Oooops naughty me, I forgot to start my weekly blog. Notreally sure why it slipped my mind, it hasn’t been a hectic start to the week. Just busy hahaha!

I have been prepping for two new commissions to get underway. I have Pickle and two Australian cattle dogs to paint. They are all ready to start. I need to get Max posted out, that will probably be Thursday. I also have to post Filou’s portrait, but the frame arrived late today so it will have to be done tomorrow. I am looking forward to seeing him in his frame!

I have a quite a few things to update on my website. A couple of testimonials, blog posts to edit and add photos to, and other bits and pieces. Anyone get the feeling I might be using this blog more as a job list by any chance! So sorry, it is probably really boring and you deserve a medal if you have got this far!

I am not 100% sure if can walk on Thursday, I have wrenched my shoulder somehow and it is really rather painful. It may have been battling to get a big frame box in today. As much as I want to do Thursday, I really don’t want to push it and make it worse so I may wait until Saturday. How I feel tomorrow morning will decide it for me! Anyway I promise to make this more interesting tomorrow, or whenever I update next!

Well I am not sure how well I am going to succeed in making this post more interesting tonight.

I framed Filou, and I am so pleased with how his portrait looks now it is framed. You can check it over in his blog.

I need to finish packing up Max and his print, which I nearly forgot to do, but will finish off tomorrow. I need to sign the print and label it up and got to the post office so it hopefully won’t take long. I am waiting to hear back with regards to posting Filou. Hopefully I will hear fairly soon as he is a big portrait and I am loathed to post Friday with it being bank holiday, but we shall see. I will miss him when he goes, I have to say his portrait never fails to put a smile on my face!

I have some new pastel pet portraits sketched out, ready to get started on tomorrow. I am looking forward to those as it feels like it’s been a while, probably because it has! I have really missed them, but I have to say I have been have great fun with the watercolour portraits. I had hoped to have started another for a client tonight, but annoying the paper didn’t arrive in time. I had to order some emergency stock! I won’t get time tomorrow evening either. I am also not going to be walking tomorrow. My shoulder is really acting up. It feels like I may have trapped a nerve as when I get it in a certain position it is a lot worse. I maybe ok on poles, but as it is the workout walk I think I am wise to miss it, at least this week as I would be devastated if I made it worse! Look out tomorrow as I will be starting my new blogs for my current commissions and I will be uploading some client quotes and other bits and pieces, a bit like a general maintenance update, rather than boring you with my waffle!

I have actually started my first pastel pet portrait today and hope to get the others underway over the weekend. I will start the blogs too! So it really is back to the grindstone. It’s not to say I haven’t been busy, but I guess because it isn’t actually doing what I predominantly do, the pastel pet portraits, it feels like I have been slacking. Not really. I have been to the post office with 3 pet paintings, framed Filou’s portrait, signed and posted a print, dealt with a lot of enquiries after a fairly quiet Easter break and completed a few Jolly Splashes watercolour pet portraits. It is frustrating having to do so much admin and other stuff, not painting, but such is the life of an artist. I don’t mind. It means I am really looking forward to getting stuck in tomorrow. Look out for the new blog posts!

I feel like I haven’t achieved much this week, I haven’t nordic walked since Monday due to this shoulder injury. I think I have damaged to rotator cuff. It is definitely going in the right direction and less painful, but it seems to feel like the joint or something has clicked out of place sometimes and it hurts until it clicks back in. I can assure you, it definitely clicks, people have heard it!

I got fitted for some lovely new walking shoes, I hope my ankle has the strength because I fear boots will be far to hot in the summer. Salomon again. Their shoes do run a little small, but my god they are the comfiest walking/hiking boot or shoes I have worn straight out of the box. They are worth their weight in gold if you ask me!