10 dogs i’ve loved – lockdown 2 day 136

Posted on March 26, 2021 by zefiart

There was once a challenge on Facebook to post photos of 10 dogs you’ve loved in your life. Of course I’ve loved more than 10 dogs but not all were mine and a lot I no longer have photos of. I thought I’d share photos of the ones I posted on Facebook.

Its Greek Independence Day, 200 years since they won their freedom from the Turks so it was a quiet day. Unlike previous years when they have parades and celebrations everywhere. Flags still wave from balconies but its all very low key. I spent the afternoon with family and then did a little work on my nude sculptures. Nothing ready to share yet!

So here are my dogs in chronological order. Most of the photos are small as I don’t have the bigger versions any more.

Timmy, my first ever poodle. A pet shop toy poodle who turned out to be the best thing ever. He cost mose than I made in a month working in Athens at the time. I had to leave him in Greece with my parents when I moved back to Australia. He’s the reason I have a special place in my heart for white poodles.

Scooter, my first toy poodle in Australia. I had to wait years for him cause I couldn’t have a dog when I was a student and living in shared accommodation. Soon as I signed the dotted line to buy my first house I bought Scooter. He was tiny when I got him and such a big character.

Billybear. Originally I bought Billy to keep Scooter company, they were only 3 months apart in age. At the time I had no plans to show, but joined the poodle club and the rest is history. Billybear was my first show dog, first champion, winning against stiff competition, despite being silver beige (and a frowned upon colour). Billy was my heart dog. Well, my first heart dog. He was always by my side or on my lap.

Pagan, my first standard poodle. She started my love affair with standards. She wasn’t an easy dog but I learned a lot from her. She was my second show dog, second champion. She did me proud in the ring and gave birth to some beautiful puppies.

Montana. Pagan’s daughter from her first litter, my biggest winning dog ever. I had a strange relationship with Montana because despite picking her and loving her from day one, I didn’t begin to bond with her till she was over 1yr old. From then on she was my girl. Montana was special in every way and she had that famous poodle sense of humour.

Crash. I got Crash on loan from a friend to show but he hated the ring. He was the cheekiest most charming little man anywhere but put him in the ring and he froze. At the time I had him Montana was raising her one and only litter and Crash would run in amongst her puppies, under Montana… absolutely confident and fearless. I had to send him back to his breeder however since he wouldn’t show and I already had 2 toys and 2 standards at home.

Bonnard, Pagan’s son from her last (AI) litter. I kept him and showed him till he was 2yrs old but he began to jump high fences and I had a neighbour who loved to shoot things. Bonnard is the sweetest natured big dope of a boy – a real momma’s boy, afraid of the dark… Bonnard now lives in Adelaide with his new family.

Romeo, my second heart dog. Son of Montana. From day one he was mine. He chose me though I chose him too. He was the only puppy who preferred my company to playing with his siblings. Romeo never showed but he was so much my dog I gave up showing and kept him. Leaving him behind in Australia when I moved to Greece broke my heart. I still picture having him here with me.

Erik, the shortest love affair I’ve had with a dog. He was given to my by a good friend at 12mths of age and we only had him for 2 weeks before he was bitten by a snake and died. It was a horrible loss. We had fallen in love with him in those 2 weeks and his death left a huge hole in our hearts. He came into our lives and became part of them quickly, making everyone love him.

Lainee, my baby girl, my love. She’s my constant companion on Paros. I got her about 2 years ago at age 10. She is the sweetest, quietest girl you ever met, but she came out of her shell and now plays with me every morning to celebrate a new day. She’s my shadow.

As I said, these were only dogs which were mine, even for a short time, and who impacted my life. I’m not including dogs I’ve loved but who belonged to other people even if they lived with me as well. It would be a LONG list…

Each dog is special and each has a place in my heart and I thank them for being in my life.

reminiscing – lockdown 2 day 135

Posted on March 25, 2021 by zefiart

Sometimes when I think about making art I remember things I painted in the past so today I’m going to share some of them. I can’t share everything. A lot of my photos were lost when I had a hard drive crash a few years ago… backing up to a hard drive sounds great but its not fail proof… I guess I could learn to use the cloud, but haven’t yet. Luckily a lot of my old photos are still on my blog in past posts, and on my website – http://www.zefiart.com.

