Dbee Robinson Artist - The Fat Struggling Menopausal Artist

This was a bespoke card in watercolour for a couple who loved their camper van and model helicopters. I thought it quite apt for todays blog as a friend recently asked me how I knew my Husband was the man for me to marry.  It's a really good question and one I have given considerable thought to, so here are 10 answers from both me and my David. I know there are more, but these just came to mind.  You know it's love when: 1 - Even though you never got an engagement ring, but they proposed with a cement goose..... you wouldn't part with that lump of painted cement for any diamond! 2 - They say you are beautiful/handsome the moment you wake up, with the drool still on the side of your cheek! 3 - They get up even when they are tired and pour you a glass of wine because you are too exhausted to move. 4 - They ban you from doing the smelly dirty jobs with the words, "That's for me to do, not you." 5 - They apologise when they are wrong....

I am currently preparing for a craft market and an Art trail so I'm pretty busy as you can imagine. So it's helpful to have easy recipes that you can prepare early in the morning and just stick in the oven when needed. This gives me the day to concentrate on my art and feel confident I can get dinner ready easily and quickly.  Healthy KFC - Kind Fit Chicken I love the taste of KFC but hate the fact all the coating is on the skin and of course it's fried, so how happy was I to find a recipe for a similar coating that I could bake in the oven. I have changed it slightly for our taste and suggest it's covered for the first part of the cooking to keep the chicken succulent.  Well I promised you a recipe so here is one of my favourites, a healthy baked chicken with a coating most people will recognise a certain Colonel makes. All you need is 1 egg, flour and of course the Herbs and Spices mentioned below. Spice & Herb mix 2/3 tsp Salt 1/2 ...

The Yin to my Yang? Do you have a soul mate? What is a soul mate anyway? I'm married to a great guy but he's not my soul mate, I'm not sure I even know what one is. If you know then please do enlighten me by simply commenting below. He's not even my best friend, that job goes to another soul who knows and understands me better than I do. He's not perfect and he doesn't complete me as i'm not an incomplete person. He sometimes infuriates me (and I him) and sometimes we even have to leave the room to hold our tongues, but that's so rare it's a shock when we feel that way.  What I am sure of though, is he's a good man with good morals and a kind heart. He makes me laugh, supports my dreams and does his best, and I try to do the same for him. There are a lot more positive thoughts I could add but i'm sure you get my drift? Occasionally he makes great choices and decisions.... e.g. - When he said "I DO" all those years a...

My husband loves photography, it's his passion or perhaps I should say obsession. If he's not taking photos, he's editing them and if he's not editing them he's looking for new photo opportunities. The photos are so clear and well thought out with him sometimes waiting for ages for the right cloud to come by for his perfect shot.  I mainly take photos as a memory keep sake, or perhaps to use for inspiration for a painting. Some times I have asked him to take a particular shot and used his photo for a painting, but normally I would just take a photo with my own 'point and click' camera or mobile phone. I love this one of us at the Devil's punchbowl at Hindhead taken using my mobile. Now we like to go for walks, and I say walks in the loosest of terms as, as when he has his camera it's more of a stop than a walk. Every few steps he will stop and spend minutes lining up a shot, waiting for the correct light to hit a certain spot.... It...

Today is Mother's day and my Husband and I were volunteering on the Watercress Line, also known the Mid Hants Steam Railway. The countryman shown here pulled by this beautiful black locomotive has 2 dining cars and a kitchen as well a couple of carriages. All the food, which today was a roast lamb dinner, is cooked on the countryman which is pretty amazing considering the kitchen is tiny.  It was recently International Women's day and so I thought I would share this picture of one of our engine drivers. This Lady is uncoupling the engine from the carriages. We arrived early at the station today so we could enjoy the trains before work, as usually we are so busy we don't actually see them. This is my photo of the day using my new camera.  For more information on whats on at the station click here . From Real Ale Trains, to sunday lunches on the Countryman, Fine dining on the Blue Bell to Thomas the Tank engine, WW2 on the line to experiencing being on t...

Well its been a whole year since I endured a facial bone graft to rectify my cleft pallet. Its been a long and slow journey and I'm pleased to say the awful infection that damaged my initial bone grafts has not returned. ( Touch wood!!! ) I felt so ill for so long, over 4 years in fact, that I had forgotten what it was like to feel well, from total exhaustion all the time to my skin being too painful to touch. Now I am so happy to say I have nearly forgotten how ill I felt as I feel so full of energy again. Although it is still difficult to eat normally as my mouth still feels a little numb in places, it is all gradually coming back and have hope that the feeling in my mouth will fully return in time.  This painting above is called 'Contemplation Journey 1' and was purchased during my 6 week solo art exhibition "Lost and Found"  held in Penang, Malaysia at the gHotel. It is watercolour and ink on rice paper and I feel it shows my slow uphill journey back to h...

