Hi Patsy, once again thank you for your lovely letter.........those big bags on wheels are a wonderful investment, takes the strain off your arms.........Hubby looks as though he has a lot of work at the moment hope he doesn't overdo it...........teacher wasn't there on friday at art class so are waiting to see what improvement she has made with Max's painting....."O YES SHE WILL" It's been a lovely weekend here & a lot of holiday makers around.......but we have stayed away from the sea front it will be packed also we have a festival going on at the moment which people are flocking to........Betty has visited her mother today she is very tired. Please take care & enjoy your painting class. LOL Betty & Max XXX

Hi Max and Betty so glad your new furniture is comfy nothing better than a comfy chair...yes I have been very tired but have cut down on what I do at home for the mean time...I havn't booked in for the tests yet I've got to wait until Hubby gets a day off to take me...they are run off their feet at the moment and he is even working Saturdays...but it shouldn't be long...must off now and get packed up for my class tomorrow...I bought one of those big bags with wheels yesterday the gear is too heavy and it hurts the hands...I will get a right ribbing when Daughter sees it...hope you are both well and Max gets his painting fixed don't throw it out he may look at it later and see something different...LOL Patsy XXX

Hi Patsy, Hope you found us ok on the forum!! Yes we are enjoying our new funiture very comfy.......Hope your iron levels will soon right themselves soon nothing is worse than feeling tired most of the time, hope the tests you have will show that all is well in your inside.........so glad you are thinking about taking up the evening classes but don't overdo it will you........the teacher is helping Max wth a painting he was going to throw in the bin he had hit a brick wall with it....she has taken it home to rescue it. Have put an earlier painting of a Daffodil on our gallery if you would like to have a look & putting one on in a moment of a Fuchsia painted about the same time........Take care LOL Betty & Max XXX

Hi Max and Betty I shall leave a message for you on your private mail...your new furniture sounds fantastic...we are looking at having the kitchen benches re-laminated...when we did our mini renovation we couldn't get anyone to do it they were all to busy with the big jobs...now the big R has hit they are out begging in the shopping centres handing out leaflets...so a blessing in disguise we will get it at a better price...yes I will go to the evening class after this one...he is a great tutor so patient but I think at the end of the term I might feel a little strictured with the highly disciplined work...at the moment it's what I need...but to be honest with my iron levels being so low I barely have the energy...I keep up with everything at home but it takes me twice as long to do everything...so Hubby had a nag and I'll book in for the procedures just to make sure I'm not bleeding inside...I have stomach ulcers and these have seeped blood before and the same thing happened but this is the lowest my iron levels have been...I think we all go through these times with our painting at the moment I'm only working in class I get the urge to paint but then look at the clock and it's too late to get the paints out...I have a good routine at home perhaps I should apply some of that and put a day away for painting at home...but the urge will come back...I often think that when you force yourself to do art as it was it dosn't work as I found out with the boulders...I ended up hating that painting...well will talk take care hope Mum is improving and you are both well LOL Patsy XXX

Hi Patsy, thank you for the information on the bath water & rain technique......will let you know how we get on with a couple of paintings which need saving. Thea has contacted us through our e-mail which we are very relieved about......now that we have resumed contact with her again we would like to keep it going........we have joined the forum under Max Lennox if you would like to contact us privately. We thought it was time to have some new furniture for the lounge, the ones we had were looking a bit threadbare........so a new midblue settee with padded cushion's, a winged chair with matching stool, & for the man of the house electric recliner. Mum is still the same but getting there slowly......The new evening class sounds great....."GO FOR IT" Take care LOL Betty & Max XXX

Hi Max and Betty glad you are both OK...I've read a lot about rescuing watercolours I've never tried it but some say put it in a bath of water and rinse a lot of the paint off...I also read that some put them out in the rain...I stretched my paper tonight and will put the sketch in tomorrow...he has a supply of pictures he has taken and copied...the class is very structured but I think at the moment that's what I need to re-learn the skills...this society also runs an evening class called Wet and Wild Watercolour so maybe I'll do that one next sounds interesting so I might try that one well Max and Betty I'll say goodnight and hope your Mum is on the improve LOL Patsy XXX

Hi Patsy.....thank you so much for the information on how to leave a message for Thea on the forum.....have done this........Glad you are enjoying your painting course it sounds great fun & the tutor sounds a nice person......look forward to seeing the landscape !! glad to hear you know how to mix the Aussie greens can be a bit involved i expect.........Max was on the point of thowing a painting in the bin & the teacher stopped him & ask him if she could take it home with her to try & rescue it which he agreed to because he had hit a brick wall with it.....will see the outcome next friday..........Thank you for your kind wishes to mum.....she is still very confused to be expected at her age 95 but she is in capable hands & making a slow recovery. We have had strong winds here the last week & rain which have played havoc with the garden....we have two iris's out a lovely shade of purple who are holding their own.........will say goodnight love to you & your family Betty & Max XXX

