Monday: I have decided to spend this week working on some pieces i already have got,  tidying them up , sanding the edges and painting them to look.... "exhibition ready". Starting to feel the stress now, finishing the paintings is always the hardest part and pressure doesn't make it easier, but it means i will get it done, And i wouldn't have bothered with out the exhibition deadline! People are actually going to see these works including a lot of my family, Its a big moment and I'm anxious for the day!

Business cards ordered, Id had them in my basket for a while just waiting to see in case i wanted to change the photos, But they take a while to arrive so i finally ordered them today.  I really enjoyed making them, But they don't come cheap!

Wednesday: I started painting a more summery sky painting, but i don't really like how its going and definitely won't be one going in the exhibition so i have left it for now. I may come back to it, but for now no. I want to at least have one more painting that could possibly go in the show, so after i have finished the ones i have now  i'm going to have a go at tackling another. I Know i can at least do one more but i don't want to make the other ones suffer because of it.  

Not the greatest photo as i dropped my phone and the camera has messed up a bit!
But thursday; Early start, didn't get much sleep if any more than an hour.  Can't seem to get a good nights sleep at the moment, putting it down to stress, but getting headaches at night, and my over dramatic brain always thinks the worse which keeps me up.  However, i cant spend the whole day sleeping so i had to just deal with it and carry on. 
I made the best breakfast to make up with the lack of sleep, Fresh fruit salad and some natural yogurt to keep me going throughout the busy day.
11:00: i got in to the studio ready for my tutorial. It was good to see them all together, and the potentiality of the show. We spoke about space i could potentially have, works which should definitely go in, and works that i should leave out. My tutor told me to just tweak them all slightly so they're ready for the show,  and if i had time, to do another. I am sure i want to make another so I spent a few hrs working on some old ones before deciding to come up to the library to work on my dissertation. There isn't much time left for that, and with the lack of sleep i was all painted out. 
Until tomorrow. 

April. How has that happened?! I hadn't changed the calender over from march until today, Partly because i loved march's painting. ( The calender was a Christmas gift from my grandparents full of my grandads paintings) Changing it over brought the sudden realisation that we are now half way through April, Power is on full. 

Throughout the last couple of days i have been working on this piece, together with other work but i finally got around to painting something a bit larger. With the weather changing dramatically from when i started this project back in January, I'm longing for days where we get rain, or any skies! So On Monday around 8 pm i went out sketching in the rain, and taking some videos to work from.  Over the past few months i have realised that its more important to paint than to worry about the outcome. I used to constantly compare my work to other artists, where as now i feel i invest my time in my paintings, as anyone can paint, but no one can paint exactly like me. I want to show the land in a different way, lacking human life, lacking the man made world just to highlight the power of nature. Ive started to simplify my compositions, not over working them to show just what stands out to me in the scene,  trying not to pretty-fiy them. I suppose its leaning towards abstraction at this point, but I'm not afraid of that. 

The painting i actually finished on friday after a discussion with my tutor, she told me not to hold back and just answer the painting.  I feel i have done so, i eliminated a lot of the marks and i am pleased with the overall outcome, it was a stressful one to complete but i am happy for now. Here after i need to complete my other paintings and paint the edges ready to be exhibited. I am mostly excited about the exhibition and although filled with fear, the moment the work is on the wall i can celebrate.

Saturday,  i did some finally touches on the painting cleaning up a few areas and thinking about a possible new painting.  In the evening i made a paella, after a lovely hot day i couldn't think of anything better to eat, later watching the sunset with a few friends and a fire, it is just as important to spent some time with the people i have got to know over the last three years, and it is very sad that it is coming to an end.

After going Here there and everywhere work and deadlines are getting closer and closer.
First on the agenda, Catalogue Statement. 100 words wouldn't take long. Unlike most, I actually don't mind talking about my work as it something that means something to me. Unlike the art history essays which are always about something i don't understand and always are a struggle to achieve. However, once complete i always think it wasn't that bad, i enjoyed it really.  After finishing the catalogue statement i also continued with the dissertation, now around 2000 words, i am enjoying the process. 

As much as i hate being in the library when the weather is like this, There are much worse places to study- a room with a view as they say, But as i see the sea all i want to do is paint. 
After another day in the library i have managed to complete my personal statement for my masters and sent of my application, as well as the catalogue statement. Amazing what you can achieve when you're in the right environment!- 

Back home for a flying visit, two nights, its the time of year where all the males in my family meet for the "greenwood cup" an annual golf competition. As i don't play golf, i was on baby sitting duty, nothing t complain about, i love having quality time with my family, and they were so well behaved i managed to get some work done!  After the early morning start, i managed to get on a train to crew, not Aberystwyth, so getting up before sunrise was pointless as i was waiting round for a few hrs until i got the next train. lack of sleep made this day very unproductive

Sunday: After a good night sleep, my boyfriend and I went for an English breakfast as a little treat after not seeing each other for a couple of weeks. We then both headed up to the library spending the whole day working on our dissertations, We left at around half 10 and had a well deserved pint.  Tomorrow university would be back open and the real work starts.

some small studies made from the last few days and today.  the weather is delicious at the moment, so i am making the most of being outdoors and painting on location.