The main thing I was thinking about my art was how easily I get distracted from painting or drawing given its always been something I do so easily. I literally have no idea how I do it, it just comes out of my hands and fingers on its own, the art takes over my brain and takes control of my hand. In fact, if I overthink things I mess up. I have to let the painting itself take over and just go with the flow.

Over the years I found the way I work best is with the TV on something I don’t have to watch closely. The Gilmore Girls is one of my favourite paint-to shows. The Ranch is next. Having the TV on splits my focus between what I’m doing and what I’m watching and allows me to take a step back from the painting.

In a way, this is what my first art teacher, Mr Swan (in Campion School in Athens when I was a teenager) taught me. He made me draw without my glasses so I couldn’t see the details. If I could see details I’d get caught up in them and mess up the ‘whole’. He told me how Degas was going blind and that explained a lot about his work, which is brilliant – allowing us to fill in the details he describes so well without actually painting them.

I am constantly trying to work that way.

I also like to live with my work in progress. I’ve always loved painting in my living space. I know I go on and on about wanting a studio and workshop, but what I’m really saying is I want a workshop to do dirty work in (power tools, making stuff) and a studio to live in. If I had a bigger house the living room would be similar to here now, but with space to keep my easel out all the time. Its what I used to do in Australia. That way the work was there and I could see it all the time, no matter what I was doing.

This is how I tend to work: I start something. At some point I hate it and stop in disgust. I leave it and do something else. Sometimes I’ll watch TV, other times I’ll move on to another project. The whole time its there… my subconscious is working on it. Sometimes even when I hate it and don’t want to work on it I can’t keep myself away. I’ll stop and sit down, then get up and do a bit here, a bit there, stop, sit down, get up again. Or I’ll stop for days and then suddenly I’ll change a line here, add a smudge there and it all comes together. That process is necessary for me.

Right now I want to paint, I do sometimes paint on pieces of marble and I have some small cardboard pieces I’ve prepped to paint on, all things I can do on the table… But I long for the easel again…

So enjoy looking at some of the artwork above. I know I do. And every time I do, I marvel at what I created. It may sound strange, but I really do. At how I got the feathers on the birds to look like feathers without thinking about how to do it. I marvel at how something like that came out of my fingers. I am grateful for the gift I was given.

nothing to see here – lockdown 2 day 134

Posted on March 24, 2021 by zefiart

So, where was I?

Talking about restless nights and creativity interrupted.

The weather turned nasty again today. Well, overnight it rained, then today the wind changed direction bringing cold wind instead of the warm wind we’d had for days. Just as windy mind you, just a drop in temperature. Add a snowy cold drizzle on that wind and basically its not that pleasant being outside.

I did spend a tiny amount of time outside today, only when necessary. I’d put some sweet pea seeds in water and planted some outside mom’s room. I really hope they take off there like they did outside the house in Tasmania. I had this huge bush of colourful sweet smelling flowers climbing on a trellis. They would grow all year round, self seed and keep going. I put some in pots out the back here too so hopefully I’ll have my own to enjoy.

I did a little touch-up on some really badly painted fittings (with ugly gold paint) on a wooden chest my cousin has. Simply trying to make them look less fake. Here are a before and after.

Nothing much, but I do think they look less ‘icky’.

Back there to finish them off tomorrow. And another trip to the health center to get my dressing changed. And perhaps a stop at the supermarket for a few odds and ends. Vegetables mainly. I’m out and I need some. I made oven cooked wedges for lunch/dinner today and they were great, but you dont want to live on that!

more sea rope creations – lockdown 2 day 133

Posted on March 23, 2021 by zefiart

I finally finished the latest sea rope basket late last night. Sometime after 12am. I’m now officially low on sea rope and need to go searching for more. Easy enough… There’s always tons washing up on the beaches near here.

I couldn’t get to sleep last night. I went to bed later than usual which should have meant easy sleep, but no. I’d been watching season 13 of Grey’s Anatomy on Stremio (the wonders of which my niece introduced me to) but could not stop my brain going flat out. I couldn’t find the off switch. I tried some deep breathing and meditation at one stage but it was like trying to hold back a tsunami with a paper towel.

