Pre and Post Paris

on the day of departure:

back at home:

two inches of knitting

and half a book full of sketches

by Clara, Carolina and me

Pink Moment of the Week

Three-to-four weeks earlier this year than before:

Japanese cherry blossom.

Clara Paints a Face

Clara watched all this face painting of mine recently very curiously. 

With the school holidays boring as they can be on a rainy afternoon, 

I gave her some watercolours and she did her thing.

The only thing I tried to teach her

is that eyes go in the middle of the face 

(I think, even most adults don't know that). 

The rest - I am just amazed.

Moods

It is an interesting process, 

this painting and drawing thing, 

and always a surprise.

You never really know,

where it will lead you

and every day it feels different.

One day a friendly face

from outer space can appear:

(don't look to long at her,

you might get hypnotized)

Another day the mood can be soft & blue:

... when a few pencil lines will suffice.

And the most rewarding days

call for bright colours and your heart in it:

 

Such a mysterious journey I am on.

Crafty goes Arty

As of late my crafty studio has turned into an arty junk room with all surfaces and even the floor being cluttered. The only place where I could paint was this here:

Clara said the other day, that we need to build an extra little house for me where I can paint or that I could use the garage. Hubby, practical as he is, suggested clearing this desk:

Said, done.

I wouldn't have thought how much fun the girls had rearranging all my materials - paints, papers, brushes, inks, washi-tape. So it didn't take long before this inviting space appeared:

Like a breath of fresh spring air.

April Weather

Rain, sun, rain, hail, rain, sun 

and ...

Fresh Beginnings

... new backgrounds for paintings 

and the first two rounds of my new summer tunic.

Summer Knitting

What happened to that green thing that I wanted to knit for spring? Better not talk about it... Green wool will also look pretty under the Christmas tree, I tell myself.

Oh yes, spring is here, it feels like summer is around the corner sometimes, so let's move on to another New Year Knitting resolution (here) ... a white summer sweater.

Cotton feels much better in this weather. And this vegan life of mine has more and more problems with wool.

That's what I found in a bag, in a box, in my studio. A tunic started in the summer of 2010, with a back and a nearly-done-front. No sleeves. I might have liked this leafy pattern four years ago, but I know myself and my knitting possibilities at the moment - I will never be able to knit two sleeves following this lacy pattern. I need mindless-mama-knitting. Frog-frog, rip-rip, that means. A blank slate for a new pattern.

Pink Moment of the Week

... background magic,

when those two girls appeared,

one with an angel wing,

a gift of trust.

Faces

... are the new lesson in my online painting course.

Quite a challenge, 

and quite rewarding also.

 (inspired by these French ladies here)

inspired by Cori Dantini

And I had another lady

that just appeared from the background:

Sun Sun Sun

 ... sorry, no time for blogging.

I am soaking up the sun in the garden.

Analogue and simple life

at its best.

Hello April!

Yes, it's no joke, it's April!

April will see a late Easter this year

and we are going on a romantic trip

(ok, with the girls)

 to a European capital for a week.

(curious?)

Hopefully April will be as sunny 

as Clara's calendar page.

Pink Moments of the Week

So many beautiful trees are blossoming.

And I made a new flower essence.

from this magnolia tree

solar infusion

Doesn't that sound divine?

Flowers & Fingers

What kind of painting can feel more liberating and childlike 

(in its most awesome way) 

than painting with your fingers?

Clara did it too.

Doing this in the morning

on a sunny spring day ...

... surefire great mood.

Hubby cooks vegan

When I came back from a morning yoga class the other day, I was met by three lovely people being busy in the kitchen.

"What are you cooking?" - Pancakes!!!!!!!!!

A request from the girls,

Hubby found this German vegan pancake recipe online

(and used water instead of apple juice).

But where did Hubby go?

Clara cooks vegan.

Very good.

Underwater Love

I paint a lot of flowers. And I love it. But among all the pink flowers a subtheme has emerged - underwater (like here and here). You could think, that for someone who grew up on the sea (the Baltic Sea, to be precise) this wouldn't be an usual longing. But I have to tell you, that I have never felt a special bond with the sea and am not a beach bum (strangely, a lot of our vacation involve oceans...).

I would like to share with you a second painting I painted during the Bloom True e-course with Flora Bowley. Actually, it was the first one and the one that took the longest process to come together.

It went through a couple of different stages.

And then the jellyfish appeared ...

... and disappeared again.

One jellyfish wanted to come back

and swim in the final painting.

Whatever this means.