Does Coffee Improve Memory?

Hello Peeps!

I have been busy painting this adorable little bunny which will be available printed on some products over at Bohemian Coffee Club in a few weeks.

A post shared by Pet portraits from your photos (@studiokaufmann) on Apr 18, 2017 at 4:10pm PDT

I met a woman at the gym today who I have known on and off for sixteen years. That was at 9.30. We talked a bit about how she was determined to lose 15 lb pounds and I wished her the best of luck. Then I went swimming. I went up and down for an hour and tried to remember what this woman was called.

It was on the tip of my tongue. I knew her name started with N or maybe M. Then there was a bit of drama I think a woman fainted or twisted her leg and was lying at the side of the pool. Then I trod water while I watched the paramedics come and take this woman to hospital in the ambulance.

Then I swam a bit more and tried to remember my friend's name. Nada. Nothing.

Then I went home and ate some friend mushrooms.

It is now 1.20 and I have just remembered this woman's name! It does start with N. Nicola. I think it was the grease in the friend mushrooms that kick started the old grey matter. I am 46. Honestly I didn't think my brain was going to pack up this early in the game. I am wondering what will exercise my brain?

I have heard coffee improves your memory. Is that true? I must say I do love the stuff and my memory is shot to pieces so who knows? I also did a coffee art piece called COFFEE SPLASH which describes my feelings about the invigorating power of Java.

You can buy prints of COFFEE SPLASH over at CURIOOS.

Linking up to Paint Party Friday, Sunday Sketches and Brilliant Blog Posts.

Bunny Bonanza

What an exciting week!

I was doing some gardening and pulled up a big bunch of hay and all these tiny bunnies scattered around me. They had their eyes closed and were crawling around commando style. I didn't know what to do so I popped them back in their burrow and put the hay on top. I hope they are going to be okay. They are on the edge of our lawn. I see the mom around but apparently they only feed them once a day so I don't think she has abandoned them. Has anyone else had bunnies in their back yard? I think it is a myth that the mom rejects them if you have touched them. I hope it is anyway!

I finished my flying parrot this week. I used a technique where I blew the paint all over the paper and I think it came out pretty well.

I also applied to sell on Artfinder and was excited to be accepted so I've listed a few paintings. Nic McLean is also on it so check out her page too! Is anyone else on Artfinder? I would love to know so I can go like and follow your page.

Linking up to Paint Party Friday and Brilliant Blog Posts:

White Rabbits

Sometimes things just happen organically. I had ordered some masking fluid, although I have never tried it before so I was a little apprehensive. I opened the bottle, and wow, let's just say I haven't smelt such pungent fumes since my girls were in diapers! Nevertheless I decided to give it a whirl - even though some people have told me it leaves very hard clean edges. But sometimes what a girl needs is hard edges! In this case to create hard tufts of rabbit fur.

I  used watercolor paper and decided to start drawing out some white rabbits in pencil. Then I started putting down the masking fluid with a tiny brush where I wanted bits of highlighted fur. Then I started sponging in the shadows and forms of the rabbits. Things were looking good but I needed more texture so I troweled on some acrylic base that has these gritty beads in it and scribbled around in it with a fork to make it look even more like fur.

Then I let the painting dry trying to control myself from peeling off the masking fluid. When  the paint had tried I let it rip! Let me say that peeling off masking fluid is great fun  - a bit like the thrill of peeling off strips of sunburnt skin (or maybe that's just me). And it did indeed leave white patches that gave some wonderfully stark highlights to the rabbits' fur.

You can use an eraser or your fingers to take off the dried masking fluid

Leaving some interesting whiskery textures

Hmm....yes....those rabbits are starting to look very rabbity

That's it folks!

How do you find working with masking fluid? What subjects do you use it for? I think a lot of people use it for straight lines but it was fun to use it for something organic like rabbit fur.

Happy Easter from the Chattering Duck and Friends

It's been a long snowy winter with plenty of time to get clickety-clackety with my crochet needles. And just in time for Easter I've finished three little friends. A mummy rabbit and her son plus a duck who looks like he just won't shut up [get pattern at Amirugumi to Go]

Happy Easter! Have a good one and don't eat too many Easter eggs!

Are you going away for Easter? Not me, I'm having a Staycation.