Welcome to me weekly round up blog again, been slightly neglected, but thought it was about time I started it up again. I don;t like confusing my pet portrait blogs with my general chit chat!

I have to say 2019 has been one of the most stressful years battling google rankings. It is my third challenge to keep myself up in the rankings. One was a relatively short and easy one in September, but this is dragging out. It seems to be a juggling act between myself and a couple of new website that have popped up selling anthropomorphic pet portraits. If you look in my cat gallery and dog gallery you will see I have done a couple myself, but these are digital art. I wrote a blog on digital art the other day. It is certainly a contentious subject in the art world. I guess a bit like kindles and digital photography when it first came along. Anyway feel free to have a read about my thoughts here. Probably more insane ramblings to be honest! Anyway back to the inital point of this paragraph is this has been going on a week or so now, so I fear it is going to be a little while yet before it settles down. I just have to keep my fingers crossed it doesn’t affect me too much.

I seem to be getting through the Christmas pet portrait list OK so far, but I fear there maybe a spanner brewing in the works, I mean there always is right?! My son has contacted the vomiting bug, poor boy is so poorly, it’s horrid to see. He is sleeping soundly at the moment with both my dogs beside him! I am hoping he is over the worst of it now, but I fear it will work it’s way round the family. They always do and I don’t have time to be ill. Please keep your fingers crossed for me no-one else will get it!

I am still struggling with the colours on my next Jolly Splashes dog portrait, but I fear I maybe over thinking it and with all the other stresses it is not helping. My pastel pet portraits never seem to get affected by my mood or stress levels, but Jolly Splashes really do. I don’t know whether that is because I haven’t been doing them a lot or because the creative process is different it makes them more sensitive to my emotions! Who knows. Anyway I am getting to the point where I might just paint it straight onto the canvas and see what happens. I will scan my attempts in tomorrow and you can see what you think.

I will be starting my last super large portrait of the year this week of a beautiful border collie called Marmo, I can’t wait to do a blog on this guy, just deciding on the background at the moment. But if you want to read about the current pet portraits I am working on, Ike and Wellington

On that note the poorly boy has just woken up so I will be back to update in the next couple of days, providing I am not ill myself!

Today, Sunday, has been an ittu bitty sort of day. Leo feels so much better which is fantadtic news, but since he slept so much yesterday he was up and down all night so we both had a disturbed night. I treated myself to a nap after the dog walk. That was uncomfy. I don’t know why but my foot is giving me a bit of grief today. Definetly no walk for me this Thursday. All being well next week! Already excited for then.

I have framed Lady’s portrait and packed up Jasmine’s ready for thee post office tomorrow. I had planned to prep my canvas for painting but time escaped me so that’s my job tomorrow along with finishing Ike’s portrait and sketching out my next couple of commissions. The pressure is really building as it is Decemebr on Saturday! Eeek. Less than 30 days to get everything done now. Time to get my head down and get the last push underway!  I had hoped I may get time to squeeze a couple more pet portraits in before Christmas but I don’t think I will have time. I am also to tired and I think this year has taken its toll on me mentally a bit I don’t want to push myself into the ground. If I can finish a week before Christmas it would be amazing to take that week off, but I am not sure if I can do it. I don’t have much time after that anyway. I think the last posting day is Monday beforw, but I would like to get everything posted the Friday before!