Pa at the Archie again!

Greetings for the silly season! You may have noticed a lack of blog updates for a while... I've had a little break after somewhat over doing things (think pet portraits and moving house) and ending up in a bit of a heap for a couple of months. My doc thought I might have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and referred me to a specialist for a second opinion. The specialist diagnosed CFS and Fibromyalgia so to my great relief I now know why I've struggled with my health for so many years. It has been wonderful to take a real break and learn to pace myself for a more sustainable level of daily activity. I started painting again for a couple of hours a day and managed to complete this commission portrait of my grandfather just in time for my uncle to give it to my aunt for Christmas. I really enjoyed painting Pa again... I've painted him from this same photo twice before (see first 2 attempts below). I took this pic when Pa and I went to see the Archibald exhibition in 2006... he was standing in the sun among the columns at the entrance of the NSW art gallery. The slower painting pace meant I was more relaxed and not in so much pain, the end result being my best portrait yet!

Seemed like I might need some tips with learning how to pace so I called in professional nappers... kittens! For the past few weeks I've been fostering a litter of 6 kitties for a pet rescue organisation called Claws 'n' Paws. They are now 10 weeks old, adorable and hugely entertaining, even if the house turns into a circus when they're in full swing... but they're quite devoted to napping so we have plenty of down time. I'm adopting one of the girls who I've called Daisy... she's an affectionate and loving little creature and I'm so happy to have my own kitty again!

I've taken up crochet and have been making these little mice to give to the kitties when go to their new forever homes...

Wishing you a happy eat-fest with family and friends this Christmas and praying that the New Year has wonderful things in store for you... I hope to keep painting, just at a lesser pace, so do stay tuned...


“The smallest feline is a masterpiece.”
Leonardo da Vinci