With love and God bless,
Caro
Wednesday 22 April 2020
WOYWW568
For some reason blogger is having a hissy fit so I don't know if you will be able to see my photos today for Julia's wonderful blog hop - What's on Your Workdesk Wednesday. In the hopes that you can I will continue...
This is my desk last night in the midst of creative chaos as I was messing around with doing abstract painting. you can see paints, paintbrushes, my journal and my trusty mug of tea, which was almost empty.
This is the final abstract painting - to be honest I'm not sure I like it! I am not very good at being free and easy with paint and it tends to end up too segmented. Anyway, I tried, and it was something new.
This is another page in my art journal - this time using some layering of scrapbook papers, tissue paper, inks and paints. Again, very different in style and just an experiment.
Alex and I are settling into some sort of routine but it is hard when he is only supposed to do three hours of school work and I am supposed to do at least 7 of work. Some days are better than others in terms of stress and arguments, but we are getting there.
The poor lad spends more time than he should on a screen, but I do drag him out on walks or he drags me on bike rides.
We try and alternate because I much prefer walking and he much prefers biking (there are far too many hills for my liking for biking!).
We have been enjoying our little garden - it sounds very grand when we talk of the lower and upper patios but it really isn't. The main garden is just a green patch which we mow (it is mostly weeds!), a patio and the trampoline, whereas the lower part is another patio and a raised flower bed. I am intending to plant some pretty pots this year so when I sit and read I have a nicer view - at the moment I am just looking at the house.
This is my reading patch - it catches the sun in the afternoon and evening after work. In addition to work I have been busy contributing to our on-line church services and this coming Sunday is my time to give the talk, which rather fittingly is on 'Living with Anxiety'. I hate watching myself on video, and you would have laughed at my attempts to get the camera in the right position so that it wasn't pointing up my nostrils or down my cleavage! I really hope that the talk is helpful and blesses people - if you are interested you can watch it on YouTube.
I will leave you with these photos of some of our local walks - I am really very blessed to live where we do, with so much lovely countryside nearby. Take care of yourselves and stay safe,
With love and God bless,
Caro
With love and God bless,
Caro
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28 comments:
I will look out for your talk Caro. Hope you and Alex continue with the work/exercise balance smoothly. I rather like those abstract pages! Stay safe and happy WOYWW. Sarah #6
I'm late in the day managing to get round my blogging friends. I've been busy making 2 Memory dogs for one of my customers.
I will try to check out your talk later Caro....I'm sure you've done very well.
Stay safe and keep crafting.
Hugs,
Annie x #21
I don't mind doing the You Tube videos where only my hands are on show so I can relate to you not liking it when you are in full view. Had me smiling about the nostrils etc as I was like that this morning on a conference call. Jiggling about for ages to get the view better. Lesson 1 was not to wear a black top and sit in a black chair, I looked like a talking head!
Love your abstract picture - had you been watching Abyssimo by any chance?
Stay safe and well and happy
Blessings, Neet 5 xx
I have just listened to your talk, Caro, and left you a comment on YouTube. It was beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing - I know it is really for your local congregation, but on Youtube, it is opened up to everyone! That is so great. It is one positive aspect of the lockdown - things going online instead of just to a limited group knows no boundaries and the blessing is increased. Our vicar is doing communion from his dining room and this week his sermon was about how the disciples were in "lockdown" in the upper room and Jesus was able to pass through the locked doors and say "Peace by with you." He does the same today!
I love your abstract art. It is really quite scary, letting yourself go and painting intuitively, isn't it. I know it doesn't sit well with me at all - I like to be in control of what I do! I had the same experience when I did some watercolour doodling a while back, and I didn't like the results much!
Your photos of the walks are just gorgeous. It's so lovely to be seeing people's photos of their local area - it's opening up horizons to us who are unable to get out, and giving us a taste of different views. So lovely! I love your garden - like yours, ours is on 2 levels too, which makes things really interesting.
Thank you for your lovely comment on my blog - so glad you like my drawings! The kitties would absolutely love to see you for a cuddle! I've just had a lovely long cuddle with Lily and she is soooo soft. Coming in from the garden, they always smell so sweet and fresh, like new mown hay!
Have a great week, and God bless, and thanks again for blessing me so much with your talk.
