The Mystery of Sinus's Trousers ...

This week has been odd, even for me

and I blame my clothes washer

which has started exhibiting some odd behaviour

like making some weird noise in the middle of the cycle

doesn't do anything else... just this buzz type noise for 5 seconds

but more puzzling is that it turns Sinus Man's trousers inside out during a load

nothing else gets turned inside out, or right side in for that matter

just his new trousers

which is weird right

I actually thought that maybe some smart ass in the family

may, in fact, be stopping the load and doing it to mess with me

because lets face it that is exactly the sort of sick minds they have

but having sat and watched a load like a hawk, seriously, I sat and watched the laundry

it would appear the washer just has some bizarre thing for Sinus's trousers

which drives me nuts, not just because it makes no sense

but because it means I have turn them back the right way to hang them

and he has really long legs and I have really short arms

which leads to laundry contortions and cursing

 plus the microfibrey type material is kind of weird when it is wet

anyway the long and short of it is that it has messed with me all week

Because my head is all inside out due to the laundry conundrum

I am suffering form a bit of I-have-no-clue-what-I-am-doing-itis

I haven't decided if I am going to do the Index Card a Day Challenge

which always looks like it spurs everyone onto mountainous creative heights

I had a play on some cards to see what I thought

but it is quite the commitment and I seem to be piling my plate a but high at the moment

I am doing the Summer of Colour as it was great fun last year

plus I won an Ice cream spoon... need I say more!!!!

 

I am in the middle of writing more lessons for what will hopefully be an online course one day

I pulled out all my old teaching notes, which is quite the pile it turns out

so I have now overloaded my brain with information

and the lessons are taking on epic proportions...

Add to that I am nearing the magic 400 mark in followers

which was the goal I set myself to open an online store

mind you I set that goal whenI Ithought I would never make it to such a lofty number

so now am freaking out that I have to take the plunge

I started a painting based on a post card I was sent and I really want to finish it off

because I love where it is going

it  has looked like this on my desk for the last two days

but the epic lesson pile is taking up all the room so I'm not getting to it

which is driving me a bit mad

plus Phantom Steve turns 17 on Sunday

and I feel obliged to make a fuss and give her presents and things

despite her eye rolling becoming so prevalent her eyes are starting to look like poker/ slot machines...

and I still suspect she may have a hand in the trouser turning out somehow

not sure how she is doing it but she has serious ninja type tendencies...

Happy Paint Party Friday everyone ...xx

My last post was last Sunday but here is the link if you are interested ...

Blue Digits ...

Blue digits ...

It is a bit of a rare occurrence

but not only did I get a couple of the 5 squillion unfinished drawings painted

but I also don't have much to say

shocking isn't it ... me with not much to say

you never thought you would see the day did you

part of the reason I have so little to say

is because out of nowhere wintery weather has arrived

I am strictly a warm weather creature

which means at the first hint of cool weather

I completely freak out and need to take to my bed with extra blankets and hot water bottles

I am truly that much of a wuss

So as my shaking and slightly blue hands are typing this

in fact I think my fingers are in fact the exact blue of these brushes

I am madly thinking of moving even further north than we live

and wondering how I am going to get my poor frozen digits to grip a paint brush

while considering if I need a heater in the studio

or if I could paint in one of those blanket things with sleeves

which I am starting to think may be a bit of pure genius to be honest

It is possibly quite lucky that I got some work finished off

because I may need a week or two to adjust

or come up with a heating solution

and while I wish that I could blame the cold for the lack of creative subject matter

that led to two separate paintings of water-well brushes

I have to say I drew them both up on days when it was much toastier

and in fact are the result of having the same half lame idea on different days

my memory is in that sad a state

Add this poor mental state to the cold and who knows what you may be in for in coming weeks

now I know some of you are shaking your heads and snorting that I am so lily livered

especially given the fact that the weather I am complaining about this morning was 8 C / 46 F and it is now a shiver inducing 17C / 63F

but it all a matter of context and around here this qualifies as half frozen

So I am going to take my shivering pathetic self and swathe it in a million blankets

happy Sunday Sketches everyone...xx

PS Stillman & Birn have shared my Chilli peppers over on their facebook page and their blog

which makes up for the horrid cold and makes me feel all warm and fuzzy

here are the links if you are interested...xx

http://www.stillmanandbirn.com/blog/?p=430

https://www.facebook.com/Stillmanandbirn

My last two post links are here...

A Fraction Of What I Deserve ...

Manon's Miracle Tea Cup ...

A Fraction Of What I Deserve ....

Have to say the Mother's Day haul was a mighty one

a new wok, some perfume and this lovely tea cup for my collection,

lots of fun was had ordering my slave, Phantom Steve around

not to mention Ice Cream for dinner

in my own tub

that no one else was allowed to touch, or taste, stick their finger in, or sneeze into

and none of this sharing or tasting each other's flavour business

we each sat with our own tub... which was totally glorious

so all round the day was a raging success

and you know what

I totally deserved it

One day a year of being spoiled is hardly too much to ask for putting up with the madness

in fact I think there should be one day a quarter, at least

which may seem extreme, but before you judge me

here is a snippet of a conversation to back up this statement

5.34 am this morning

I am sitting reading the paper and I asked Phantom what she thought of human cloning

and can I clarify that this is not common breakfast discussion

I was reading about it in the paper

all for it she says

really??? I ask

absolutely... the world would be a better place with a lot more of me in it...

