Look and Listen

I visited my folks today and remembered to scan in some sketches. These quick drawings were done on the inside of an envelope. It was all I had while sitting in church. 

There are so many interesting people to draw in church. They sit still and they don't notice being drawn. Perfect! 

Beach Sweep

Last Saturday, 15 September, was International Coastal Clean Up Day. My Mr and I took part in beach clean-up on Sunset Beach in Cape Town. I snapped a few pics with our point-and-shoot Canon.

The oddest thing we found was ear buds - lots of them- and small round transparent plastic chips in the sand. They look like something that could be used for packaging. There was so much litter on the beach that some people sat down to work on one spot at a time. It's a sad sorry state! But the coolest thing we saw... children so excited about picking up trash. There's hope for us.

Best Dam Lemon Cake

I baked this beauty! Actually it's the second time I've baked lemon cake this year. *Gasp!* This comes as quite a shock to myself and people who know me well. You see I'm less of a Bree and more of a Susan (AKA the domestic goddess vs. the clumsy-burn-every-meal goddess in Desperate Housewives).

I made the cake for a little tea with friends and didn't have time to take before-the-munching photos. So I had fun trying to make half a cake look pretty. Huge respect for food stylists and photographers! 

Anyhoo, if you're looking for a delicious fool-proof lemon cake recipe, I found this recipe on Simply Delicious. Get the recipe here. 

Watercolour Blue Agapantha

My gran bought me a watercolour paint palette when I was little.It was probably the first paint I could open up and use without adult supervision, layering everything in newspaper and wearing one of my mother's old shirts to protect my clothes (I was a very messy little artist). I loved it.

Many years and tubes of acrylic paints later, I had almost forgotten my first painting love - watercolour paints. But the a few weeks I got a little bee-in-my-bonnet to find watercolours. I couldn't find a palette so I settle for tubes and tried painting flowers. And no, I didn't fall right back into that easy feeling I had as a child. I struggled. I persevered. This is the second flower I painted...

I'm going to need a lot more practice. I gained new respect for watercolour artists - they paint with patience - something I could work on.  

An Introvert's Birthday

I took the day off work yesterday, stayed offline, went for a facial (gift from my Mr) and spent the rest of the day painting while listening to music and singing. My Mr took me out for supper, just the two of us, and we talked about our dreams. It was a pretty perfect birthday. Oh, and there was cake :)  This is the only picture I took... 

I took it with my phone (I still think that sounds nuts) and tried to improve the image with picmonkey. Okay, I'm trying to distract you from the fact that my painting is crap. My Mr likes it and says I'm too critical. I know I can do better but I'm over the moon about filling an canvas. Blank canvases are daunting.

And just a side note on introversion: There's a negative perception about introversion, thanks to the team-centric culture we live in. Yes, people need people but as an introverted-extrovert, who swings to both sides of the social scale, I find creative solitude is highly underrated. Some things are best done alone. Try it. Take a day off and hang out with yourself. Do something you love or something you've been wanting to do but never seem to have the time. Who knows, you may just discover that time alone is the best present you can give yourself.