Hi Max and Betty just checking in to make sure you are both alright and are managing with everything OK...don't feel you must reply I know you are both busy just wanted you to know I was thinking of you two

Hi Max and Betty glad you are both OK it's good they are taking the time with Mum and that she gets back to her own home older people do better in their own environment don't they...Betty when you log onto the Forum there is a box at the top and it says Inbox if you click on that it will take you into where you can send private messages...click on New and all you have to do is put Thea's name in and a subject if you wish and just write your message and send or submit and she will get it...I love my new course Tutor was over his cold this week so it was back to basics which was great filled in a colour wheel and made some Australians greens with instructions he gave us...I so enjoyed it and came away tired but relaxed the 3 hours go so fast...we start a landscape next week provided by him from photos he has taken and copied we each have a different one...I will finish the Gum leaves now I know how to mix the Aussie greens they are so different funny I have never been taught them even though I went to night school for about 3 years...well Max and Betty keep well and my best wishes to Mum LOL Patsy XXX

Hi Patsy.....sorry about not answering but have not been on the computer for three day's....trying to sort things with mum......she will be in hospital for at least another 8 weeks they have to assess her to see how much more help she will need when she comes home to her own bungalow. So glad you are enjoying your new course it's nice when you have a good teacher......Betty loves pen & ink when she can find time to do it. We shall miss Thea but hope she will find a way to contact us........glad that Beatrice has returned to the site she is a good teacher & artist..........Hope your hubby had a good birthday.....Take care LOL Betty & Max XXX

Thea we went on to the forum but didn't know how to contact you perhaps you could contact us we are under Max Lennox but Betty's e-mail address......hope you will contact us. We hope Lucy is ok......take care Betty & Max

Hi Max and Betty hope you are both OK havn't heard from you for a while...well Thea is still on the blog and Aqua is back so things ar beginning to resolve I'm so happy about that..

Max and Betty, you can log onto the forum and then go to my email inbox and email me. I can then email back with my email address. This is hopefully secure and is not accessible by anyone else on the site. It is very simple to register for the forum and you don't have to take part in the forum, but it does let you use the private email function so that you can email other members. I have given Patsy and a couple of other people my private home email address this way. You don't always want everyone to access all your conversations with other people - so try the email function as it is useful. Hopefully, I will hear from and we can keep in touch this way. I will of course keep an eye on both your artistic works! I will also be using the gallery function to post my paintings and comment on some that I like. So I haven't gone completely, just from public comment. If you manage to email me I will try and explain more. Take care - Thea.

Hi Max and Betty hope you are both feeling better and Mum is doing better...thank you for your comment on my pen and watercolour untouched since Monday the demands of family life...I love this new course the peace and gentleness is like gold dust to me and the 3 hours just disappeared...I have photographed the display for the colour of the leaves...I so enjoyed working with the pen and nib I forgot how wonderful it was...I'm really sad that Thea is staying off the site it happened on my thread about the course nothing to do with me but the offending mails have been deleted at Thea's request...we are all hoping to persuade her to come back...we have unfortunately lost Beatrice and Paul Beatty who has withdrawn he didn't elaborate but it has nothing to do with my thread thank goodness I'm beginning to regret ever posting my experience of my first class...hopefully things will get back to normal and we can get these valuable people back to us LOL Patsy XXX

Sorry to hear of your ceanothus dying on you Phil......a lot of people we know have lost there's but we seem to be one of the lucky ones??

Sorry to hear of your upset on the forum Thea.....we shall miss your comments very much but know how you must be feeling........Glad your daughter is going on ok.....it must have been a magical moment seeing the baby's face on the scan.......would love to give you our e-mail address but don't know how we can get it to you......Please keep in touch if you can...Betty & Max

What a lovely ceanothus, Max and Betty and thank you for the kind thought in posting it. I just wanted to write to you both and say that I am not going to be adding to my blog or adding comments to anyone else's in future. Something happened on the forum over which I have been very upset and I now feel that I don't want to make any public comments about anything in future. I will still allow myself the odd comment on the gallery, especially if I see that I can encourage and support anyone, and will still post my paintings. Other than that, I am counting myself out. I can still receive private emails via the forum and I intend to keep in touch with those that I want to converse with in this way. I am sorry about this but wanted to let you know in case you thought I was ignoring you and appeared rude. As you have been so kind as to ask about Lucy and her baby, she is still doing ok and we had the thrill of seeing a 4D scan picture of the baby's face - quite amazing. Anyway, take care and keep painting. If I can find a way to chat to you I will. Love Thea

Our Ceanothus curled up it's toes this spring....Garden? a sort of slow-death camp for plants...

