Trying to Make the Best of it.

Now is the time it seems for greater openness as we try to help others more, talk to neighbours at a distance that we should have always tried to know better but never had the time, and for many work out how to fill our days and decide what is a priority and what is not. For me often life is very busy and the time to sit and write things like this is not afforded me by all the other 'stuff' that normally pours into my day like an endless tide. But we are all on pause and much as that is not welcome and truly very difficult for those on the front line and others struggling in a myriad of ways, it is giving us time to do things in differently, I have to always hold onto the positive in any given situation, while still having moments of worry like most people, as it's important to accept that that is just how it is at the moment. But I tend to try to only focus on what I can control and do for myself and others to get through to brighter days.

I think a lot of small businesses I know are struggling with quite what to do, not just from a logistical point of view but from also from a moral one, ie whether to try to carry on as best you can or whether that doesn't seem appropriate or whether doing that is not what is needed by their customers. It is a fine line to tread. Personally knowing that even under such unprecedented circumstances there is a way of carrying on working and producing art and hopefully bringing uplifting images to you, that will in some small part brighten your day, is helpful. The Arts help in difficult times, to get us through. Painting has been a great solace and inspiration to me and now running my creative themed challenge once a week (this week it's circles by the way!) is helping me and seems to give others a focus and aim also, and is forcing me to try lots of new things myself, as I do a project on that theme every week. (See below for more details and how you can join in!).
So here's to making the best of it, being kind to each other and even in isolation keeping the wheels turning!
 

So this is what I have been up to...
#artistsupportpledge 

Wind, bugs and birds... painting outside!

Polly our daughter has had to cut her Masters course in costume short at Edinburgh University and is trying to finish all her work  in my old studio in the attic , so I am relegated to the garden. I am honestly fine with that as she makes so much mess! I am happy in my garden, or I am at least at the moment as the weather has been unbelievable! What I am doing is taking up Andrew Burrow's challenge he is an artist on instagram who wanted to do something to help artists so has started the #artistsupportpledge.
 THe idea is that each artist that joins paints small unframed works that are only up to £200. After they sell 10 pieces they have to buy another artists work. So I am enjoying returning to my studies of Scotland and the coasts of Britain as I still had so much reference for them and also of course doing little studies of my garden. There is a dedicated page on the website called#artistsupportpledge that I will put them on as I do them.the first four are above.


#allaboutthejugs

Thanks to Jess at Clayfever where I paint a Jug every week I have still been able to paint a jug every Friday, which has been lovely. They can't be fired every week but they are done about every three weeks. So yesterday was VERY exciting as I got three jugs back in one day they are now on the website including The Butterfly Collector which is the biggest jug I have ever painted ! 

WEDNESDAY Weekly Creations ! #createwithnel

If you follow me on facebook or instagram or even if you don't, I am going to have a creative theme, announced every Wednesday, just for fun, for people to create something it can literally be anything from a photograph to just an arrangement of objects, as long it follows the theme, it really doesn't matter. If you want to see what people do or send me your pictures to nelartforliving@yahoo.co.uk by 11am on  the following Wednesday that would be lovely. I will share them at 5pm the same day. Don't worry if you're not creative it's just about sharing and seeing what others come up with two. So if you want to join in the theme for this week it'sCIRCLES. So surprise me and send me your CIRCLES to

nelartforliving@yahoo.com


Thoughtful Gifts for those in Isolation

In the pursuit of distractions if anyone wants to order my little Refresh Book Of up lifting words and poems or a puzzle or a notebook for a friend or a relative in isolation then I am happy to include a FREE card with a message if you email the message to nelartforliving@yahoo.com with the message you would like.

DO ALL TAKE CARE

Warm wishes Nel xxxx