It's about time......literallly :)

The classes I am doing from my home studio are finishing quicker than the larger venue classes used to. The most obvious and logical reason is because the number of students are smaller. But, as I was telling yesterday's students, there's a number of small factors that also chip away at the time. One of the major changes is that it is rare a student ever needs to clean a brush, both during and after a class. I take on that task, easily spending half hour or more in my outside studio washing and conditioning all our brushes. Another factor.....The way I demo in my studio set up means students no longer have to leave their chairs to see my step by step demo. Imagine having to do that about 10 plus times a lesson.....just say it takes a minute to walk to the front of the class and back to your chair - that's already shaved over 10 minutes of the class time.This means, from the time you start your painting lesson with me it's all about painting. And that's just the way I like it. I think the student's are in agreement too :)

'Can I ask a favour?', said my student.

I spoke often last year about painting on the small side. Today I painted one of the smallest oils I've done so far. One of today's students asked me if I would paint our painting subject for her on a very small scale. She provided me with a tiny little canvas and explained it was to be a part of a project she was working on.

And you know me, I do like a challenge, so I happily gave it a go. The only difficulty I had was the canvas was extremely absorbant, drying the oil out in seconds, making the blending awkward. But I have a few tricks that sorted that out quite easily. What do you think of the micro version of 'Peach Dawn'? Quite cute, isn't it.

A choice of colour

I'm quite pleased my daughter took my camera as she has added a beautiful collection of photos of herself to my memory card. One of them in particular is just asking to be turned into an oil painting project too. As promised, I now have a photo of the monochromatic seascape in the black/grey/white tones. I'll be offering this as an alternative choice of colour in the upcoming painting classes. (Class details , dates and locations can be found HERE) You can see a larger version of the painting in the Class Subject Gallery HERE.

A different kind of commission !

Last Monday I had a massive baking session. My daughter, Soha, took the 2 sponge cakes into work the following day as is the office custom for birthday girls. They were sliced up and by 10.30 in the morning they had both gone. In an email she said 'The cakes went down well - everybody loved them and said what a good cook you are'. She later said that one chap reckoned it was the best cake he had ever tasted. As I sit here checking my emails after today's workshop I have to giggle - you see, I've just received my first cake commission! Soha writes 'The bloke who said your cake was the best that he has ever tasted wants you to make him and his wife one…he’s Indian and his wife is moving here from India 30th March, he said in return he’ll get her to make you some somosas and bhajis.' Well, exchange is no robbery '