Chopping and Lopping and Mellow Yellow Lemons in Oils.

Where have I BEEN? Well, in the garden mostly.. Or rather, garden-dump-garden-dump-garden-dump..  Some days I have a hard time choosing between painting and gardening, and if the weather is fine, recently the garden has won. I can't help myself. Anyway, its all creative. I had an overgrown rhododendron and a couple of dead shrubs which I chopped down (I'm tougher than I look) and two very big Leylandii trees, which were cut down by a man with a very big chain saw, and the job of removing it all was left to moi. Slowly and consistently I've been taking it all away in my trusty car - smells all woody-lovely in there! I love a good lop - better than a workout in the gym. And that gigantic shrub behind my head is next for the Big Trim.

 And now, as well as a good lot of logs for the fire,  I have a HUGE space to fill with new plants! And a greenhouse. And maybe some bee hives.. And a chicken coop and a shepherds hut...And a swing.

I brought some baby plants here from my last garden, and amongst my favourites is this one, just peeping out some new leaves, called Bear's Britches. I'll show you the flower when it gets growing. Every garden needs a bit of a Bear in it.


As well as all this outdoor activity I have been doing lots of teaching and oh yes, I've also painted some lemons (when its been raining). They're not quite finished, a few more highlights to do and the sticky labels. Yellow is meant to make us feel happy, and I certainly felt a warm glow, painting using these colours.

Next up - Portfolio Course Killaloe
Water colour workshops both in Killaloe and in Belfast
Oil painting workshop Belfast
and art for Teenagers

Email julie@juliedouglas.co.uk for info