I’ve been suffering with the flu and bronchitis over the last 2 weeks. The worst of it is the coughing which is persistent, wracking and brought on by talking, moving, sitting, lying down, also ,thinking about talking, sitting, moving,lying down and everything in between. At last it’s easing up a bit and I have whole hours in the morning when the cough is silent only to release itself with a vengeance when I sit down on the couch at the end of the day to quietly watch a bit of TV.
During the worst of it I really couldn’t do more than curl up on the couch with a book and my laptop. I tried to catch up on some research and had good intentions of posting a blog but I was just too tired to be bothered. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt so weak and pathetic and although I tried to focus on being grateful for how healthy I usually am, I mostly dozed and coughed.
I did get round to putting in an application for gallery space at the local arts precinct. They take applications for next year round about now and it usually takes a couple of application rounds before you get a space on the program. I was very surprised to get an email saying they’d had a cancellation and would I like 2 weeks at the end of September, THIS YEAR!
It’s a wonderful gallery in an old colonial wharehouse building. It’s right in the heart of a major tourist area and just upstairs from the iconic Salamanca Market . There are thick wooden beams overhead and beautiful wooden floorboards underfoot. A quality space that I’ve exhibited in once before and really enjoyed.
So , of course I said yes. I didn’t let a little thing like needing to have 40 paintings ready in just over 5 weeks stand in my way! I did a quick count of paintings I had ready to go and I probably have another 20 to finish in the lead up to the exhibition.
Surprisingly, standing at the easel and concentrating on brushstokes, colours and shapes must have some effect on the cough centre of the brain. I found that my coughing eased while I was painting (even though it came back with a vengeance when I put down the brush.) What a bonus!
Now I’m in full blown painting mode. Into the studio every morning and working straight through to lunch, a quick soup or sandwich, then back for another session till dinner time. I’ve started with small canvases and am working my way up to some bigger sizes. The studio is beginning to fill up and I’m loving the process. I finish a canvas and then use the left over paint on the palette to prime the next canvas- it’s a great way to get a sense of continuity between the canvases.
I’ve settled on “Water’s Edge” as the title and am enjoying working on a series of waterscapes large and small. It’s a subject I’m passionate about and I’m hoping this comes across in the finished works.
Will keep you updated as I go. Back to the studio now!
Lindy Whitton Studio 
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