#142 Wooden Bead

Another bit of booty from clearing the studio up over the holidays. A wooden bead that has escaped from its normal home with its beady friends in the bead box. This was found in a mug! Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#141 Kangaroo Head

I had hoped I would find something to paint as I sorted out the studio this weekend. This poor decapitated Roo was hiding behind an old vice and being squashed by a power drill. We have no idea where the body is or even where it came from, I am just pleased that he wont suffer any more in my toolbox. Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#140 Easter Egg

Happy Easter, well I had to didn't I? This was a good choice because it came in two parts, the tiny speck of chocolate you can see is all thats left of the other half! Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#139 Orange Peel

I was a bit surprised I haden't painted a bit of orange peel before now but, I haven't. A whole Orange would be too big to paint for this project although I nearly painted a satsuma over Christmas. Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#138 Hot Cross Bun

I haven't painted any cakes or biscuits for a while, and as it's Good Friday it had to be a hot cross bun. Well a half eaten hot cross bun, I have to experience all of the cake to really be able to paint it. Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#137 Ikea Tool

No prizes for guessing what I did today. The bank holiday means sorting out the studio, starting with putting together shelves (impossible without this little tool) followed by staining white (I will save you the story of getting hold of the stain) and varnishing. Then the exciting moment when things that have languished in boxes for two and a half years have somewhere to go. I look forward to being able to lay hands on things at a moments notice. Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#136 Lichen Covered Twig

This little twig is covered with the most fantasticly coloured lichen, it caught my eye a couple of weeks ago when I walked into work while the car was at its MOT. It also caught my eye today as I was clearing out the studio so it deserved to get painted. Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#135 Crushed Garlic

Another ingredient from my chili recipe, a crushed clove of garlic. The Chili from last nights painting wasn't very hot, I am a little disappointed to not have a warm glow on my tongue and throat as I write this ..but I don't. Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

Apologies to whoever buys this as it may smell ever so slightly of garlic, as do a small selection of my brushes, my palette and my fingers. I crushed it 'live' in the studio because I was initially going to paint it uncrushed, but that's boring!

#134 Chilli Pepper

I will be making a spicy chilli tomorrow so I had to paint this tonight, as I will be trying to chop it up without getting any on my hands tomorrow morning. I always find they taste better if cooked in the morning then reheated in the evening. It's also a great way to test out my cadmium red deep paint, have I mentioned my new paint? Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

I keep forgetting to mention that I am featured in 'Artists & Illustrators' magazine this month. Check it out if you can!

#133 Rhubarb Shoot

After a weekend of gardening it seems only right I paint something else from the garden. This tiny rhubarb shoot bodes well for the harvest later on in the year, well, it did until I went round the garden picking leaves to choose one to paint. Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#132 Packet of Seeds

I like the symmetry of painting flowers seeds today after the orange tulip from yesterdays post. These morning glory seeds have been planted today, which is handy as I can now see when we planted them without having to go through the bother of writing it down! Note to self: remember to paint a morning glory flower when they come up. Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#131 Orange Tulip

This could only have been more Dutch if I was wearing clogs when I painted it. Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#130 Blue Lighter

Armed with my new colours, I am in search of highly coloured objects, man made or natural....none are safe! Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.

#129 Tube of Paint

This one is for paint fans everywhere! My new paint arrived today, very exciting. This one is Old Holland Turquoise Deep, one of the sexiest colours in the batch. Apologies to pigment fans, I haven't given a colour update recently so, this one was painted using the colours; Turquoise Blue Deep, Emerald Green, Ulramarine blue deep, Burnt Umber, Cadmium Red Deep, Zinc White , Titanium White, Shevenings Blue Light. The paint seemed to fall off the brush with ease during this painting, I never know if thats down to me or down to the paint...today it was the paint I am sure of it, thank you Old Holland. Oil on gesso 16cm x 12cm.