home stretch
My work progress has been severely slowed since mid last week – Amelia came down with a nasty virus which developed into Croup by Thursday night. We didn’t take her to hospital as each time she woke up and had one of those horrible barking, gasping, crowing fits accompanied by her understandable hysterical panic, we managed to calm her down enough and get her back to sleep. There is nothing worse (well, I am sure there is, but nothing worse in this last week) than lying awake listening to your fitfully sleeping child breathe raggedly through swollen airways. Anyway, she’s still miserable but doing much better and currently having a rare mid afternoon sleep. We have her on some medication which apparently tastes revolting and had her gagging and shouting “UGH! Mum! It smells like babies!” yesterday. I am not sure she knows yet what a baby smells like exactly, but I guess it must have been pretty bad.
And today I have managed to get down to it again, and am waiting on a couple of under coats on canvases to dry so I can move onto the next layers.
I am feeling a bit bad about this upcoming show. I wanted to have so much more done than I will have, but work and life and being pregnant and tired seemed to play more of a part in the last couple of months than I figured it would. Ain’t it always the way? I am just glad that it’s a group show because I am excited to see what Christina and Van come up with. From what they have told me over the phone we will all complement each other so well, and be so vastly different. Mind you, at the same time as I am complaining about running out of time, Christina has put her back out, and Van has been overseas promoting her film at Sundance (and getting sick while sleeping on the floor of a condo with 15 other people) so we make a good threesome!
Responses
19th February 2006 at 3:01 pm
Oh, these are already so cute! Hope you post pics of them finished..& really hope your little one gets well soon – croup is so, well, crappy! Hope you stay well yourself, too.
19th February 2006 at 8:48 pm
will you post an invite to the opening of this show on your blogg. i woudl really like to come along…..
19th February 2006 at 9:15 pm
I look forward to seeing the finished products. Your paintings are just gorgeous. Hope you little one feels better very soon, it’s hard when you can’t do much for them.
19th February 2006 at 10:50 pm
Oh dear! I hope Amelia gets better soon! Do take care of yourself too.
20th February 2006 at 2:59 am
We have been to the hospital emergency room in the middle of the night with our little barking seal. It is frightening, good luck!
20th February 2006 at 5:42 am
Hi Claire,
Thanks for showing the pics of your paintings in progress. I like to see the different methods people use. Please show them when they’re completed. I really do like to see your paintings. I check your site daily, ever since you showed the first one, in the hopes that I will see more. Thanks for providing!
I hope little Amelia recovers soon.
Lea
20th February 2006 at 6:39 am
Poor Amelia! Poor Mom! Croup is such a scary thing for everyone involved — I’m glad to hear she’s on the mend.
20th February 2006 at 10:07 am
just where and when is this exhibition of yours???
and best to Amelia – croup is not nice
k
20th February 2006 at 1:12 pm
oh god that sound. there’s little scarier than listening to your baby trying to breathe.
My prayers for a quick recovery, bless her heart.
love,
cat
20th February 2006 at 3:03 pm
Aw, poor baby! I hope she mends well, and soon. Take care of yourself, too. Thank you for a lovely, artful blog – Been reading for some time now, and love every post.
20th February 2006 at 3:40 pm
Ahhhhh croup! Sorry to hear about that- especially needing your sleep so much and thats something impossible to sleep through. My daughter gets it prttyoften and the only thing that quiets it is the cold night air. I hope she gets well soon! Beautiful paintings!
20th February 2006 at 11:41 pm
Lovely pics! Soooo cute! there is this saying that people who are good at science subjects are bad in arts….i am just one of them….wish i am more artistic…
21st February 2006 at 3:49 am
My son got the croup almost every winter until 3rd grade. It’s a miserable thing, but they do outgrow it. Amelia breathing in misty air from a machine would help her too.
21st February 2006 at 4:10 am
your paintings look wonderful so far! they actually look grea the way they are!
21st February 2006 at 6:33 am
I’m sure the show will be lovely. Remember to be kind to yourself.
Those paintings look great already!
21st February 2006 at 10:51 am
Hi Claire~
I have seen your work….for a while. Love your softies..everything you do is remarkable and sweet. Your paintings are turning out so lovely..that I can’t wait to see the whole collection. Also I wanted to tell you (and I hope is ok) I added you in my blogroll (my dolls). I’ll keep coming, as usual.
hug and kiss *~*
-Marjorie Ann
21st February 2006 at 11:33 am
I thought we had escaped this current popular go-round of illness, but last week the first child started coughing, and Thursday it got bad for us too. I can sympathize!
23rd February 2006 at 2:43 pm
I wonder, when your new baby arrives, will Amelia take one sniff and cry, ‘Ooh, smells like medicine!’? Best wishes for her recovery.
25th February 2006 at 3:27 am
ohohoh you should SO do a tutorial on your painting method! 
25th February 2006 at 8:50 am
I LOVE your paintings. Don’t feel bad- after all, you are human!!:) I think that people will be so impressed with what you do bring and no one will know what you didn’t get done. 
25th February 2006 at 6:41 pm
Your paintings are quite lovely. Perky creatures and beautiful clolours.
Thankyou so much for sharing them.
25th February 2006 at 11:22 pm
nice little mention in the ICON liftout in today’s sydney morning herald. did you see it? yay!
19th February 2006 at 2:32 pm
Ugg – the croup. I hate it too. Such a scary sound for all involved. My blood pressure shoots up just thinking about it. Hope your daughter recovers quick quick quick — and you do too.