The last day of the month of art challenge!

And one last small painting.

I also added a bougainvillea to the painting I did yesterday.

They’re so greek islandy. I love them. I especially love the pink ones and the red ones. I like the white though they don’t stand out like the other colours, but dislike the orange, and I’m over the wild bougainvillea in the purpley shade. Mind you, they’re the ones that grow best.

The red one I bought for my back patio is struggling. People say bougainvillea’s like to be mistreated. Not sure that applies to mine… It flowers (very few flowers) at odd times of the year and just looks plain scraggly the rest of the time.

I really hope that when I finally have a studio on our land and put it in the ground, that it decides to live and bloom like a normal one!

I actually have a collection of plants which I’ve been nurturing for that very day.

ONE day.

Once I get the upstairs apartment no. 1 finished and rented. And find the money to begin the build project on Paros.

Of course, there’s still upstairs apartment no. 2 to do…

I wonder if there is any pirate treasure buried on Paros…?

z

There’s something soothing about this one, but also bleak. I think it might need a cat on the steps… or a plant? A bougainvillea?

I’ll think about it.

Meanwhile, there is now a cat peeking out behind the broken door on yesterday’s painting.

So, I’ll be going back to Paros on Sunday, earlier than planned … And tomorrow is the last of my month of daily art.

After that I hope to keep posting daily (mostly), but it won’t always be paintings. It might be progress on the house or other creative endeavours.

I still have a ton of stuff to do in Athens before Sunday so I better get cracking!

z

Its late. I didn’t get started till after 9pm today and its now past my bedtime. Today’s contribution is unfinished, but its finished enough for tonight.

It will have to do!

Time just flew by today and I feel like I hardly did anything, but I did. I organised a guy to come and clean the fireplace and chimney. Done and ready now. Went to the doctor with mom. Took Lainee for a long walk with one of her friends. Went upstairs to check progress a few times. Organised what I need to buy from the hardware store tomorrow…

Doesn’t sound like much, but it took most of the day!

I hope I get a better night’s sleep tonight!

z

I wasn’t done with the prickly pears. Here is the 3rd for the series.

Now I have to organise frames. I took measurements of matboards I need for the ready-made frames I bought for some of my paintings, but these long narrow ones won’t fit into standard frames, so I’ll ask my friend to make me some frames for them.

I really should stop working on that size since I can’t frame them myself with ready-made frames.

I have a good matboard cutter, but I’m not sure I want to get into that either… matboard is very expensive and only comes in huge sheets. I really don’t want to get that involved in framing. I’ve done it before and it’s a hassle.

The weather took a dramatic change – from 22 degrees C yesterday to freezing cold, windy and wet today. Brr.

I’ll post the reno update in a separate post cause I’m trying to be organised. It doesn’t always work, but what the heck.

z

Back to ‘real life’ and daily art. Another prickly pear, on pink this time.

It was a lovely and very long day today. Would you believe we spent 5 hours in Ikea?

Easy to do. There is so much to see. I spent more money than I’d planned, but I got a few handy things (as you always do) and bought all the handles for the wardrobes and cupboards in the apartment being renovated.

I haven’t seen the apartment yet as the new security door has been put in and I don’t have the key for it yet. However, the crew will be here in the morning, and I asked them to call me soon as they get here (around 7.15am) so I can go up and see how its going.

I know there will still be a lot to do, but I am hoping against hope that its finally close to being finished.

Guess I’ll know in the morning.

z

Here’s another painting I prepared earlier… Tomorrow its back to actually painting every day.

I had such great comments about the other ‘doorway into the light’ painting that I thought I’d try another. This one was harder, but I think it works.

Meanwhile we are having a nice time relaxing and enjoying the busy lifestyle of Pasalimani.

Last night we had sushi for dinner and it was wonderful! I think I can say it was the best sushi I’ve had since moving to Greece.

Lainee has been enjoying the park and has made lots of new friends, both human and canine.

Tomorrow is back to our ‘real life’, back home to mom’s place, our not nearly as popular or crowded area, my art supplies and the house renovations.

