Tag Archives: Daily painting

The missing months

Here we go again!

Here we go again!

As you will have noticed, I’ve not been blogging for the last 3 months.  Unfortunately, I’m not quite as well as I could be just now.  I was diagnosed with colon cancer in January and had a colectomy a couple of weeks later. The prognosis is good, I’m  happy to say and I have just completed half of a 6 week course of radiotherapy and chemo at the brilliant Antalya Akdeniz University hospital.  After that, I have to attend chemo one day every two weeks for four months.  We stay in a great hotel weekdays so thats a bonus and the treatment here is state of the art.  I also get on really well with the three department professors, to the extent of having their mobile phone numbers!  So, despite a colostomy, the 250 mile round trip to the hospital and having half a litre of toxic chemicals hanging round my neck, things are looking up.  The worse part is the drive, it’s dangerous, nerve wracking and exhausting.

Oh, I ought to mention I nearly died from pneumonia and an ecoli infection contracted after the op. The initial treatment was complicated by an serious allergic reaction to the antibiotic, Ciprocin. That was a very scary time!

Gina has been fantastic and her mum, Margaret, has been in Fethiye, house and dog-sitting for the whole time without complaint.  My sister came over from the uk and we’ve also had loads of help and care from many of our new friends here.  So, I’m living in limbo.  I have managed to paint occasionally  but I’ve not been out on the bike, the  boat or in the hills and although quite hectic, 2014 has been a bit of a write off so far.   it’s about time I made an effort to continue this project but it’s not easy to find the inspiration for daily painting

Because of the treatment schedule and it’s side effects, I won’t be doing much on here for a few months but life will be getting back to a normal again soon, I promise!

Bank rate doubles

Mandalina 9" x 6" Acrylic on mount board

Mandalina
9″ x 6″ Acrylic on mount board

Although my post of the 28th December anticipated a rise in bank rate I never expected the 100% increase announced last week.  Hopefully, this will stem the catastrophic decline in the value of the Lire and put a lid on inflation, fuel prices in particular are astronomical.  The good news is the sun is warm and forecast to keep shining for two weeks and I can munch on this juicy mandalina I just painted.

The new season

Autumn harvest 9" x 6" Acrylic on mount board

Autumn harvest
9″ x 6″ Acrylic on mount board

Though tinged with sadness as Summer ends, my thoughts this Monday morning turn to all the interesting things we get to do now the weather has changed.   Our winter weather is like September in the UK.  So coming up this week we can look forward to more daily painting, hill walking the dogs, catch-up with movies, pick and preserve the autumn harvest, start the DIY on the boat and house,  join exercise groups, take Turkish lessons and more.  I won’t go on but this lifestyle depends on staying fit and well and so we keep our fingers crossed, appreciate how lucky we are and never take anything for granted.

Dog hunting

Contempoary Xmas tree 9" x 6" Acrylic on mount board

Xmas tree 3
9″ x 6″ Acrylic on mount board

Since we lost Ziggy all has been quiet on the dog front.  However, Gina has started showing the signs of wanting another bitch and I can sense the first developments in the hunt for a suitable animal.  I’ll keep you posted and I’ll continue getting Inspiration for my daily paintings from the spirit of Xmas.

Decoration Day

9" x 6" Acrylic on mount board

Xmas Tree 2
9″ x 6″ Acrylic on mount board

In Muslim Turkey, thankfully, Xmas is a low key affair and we don’t have to endure the rampant commercialism and greed that taints the festive season in the UK.  In our house Gina loves to focus on what really matters and. as you have probably guessed, that’s when to hang the decorations.  I resist the day as long as possible, being a grumpy, old git, but will concede evebtually in the time honoured manner of all husbands….Yes Dear!  Meanwhile here is another Daily Painting.

 

Unseasonal weather

Before the Storm 12" x 9" Acrylic on mount board

Before the Storm
12″ x 9″ Acrylic on mount board

Some parts of Fethiye experienced temperatures of 6C last night and the wind is still blowing hard from the North.  There are many visitors still here and I don’t suppose that they are very impressed although the sun is shining as usual.  Snow is falling in the Black Sea regions so it could be worse.  I’ve completed my self-imposed target of a daily still life and have enjoyed it, but I’m enjoying work on a large canvas of Fethiye Bay even more.  So I’ve confirmed my conclusion of the 18th …. It’s the daily painting, not the painting a day that counts.

A change in the weather

Garlic Bulb 9" x 6" Acrylic on mount board

Garlic Bulb
9″ x 6″ Acrylic on mount board

The weather changed two weeks ago.  Practically overnight we waved goodbye to the scorching heat of summer and said Merhaba! to the wonderful Turkish autumn.  Now we can switch off the aircon, move into the sunshine and out of the shower and sleep comfortably at night.   For me, it means the brush has stopped sticking to the canvas and I can actually do things again.  I have reviewed my post of the 18th and reconsidered the Daily Painting ethic.  I reckon it wouldn’t do me any harm to actually submit to the discipline of finishing a small painting every day.  I don’t expect they will be landscapes but we will see.

The Daily Painting dilemma

 

Blue Pergola 12" x 9" Acrylic on mount board

Blue Pergola
12″ x 9″ Acrylic on mount board

Although I enjoy our regular art group meetings in Fethiye, I decided to join the daily painting movement as a way to discipline myself to paint regularly and improve my technique.  I’m not lazy but I’m easily distracted so I needed to find a way to develop my own style and keep pushing myself.   That’s when I read about the Daily Painting movement.  It’s so simple, all I had to do was sit down and produce a small painting every day.  Well no, because a small painting might take an hour but it could take me days or even weeks to finish.

In addition, Turkey is not Provence and as I’d like to develop an impressionist landscape ouvre, I have the problem of finding new subjects every day without resorting to Still Life.  And I didn’t want to copy other artist’s paintings.  Imitate their style, yes!  Develop their ideas, certainly!  Learn from their progress, definitely!

I found myself fretting over this dilemma until I came to a workable solution. I now think of “daily painting” as an activity, not a product. It’s the daily painting, not the painting a day that counts.