Happy International Women's Day, ok I'm a day late, but better late then never eh? Why March 8th you may wonder? Thank goodness for Wikipedia! Click here to find out more. Sometimes we need to remember us girls are awesome in our own right. No matter what we do in life I know most women strive for a better life for themselves and those around them. This painting was for Chinese New year of the Rabbit portrays the beauty of a gentle being to the flora and fauna around them. Its title - 'Lady with Chinese New Year Rabbit' is painted on rice paper using ink and watercolour. Its a copy of a poster Phoenix Printers in Penang Malaysia printed in 2013 and one of my favourite paintings I have done. This painting depicts a special friend of mine who is such a wonderfully kind hearted person who loves to hug everyone, especially babies. It's title - 'Hugs' shows unconditional maternal love and the beautiful Batik fabric used in Malaysia.  I was won...

Trying to eat healthily while you have flu is impossible if your Husbands idea of feeding you is take-out or bread in its various forms. And if he's out all day, well you just grab what you can and thats usually unhealthy as getting up is an effort in itself.  There's not a lot in the cupboards or the fridge so its a case of making do! Hubby did take me shopping a couple of days ago just to get me out the house but I only managed to grab a few items before I just wanted to collapse. Today I'm feeling soooooo much better so i'm able to stand up a bit longer to make something tasty, I'm having a mixed chopped raw salad, beans and cottage cheese.  It was rather tasty and the raw chopped salad was delish. Just a few things I found in the fridge; apple, cabbage, onion, cauliflower, carrot and some flavourings of mustard, honey, raspberry vinegar and lemon olive oil. Sprinkle in a few chopped nuts and seeds and pulse it in the Thermomix for 1.5 second...

This year I am attending a summer wedding and the bride to be has requested / suggested I coordinate with the colour scheme of the wedding. To be honest she didn't ask me out right, I think she hinted..... and usually I don't get hints, but I'm quite proud of myself this time and thought something was not making her the happy girl she should be, so after a little cajoling, as she is just too polite to just ask, she admitted she wants me to wear purple (only if I would like to that is), and not just any purple, the wedding colour is Cadbury purple. I'm also rather touched she has included me in the idea to join in with the wedding colour theme. As a step Mum its nice to feel you are part of it all and not an outsider. It must be very difficult for children whose parents have new partners too. Many occasions only offer 2 tickets for parents and that must be difficult for the children who want all the parents and step parents to join in. So the beautiful blue dress ...

I am sometimes asked to paint commissions and they are usually pet requests. I do prefer to paint Motorbikes, cars, houses or even churches or venues people get married in, but pets are what I seem to be gravitating towards out of peoples love for their best furry friends. This week it was a jet black dog I met at the Emsworth craft fair which for the first time I excitedly participated in. With bags, T-shirts, and jewellery as well as artwork, doodles and prints I waited patiently at my stall. Sadly only sold a few Queen Elisabeth Aircraft carrier cards but I did get a commission which will at least pay for the table.  So let me introduce you to Wellington. A lovely little dog with a sparkly bow tie and a sweetest and most affectionate persona you could want in a furry best friend. Black is quite a difficult colour to paint as there are so many different shades of it. I find adding a touch of blue helps deepen the colour where needed, or it just looks a bit grey. ...

What a great film this is. Brought into reality by a great script, superb direction and excellent acting.  If you haven't seen it yet, its well worth a look. Whilst I am eternally grateful to the women, and men, who were Suffragettes and fought for my right to vote. Yet I wonder have we all forgotten that it wasn't that long ago that men also had to fight for their right to vote. In the not so long ago past, voting was property dependant. The Telegraph  has an interesting article and I'm shocked as I never knew that voting was so restricted to so many for so long.  Today I was down the allotment pruning the trees and shrubs as well as tying up the blackberries. The weather looked so warm outside but oh my at 2 degrees it was freezing! However job is done and I look forward to healthy juicy fruit and veg smoothies. Love and light peeps dbee x

Today is my Birthday and I'm all alone and feeling a little sorry for myself. Hubby is away and so far, not even a card hidden anywhere. I was meant to be travelling with him but he changed his mind and didn't want me to go. To make matters worse he will be visiting my Californian sister and family on the day of my birthday and kindly shared the fun emails of what they will be doing together. (Rub it in why don't you.) Gutted is putting it mildly.    :'( Luckily google knew and wished me happy birthday which was pretty cool. I even got all excited when the post came but just junk mail and a bill. Deep joy! In fact the bill is an Import Duty and VAT charge for a present someone sent me at Christmas. After numerous calls to DHL a month or so ago it was agreed I didn't need to pay it, and now the day after I have thrown all the paperwork away I receive this. And yes the bin men have been..... Isn't that always the way? Facebook is pretty good too in the fac...

