Great Egret - Stage Two - Work In Progress

It seemed like I had visitors dropping in all day yesterday so I didn't get a chance to work on the Egret until last night. More to do yet but should hopefully finish it at the next sitting.

Great Egret art card - Work In Progress 2 - © Serena Lewis

Great Egret - Stage One - Work In Progress

I have been flat out the past week with Christmas and Birthday shopping. Aaron, my son, turns 9 on the 23rd and I'm having a family get-together for him. Then Mum and Dad are coming for Christmas dinner with me and the kids on Christmas Day. This year will be the first Christmas Day that my daughter will be spending away from us but it's only fair that her boyfriend's family get their turn on these special occasions. Even so, I will miss her like crazy! So, on Boxing Day (26th), my daughter and her boyfriend will be coming for the day which will be great! On top of all the Birthday and Christmas celebrations, I will also be having a New Year's Eve party here so, I've been very busy with shopping for that too. I will LOVE all the family time together over the next week but part of me will be glad when it's all over so that I can just relax.

Great Egret art card - Work In Progress - © Serena LewisClick on image to enlarge

This morning I managed to find a spare five minutes to make a start on an art card hoping it will kick start me into doing more painting. It's a very rough start but a start nonetheless. Hopefully, I will find more time to work on it later today. My reference image was courtesy of WetCanvas member, Crias and is very much appreciated. Thank you ~

Happy 1st Birthday to my Blog!!!

Graphic courtesy of Snogirl Graphics - Thank you

WOW! It's hard to believe that I have been blogging for one whole year now!! This past year has been an amazing experience. I LOVE blogging as it has enriched my life in numerous ways. I have also met and befriended some wonderful people via their own blogs and/or the Every Day Matters group which I joined in May. I have laughed and cried while visiting other blogs and I have also been inspired and encouraged. Thank you to all the people who take the time to visit my blog and even leave me a comment. It is so much appreciated ~

So......one year of blogging under my belt.....I invite you to keep on dropping by, stay awhile if you are so inclined and enjoy a nice cuppa (tea, coffee, hot chocolate)......You are always welcome!

EDM Challenge #4 - Draw a Mug
Pigma Micron .05 pen & Derwent Coloured pencils - © Serena LewisClick on image to enlarge

EDM challenge # 105 - Draw some scissors

I've always cut my hair on impulse and Sunday was the day. Maybe it was because I've been feeling down of late but, generally, I just reach a point where I've had enough of my hair too long so out come the scissors. I have cut and dyed my own hair for over ten years now because I no longer trust hairdressers after too many disasters. That said, my nephew is now a hairdresser so I would trust him to do my hair but, unfortunately, Grant wasn't around on Sunday and when the impulse strikes me......it strikes! My hair is really much the same style, only shorter with layers....around shoulder length. Graphite in A5 sketchbook - © Serena LewisClick on image to enlarge

EDM challenge #45 - Draw something holdiday themed

Thanks to the warm and caring encouragement from my wonderful readers/friends, I took a step towards breaking my creative drought today. Hopefully, I will be able to keep it going. Thanks everyone for you support....it truly means a lot to me ~
Pigma Micron pen and coloured pencil in A5 sketchbook - © Serena LewisClick on image to enlarge

Skye's Formal

My niece, Skye, graduated High School last month and, as is tradition, they had a Formal Dinner Dance where the graduating students dress up to the occasion. I thought I'd share a few pics of Skye before she left for her special night. She looks like a princess, don't you think?

Skye with her immediate family

Princess Skye

Two of my sons, Bradley and Aaron, with Skye and one very proud Aunty (ME!)

This is one my favourite pics of Skye on her special night

MISSING - My muse! If you find it, please send it home.

I've been feeling so out of the loop the past week or so......I fear I have lost my muse. I just can't seem to motivate myself to paint or draw. The frustrating part is that I have lots of ideas for paintings swirling around in my head but even that hasn't motivated me to pick up a pencil or brush to get it all down on paper before I forget them. Believe me, if you have a memory like mine, you will definitely understand the need for me to do that. Admittedly, I have a ton of other, more burdensome, thoughts swirling around in my head too so maybe I need to clear the clutter of my mind first before I can free the creative spirit within. Any ideas? I do journal but I've even been lax there too. Note to self - I really need to get back into my daily meditations.

Maybe I'm just feeling overwhelmed and one of the reasons may well be this monstrosity of a fishtank and stand. Can you feel the love? My darling son, Beau, brought it home a couple of weeks ago after an impulse buy because he decided he wanted to upgrade from the two smaller fishtanks currently taking up residence in his room.
Just take a guess at who is going to be painting the latest addition for him? Hmmmmmmmm....I hear ya....my thoughts exactly, I swear....but what could I say? He was so excited about setting it up....well, that was until a couple of days ago when, Xena, his favourite fish died. Poor Beau was not happy and now this massive tank could possibly be home to a turtle instead of fish. I did explain to him that turtles have an expiry date too but he said he's over the fish.

On the new fishtank stand, Beau wants me to paint the same crackled effect (black with cream cracks) that I did on the other stand in his room. It looks much better in reality than in the photo.
At least I will be painting again but it's not the type of painting I want to be doing. This job is going to be fiddly too! :( I do love my son, honest I do......this is the same son who wants me to do the painting of zebras for his room after I've done all this other stuff. I might add at this point that Beau is a fabulous artist in his own right and I feel quite honoured that he wants me to paint the zebras.... just not the other stuff. Love jobs - let's just say that I have a love/hate relationship with them. Of course, I do have the option of telling him to go ahead and paint the massive, monstrosity of a fishtank stand himself but, when he did start painting the 'other' stand in his room, I quickly took over the task because Beau seems to have an uncanny knack for spattering paint everywhere.....and I mean everywhere! I remember the clean ups all too well. Black, spattered paint all over my studio? I don't think so.

I've received a Blog award!

This award has been bestowed upon me by Kathy. If you haven't already checked out her blog, please do because it showcases some of her amazing photography and her macro shots are to die for. Thanks for the award, Kathy!

I pass this award on to Ro over at Northbrook Designs. Ro and I 'met' some years ago via mutual painting groups we belong/ed to and, in recent years, I discovered just how mult-talented Ro is when she turned her attention to making dolls too. Visit her blog to see some of her work ~

Added December 5th - Following is an excerpt from the creator of the "Be The Blog" award.

"Earlier this year I was tagged with the blogging tip meme in which the tip I offered was “Be the Blog“. That phrase stuck with me because I think that really sums up what a successful blogger does. And what I mean by successful is that they make it their own, stay with it, are interactive with their readers, and just plain have fun."