1st of April, happy April Fools day, is that even a thing?
Well today is Luke’s 6th birthday. Can’t believe I have had the terror 6 years in June! A complete monster, typical terrier through and through but I love him to bits really. Shame I feel to ill to take him on a proper birthday walk. I didn’t even make my Nordic Walk this morning. That shows how rubbish I feel. Hey ho. Hopefully today is the worst of it. Doesn’t help I have had barely any sleep the last two nights. I just about dragged myself to the post office. Later I will do some sketching and get my next pet portraits lined up ready to start, hopefully tomorrow. It’s all about cat portraits this week. I have a triple cat portrait to do and a single, so it will be nice to have a break from dog paintings! I shall be starting their blogs tonight/tomorrow.
I posted Bella’s portrait today and apart from the above it will be finishing up quotes and catching up on admin and chilling out in an attempt to shake this cold for good. I am not a good patient I have to say!
Well this last couole of weeks have been full of bad news and they say they come in threes. I think had my third today. Dad was on his way over to help with something on my new laptop he kindly helped me buy on Friday, and he had an accident where he hit two cars belonging to my local garage. Thank goodness he is OK, just very bruised and sore. I am mentally exhausted and drained from everything and I really hope that’s the lot now.
I haven’t had a chance to sketch out the new pet portraits yet and I think that maybe a job for tomorrow. Time to put my feet up and have a bath I think!
Wow I feel like I am still trying to catch my breath after everything that has happened the last 2 weeks! However, despite my Dad being very sore he seems OK. He manage to get bits off his car today. It is a write off, but got his dash cam etc. I slept better last night finally, but still didn’t get up to 11am. After having two nights where I barely slept I needed to try and catch up. I am still exhausted though, but hopefully one more good night will see me caught up! I quite like a boring life hahaha, I am ready for that to return!
However I have managed to sketch out Leo, Tottie and Rosie’s cat portrait and I really can’t wait to get working on them, I am the owner of a ginger and white cat too so this one is going to be lovely to paint. I will start the blog on their pet portrait now.
Honestly the last two weeks have been never ending with dramas and disasters here. It unfortunately has had an impact on my work schedule, but hoping I will catch up soon. I have emailed all clients it is immediately affecting with possibly some more, but I will know more after the weekend hopefully. Anyone with birthday deadlines will not be moved. Only ones with estimated completion date and no special occasion. I have only ever had to do this twice in my pet portrait artist career, which is 14 year, nearly 15, so it’s not bad going, particularly as I can’t delegate the work to anyone else!
I have been having a play with some watercolour portraits recently as well. I completed a standard poodle portrait which sold within 3 hours of completing it, which is amazing! I do love doing these watercolour portraits, so much fun. I only have a phone photo of it, but I will get a scan tomorrow of it so you can see. I am trying to decide which breed to paint next! If you have any suggestions please feel free to put them on a postcard hahaha! Seriously an email or on my facebook page is great!
I am in no rush whatsoever to repeat the dramas of the last two weeks and they are by no means over. Battles with my website rankings. Family in hospital, so many other things to list. My brain literally cannot absorb anymore stress. I haven’t been sleeping and surviving on about 3 or 4 hours sleep. As soon as my head hits the pillow my brain is off 100 mile an hour.
There has been some good news amongst the bad. Mind made some good sales for me and themselves including Solar Polars. So pleased about that as you never know how new pieces of wildlife art will be received. I have a couple of other projects in mind when I have caught up with the current schedule.
Tomorrow, I am taking time out for me. A morning walking. I haven’t walked since last Thursday due to this stupid cold and then other various issues getting in the way. I hope it will wear me out and I will help reset me somewhat. I can’t do 4 hours sleep for much longer!
OK I want the worries and stress to end now. I like to think I am generally a nice person. Genuine and hardworking, loyal and caring, but maybe I did wrong in a past life with all that has happened this last two weeks. Unfortunately my homepage keeps getting de-indexed from the search engines. I don’t know why, but obviously that really affects traffic and rankings. I love being self employed and this business is my 3rd baby and when I have problems it upsets me terribly. I am an anxious person by nature and that really doesn’t help me when things go wrong. Believe me with all the family and friend issues plus this I have spent a lot of time crying this week. If it wasn’t for my husband and amazing best friend I don’t know where I’d be and that is where I know I am truly blessed.
Having suffered very badly from anxiety and depression all my life to go back to work would be virtually impossible for me even though I would pass all the DWPs tests so this truly is my lifeline.
To anyone else who suffers. Please reach out. Even if it is an email to me. I will listen. There is support out there and while it can feel like there is no hope there is. Trust me. Don’t be alone. The more awareness we can spread about mental health the better it will be understood and the better support there will be.
Take care everyone xx
Well I didn’t sleep last night. Again. I am exhausted now. I think I Pushing 10 days now bar one night where have slept properly. Its really wearing. I have been trying not to nap during the day, but yesterday I did and I slept for 3 hours! But last night it was back to 2am and painting lion portraits at 1am! All good fun.
Here’s the little painting at my standard size of 8×8 inches. I will as usual get a scan at some point very soon.
