Ups & Downs...

Let's start with the good news - last year at out local art society exhbition one of my paintings was chosen by the public as Best In Show.  Wow!  The society then sent a copy of the picture in to Leisure Painter magazine for their art society page - I discovered this month that it had been selected!

That's mine there, bottom right.  Funny how a little painting that took me a week or so seemed to catch everyone's eye - it sold at the exhibition too.

A new 'tradition' at work is the Easter egg decorating competition.  Mostly it's for the children to take part, but us staff get to have our own little competition as well.  I saw goose eggs for sale at out local market last weekend and thought that one of those would make a brilliant 'canvas' - this is what I came up with.  I doubt I will win - last year there were a lot of very humourous entries and they seem to be the ones people like.  I'm just sticking with what I know how to do!  I'm also hoping it will survive a week at school and be able to come home with me for further usage...

I love my garden, it's my little sanctuary from the world. This is what my garden looks like today....

...apart from the lack of grass (waiting for the seeds to grow!), it's looking rather nice.

However, through no choice of our own, this wall is about to be demolished and a pair of new houses are to be built smack bang next to ours.  This means yet another summer ruined by the presence of builders, dirt, noise and mess.  Plus we lose any privacy we had when sitting out in the garden.  I don't think anyone realises just how depressed this is making me - I would leave if I could, but financially and due to current circumstances we are unable to.  Not only do I have the above to contend with, when I am stressd like this, all creativity goes out of the window and creativity is basically 99% of who I am.  Wish me luck and the strength to deal with this.