Hi Patsy, glad to hear you are all safe and to see they've at least caught one person for starting teh fires. I heard that the USA has also sent in experts. It's good you've found an art group; it can be a real booster if only to discuss art with people. Since our college decided to save money and cut all its leisure classes, we have nothing. Yes I have tried the Goldens; only briefly. I just had 3 free sachets and I thought they were lovely to use. Buttery , flowed really easily and stayed "open" for ages and ages. I've just done another ordinary acrylic to compare and am seriously thinking of changing over to Golden. Will have to do it bit by bit but they are so much easier to use. My regular ones felt really sticky in comparison.

Hi Diana hope you are well and your weather is clearing...they are still putting fires out over in the Eastern States New Zealanders and Americans have flown in to help which is great and Indonesia has sent a forensic team and given aid...we have had a couple of fires but well away thank goodness...well Diana I don't have a large portfolio some old stuff from the 80's when I went to college and some new stuff that I've done over the past few months...I have put them in Portfolios and they are now under my name Patsy King whereas I originally had them under Patsy's offerings simply because ' starting over again and I'm trying a lot of things at the moment...at the moment I work slowly but that will change with time...of course I can only paint when I have time which is usually in the evenings for a couple of hours...I found a group in one of the local papers which I feel will suit me the timing is good too 11am to 3pm Thurs and/or Fri just right for me...have you tried the Golden's yet? it will be interesting to find out how they go keep warm and well Diana

Thanks for thinking of us Diana we live in the West the bad fired are in the Eastern States i've left a new blog post about it...we had it cool for a few days but up to 40 this week with high easterly winds just awful...I hate it I don't know if it's an age thing but the heat really gets to me...I don't go in the sun because of my Irish skin and my hair use to be dark red so the sun is out for me...I have seen the damage it can do first hand in my job as a nurse in a past life...thank goodness my daughter now stays out of it and her and her friends now get spray on tans done by one of the pals...so the nagging has paid off...hope you havn't done too much damage and the Dr gan at least give you some relief

Will do Jeannette. Thanks but when I looked before I couldn't find much but photos on there.

Diana, please don't give up the painting it's a great healer and makes me forget pain and discomfort for awhile. I get completely lost in what I am painting - like you and Val (we often mention it) I have moments when I say to myself call yourself and artist and it goes in the bin. Have a look at Redbubble? Very best wishes Jeannette

Patsy I do hope you are not suffering from the terrible temperatures and fires. I have a friend who says it's been high 40s all week and even though she's a fit person she can't take much more. It's got to break soon.

Thank you so much Betty, Sylvia and Patsy. I finally managed to get out of the house briefly today to take my son back to University. Amazingly the car started after more than a week of not moving. Left at 1, home by 3.15 JUST before it started to snow again at at 7.30 it's still coming down heavy. Goodness knows what we'll have by morning but I'm sure not shifting any this week. Need to see the doctor about the damage i did last week but he will have to come to me instead. I did try to work more on the portrait and although it's better it's still far from right. Think its' at the stage where it's just not going to happen.

Please don't give up your painting we all enjoy them so much...although I know how you feel about a cultural desert it's like that here in West Oz can't even find a group to join that dosn't cost a fortune and we are at the mercy of stores where you have to buy what is there no choice...I can no longer understand life anymore why would a fit man stand and watch you struggle wants his backside kicking...Max is right you are amongst friends here...the Daffs and Snowdrops will be up soon and then hopefully you will be able to get out and get on with what you enjoy

I love your paintings, and you are the oasis in your cultural desert, Love the picture of you and the dogs real cuddlies. It is good to have a gripe every now and again, cos things can only get better. Have a look at some of your earlier pics and then you know you can do it. Hug.

Don't give up on your beautiful paintings, Max & i know how you must feel, i don't like the dark evenings, i love the spring when the flowers start to show their colour, we have a big garden & flowers for every season even now we have heather out in bloom & our snowdrops are showing some colour, even the daffodil leaves are up about 6inches. I to have to use a wheelchair & know how frustrating it is to be stuck indoors in bad weather. You are amongst friends on this site. Will look forward to seeing another painting of yours on the gallery!!!!!!!!! Betty & Max (learning the hard way) blog xx

Just to cheer you up a bit, here in central Scotland spring has sprung. The snowdrops have been out for a good couple of weeks and today I spotted the first bright yellow crocus, so I'm sure yours won't be far behind. We've been very lucky here with the snow and missed most of it, just a light dusting now and then, very very cold though. I know what you mean about phases where paintings go wrong. I have them frequently, usually when I go back to watercolours after a stint of oils or pastels and I wonder if I'll ever paint a half decent painting again! Chin up and keep watching for those snowdrops, they are there hiding just under the snow.....