Not really a good week.  Been a bit overwhelmed by the forthcoming exhibition at Quarr Abbey, which has thrown up a number of problems regarding exhibiting. Will see what happens!  Today spent rather a long time getting paintings etc. ready for the exhibition. About four new ones and quite a few oil sketches.

Swimming has been going ok, although had one day where it was really, really crowded.  Would like my own pool!

The watercolour live on Thursday was pretty tough. One picture I did was awful and the other was only just about passable, hence why I'm not posting the pictures.  I've been trying to do a sketch a day outside, but so far, out of eight days have only managed four outside, and they weren't too special.  Roll on sunny days.

Took the boat up the river on  Tuesday and it was lifted out on Wednesday.  Perry has been working like a Trojan ever since. It goes back in the water on Wednesday.

That's all. 

 We actually had two days of sun this week, and stupidly thought that spring had arrived! No such luck.

I've been continuing to do the oil and watercolour live sessions.

 This is the one of the two watercolour paintings, done in just over an hour.  I was quite pleased with this one - the other, not so.  Definitely using a lot of paint.  Might have to replenish some.

This was from the oil live session.  Similar to the watercolour subject the week before, but again I quite liked this one.  Got a lot of paint on in just over an hour.  

With the exception of the live sessions I haven't been doing as much painting as I feel I ought to. Must be due to the weather!

I have been doing some sewing and also the swimming.  Finished the last of my extra swimming lessons on Tuesday.  Can do front crawl quite well now, but just don't seem to have the stamina to continue with more than a few lengths.

Boat comes out of the water on Wednesday, so Perry will be involved in lots of work.  Me, I'll be sitting with the boys!

We have an exhibition coming up in about three weeks, so today I buzzed round starting to get things ready.  I have lots of small oil paintings and about four new watercolour paintings.  I hope it's a success, but I have a feeling that I may be a little over optimistic.  Still.  Will see how it goes.

I am keeping up the osteoporosis exercises, and am now on week 5.  It's a 52 week plan, so quite a bit to go yet!

It's now stopped raining, so it's time to take the boys out, and get this blog posted. 

 

 We're back from our Cotswolds trip. However, firstly I must post the two watercolours I did with the live session. I did them on the Thursday, the day before we left, so didn't have time to post them.

I was quite happy with both of them, even though they were done very quickly.

This Friday was oil live, but although I took part, I was not too pleased with the results, so I will not put them on the blog.  The Google meet seemed to work with Chrome, so hopefully that's a problem I wont't have to repeat.

The trip to the Cotswolds was quite fun.  Despite the frightful weather, we saw the family every day and had a good time.  It was very relaxing, we went into Witney twice and Burford once.  Perry managed to have a day at Bletchley park, and enjoyed it.

The cottage we stayed in was lovely and the boys got used to it very quickly.  It was a shame that we were unable to walk very far with them, but it was impossible with that amount of rain. We also saw a lot, and I really do mean a lot, of flooding.  The roads on the mainland are dreadful and we will never moan about the roads on the Island again.

It all worked out well, and hopefully, later in the year, we will do it again.  Very unlikely in the summer months, as we will be sailing, but also it really is expensive. Later in the year, definitely.

Back to swimming tomorrow, and must get on with some more painting.  I only managed a small amount while we were away, and it really wasn't very special! 

 

 

 Just a quick update as we are going away in a couple of days to the Cotswolds to see Daniel and family.  Last week's heading was about computers.... and that hasn't really finished.  Have had some real problems with Google Meet which is what I am linked to for the live painting sessions I follow.  It appears, after a huge amount of investigation by Perry, that Firefox doesn't want me to use it, so for the live sessions it looks as though I will have to use Google Chrome.  Let's see what happens Thursday.

 My last live session was an oil painting one and to be honest the painting was really pretty awful. Some bits were ok others were... well you can guess.

Other than that I have been swimming.  Restarted the swimming lessons to improve front crawl, but I'm not sure I'm getting anywhere.  Perhaps I shouldn't worry.