We have left a comment on your blog about your new venture which we think is great....can't wait to see the finished painting......had a busy day today......it started with the son calling in at 9-30 this morning with his 11 year old dog a staffordshire bull terrier she has a lovely way with her......then we had a phone call from a relative i found doing my family tree on the computer he is over here in england on holiday with his wife, daughter & son-in-law from Canada he is 81 years old & is on my mothers side it was lovely to talk to him.........then our gardener came with his dog a springer spaniel......i alway's give them a meal.......he does the hard work in our garden & does it for free he is a volunteer........P.S. did you manage to find the SAA site we gave you? Off to bed now to get some shut eye....speak again soon LOL Betty & Max XXX

Hi Max and Betty glad your Mum is picking up a bit...yes stress is awful isn't it hope you get it sorted out OK...isn't it awful when you struggle with a painting that's why I ended up throwing the Rocks in the bin...it's not something I would usually do but the thing had become an obsession...it was like a freedom...I started the new course today and it was wonderful I so enjoyed it and found some of my drawing skills coming back...the Tutor was a quiet encouraging very gentle man who did all his demonstrations on his own paper...he had a lovely display set up for each of us three new students which was a Gum tree twig and some bark from a Paperbark tree...we were able to take the display home to finish...I have posted the unfinished work in my gallery under course work...hopefully by next week it will be finished...hope things improve for you both health wise Max and Betty will be thinking of you...your sister's parrot sounds fantastic amazing birds arn't they LOL Patsy XXX

Hi Patsy....Thank you for your kind thoughts & helpful advice......yes they have checked mum for liver & kidney malfunction but both are ok it seems which is a good thing......she has perked up a bit in the last few day's but the nurses are having to get her up quite a few times in the night to go to the toilet......i went to see her today again & left Max at home he is very tottery on his feet at the moment......As for my BP i have been on water tablets for years & BP tablets so i don't know what is causing the high BP unless its all the stress i am under at the moment........never mind i will do as my GP tells me. Sorry to hear about your first day with your art group....lets hope that monday brings better things with the new art group......."GOOD LUCK"....... Max is struggling at the moment with the painting he is doing....the teacher at our art class is giving him some advice.........I havn't done any more to my elephant's since mum has been in hospital havn't had the time......my sister & myself have been cleaning her bungalow (cleaning carpets etc) we have mums little dog looking after as well between us but she is no trouble bless her....she is 14 years old & going deaf good job really because my sister has a parrot who talks a lot & he keeps calling her by her name which is Shelly & he does it in mine & my sisters voices funny really......Well Patsy must close eyes are getting heavy LOL Betty & Max XXX

Hi Max and Betty sorry to hear about your Mum only a suggestion but maybe they should check her liver and kidney function...sometimes forced inactivity can affect the function...hope they are looking after her I know she has reached a good age but she was/is an active woman regardless of her age they should be working to give that back to her...Betty sorry your BP is still up another nursey question but do you take fluid tablets they are still one of the most important meds in the treatment of high BP...Hubby's meds have some in them...and Mum-in-Law takes them...hope this isn't personal if so delete it...the Tutor in the course turned up in a flurry late with nothing but her handbag...she had nothing for us 2 new people so she rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a few things and plonked them down right in front of us all the reflections of our equipment were continually moving in the jug...I'm not good with ellipses but thought I would correct my loose sketch as I went along but we only had a couple of brush strokes in when all this happened...she hoed into both of our works from the darkest well of paint...a no no in Watercolour as you both know... so much for a tonal exercise...I just did the best I could as did the other Lady but she didn't like mine and pointed to the other Lady's and said "like that"...most of it was the Tutors work...but mine wasn't I managed to leach out most of what she did but the big black shadow on the left is what is left over from her painting that I didn't get time to leach out...well I decided today to change courses...so I rang the centre to ask if there was any places in the course she recommended for to begin with and fortunately there was so I begin Monday in Watercolour Pen and Pencil...I think the enrolling Lady knew I wouldn't like this Tutor...the whole story is on the Forum really got my ginger up today what she did without my permission...a long one today hope you manage to read it...LOL Patsy XXX

Glad the bush cheered you both up Silvia & Patsy........Have looked at your painting Patsy & think it is ok.....occasionally these teachers overstep the mark taking liberties with your painting so say correcting it....i have had it happening to me from time to time......now i make it clear if i want any advice i will ask for it.....i don't need them to "PRACTICE" on my paintings !!!! BP is still high Patsy & mum Is not so good She looks yellow we are keeping our fingers crossed. Goodnight LOL Betty & Max XXX

Thanks Max and Betty that is one gorgeous bush smashing colour...I'm feeling mentally better now probably because I told all of you in confidence about my little health crisis...how are you Betty? any improvement in your BP...I have posted the first exercise from my class the whole tale is in the Forum in General Art Discussions...to say what happened today when the Tutor took the brush out of my hand and proceeded to paint my paper for which I had my own plans...it won't happen again...got my ginger up...keep well LOL PatsyXXX

Lovely , lovely blue. Thanks Max for this one. S x