Hi Patsy. I have just been and seen your marvellously encouraging comments on my pictures and sketches and want to thank you properly. I do not have a blog, but would like to say more as you suggested! I will have to see about setting it up. I am new to all this, but not to art! I have only discovered Painter-online about a week or so ago... I look forward to spending more time learning about you and the other artists who contribute and perhaps getting the urge to do more stuff of my own again! I hope the work you are producing for Acqua comes out really well... good luck.

Hello Patsy, You have been busy checking out my blog & gallery, haven’t you? Thank you for your extremely kind comments and I’m glad you liked the crocus pictures & my baby (car) he is lovely, isn’t he? My commitments are keeping me busy but I hope to blog again soon. Got to cook lunch now, Byeeee….

Hope your course goes well and that you get what you want out of it. I've been on three now and every time I come back with something that takes me just a little bit further. I think it's well worth the outlay. I'm trying to get into a life drawing group at the moment. Led by a college art lecturer. I need to add another string to my bow and hope he will point me towards alternatives. I won't change my subject. Too many people have told me off for thinking about it, but if I can expand my repertoire I think I will have more to offer galleries. PS do they do mobility scooters with 'roo bars?

Still weebly especially when tired or looking up or down too quickly, but if that's all I've got to worry about I'm not doing too badly. Since contacting Jo-Anne Clarke (did you look at her painting) we've been emailing almost daily. She's been a fount of information and a lovely lady. I'm putting some of her tips into practice. When this next batch is finished (I'm not bothering of post them here - they are too like the others - but they will be on my website) I'll concentrate on extending my style with bolder colours. The exhibition is a couple of weeks away and I'm almost ready. There is another open exhibition in Hull the weekend after and I'll be submitting for that. Then there is a flurry during the summer/autumn. I'm hoping the first exhibition will clean me out (high hopes!).

Hi Patsy, that is not an Easter Egg it is a Weeble - reference to my wobbling but not falling down. Haven't been painting for quite a while. I've been busy getting organised for the exhibition in May. I've compiled and printed 100 flyers to leave around, an A4 Artist's statement for display and a portfolio. All time consuming but once they're done they can be adapted for any situation. I read one of Phil's comments about keeping a spreadsheet of what painting is where and I thought it was a really good idea, so that's my next little project. Weekends have been spent decorating our dining room. I spent today putting the finishing touches to it. Furniture is moving back in, cleaned and beeswaxed. My wife bought Jo-Anne Clarke's Hippo painting (it is in her portfolio - worth a look if you haven't already) and I bought a limited edition print of a tattooed bull terrier by Dominic Murphy (if you go to www.dominicmurphyart.com it is the second one down in the English Bull Terriers section). A few little chores to do tomorrow and the rest of the day is mine. I will either re-organise the studio or start another painting. Either way I having some ME time. So, how are things down under? Been painting?

Pleased to see you have your book AND your course, lucky lady. I like Alans vanishing "things" its a man thing, they cannot see what is under their noses. I was going to paint bluebells this morning but the day has gone quite to "pott" so bluebells are postponed for another day. Will show you the pic when done. I am so sad, my pics did not get into Patchings, apparently they had a huge entry, still it would have been nice to have managed it three times. The lambs opposite have outgrown their plastic coats, and are now teenagers, they lep around on and off farm equipment playing "I'm the lamb of the tractor" and jump straigh up into the air, from a standing start. They really are so funny to watch.

Sounds like a very successful weekend, glad you got YOUR book...it was meant to be!

Suggest steel toe capped boots...unless her mobility scooter manoeuvring skills have picked up [but then she has not blogged any further adventures on wheels]...yep I could also shop for the UK.

Would like to do shopping with you Patsy !!!!

Wow Patsy gets her book at last...'Him in doors' buys three hours peace & quiet for c. £70...sterling...the dog gets fed too...brilliant.

Well done Patsy on finding the book.......bet you nearly had kittens when you thought it had been sold......look forward to seeing some paintings inspired by this book....... you were lucky on purchasing the last magazine on sale...........in the april edition of the leisure painter there is an article written by Andrew Pitt the artist that Thea is on a course with this week a very good article!!!! She is looking forward to it. Talk again soon. LOL Betty & Max

Shaping up to be a good year all round then! We deserve something good for our persistance don't we. On the subject of organisation...I get the feeling that you are as annoying as my wife! When she wants something, she goes the drawer that she knows it's in and puts her hand straight on it (unless I've borrowed it and forgotten to put it back!). When I look for something it is a journey, a trip into the unexpected. I find old memories from years ago, get lost in nostalgia and forget what I was looking for in the first place. Why is it when I look for something, I find the things that I couldn't find last time exactly in the place where I expected to find them last time? They are there, bold as brass, sniggering because it's the turn of the stuff I am looking for to hide. How do they know?!

Well done Patsy, I feel sure I have the book here somewhere but it's not where I thought it was so it's a big search ahead amongst the 400+ books in the house. Let you know when I find it. Himself took me on a visit to 2 galleries on Saturday, Lovely paintings in one, The Thoresby Hall gallery and sculptures in the other, The Harley Gallery. There's a mixture of craft shops at Thoresby and a small boutique. I always look in and this time I found a really nice outfit and Himself said I should get it, so I did. We were both in luck this week.