Do you ever have nights like that? I do. More than once a week. Its like all the thoughts I managed to damp down during the day come back with a vengeance. Especially creative thoughts.

During those nights I often build the linen cupboard I want to make out of pallet wood for the alcove near the bathroom. Last night I added in the twist of getting a metal cabinet an uncle made for us many years ago as a shoe cabinet. Forget linen. That can stay in the bedroom wardrobe where it is now… I definitely need shoe storage! I wonder if the metal cabinet will fit? I have the measurements somewhere, I looked into that idea a while ago before deciding I wanted to build a cupboard… I must search my notebooks and see if I have it in one of them. Why do I have so many notebooks? Cause I like notebooks of course, especially pretty ones, and its useful to keep notes on stuff (like the size of the metal cabinet) instead of writing everything on bits of paper you lose. I have a diary I got last year but really never used… I can use that as my next notebook since the one I used before I now keep at home with ‘important’ stuff in it I can’t risk losing. And I can’t keep everything on my phone. If I lost my phone I’d be stuffed. I mean, phones keep so much of our lives on them as it is! I don’t remember anyone’s phone number any more. My mom, who is 88, remembers so many phone numbers. I used to. I used to know my credit card numbers off by heart too. How would I make that footstool I decided I can’t live without? Cut the timber pieces I have for legs – straight or at an angle? An angle would look best, but much harder to screw in place so its sturdy. Guess I could YouTube it… but straight would be easier for sure. Make a square frame, screw each leg on two sides in each corner. Maybe even put a screw down from the top in the middle. Then find something to cut a round top (do I have any boards I can use?)… I can’t make a square foot stool to sit next to my round coffee table. Wouldn’t look right. Then buy some foam cut to the right size/shape. Find some nice fabric. Do I have any fabric I can use… Wait, I have those small round boho style geometric black and white rugs… they’d be ideal! Get some wadding to soften the look of the foam. I have an electric staple gun. And hot glue. Man, I wish those clothes I bought online all fit. That black dress is hideous. All I need is a burkha and I would fit right in in the middle east. I can cut the sleeves… and raise the hem… but in order to make it fit decently I would probably have to open up all the seams and re-sew them to make it look decent. Could I be creative with it? Or the other things I bought? I love mending my older tops which have holes or where seams have come loose. I have the two summer overalls I ordered too… way too big, but that’s ok, they’re overalls after all, easy enough to take in down the sides. They basically just need the straps shortened. That might be enough. I’ve lost weight now and I’m loving becoming reacquainted with my rib cage. I need to keep it off now. Which means I need to start exercising again, walking at least. The doctor said only remove the tube when there was nothing coming out for a full week. There was still something coming out. Only about 10-20ml in 2 days, but that’s till something, right? Could I have fluid building up in my abdomen? What happens to it, even if it is just a little bit? Does it get absorbed? Is it going to poison me? I need to plant those sweet pea seeds I soaked in water. I want to take some to mom, put others in where they can climb up the scrap metal trellis I made out the back. They need to go in pots today. I planted the lupin seeds. I thought I have more lupins, blue and white ones… but I must have planted them and they died. I have one single flower on one of the plants, a pink one, the other surviving seeling is still small. And what about the unfinished dogs…?

You have some idea of what it is to live in my brain.

Exhausting.

Maybe it had something to do with the fact that not only did I finish the basket, I also stitched up one of the felt cat toys I want to give away and got back to work on a broken lamp and the naked ladies made from dishwashing bottles. Maybe starting back on my creative projects sparked this avalanche of thoughts. But you’d be wrong. This happens whether I’m being creative or not. More if I’m not creative in fact, as its like all the creativity I’ve suppressed all day breaks out at night to swarm me like a pack of mosquitos on steroids.

I’m a bit late publishing this one. I’ve been having internet connectivity issues with the laptop. Odd. Anyway, better late than never!

harder than you think – lockdown 2 day 132

Posted on March 21, 2021 by zefiart

Connecting with my inner princess isn’t as easy as it sounds. I’ve been independent, creative and restless for far too long. Not doing things or doing less, or getting someone else to do something for me feels like laziness at best, weakness (failure) at worst.

