Bit of an update

Well hi there, strangers!

Sorry for the momentary break in activity. I have a few things in the works right now (including a show at Tea Lane in Aberdeen this Saturday the 2nd of May) and I've been preparing for that, as well as finishing up a few digital projects. Among them, a logo donation for Valley Gaming, a rebranded game shop in St Croix Falls, Wisconsin. All the best to them!

I'm not one to air my difficulties online (anymore, haha), but truly, the last few weeks have been a bit tricky for me. I'd started experiencing shoulder and neck pain to the point where I had to take 15-30 minute breaks after about 2 hours of painting; both the frequent breaks and the pain made it difficult to get into the zone. As a result, my work suffered. When I finally decided to see a doctor about it, she told me that I had been grinding my teeth in my sleep (a sign of anxiety and stress) which had become a strain all the way down to my trapezius and even my deltoids.

So as difficult as it's been, I've been trying to cool down a little on my painting, spending more time and going slower on each work, trying to build up the muscles around that area to strengthen them, and generally taking it easier. I'm DYING to get back to daily painting, I am, but it's time for me to take my own advice and be kind to myself.

I will still be painting, just less frequently for a month or two, until I can get my mental and physical state in check.

What a drag, right?

Thanks for being here. Knowing that I have such a great support base is making it much easier to heal!

Drat!

I'm feeling a bit under the weather, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to push the completion of my Friday painting (which is roundabout 3/4 completed) until tomorrow.

On the bright side, it's a 12x16, so it's nice and large! Very exciting, yes yes.

So positive healing thoughts appreciated, and I'm sure I'll be right as rain tomorrow!

What did I do this week, anyway?

What did I do this week, you ask?


Oh, a little of this...

Blue Lemonade

Little Palette Cleanser Demo (it looks much more green and orange in real life)

... A little of that...

Flow Drawing at the Aberdeen Wellbeing Centre

And even a little bit of this!

Oil Painting Fundamentals at the Rosemount Community Centre

So I may have been absent, but I've been just as busy as ever. New paintings will be coming soon! I hope to get 4 paintings done this week. Wish me luck!

Oops-a-doodle!

Taking a week off; classes are starting this week and I need to prepare.

More paintings are coming, though. They are!

This isn't oil!

No painting today, on account of my fulfillment of a life drawing commission for coloured pencils. I am not a fan of working in coloured pencils (really, I haven't ever been very good at them), but it feels good to branch out every now and again, and I'm sure not complaining about getting a commission!

Weekend Update

(or, Why I Didn't Post This Weekend)

I feel like every 3 or 4 months I need to remind myself that I am horrible at painting landscapes from photographs.

Yesterday was one of those reminders.

So I won't be posting that, but I can assure you, it was painted. Today has been a lovely Sunday full of tying up loose ends (and walking all the way to The Range to gather materials for a new commission! Yay!), so I will be working on digital paintings (specifically a business card commission) today as my daily painting in order to recover from yesterday's less-than-stellar work.

Thanks for your patience. Tomorrow's painting should be a hoot!

(Also, for those of you who are sticklers about this sort of thing, I should let you know that I only intend on painting on days where I am not otherwise massively occupied with self-employment-related endeavours!)

<3 <3