Happy WOYWW,
Shoshi x #15
Your painting is great - very vibrant and lively, and I love the collage one with the layers of text - they work really well as a background. Your garden looks lovely and I like your little reading corner. I smiled when you said about a lower and upper garden sounding grand - we have the same because the garden is too steep to be all on one level. It's OK until we need to drag bags of soil or gravel up the steps, then I moan about it!
Hope you have a good week and enjoy this sunny weather, stay safe and well,
Diana x #12
Hi Caro. You had me in fits of laughter (sorry!) describing how to get the camera in the right place - must pop over to watch the video. Well done for embracing the new technology so avidly! I am most impressed by the thought of an upper and lower garden - honestly, what is WOYWW coming to? Neet has a secret garden, you have two - me? I have a garden which is too big for me, so never gets to the tidy state!
Take care. Stay safe. God bless.
Margaret #4
I think your painting is fab! my journal pages always seem to end up the same thing... it's good to try and break out Loving your pics with Alex and your walks - keep them coming! Take care and stay safe. Helen #2
Who needs a big garden when you have the countryside on your doorstep? I love your little reading corner. Your pages look awesome and you sound great in the video! Alex is changing, I can tell just by looking at his photos. Isolation is probably harder on an only child - but there's always an upside and that's no bickering with their siblings! I don't think I could put up with that. My son gets very very moody sometimes but the next day he's usually fine. I just put it down to his hormones. It's not easy being a teenager. Thanks for your visit Caro. Keep safe! xx zsuzsa #20
I had a giggle about your camera angles. I've been doing FB Live videos now for quite some time and found face level works best for me. And since my watchers and comment it feels very like I'm right there talking to them. I love your photos. I'm not much on abstract but I like your colors. Sounds like you and Alex have a good trade-off with the outside time. And your garden area looks pretty cozy.
Have a wonderful and healthy week!
Thanks for popping by!
Carol N #30
Hi Caro. Well, I think you smashed that abstract painting. I think I would find it difficult to do as well even though a lot of abstract art really does 'call' to me. Glad you are making the most of this extra time with Alex - it is a gift. I would be righht there with on the bike rides (even if it was totally flat). Walking is fine, but I am going to have to get back into the swing of it when this is over - thank goodness we had had our long break in Spain with lots of walking before this all kicked off. AT least I was a bit fitter when it started!! Stay Safe, Stay well, Happy WOYWW Cindy #18
Hi Caro, good to see you both enjoying the nice weather. I absolutely love your abstract painting. The red area really pops and moves the eye across the composition really well so yes I think it works. It's very kind of you to offer help for my parents, hopefully things will calm down now as he has finished taking the medication and the district nurse is visiting. You both take care and have a lovely week, Angela x17x
Hi Caro, I really feel for all the parents with this lockdown. Home schooling, and keeping children entertained, whilst they are missing their friends and activities, must be quite difficult. My youngest grandchild told her mum and dad that she was fed up and would like to see some new people - they are the only two people she has seen for a month! Everytime we video call she asks to come and visit us, it's so upsetting not being able to see our 3 grandchildren, and my daughters. I love your journal page, and the bright colours on the painting, even if it is a little too abstract for me. Have a lovely week and stay safe, Heather xx #28
Hi Caro!
I enjoyed your message. Also cool to put your voice with your face!
Looks like your weather has improved. Your garden is lovely. I can understand how it can be peaceful and inspirational.
And Alex! What a handsome young man he is! The memories you two are building. He will have good memories of this time together. (especially when he actually must return to school)
Thank you for all you do! God Bless You!
I cannot imagine trying to work at home while trying to supervise a student ... and I am sure you are doing a marvellous job at both. We are all far too hard on ourselves. Lovely to see the garden and your little reading corner soaking up the sun. Enjoy your experiments with abstract art and enjoying your beautiful countryside.
