Oops and Doons

Day two of nursing duties and both patients are responding well to my combination of tea making and morale boosting painting, singing badly and joining in sympathy snoozes. Could get used to this life methinks. Popped down to the gallery to pick up framing tape for Stu's ongoing craftsmanship on my Angels; he resumed his sanding and buffing this afternoon in a great display of courage under adversity. Needed a few of the afore-mentioned naps, but did some great work on the big frames using a bit of a rougher hand and sandpaper than we had first thought would be adequate, with some very pleasing results. I like the fact that we are doing the frames 'made up' rather than paint-effecting the individual pieces prior to assembly. This way he is achieving what I was looking for, which is the effect of something found in a beautiful old house, layers of paint artfully worn away by use and time.

The doon of the day was the letter from the RGI rejecting my paintings and meaning that another hard won tenner has to go on the return trip to Glasgow to pick up my pictures; in another way it is not bad as they are for the Angel show anyway, so I would have been a wee pit annoyed if they hadn't made it there. It is always a slight setback getting the boot, even though I know it is such a lottery and I am not even a member or from Glasgow, which doubtless makes it even less likely to succeed. Actually I have no idea why I subject myself to it and have vowed to leave most of these juried shows alone; cost money and provide only demotivation.

Luckily my gallery trip was as positive as ever and came away full of ideas and renewed confidence. Started the second last angel tonight which I love already despite realising on the way to bed that I have a bit of an eye alteration to attend to in the morning; you can never see these things until you go away for a bit and look at the painting afresh. Never figured out why, it is like literally having a new set of eyes.

Downhill all the way now; sorting and framing and doing little pieces is nearly the end of the story for this year's shows; then hopefully the hard work will prove its worth in the dying months of the year. Cross those fingers.