So I continue to diet, exercise, paint and prepare for my upcoming exhibitions in March and May as well as my first Craft Market event in February. This painting is watercolour on rice paper titled 'Peaceful Poppies'. Whilst I do enjoy sharing my paintings etc. I do feel a little vulnerable and exposed. I have also updated my SAA profile and must add some more paintings to the gallery. click here to view. Again putting my heart and soul on show for all to comment on. Got to be brave when you are an artist..... I still find it hard calling myself that, but after selling paintings and doing commission work for strangers, I think I have the right to call myself that.... but it is still weird. I do have something fun to look forward to this week other than the thought of scary comments on my new profile page. A Burns Night of Dancing, Haggis and Whisky. Sadly I only like one of this things but I am sure it will be fun and its always a good excuse to dress up. Something I mu...

Just love this video. Make sure you turn the sound up and just enjoy being on the footplate. It was made by one of our volunteers on the Watercress line and it just shows how wonderful these magnificent steam trains really are. We are hoping to have one made for the countryman coaches. This is where I volunteer either behind the bar or waitressing, however we all do what ever is necessary or needed to keep everything running smoothly.  I wonder if my Fitbit will really register the distance travelled when working on the train. I may confuse the hell out of it by selecting 'map my walk' and seeing just how many miles I walk when waitressing on a Sunday lunch on the train whilst travelling up and down the track. Did you know all the food on the countryman dining is cooked in a tiny kitchen on the train? From the soup to the coffee it is all cooked in the tiniest of places. I must add the meat is roasted at the station canteen but finished off on the train, bu...

Was it wrong to watch a weight management video ( The Life Coach School )   while eating a banana and some chocolate? (yes thanks to my Dad I love to hate a bit of chocolate and a bite of banana at the same time.) Had to eat Hubbys salted dark chocolate as I cannot find my Dads favourite Old Jamaica chocolate.   Any one know where i can get this chocolate?? Needless to say I enjoyed the snack and my Leptin now tells me I am full LOL!! Love and Light peeps dbee x PS - Actually. Don't let me know where to get the chocolate as, like my other fave chocolate Peanut butter M&Ms I just cannot resist them!! Arrrrggghh

Hurrah!! After spending 2 hours looking for the recipe through my own On line recipe files, all my cook books (the pic is just a few of them) and of course On line itself,  I finally found the recipe I used for some great breakfast muffins. Thank goodness you can track your google history!! I knew the rough date as I was making them special for the guys at Daron Ford  garage on Hayling Island. I usually make them some cakes when on Hayling as they are simply the best, but as it was getting close to mince pie and sweetie over indulgence season I thought something savoury would hit the spot. They seemed to be a hit with them all too.    FYI - You don't just buy a car there you buy quality service from a great team. Thanks guys! Anyway.... I knew there was no courgette in them so dismissed any recipes with courgette, but stupidly I had forgotten I had swapped the courgette for apple. So now I can share these absolutely delicious breakfast muffins with you. ...

My art work is suffering as I try to return my body to a healthier state. I seem to spend more time meal planning and cooking than I used to, just trying to make healthier meals. Today Im not even really cooking I'm using up leftovers, yet still my art suffers as today its all about Best Before (BBF) & Use By (UB) dates The start of the New year I always check my freezer and cupboards to use up any food going out of date soon. This way the oldest possible date is 1 year, but if its best before I would still use it, making sure it was cooked well. Some how I found some opened semolina BBF dated sept 2015! How on earth did I miss that?? Needless to say it went in the bin as I thought 3 years past its BBF date was pushing it a bit. So this weeks food planning is using up whats in the freezer and cupboards. It's a bit like Iron Chef with the secret ingredient being what ever is in my freezer. Currently its cooked sliced beef, Chicken, ham and some yummy ham and ch...

This is a waterfall I painted using Chinese ink on rice paper for my Husbands birthday a few years ago. The picture above is a 'work in progress' and took many hours layering the ink in different shades to give the illusion of the mountains in the distance and the water crashing down not the rocks below.  We are all advised to drink more water, but it's easier said than done for some, especially for me and my menopausal fog. I simply forget to drink water until I am really dehydrated, and by then my hands and lips are dry so it's a bit too late. So this year I am finding ways to remind myself to stay hydrated, by choosing daily events which will prompt me to drink more. Firstly - Wake up call  In the morning as soon as I get up I drink a glass of water. It's an easy habit for me to get into as I always take a glass of water to bed, so it's there ready for me in the morning. Check! Secondly - Minty fresh  Drinking a glass each time I brush my te...

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year and hope you had a fab Christmas. I couldn't share my card with you all before, as not all my family and friends had opened their cards and I didn't want to spoil the surprise of my fun fishy design this year. Christmas is a time for family and friends, to warm loving bonds, reconnect with those you haven't seen for a while, and share the season of hope and goodwill, and perhaps make new friends that will last a lifetime.  Last year as a Christmas treat I took my grandchildren to the Watercress Line  which was such a hoot. I just love these old steam trains and I love that I am able to volunteer on these amazing trains to help keep them running for future generations. Always a great day out but so picturesque at Christmas time. This year I took my grandchildren to Marwell Zoo for Christmas which was a real fun afternoon of stories and activities with the promise of a visit to see the big man himself. I was truly overwhel...