The weather has been absolutely dire here, rain, rain, rain, wind and the occasional sunshine.  Been very difficult to take the dogs out.  A friend has loaned me a dog buggy for Muffin, which we will use on our holiday break. He doesn't like it. Wants to get out all the time, and Henry wants to get in all the time.

Other than that, not a lot happening. 

 Computers, computers, computers. Why does everything have to be so difficult? I was on a live watercolour session the other day and for some unaccountable reason I just couldn't get the camera to work.  I did the watercolour painting, but it's disappointing if you can't share the work. However, today I spent what felt like an inordinate amount of time trying to sort it out.  I don't know yet if I have, but fingers crossed.  Does anyone else think that computers take away all our free time.......

The painting I did is

 I much prefer the second one.  I even started a new "filing system" for my painting, which so far works.  Trouble is, I think I may download to many of my images!

I've been continuing with the swimming and have gone back to lessons as an improver.  The front crawl is, I think, getting better, and I have increased the number of lengths of fc in my normal session.  Still need to do more.

Have been continuing with the sewing and finished a sweatshirt and a dress.  Think I might start being a bit more adventurous in the next few weeks.

We are having a decorator in tomorrow, for about a week, so that will temporarily curtain painting and sewing.  Never mind.

All the boys here are well.  Which is amazing because last week both Henry and Muffin had problems.  It is also raining and cold and probably about time I took them out. Perry is still managing to get out on his bike in between rain showers.  Unfortunately, we just have not managed to even get down to the boat let alone sail it.  Still the weather is bound to turn round very soon.  Hopefully. 

 Just looked at last post and realised it was end of December! I was so sure I had posted something more recent, obviously not.   

Henry has been ill, and is now on the last of his medication.  It was probably something he ate.  He is also on a diet, so hates me at the moment.  I don't think it's a problem, but everyone else does. Muffin collapsed last week, and then kealed over onto his side.  We were both very worried.  He has recovered, although we must keep an eye on him.  He is coughing and wheezing a bit more, so I think we are going to  have to prepare ourselves.....

I have continued with my swimming although I am now back to having classes.  I really must get this front crawl sorted.  Apparently I should use my legs a bit harder.

I have been continuing with the online oil and watercolour painting, although sometimes I am not sure if I have progressed or not.  It really is fast and for the watercolour uses a methoc that I don't always feel comfortable with.

 This is from last week's watercolour session.  The oil on Friday was a total diaster.

I have been continuing with the sewing but, as previously, it's getting a bit out of control and I must aim to do far less (also because it becomes expensive).  However, I have had a couple of successes .

I'm going to post this now because I have to get the boys' lunch! 

 Look at this, I'm late again.  However, it has been Christmas, which is now over.  Very calm and gentle here, except for the cold.  And boy has it been cold.  Managed to get in a couple of days swimming last week, but can't go again until tomorrow because the pool is closed.

Also managed to do some odd bits of painting

 

Just realised, if I actually label the photos, it's so much easier than searching at random for them! I'll add that to my list of things I've learnt today.

I have done more than those two, but they are the ones I have uploaded to the art group I have joined.  It does include doing both oil and watercolour live with the instructor.  Very fast, but quite satisfying. Quite often I repeat the painting a couple of days later in much calmer conditions!

We have decided to spend a week in the Cotswolds in February.  Hopefully we will be able to see a bit more of the family than just a couple of hours every six months.  We're booked up and the cottage takes two dogs, which is fortunate otherwise we'd have to leave them behind, and I don't think they'd like that.

I have been continuing with my sewing, slowly but steadily, and it is definitely getting better.  I don't really want to spend too many hours on it, although it is tempting, because I do have other things to do like painting, swimming, dog walking etc. and like any hobby/pastime,  it could easily take over quite quickly.

Well I think that's it for this year.  If anybody besides Perry reads this, have a really happy and great New Year 2026.