Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning...now onto seascapes!

I haven't blogged in about two weeks but with good reason.  Years ago I developed a fantastic habit of once a year, clean out the art studio!  Not just rearrange things, but take two weeks and go deep.  I'm embarrassed to say I've thrown out FIVE bags of trash!  Amazing what you can accumulate and how much!  I even go as far as cleaning the area around the paint tube openings which gunk up over a year's time.  When I clean, I clean.  The timing for this cleaning couldn't be better, because I have just accepted a challenge for the month of September to paint a painting every day.  Let me tell you, this is no small feat!  I have enough canvases for at least the first ten days, perhaps two weeks time.  After that, I will go out and get what I may need.  See, my friend Renee who lives in California and I made a promise to each other (which is also a challenge) to not do something for a month, I don't recall what hers was, perhaps not shop as much, I truly don't recall, but mine was to not buy art supplies for the whole month of August.  (I kind of cheated because I do have a ton of supplies and I knew I'd be spending time cleaning for two weeks...still yet, as some women are drawn to shoes or purses, I'm drawn to art supplies!)  

Update on the Irwin portrait.  It has made it to the hands of Terri Irwin's personal assistant Hannah.  Terri has traveled to the northern regions of Queensland for their annual crocodile trip where they do a lot of "catch and tag" stuff plus monitor the movements of nearly a hundred crocs they've tagged in previous years.  It's all very scientific and a crew of University people go along and do their research, and have done for many years!  The pristine area the crocs live at up in the northern Queensland area is now under onslaught from a mining company who have slapped a claim on the very mouth of the river that feeds the whole property.  They want to mine for bauxite which is the prime ingredient for making aluminum.  As I understand Terri has spent a huge amount of her time and energies fighting this claim in courts but still not with favorable results.  Everybody, including the Irwin's, really rough it in fairly primitive conditions and live in tents for nearly six weeks, surrounded by all sorts of animals including crocodiles.  I respect Terri, because as all you know, I'm not a tent type of woman!  Give me a five star hotel!  Can you imagine me roughing it?  (Stop laughing.)  

Anyway, the portrait is in Hannah's possession and I have been assured that it will be the first thing she puts before Terri when she gets back.  (Man, I rate!!!)

I have a few days left to clean, and also set up for this challenge.  Wish me luck!