Trials And Victories of a Middle Aged Artist

Shocked at how long it is since I last popped by with any news. Shame on me!

I think it was a Tuesday off when I found time to blog, and now here we are again. I do have a good excuse as to why I wasn't here last week - what a hideous time that was. It all started on the Saturday when my beloved and I planned a lovely day out, a meal and a wander round Liverpool to celebrate my first payday. It started off well, but by Saturday afternoon it became apparent that all wasn't so well with the food we'd had. I got sick and spent Saturday afternoon to Wednesday night being ill in all it's forms. Tuesday evening was so desperate that I was in tears, between flights to the bathroom. I lost my lovely weekend and the ensuing days and it was simply wretched. Add to that the anxiety of having to take time off work in a new job and it puts the icing on the damned cake of doom. All best forgotten really.

Anyway, I'm over it now finally. I took a bit of time on Saturday to work on some paintings. I'm exploring the butterfly thing a bit more and playing with the technique I've been developing. The results are being well received and more have sold, which remains awesome and splendid and gives me a huge sense of satisfaction. I did a watercolour card too, which I failed to get a photo of (too busy I reckon), but the work colleague who asked me to make it is over the moon with the result and is sending it off to Bulgeria today.

These are from weekend:

I had an arachnid horror adventure one afternoon last week. Hub had picked me up from work and just as we pulled up outside the house I looked in my bag. I have no idea why, but I did and right there on the top of my handbag treasure was the biggest, fattest, most revolting spider I've seen in many a year. I did a comedy doubletake and shoved the bag to my unsuspecting spouse with a shriek. Now he's not afraid of spiders and he went fishing in there to grab the critter. It duly jumped out onto his t-shirt and began running all over him. I say running, as though something that size could have any great speed about it. It was more like an ocotpus giving him a tentacle massage. By this point I was out of the car and a safe distance away, shuddering and watching the hairs on my arms standing on end as though I were attached to an electricity outlet. He managed to catch it eventually and set it free. I'm goose bumpy here even describing it. Yuck! Needless to say he was urged to tip out the contents of my bag once we got indoors and I've been eyeing it with suspicion ever since. The worst thing about it? I'll tell you - I can't stop wondering how long I'd been carrying that thing around with me! It could have been in my bag for DAYS. Argh! I don't think I'll ever feel clean again!

The black comedy that is my life continues today. I woke up with a bit of a stiff neck this morning and within 20 minutes of getting up I was unable to move. That thing where you walk like Herman Munster and can't look round without turning your whole body? Yeah that. So hub has rubbed me with Voltarol Gel (romantic little scenario) and I'm sitting here with a hot water bottle jammed down the back of my dressing gown. Good job he's back at work today because he wouldn't be able to keep his hands off me.

It's lovely to be having my day off, despite the drawbacks. I have some work lined up to do and a birthday present to make. I was going to sculpt today, but my lack of supple muscle movement is a bit of a handicap. I may pop back later with an update, but if not, see you all another Tuesday.

Fruits of my labours

The last nine paintings I've posted here have now all sold, plus five others, all in the space of a few weeks. Do I need to attempt to wax lyrical about how amazingly over the moon and filled to the brim with squeeing joy I am? It's becoming a routine to be packing up parcels in the evenings, a chore that I do with a gigantic smile upon my mush. The pleasure of this has dragged me from doom to relative happiness and is even making me not quite so sad that I'm not home painting or making things all day any more. My life balance is constantly tipping this way and that and I'm doing my best to hang on. I could use some No More Nails I reckon.

I've not got a whole lot more to report today really. I'm just fresh from a delicious bath and about to dry my hair ready for a lovely early night. I'm looking forward to a day out with my honey on Saturday, when we shall have a trip to the art shop and a special lunch somewhere. I'll also be trying to squeeze some work time in of course, as well as my washing and ironing. Can this all be done in a day? Goodness me. Who knows?

There's this book writing thing in November. You write so many words per day and by the end of the month you have a novel, be it good, bad or indifferent. I'm considering having a crack at it. I definitely need a few more hours in my day, which would probably mean moving to a planet with a different set of logistics than my current one. I'd give that a go too if it were feasable, but alas, I doubt my Ford Fiesta would get me there.

Tuesday's Child

Yep, it's my day off again. I get Saturdays and Tuesdays off each week, in case I didn't mention that before. It's a most peculiar setup for someone who's always done Monday to Friday.

The job remains bearable on the whole. I've had a few hideous days and a few good ones, but mostly average ones really. I still don't feel settled there, I think it's going to take some time. I am however into the routine of being out all day and coming home to spend the evenings with my beloved hub. I'm still walking every day, although not the whole way because I tend to meet up with hub on his way home and get a lift for the last part of the journey. Even so, I expect I'll be thin in a fortnight, three weeks tops.

I've painted again today. I'm making a concerted effort to be doing this when I'm home. On Saturday while I was off I made a card, but mostly did couple things and had a chill out. Tuesdays are definitely the days of industry.

It's been butterflies mostly. Not my usual topic of choice, but I felt like giving them a go. Results are as follows. Oh and a landscape that I did last week while I was off.

7 Days Later

Here we are a week on. I purposely didn't write anything during the week because I wanted to try and settle a little in the new job first.

Monday was a rough one if I'm honest, but then I was expecting it to be. I always hate the first day in a new job with all the faffing it involves. I walked almost the whole way home too (2 miles), so I had sore feet, being mostly a desk dweller for so long. Hub was a star though and cooked dinner, did the dishes, ran me a bath and gave me a foot rub afterwards. He's been simply wonderful this week.

I think I've started to settle in a bit now. The people are alright and I'm beginning to get used to the ways of the place, which has involved unlearning the habits that I had from my last full time job. It's a very similar company in that it's a supplier, but the way it all works is very different. It's smaller, so we all do a bit of everything rather than my own cut and dried little bit of responsibility that I'm used to. Thursday and Friday were pretty good as I felt like I was becoming more useful and learning a lot of the things I need to be up to speed with.

It's been scary. I have so many bad associations after my last job that I was waiting almost with my breath held for things to be unpleasant. Then there's the fear that I would instantly be plunged back into the misery I was feeling previously and that the despression would return in a flash. Sounds silly when I write it all down, but I really was terribly afraid of it being instant trauma and doom. I have to do this job, at least in the short term, and I need to hold myself together. So far I'm OK, but I'm still not relaxed about it. Hopefully that will come soon.

I didn't manage to do any creative work at all in the week. I guess I was a bit wary in making sure I chilled out in the evenings and nursed myself through the first few days. I was determined not to waste my weekend though, especially since in future I'll be working either Saturday or Sunday. They haven't put me in the rota yet, so I got to have a full weekend off.

Saturday I was so tired. It took my be surprise, as I'm always up and busy first thing. I ended up going back to bed for an hour mid-morning. Once I'd caught up a bit I managed to get all my washing and ironing done, which felt very encouraging. We had a relaxing evening and an early night; most indulgent!

Today I've worked my socks off finishing my commission paintings so I can send them off to my customer. I needed to get this batch out of the way so I can start the next project, which will be more time consuming (some scuplted masks). I also found an hour to pop to Ikea and grab some new picture frames.

So I've managed to complete a week in work and still get some art done on my days off. I'm really pleased and I hope with every fibre of my being that things will continue as well going forward.

Here are the paintings that are ready to be sent off