But before we go back to reality, we’ll be going for a lovely visit to Ikea. I love Ikea. That and Bunnings in Australia are/were my happy places. I could spend days in those stores… and sometimes I did.

z

Sharing something different today – a cheerful prickly pear!

It sure was fun doing this one. Maybe I’ll do more… Maybe I’ll do one against a blue (sky) background. And maybe another with another colour so they can be hung together as a series…

I confess I didn’t paint this one today as I’ve been away from home and my paint supplies.

Still, I think it counts cause I’m sharing it today. Some times it’s not possible to paint every single day… not when you’re not at home.

So, I’m in Athens now, staying at a friend’s place for a couple of days in Piraeus near the small port of Pasalimani. It’s an incredibly busy area with loads of cafes and restaurants near a pretty marina. Lainee is enjoying the park and absolutely loves the pigeons… which she chases with glee.

My friend and I have been having a great time just spending time together. We had a great lunch at a new Indian restaurant just up the road from her place, the food was good, and the quinoa salad was amazing. I could live on that salad.

And then we had ice cream. Sugar free ice cream.

I feel healthy today, though all the exercise we got was walking to taxi cab which took us to Ikea and back… in a single trip.

Did I mention today is a public holiday in Greece? Independence Day. And Ikea was closed. Though the internet said it was open.

I sure wish people would update their work hours online.

z

The door isn’t as crooked at it looks in the photo! The photo is crooked. But hey, what’s a crooked photo between friends?

So, I’m on the ferry on the way back to Athens.

Its two weeks till Greek Easter apparently. I was thinking I’d be in Athens for 1-2 weeks, make sure the house is FINISHED… (wishful thinking?) and then return to Paros for Easter.

I mean, staying in Athens over Easter would be a waste of time They won’t work over Easter. Heck, I’m lucky if they work on regular week days!

But what are the chances they’ll be finished by the end of next week? Or halfway through the other? And how easy will it be to get a ticket to Paros in the rush for everyone to get there for Easter?

So, I go to Athens now, to see how it’s going and ‘motivate’ the crew… Then return to Paros for Easter… then most likely have to go back AGAIN after Easter cause, no doubt, they won’t have finished!

sigh.

I feel like I have no control over my life right now.

z

Almost didn’t have time to do today’s painting, but here it is!

I do love pink walls…

Anyway, its been a pretty busy day and tomorrow is shaping up to be as well. However, once I’m in Athens things will be less hectic.

I hear the crew has been working, so I hope to see some progress once I get there. I sure hope they’ve moved along cause I can’t face staying in Athens too long or going back one more time! I want to be able to settle into my own routines at home – more painting, home maintenance, grooming.

That’s all for today. Gotta get onto packing and some dinner before quiz night tonight!

z

This window is falling apart in front of our eyes…

I’m slipping back into old habits with more detail in my work… I have to try loosen up again.

I still have a stack of these tall narrow cards so there’ll be more of this size over the next few days.

After that, I’ll start working in more traditional shapes – that fit into ready made frames. And I have tons of photos of doors and windows and stairs and alleys and all kinds of things I can paint.

Meanwhile, I ordered a stack of frames, so I hoped to frame some more work, but I doubt I’ll have time cause Aunt #1 is unwell so I’m going to see her tomorrow morning, then I have a ton of other stuff to do before returning to Athens.

I’m going back on Friday, so I have to organise everything and pack.

Luckily I have paints and brushes in Athens so I know I can do more work while I’m there!

Then, before you know it, it’ll be the end of the month and I won’t have to do any more daily art… Though I’ve really enjoyed doing it and don’t want to stop. When I get into the zone I forget the time entirely. Today I missed an appointment cause by the time I looked at the clock it was 45min past the time I was supposed to be there. Oops.

Once the month is up I might change things up a bit – some small paintings, some work on larger paintings, some framing of existing work, maybe something else… a bit of daily creativity instead of just painting.

Who said that art is just painting anyway? Hm… I guess that was me that implied it.

Anyway, here is today’s offering. Wonder what I’ll feel like doing tomorrow…

z