Life Update

Cardinal watercolour I'm working on

Life has been picking up a lot since the beginning of January, where I was able to slum around for a couple weeks after all the holiday rush. I was given a part-time contract at my work (as an x-ray technologist), until July. I have begun working at the main hospital site, and I am now on a full shift rotation, including night shifts. I didn't think I would like these that much at first, being used to only working days. But after working a week of them, I don't mind at all. My most productive time during the day, is during the day. So, I was getting so much more done before work (11pm-7am shift), than I would typically get done after a day shift. In the end, it was so nice to wake up, sit with some coffee and work throughout the day on my art, watch a movie in the evening, and then go into work.

Since I'm working at the main hospital, I've had to take some courses in order to perform tasks special to this site that the other two hospital sites (where I still work) did not require. I completed and passed a course to administer IVs in patients who require them for our CT scans, and I have start two online courses: the 3rd component of the CT courses, and a course on contrast injection, also related to CT.

It has been snowing and blowing like crazy on and off (with an odd couple days of rain). Where I live has been holding up quite well to it's name, "The Snowbelt". Luckily, despite horrible drives to work (luckily the main hospital is a very, very short drive away - so another blessing), it also means it's officially snowboarding season. Trying to get up is hard - with work, and poor road conditions, but I have been on the hills twice with all this beauitful and fluffy snow (and a third time, after some rain where it was icy and not so nice).

I have been trying to remain creative despite all this, and the few days that I have been snowed in have definitly allowed me to do this. I am working steadily away at my Lifebook course, and numerous other online art courses have tempted me - but I just don't have the time to do these other courses along with this one, and still do artwork on my own. My mixed media art is starting to slowly morph into a style that I feel represents me, in a couple more months I hope it turns into a style that can be identified amoung all the different pieces. I am steadily working in my sketchbook, and painting away. I aquired another wedding invitation comission, and was given almost free liscence to design as I wish, so this had lead me down some different creative roads that I am exporing as I experiment with merging my watercolour art and digitial work together. I have a tendency to start art, and then leave it sitting for ages - so there is always something I can work on in my studio if I don't have a new and fresh idea.

In conclusion, let's just say...I won't be bored anytime soon :)