Selebrating Sis’s Birthday

Have you heard of Pinoir and Picasso? Or Paint and Sip? I first became aware of this fun entertainment about four years ago but have never participated myself. It involves following the step-by-step instructions of an artist to produce something vaguely resembling their example.

The last time I did any artwork was way back in my first year at high school when it was compulsory. I was a woefully useless art student. We had an Egyptian teacher, a wonderful man who for some reason occasionally ate his lunch in his classroom. I think because I showed interest in his cuisine, and because clearly I was in need of comfort food after my latest abysmal attempt, he would sometimes share his baklava. The baklava, a painting of the roof of a railway workshop (which I thought was a row of slum terraces), and one of a horse with such a sway back it looked broken, are all I can remember about that part of my studies. It became an elective from second year onwards. Definitely not on my “must do” list. I took French and Home Science instead.

My sister, who is very artistic, decided that for her birthday we would do a home-based version of Pinoir and Picasso, and it was such a lot of fun! We started with a family brunch at a garden centre that has a café attached, and then gathered back at her house. Out the back under a pergola, we laid out a couple of trestle tables and set them up with easels, palettes, paints, canvases and cups of water. Rather than have a leader, my sister had printed off a range of pictures for us to choose what we would like to copy. Then we set ourselves up with a glass of pinoir (actually home-made sangria) and got to work (had to ensure we didn’t dip our paintbrushes in the sangria instead of the water – or take a sip from the paint-stained water, teehee).

We wrapped it up after an hour or so, so we could have some nibblies. I could have continued, because I was in the swing of it by then and finding that actually, I wasn’t as rubbish as I always thought. Not great. But not abysmal either. But others produced some outstanding results and were much faster than me. Here’s some photos to give you the idea. In the below photos, the original of the jellyfish, and the girl with umbrella is displayed beside the painting and you can see those artists got very close to the real thing. Birthday sister painted the blue palm trees on the back left, from the original on the far right. My nephew and I both chose the Kombi van. The painting on the left is his effort, and mine on the right. My stepmum did the pineapple that is on the white canvas. She didn’t get the memo about painting a backwash first 🙂 . Bill’s is the one peeping out from the rear. I’ll have a better shot further down.

We’ve had some wonderful covid-limited family celebrations under this pergola over the last year: pre-wedding, 21st, 60th, graduation to name the highlights. My sister always decorates fabulously and puts on a cheerful spread. Then out come the camera phones all at once and nobody knows where to look 🙂

Here’s two generations of mums and daughters. My niece had made and iced the cake:

And here, my nephew gets in on the act:

Before a bunch of us pile in:

And to sign off, here is Bill’s surfboard shack:

And my Kombi – which looks more like a little bus 🙂

I haven’t been blogging or commenting much as I have once again been concentrating on writing. I have one narrative non-fiction professionally edited and looking for a home; and now I have turned my attention to a historical novel. Both of which rely heavily on my weird family history on the Anglo side – which has nothing to do with this side of the family. Confused?

Wishing you, wherever you are, a happy and safe weekend. Where we are, the rain has been ceaseless. You know just how wet it is when you look out over a flooded golf course and see two black swans swimming on it!