If you want to draw...

...you must shut your eyes and sing

Pablo Picasso

It's been kinda like that recently. I'm not sure if it's the sunshine that I was convinced had given up on Southern France and taken up permanent residence in Aussie, the messmonsters who gaily go about making more mess for me to clean up or the great friends who've been popping back into my life after long absences ... 

But sing I do! 

And Fling! 

I'm still  a bit overly resentful of my Mac and it's place of residence in our sinister rather dark office which is why my disappearing act has been extended for another season. Methinks a laptop out in the sun could be the solution to all my problems!!

Anyway, back to Picasso's wise words... There's been a lot of singing going on at La Rivière. 

First of all Amelia Critchlow via her Experimental Art E- Course has suggested we take time to fling stuff at the page just to see what would happen. What a delight! HOW OFTEN DO YOU GET ORDERED TO DO THAT?!! Of course, the art course has just finished and I'm finally getting the time to work on it... but I'm hoping Amelia will forgive me for that too.

 Belting out 'I'm Yours' at the top of my lungs, obedient girl that I am, I let fly: Food colouring, ink,  water colour ... more ink ... I don't know why people call going back to childhood 'regressing.' To my mind, being a child is much more fun when you're a responsible adult.

Then there's been the practice for my 40th birthday party coming up in September. I'm forewarning those of you who are coming before it's too late that there's still time to pull out. The voice that hasn't been brought to the public ear since her last high school musical if you don't count the fiasco at my wedding is preparing to make its next appearance to an unsuspecting audience. This means lots of rehearsals as I fling, fling, fling! 11 year old Chickpea told me I was really cool and she was proud of me. She's too young to ask me to borrow the car yet so it must be sincere. If I'm not going to embarrass my 11 year old, I may not embarrass myself either!!

Have I forgotten something important? I was meant to tell you about Wales? You ask about Wales??? What's Wales got to do with singing? Through all the singing and doodling and time spent in my garden, I have finally come up with the most unboring way of telling you about my trip to Wales.  You just have to wait another couple of weeks days.

The messmonsters have just taken their father for two weeks holiday while I 'work.'  Since I started writing this post a week ago, I have painted the kitchen walls and ceiling, and am moving into the dining room. Wednesday (as in the day after tomorrow Wednesday) we start building a bona fide REAL studio for MOI in our garage. Praise the powers that be - my dining room will be set free of its identity crisis and the table will finally be used for presenting food once again!!  Of course, with  all this space and light, I am bound to find the time write more blog posts...

Well possums, I look a bit like a living Jackson Pollock painting (remind me not to answer video chat sessions when I've been painting the ceiling ... it's interesting the descriptions one's friends can come up with) and I can hear the call of my paint pots!

La la la la la la LAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Picasso would be proud of me - I'm sure ;-) 

9 minuti...

I would like to say I have writer's block. In fact - I almost passed it off that way ;-)

I will admit to spending an inordinate amount of time over the last week
playing in my own back yard, painting, and 

watching my youngest messmonster play with his little Italian best friend.

They talk and talk like two old dames.

It's fascinating enough for me to spend my whole day observing them from behind my paintbrush.

Natter. Natter. Natter.

But now I'm under stress.

I have 9 minuti only to make sure the pasta is perfect.

For this boy only eats what 'La Mama' cooks.

Thank Crikey I won 'The Silver Spoon Cookbook for Kids'
from Meredy or 'La Mama' may not leave me her son tomorrow ;-)

And then how would I occupy my Pokemon so I could paint?

9 minuti doesn't leave me much time for doodling or painting for Amelia's art course.

But I slipped a bit in.
These are the fun, playing around doodly bits that I just never allow myself to do. 

Yoiks!

The pasta's boiling over.

Beaker's away so my evening is free after the two 'old dames' are in bed for me to drop by later.  Expect a visit!
.

Ciao Ciao Bellas ;-)

9 minuti goes so fast ...