. It will be my only opportunity for a week though so should I make the most of it?

I have just realised this post is very boring, let's talk about something else.

I had a new Lovefilm to watch on Friday. Wow. It was a slightly devastating watch. It was interesting - an unusual story, very believable characters, some nice cinematic shots but so, so sad. It still makes me feel slightly horrible just thinking about it. I think the worst thing was you could kind of see it coming, but you didn't think it actually would until. BAM. Hits you right between the eyes, steals a piece of your heart, and leaves you exclaiming in horror. I am not going to recommend watching it as such, only watch it if you want something real, sad, and well made. This is not for fun in anyway. To help you decide, here is the trailer for 'The Selfish Giant' it is an acclaimed film, for good reason.

Winnie the Pooh...

I have a day to myself today. I still have loads of work to do, but I decided that if I didn't have a day of doing normal things soon, I was going to go mad.

Today is that day. Hooray. Cue, leisurely getting up, having a cooked breakfast, packaging and posting a painting, going for a walk in the sunshine, getting home, cleaning dog poo of my shoe, subsequently being sick, having lunch, having chocolate, catching up with art stuff, phoning my parents, and hopefully next, painting a picture. A pretty good day if you ignore the unfortunate encounter with the innards of a dog somewhere in the middle.

Eurgh.

Anyway, before I head off to take my phone of the hook and sit down to paint, I thought I would share my latest Facebook competition with you. It has been a successful competition already as within an hour of posting I sold a painting! I didn't see that coming but there is nothing quite like an instant success. Apparently the adage 'You have to spend money to make money' is true. So if you would like to be in the running to win one of these lovely things, head over to my Facebook page now and check out the rules for entry...