Sandra de @14
It is hard to get into a routine I have tried as I have a lot of things I should be doing lol . Love the garden and [as you said ] you are so lucky to live in the country
lilian B #22
I do love your abstract experiments, especially the journal page! Thanks for your visit to my blog yesterday, enjoy the sunshine whenever you can and stay safe! Big hug-from-a-distance, Marit #27
Wow stunning views on your walks. Your garden is still nicer than mine :) Hope the routine comes easier. Sorry I am late visiting this week . Take care and keep safe . soojay #16
Hi Caro, lovely photos of your locality. The garden looks fab, I'm looking forward to being able to get my planters done too. Never tried abstract painting, in fact not really done anything paint wise, not sure why, but it just doesn't work for me. Love how vibrant yours is.Have a lovely week, Stay safe, Hugs, Shaz #11 X
Wow, your walks look awesome. I love the sounds of a little waterfall! So nice to see you in short sleeves! We are still bundled up with winter coats and scarves here. I can't wait for it to warm up, so I can go outside and read too! Good for you for playing on your journal and getting outside of your comfort zone! the first one made me think of a volcano, and I really like the second one! Glad you and Alex are getting along and making compromises, it must be tough for both of you. Good luck with your videos, I'm sure they will get better with practice! Thanks for your visit to mine, stay well, stay busy, and stay safe! Lindart #34
Oh My, received my new Bible Journal goodies yesterday and so was so wrapped up in that most of the day and still not ventured into the Bible itself!!
Anyway love love love your abstract design, it's amazing. You most certainly do live in a beautiful place.
Thanks for the visit BJ#10
ah I can only imagine ( the video learning curve) I am completely deaf and the cochlear implants mean the microphones are closer to my mouth than anyone else's so it took me longer to not cringe hearing my self talk out loud than almost any other noises. and its still and surprise some days. I love all the out doors shots Caro and that water ones esp. ~Stacy #33
Thanks for your visit earlier, I do so love my skirt and am sooo happy to be able to wear it again.
I am glad you can get out into the countryside, as we are living in a big city walking is not the most inviting! I love your photos, pure escapism for me.
Take care and stay safe
Christine #29
I love experimenting with my art, but don’t always like the end result! We have been lucky with the weather for biking and walking and sitting in the sunshine, although I admit I have been doing more of the latter. Take care and stay safe Angela #38
Happy belated WOYWW. Looks like we’re all in a similar situation with the “new norm”. I’m working remotely from home too and it seems to be working out pretty well. Have a wonderful week and take care. Dorlene #36
You’re both doing really well Caro, getting stuff done and being the motivator for another is hard work! Cut yourself some slack about the screen time; it is what it is, and at least some of the screen time is to give him ideas for off screen stuff and companionship. I like your experiments with abstract. I don’t know if you are necessarily meant to like it so much as enjoy the unrestrained part of the creating. I’m definitely not good at it, I like a key line and some obvious rules, but it is a good mental exercise isn’t it! Your abstract colours are very intense too, I expect we should read a lot into that. But obviously, I can’t and won’t, for me it all boils down to colour when there are no other rules! Carlo at some point, will you let me have your address? I’ve a couple of stamps I was holding onto to give to you if we w you at the Crop, and I’ve decided I shall just post them, because I’m afraid that I shall forget about them otherwise!
Hi Caro, how I sympathise with you regarding home schooling & continuing with your own work, a big pat on the back to you for carrying on regardless. I'm glad to see you have been giving yourself time for creativity, abstract painting can be so good for times like this especially if we use our fingers, just the thought of it makes me want to go get messy.
Take care of you and yours & stay very very safe Hugs Tracey #3 xx
Good morning, Caro. I'll check out your video. Yes, I agree on trying to get the camera positioned. One of the reasons I hate selfies. I detect a bit of OCD. no wonder we both have seperate planners for different tasks. LOL Lovely art pieces. I like them if that's any help. Creative Blessings! Kelly #31
Hello. my friend! I am still making rounds. I tend it over a few days because I like to take my time and appreciate everyone's posts. I like your abstract. I think I am one of those people that would struggle with it too. I think the more you do it the more natural it will feel. I love the vibrant colors.
I hear you on the balancing front. My boys are off this week but back to school online and I have work to do. I feel compelled to feed them which interrupts my schedule. I am sure we will find a groove eventually but we have our days.
Your garden is lovely. I like the privacy. I like your reading nook. They are sacred places to me. My neighbor cut down trees and took down her garage so I feel like this summer my whole back yard will be on display to them. I loved having more privacy. We will have to think of some natural landscaping for more privacy. I like that you are biking and walking. Sounds fun. Stay well and thanks for stopping by.
Belinda #32
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