02/02: BACK AT WORK!

Well we're back from sunny Fuerteventura and really feeling the cold.

Picked my 'repaired' computer up from PC World on Monday.  The TechGuys (to whom we pay a monthly maintenance fee) had apparently replaced the faulty memory.   Appears they didn't bother to check the computer afterwards though.   20 minutes after reloading all the files we'd backed up onto an external drive, the computer went back to its old tricks of crashing (blue screen) every few minutes.    Needless to say we are less than chuffed with PC World and the TechGuys.   Speaking to a friend last night she doesn't have a good word to say about TechGuys having had two run-ins with them for a faulty TV and fridge-freezer.    Still, we have to give them another chance to redeem themselves I guess.  Watch this space.

Meantime, I'm working from an old laptop plugged into my larger screen and mouse.  Its strange typing on the small keyboard but viewing on the old monitor - doesn't take much to confuse me.  Its such a pain as all my 'commission files' are on an external drive so not easily accessible when I need to check clients' email addresses or refer to reference photos .... still at least I can work (after a fashion) and access the internet.  

But ... I have been busy.

I knew I had to get straight back to the drawing board on Monday morning as the first of my outstanding commissions has to be with the client by 7th February.   It has been finished and approved today so will be en route tomorrow.  Its a graphite 'human' portrait but can't show it yet as its a surprise birthday portrait.

I am nearing completion on another graphite portrait but this is one I'd made a start on last year before putting it to one side to complete the Christmas orders.

and, having had a break from the little Terrier I've had a fresh look at it and can see several areas that need tweaking.  I'll get back to that at the weekend as its pastel and I'd like to finish the graphite work first.

I think I'll be fitting in a Vizsla next but I have agreed to travel to Essex to photograph a black lab which is to be a belated birthday portrait ... just got to sort out a suitable day (and hope for better weather as I'd prefer to photograph a black lab in natural outdoor daylight).

David and I are also on a bit of a health kick .... we've both over-indulged over the Christmas period and our holiday so are cutting back on the booze ... no alcohol has passed our lips since the weekend :-) and we're dieting and using the exercise bike.   We've set ourselves targets of losing 1stone each (approx 6kgs) before our next visit to Fuerteventura on 14 March ... so hoping for a slow/steady weight loss ... then we can blow it all whilst on holiday :-)