So, yesterday morning I was eating a bowl of porridge in front of a financial counsellor as we tried to look for ways to keep supporting the three of us on the two incomes we have at the moment. (welfare are still dragging their feet about their obligations to Star, so nearly 4 months together we’re still struggling financially) I’d used breakfast time to put on loads of washing. Rose was home sick in bed following a night of asthma attacks and nebuliser. Star was sick at school and I was on standby to go and pick her up if she didn’t improve soon. And I was trying to have breakfast and get through all my errands without dropping any balls. Ah, the life of a parent!

Today I’m home. A whole, uninterrupted workday is music to my ears! Working from home when we’re all sharing the same space and my art studio now doubles as my admin space, the dining table, and study space for others is frankly painful. Getting things done while my household are out studying is my best bet, but it’s also prime appointment time which means hours stuck in waiting rooms and driving or bus-ing around the countryside.

Mid-afternoon and my table looks like this. I’ve been able to gild all the prints that have been ordered for Waiting for You. I’ve also spent some time researching and testing a few different gesso/size products (these are the ‘glue’ that binds the gold leaf) to see how they work using different tools and papers and which might be most suitable for various applications. I haven’t been successful yet in finding anyone to teach me gilding techniques in Adelaide, so I’m learning from reading online, youtube videos, and trial and error. I’m extremely tired but happy with my work. It’s a joy.