Even putting off grooming dogs feels wrong. Its work, slacking off work is just not acceptable to me unless I literally can’t get out of bed. Soon as I feel a bit better I want to start working. Maybe its my work ethic fighting my inner princess which won’t let the princess win easily.

Getting old sucks. I still think my body can do the things it used to do when I was younger despite repeated proof that it not only can’t, it sometimes downright refuses to.

You get used to doing less cause it happens slowly. The first time you get a really sore back from lifting something means that next time you try to find another way, the first time you get sick after eating something you shouldn’t you start to consider avoiding that food next time*. It happens so slowly that somewhere along the line you don’t even realise its happening.

Or like me, you keep trying and keep paying.

*If I had listened to my body more maybe I could have avoided the last almost 2 months. Of course I would still have had to have my gall bladder removed, but not in crisis with complications. But I am me, and I’m not a quitter. I keep trying to do things I should know I can no longer do.

If I had listened to my body many years ago I wouldn’t have ridden on the last afternoon of a 5 day trail ride in the bush and I wouldn’t have injured my vertebrae. I was already sore by then but I refused to give in when others were still going. I have many stories like that.

It doesn’t mean there’s nothing left to life, which is how I began to feel in hospital. There is still so much I want to do and try in life. It just means adjusting to new normals. Maybe ask for help when something is too much for me, or only work on smaller projects I can manage alone.

The main problem for me isn’t resting or taking time off to do nothing. Its that I view that time as laziness. Its a hard belief to get past. I’ve always felt a non-creative day, or a day where practical things don’t get ticked off the eternally growing To Do List is a day wasted. A day spent reading or watching TV is a lazy day which my body might need but my mind makes me feel guilty about.

I’ve had almost two months of this. In that time the most creative thing I did was start a new sea rope basket, at least that’s something. I spend a lot of time thinking about creative things: usually when I’m lying in bed trying to get to sleep…

It is hard for me to accept this recouperation time as necessary when I just want to get on with things.

learning how to be a princess – lockdown 2 day 131

Posted on March 20, 2021 by zefiart

I had a bad night last night. First I was cold, added a blanket, then woke up dripping wet sweaty. yuck. A lot of stabbing pain which wont allow for deep breaths… Still, its only 24 hrs since the tube was removed so it’ll get better. I tell myself.

Its a gorgeous day but I’m taking my cousin Zefi’s advice and trying to connect with my inner princess. She says that hanging out with her the last two years has obviously not rubbed off on me so its time to be proactive.

Being a princess means not overdoing it, leaving things for later (or others to do!) and looking after myself first.

So I’m spending today just resting. I hate not being well, but I want this over with so I have to rest so I can move on!

tube free! lockdown 2 day 130

Posted on March 19, 2021 by zefiart

Today I made a trip to the Paros Health Centre. I haven’t been able to get in touch with the surgeon in Athens and I was worried cause the area around the tube was red and looked like I might be getting an infection.

While there I spoke with the surgeon on Syros (who answered his phone!) and told him what was going on. I’d been fully prepared for the health centre docs to look me over, give me antibiotics if necessary and plan a trip to Syros to remove the tube.

Well, the docs spoke on the phone and they removed the tube then and there! I was expecting a small tube, I don’t know, a few inches inside… but that sucker just kept coming and coming. Like a mile of tubing inside me. Ugh.

Its amazing. I no longer have a bag attached to my stomach. I feel free.

Of course, I still have a hole in my abdomen but I’m assured that if I cough my guts won’t fall out.

The doctor cleaned it up and put a dressing on it, saying I need to go back every couple of days to have it changed so they can keep an eye on it, that its healing ok, but once they’re satisfied its healing I can change the dressing myself. Sponge baths it is for a while. Small price to pay for that sense of freedom.

Though having a hole in my stomach is rather uncomfortable feeling. I do have some pain, not a lot, more like a stitch in that side when I breathe. Hopefully that will settle in a day or two.

