Eastern Quolls and Wedge-tailed Eagles

And only 40 days to go!

40 days.

That is how many days there are left before my paintings hang at Field Trip Gallery for my first ever solo show!

Illness (flu), chronic illness (endometriosis), and being neuro-spicy have been kicking my bum in the not-great ways this last couple of weeks, but I also know that I thrive under pressure, because I am weird like that. It is like a slow simmer turned to boil, in those final few moments the magic happens.

Hopefully.

On Thursday I decided I had 28 painting days left. Today there are 26 days, and after I press send on this I will turn my chair around and go back to my easel. I did well the last two days, but my plan is, well, challenging, so this morning I gave myself permission to only do what I can do as long as I know I tried my very hardest (which I always do). There are two large paintings I am willing to “sacrifice”, as long as I can get all the others done - but you never know?

And why 28 days? Well, as these are oil paintings they need to set to at least touch dry before I can varnish them. I don't paint very thickly, so most paintings are at touch dry in a week, but then the varnish takes a couple of days to cure as well. Then I gotta frame all but the biggest few. I also don't paint completely “alla prima” (that is, in one sitting). I paint indirectly, meaning at least two layers, with drying in-between.

Which of course also means drying time between layers. That means extra time needed.

These last few paintings though, I am trying something a little new to me To paint to almost finished (as much as the wet paint will allow me!) in one layer, and then only concentrate the second layer for facial details. I think that will work best!

That, and reminding myself they don't all need to look like Rembrandts, because I am not, in fact Rembrandt, and that this is my first show, but not my only one, and that leaning into the fact that I am still learning is worth celebrating too. Oh, and that I am allowed to have fun too!

Above is an Eastern Quoll I did yesterday - they may look like a little rodent to the uninitiated, but they are one of our little carnivorous marsupials, closely related to Tasmanian Devils, and come in black and fawn morphs. They are delightful tiny predators!

The day before I completed (yayy!) a Wedge-tailed Eagle Portrait, a challenging front on view, and oh my stars I love these beings!

In fact, Wedge-tails are a bit of a feature in this show. I have a large portrait in process (it may well be the largest I do for this exhibition, 101x76cm or 40x30in), which I am still deciding on a background for, and another portrait a bit larder than the one above, a different individual.

Oh, that is something I love about this work, seeing each individual wild-person for who they are, for their own personality, experience, emotional beingness and utter beauty.

And that right there, the wonder and awe that I get to exist on an incredible, living, breathing planet, with these utterly astounding beings, oh that, gives me all the big goosebumps, and fuels my need to be a voice for them, to sing their song, to share their awesomeness.

I still have a cough and fatigue, and being a full moon, the endo-gremlins are active, but if this missive sounds a bit flat, if it seems like I can't find all the florid superlatives I usually use, it is because I have realised something rather extraordinary.

When I am deep in painting mode, I seem to loose some of my vocab-mode. It is like all my words flow out of my brush with the pigment, creating visual rather than verbal story. It is a bit of a strange feeling, but I am giving it some befuddled acceptance, despite wanting to wax lyrical about this whole process. I have been wanting to write about growing this show extensively, but the words don't come rushing like they usually do, and it seems to be because it is all on the canvas.

It is weird, and wonderful, and what is happening at this moment in time anyway, and if nothing else is true, I know I need to go with the flow.

I will keep you in the loop though, a round up of what I have managed to get done each week, coming to you at this time - does that work for you too? I hope so - I could really use your help cheering me on, getting these pieces completed, and then coming with me for the 10 hour drive to Queensland, being at the gallery, and more.

This is one of those itchy but exciting “first times”. It is really happening.

In 40 days, no less

In full-on artist-goblin mode, but with lots of love,

Did you know I have a wee Ko-Fi (Tip Jar) page? Want to contribute to a new paintbrush or tube of paint? It would mean the world to me at the moment!!