1st painting and 1st sketch

After a big high, I often hit a little lull. In this case, a week of coughing and bad nights' sleep. But it was worth it. I'm now picking myself up and getting back to work.

So here is the first painting and the first sketch I've done since I got back. It's a start.

If in doubt, sketch what's on your desk. Always works. Love the little cups that Cathy gave me a few months ago. They keep reappearing in my sketches. And I had to include the little round fruit juice bottles I got in Porto - they were pure mango juice. But I didn't buy them for the vitamins, but as water containers for urban sketching - sturdy, not brittle, good wide opening, non-leaking. They look better than urine sample bottles too. The only disadvantage is that the bottom isn't flat, so you can't use blu-tack to attach them to your board. Not sure how I'm going to square that circle yet. Must talk to my McGiver husband!

A fairly plain landscape. But good for practising looser trees. That tree is actually very very big. It stands proud in Marlay Park.