Hitting potholes

My last blog update was in March this year. I was still in recovery then, but getting better. I managed to get some work into the mini exhibition at Freedom Framery, a fairly new venture in Lochcarron and dropped off some cards and more work with them in June and I was working towards a scheduled exhibition at An Talla Dearg  at Hotel Eilean Iarmain in October, with Aileen Grant Art and Steven Proudfoot. Then in July, I went on holiday with my husband and family. I had reached a plataeu for recovery, I was still very tired and sore and having digestion problems, but we managed and made sure I had lots of rest. I have a lovely trip, it was so good to see my family and spend time with them all.

But on the way home I started getting abdominal pains and ended up in hospital again.

I’m not going to go into detail other to say that there were complications from my last operation, which had been developing for some time and so I needed another one. Luckily it was a much smaller operation than my previous one, but it was a major set back and my art practice was put on hold again.

I contacted Aileen to withdraw from the exhibition, closed my Etsy shop and focussed on getting over an operation yet again.

However, we’d also been supporting my daughter in planning her wedding which was due to take place in September, a mere 9 weeks after my operation. That was possibly one of the hardest things, thinking I might not be well enough to attend and so sad that there was little I could do to help.

My daughter and her fiance were arranging their wedding on a very tight budget and they had decided to name the tables at the reception after Scottish beaches that meant something to them. However, the tables needed decorations, so that’s what I did. With the kind support of my lovely husband and the wonderful Lucy at Kishorn Seafood Bar who gave us a pile of mussel and oyster shells and Keltic Seafare who contributed a pile of scallop shells, I painted, gilded and decoupaged shells (after my lovely husband had cleaned them all that is!). I also painted 10 small paintings of the beaches, which were going to stand on the tables and made lanterns out of pasta jars and string

It took me weeks to work on everything, but it was great fun. It was so good to be able to spend time in the studio again, I could sit and listen to music and just be messy with paint and string and glue. I also really enjoyed making the wee paintings, which happily, people seemed to love and I think that spending time in the studio, making art, contributed to my recovery more than anything else

My daughter’s wedding was beautiful, truly a joyful day and whilst I had to rest and leave early, I was so thankful that I managed to be with her and the rest of my family.

Meanwhile, Aileen had been in touch. She and Steven kindly offered to take some of my art to the exhibition at An Talla Dearg. I managed to submit eleven pieces of work and some of my handmade cards.

I tried to focus the collection on a theme, inspired by the shoreline of Lochcarron and Skye and the lochs near my home, so that the work made some sort of sense and they weren’t just a series of diverse artworks. Most of the work is older, but I did rework some of the pieces and submit a few pieces of new work.

But an exhibition isn’t just about the paintings. Everything has to be framed and those frames need to be in good condition. Everything needs to be labelled and priced and wrapped, ready to go. So it took me so much longer than it normally would and, by the time everything was ready to go, I was exhausted.

Aileen though, was wonderful, she came and collected everything and she and Steven hung my work. They grouped it together on one wall at the gallery and I think it looks great. I feel so blessed to have such talented and experienced friends, who have managed to make a lovely, coherant display out of my art.

The exhibition opened on Friday 6th of October and will run until the 16th of October. Steven and Aileen’s work is truly stunning and the gallery looks wonderful, it’s well worth a visit if you are in the area.

Meanwhile, I’m still in recovery.

I’ll be submitting some small paintings and some Christmas decorations for a winter mini paintings exhibition at Freedom Framery, which is where this blog post started.

I’m aiming to try and spend a couple of hours a day in the studio through the autumn and winter. The art group that I’m a member of has started again and I’ll be going to that, but I don’t think I’ll be opening my Etsy shop this year. In fact (apart from the mini exhibition) and maybe submitting some work elsewhere. This will be the first time in a long time that I’ll have no deadlines to work to.

2023 has been a very strange year. I have so much to be grateful for, the support of family and friends, a wonderful holiday and my daughter’s amazing wedding. But it’s also been a very rocky road. Before my diagnosis in September last year I know I took my good health for granted. I was stronger and fitter than I’d been in years. I had several exciting plans for 2023 which were shelved, many of which might now never be realised.

But it’s so much better than it might have been. I’m still here. I’m much weaker than I can ever remember and get tired and sore so very easily but I’m working on getting well again. That’s the best thing that I can do right now. I’ll sort out my studio and draw and paint as much as I can over the next few months, oh, and I’ll make sure I continue to get lots of rest

Much love to you all

Cindie xx