Sinus and I looked at each other and just shook our heads

and she countered with a 

tell me you didn't see that one coming... disappointed you guys have no come back

no my dear child I didn't see that coming because it is 5.30 in the freakin morning

zingers will not be replied to before 7am at the earliest

Sadly this sort of conversation is all to common in our house

and though there was a moment of shining highlight this week

when Phantom actually washed a tea cup... big news trust me

 I also had the dubious pleasure of proof reading

a 10 000 words chemistry assignment ... twice

checking her editing of articles for the cultural magazine 

at 9 pm on a Saturday night

endure a discussion on carbon pricing... at 6.28am

endless questions looking for feedback on her feminist transformation of Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? which is one of my favourite books I have to say but there are limits to how much I want to hear about what theorists she should be using to defend her transformation

sort of takes the shine off a favourite after a while

and watching her hold a discussion with a bit of scone dough

because it looked like a little bald man's head

and when I questioned her sanity for talking to scone dough

she rolled her eyes and picked on the fact that I have moved

Trevor the Pocket Buddha into the car to help me get good parking spots

scoff all you like I have been getting some cracking parking spaces

so Trevor is staying where he is

Looking back on the week I have to say that though it is never boring

I totally deserve all the mother's day loot that I got

in fact I am starting to think it was a bit light on actually...xx

Linking up with Paint Party Friday....

and my last post link is here ...

Manon's Miracle Tea Cup ...

Manon's Miracle Tea Cup ....

There have been two special arrivals this week in our household

no not puppies, or new cars or even George Clooney

this is better than all those things put together

well maybe it is better than cars and Clooney

as I have to admit that I love puppies an insane amount

but puppies aside it is a pretty awesome week

because this week two new tea cups have made an my studio their new home

The first one I have drawn first is from the lovely Manon

and it is from her Grandma's set

which is crazy amazing  and it will be treasuered, but is kind of freaking me out

and led to Phantom shaking her head that anyone would send me something so special

which makes sense given my track record with dropping, elbowing and knocking things

but I did spend yesterday very carefully drinking from this precious teacup

and having a bit of a sketch up

It has now been carefully washed and dried by Phantom as she didn't trust me to do it

and hey if it meant she got off her skinny butt and she actually got her hands wet

then it should be called Manon's Miracle Inducing Tea Cup

because Phantom is not a fan of any sort of domestic labours

and I am a bit gutted that I didn't get a photo with hands in sink for posterity

but I was simply so stunned by the sight that I didn't think to get the camera

Once Manon's miracle cup was suitably spotless

it was placed in my studio where is will be safe from my elbows and knocks

and while I may paint it again now that these sketches are done

and I have its shape and measure sorted

until I do tackle a more finished painting of it

it will spend its days on my studio shelves

reminding me not only of how generous the lovely Manon is

but also of the time that Phantom washed a tea cup ... xx

My last two links are here...

Hop and a Crop ...

Peas Peas Peas Let Me Love You ...

Hop and a Crop ....

To hop or not to hop

that was the question...

I took part in the Liberate your Art Postcard Swap again this year

but I am a haphazard hopper at best

plus it is Mother's Day this weekend

and I have done bugger all to get the house ready

or baked for the morning tea tomorrow

or done any of the things I had promised myself I would get done

so I am being up front and am saying that I have no clue when I will get to you all

 but I will get there... I promise

As to my Sunday Sketches friends

for you I just have a crop of a work... I think it is finished but sort of not sure

and I hope seeing the work from liberate your art will make some of you take part next year

I would love to receive cards from so many of you

The sort of creative shot in the arm that this event gives can't be underestimated

I stalk that postman... sorry mail carrier person

squeal with every piece of work that arrives

scan the Facebook group like a crazy person hoping to see if people have received mine

and ooo and ahhh over all the ones that are so fabulously awesome

and hope that by some miracle I will receive not my allotted six

but one of each of them

but alas just six it is

So here are the three I sent off

and yes the photography is rather ordinary and many of you are shaking your head at my skills

but I am a painter not a photographer so you can cut me some slack I am sure...

Here is what I got back...

from left... Angela Susan

then Barbara from www.funkyrosebudstudio.com

and at the bottom a gorgeous image from www.geetlee.blogspot.com

Then I received Grace by Will Conway

and finally

this fab painting one from Tina Wittmer

an extra from the lovely Snap Lane, who knows the way to my heart is with tea, flowers and books...

and of course Kat's ethereal image

Thank you all so very much, and to Kat for organising this event again this year

I love them all and they are adorning my studio wall

inspiring me to get off my butt and keep painting ...xx

My last two post links are here...

Peas, Peas, Peas, Let Me Love You ...

An Overflowing Desk ...