Thats my big news. Enjoy some happy dog cuddle pics. I do love these girls.

food – lockdown 2 day 129

Posted on March 18, 2021 by zefiart

back home, still in lockdown

Posted on March 16, 2021 by zefiart

I’m home, and I’m not. In fact I’ve been home for over a week now but at this very moment I’m house sitting/dog sitting with a couple of cuties I groom.

This is Lily, a Biewer Yorkshire Terrier who lost her sight when she was a pup and got her first vaccinations. My opinion: never do 4 or 5 in ones!!! She’s the sweetest, cuddly girl.

This is Amy, a Bichon x Poodle and a real character. Would you believe these girls LOVE cabbage? Raw cabbage is their favourite treat!

And this of course is a very furry Lainee enjoying her time dog sitting as well.

I’ve barely done anything creative since I’ve been back on Paros. First it was the need to rest and recouperate from the ordeal. Then it was just lack of motivation brought upon by a pain in my side due to the tube I still have sticking out of my abdomen to collect any bile still leaking from the site.

Thankfully the leak has reduced to only enough to dirty the bag… I change it every 2nd day as per the instructions… I could do it once a day if I wanted, but the guy said once every second was fine and to be honest, its not a pleasant task so I tend to put it off.

I’m trying to get in touch with the doctor in Athens but doctors are notoriously hard to get a hold of. Last week I sent him and email then left a voicemail alerting him to the email. That worked. Hopefully it will work this time too. I basically need to know when I should fly to Athens to get the tube removed. I could go to Syros on the ferry, its closer and cheaper, but either place necessitates at least one night away from home. In Athens I can stay with a cousin, on Syros I’d need a hotel. But if I go to Athens its a better hospital so my first choice is Athens.

Naturally its a public holiday this coming Thursday so flights are expensive and seats are scarce… and this despite ‘strict restrictions’ on travel outside your own council!!!! People are still travelling for a quick holiday!

Oh the idiocy of these restrictions. The greek government has been playing fast and loose with the whole thing. One minute everything is closed, curfews in place etc. Next minute junior schools are open but not universities or high schools. Next some retail is allowed to open with restrictions on customers allowed inside a shop, then a local coffee shop and customers get fined cause 2 people bought coffee and stood outside to drink it. Then they tighten restrictions: you can only shop within 2klms of your house, ie within your council… but Zefi and I flew to Paros and not a single person asked us where we going, why we were travelling and did we have paperwork to show we had an acceptable reason to travel or even if we had a current clear COVID test. We had all the necessary paperwork, but it didn’t matter. hmph. Greece is open for business in May, an early start to tourism we’re told, islanders are being given vaccines as a priority to keep the islands safe, yet there isn’t enough time to vaccinate the residents of the islands, nor the available vaccinations as far as anyone knows, so… again… its all bull—-.

Ridiculous.

So, here I am. Back home, with two trips to Athens (or Syros) in my future to remove the tube then the stent. I want to be creative again but that’s sort of playing on my mind and not allowing me to really get on with it. I’m even finding it hard to blog… but I’m going to make an effort to do post regularly and get back into the rhythm I had before. It gives me a purpose and inspires me to be more creative. I hope it inspires others too.

Meanwhile I’ve started grooming again, slowly, getting others to do the heavy lifting where possible. Learned that the hard way: had to lift a naughty dog back onto the table 3 times the first time I groomed and was sore the next day. Rested a few days and back at it, more carefully now…

I’ve also done what I told myself I must do while in hospital hating Greece and the health system here: I’m sticking to a healthy eating plan, starting meditation and will start yoga soon as I’m able to do that, then also pilates soon as I’m strong enough to start that.

The new improved Zefi.

Gotta see it to believe it!

inspiration – situation not changed

Posted on February 21, 2021 by zefiart

When you’re feeling ok but are stuck in a hospital room waiting to be fixed, you do a lit of browsing on the internet. This morning’s browsing led me to this:

Which then lead me to look up Corita Kent.

I want to print up her rules and have them in my workspace. I already think everything is an experiment and there are no mistakes, but I love her rules.

Going back to watching DIY videos on YouTube.

I really miss having a workshop.

z

junk4joy

painting, recycling, creating and living on a greek island