No More Snow...

 That's the background just about done, now on to the good bit!

It's Cold Outside...

I woke up to thick fog and frost on the ground this morning - it's been a week of heavy frosts here, which makes outside activities not a lot of fun.  However, it also means I have no excuse not to get on with my current commission.  This will be a double dog portrait, but I am starting with the background as it is nigh on impossible to paint a detailed background around completed animals without it looking weird.  This is painted in acrylics and it feel so very good to be back at work!

Currently on the needles - or should I say hook - a very showy crocheted shawl made of sunflowers and leaves.  Not something I would ever have thought of making myself, but a friend has commissioned it and it has been a lot of fun and will certainly be a talking point once it is finished as it is absolutely gorgeous!

First Painting of 2023...

 Happy New Year!  After December being full of sickness, things going wrong and bad weather, 2023 seems to have got off to a bit of a better start, although the weather is still abysmal.

I've not been able to paint for about 6 weeks since Mr.B had his second knee replacement surgery.  It's hard to find the time when you are caring for two people as well as trying to prepare for Christmas.  It has been incredibly frustrating, especially as I have three commissions waiting patiently in the wings. So rather than start with a commission, I thought I'd get back into the swing of things with a quick bear - I know what I am doing with a bear, and it is a excellent way to get those painting muscles moving again. It felt very good to get paint on to paper once more!

So now that is finished (and it looks like I may have sold it already) I can get on with my first commission, which is a double pet portrait in acrylics. I've not painted one of these for a very long time, so I am really looking forward to it.

I'm also crocheting a very interesting shawl for someone - consists of 15 sunflowers.  Watch this space!

Unbearable Hat...

 Due to circumstances beyond my control - Mr.B has had his second knee replaced and needed full time care, plus I was ill for a week with a stinking cold, and Christmas - I have not touched a paintbrush for over a month.  To be honest, it is doing my head in!  However, I have been knitting and made myself this hat.  It is a pattern I found on Ravelry called Unbearable Hat.  Unfortunately, electric light does not pick out the pattern & colours of the top of the hat - they are grey and a nice ice blue.

Christmas was not as planned this year - difficult to organise when you are sole carer for two people instead of just one.  Also my son and his family caught Covid two days before Christmas, so we did not get to see them - very disappointed not to see my granddaughter for the first Christmas where she will be aware of what's going on.  We plan on doing a re-run of Christmas Day once everyone is healthy.  

Hopefully in January life will return to normal - I have three commissions patiently waiting in the wings, and if I don't get to paint soon I am going to throw a major tantrum!

Fat Bear Hat...

I knitted the Katmai hat from the book, Knitting the National Parks.  The bear seemed to turn out looking very well nourished - at least he is ready for hibernation!  This is a Christmas present for someone and had to be posted in a hurry to avoid strikes/Christmas rush, so does not have the faux fur pompom as shown in the pattern book.  The next ones (yes, plural, I've already had requests) will have the pompoms!

Not much else going on as far as arts & crafts - Mr.B has just had his second knee replacement surgery so I am tending to him while he is incapacitated, not much time left for painting unfortunately.

Lucky...

Thankfully this year I do not have a slew of Christmas commissions - Mr.B is going in for his second knee replacement surgery next week and if it is anything like last time, I will not have the time to sit and paint.  I did get this lovely little commission though - it has been a long time since I painted a dog and I thoroughly enjoyed getting back in the swing of things with this little chap.  This has been painted in watercolour on paper and will be winging it's way to Boston very shortly.

My next commission will also be dogs - looking forward to it!  If you would like your pet painted, drop me a line, hopefully I shall be back to working as normal in the New Year.
 

Christmas Knitting...

I was in a quandary, I needed to get a Christmas present for a friend's husband that I have never met - so it seemed a good idea to knit him a hat!  It was also a good opportunity to test out one of the patterns from a new book, Knitting The National Parks.

I love the design of this one, particularly the clever flower shaped pattern onthe crown.  If fact, I like this hat so much I am knitting another one, reversing the colours - not sure who will be the recipient of that one though.