Snowbirds in the sun

Superb day outside, all halloween orange and chimney red with a pin sharp wedgewood sky. Set out early for my painting slot at Ritchie Collins gallery so I could catch the passing trade that I hoped would be out and about catching some sun-borne vitamins. Sure enough, my first visitors, who so, so nearly bought one of my bigger pics (hopefully they will return!) had a hangover and were walking it off in the autumnal crispy air. Also had a daughter who is away travelling in Thailand and Vietnam, so we had a good exchange of experiences about that too; it is always a pleasure meeting people in the gallery, they must be officially the best demographic to 'serve'. I use the speech marks as I hardly qualify as a server in a hand-behind-the-back, yessirnosir, canIgetyounanythingelsesir? whilst I am sitting cross legged swigging tea and creating hand made Christmas cards in a little production line on the floor. Had it in mind to do some angels and specifically angels in trees, as Elton's lyric 'You tell me there's an angel in my tree; did he say he'd come to call on me?' is still on loop in my head. Ended up painting skinny long snowmen with bird-like faces, which I rather liked, and some angels who looked like vases with wings. Used some make and do techniques with sticky-on paper, potato prints and biro - really enjoyable after doing so many bigger paintings and I may be able to transfer some of the ways of working onto the box canvases, which I like but find can get a bit stilted it I'm not careful. I find canvas easier than I thought to work on but still slower than board as the brush doesn't whizz over the surface as easily!

I'm off now to hole up in the studio for the rest of the evening as this is my only big lump of time to paint for the rest of the week; lots of running around picking up and taking paintings places, which is good but erodes my valuable painting time... Hoping to get a good way to finishing Bun Hanzo tonight as I have lots of cut potatoes and other ideas for paint pattern effects. Far too many ideas today to be honest; one of those frustrating ones where I could have done with a few pairs of hands and treble the time at hand. Ah well, no point in moaning, sold another pic today so the drip, drip of sales continues and each time another one goes out into the world, another person will hopefully turn to a friend and show them their new artwork; and so it goes on...