2013 was a bit of a pants year for me given how I injured the muscles in my arms and couldn't use them properly for about 9 months. Now that I'm getting my strength back and can paint again, I can't stop so I thought I’d try to raise some money for charity at the same time.

So over the course of this year I'm going to do an ARTATHON.

What’s this I hear you cry? Please say you are not going to be one of those people who makes me feel guilty while they are off on endless training runs?  No! There will be no warming up, no training schedules! No none drinking for months beforehand or during! No telling you all the intimate details of my groin injury! No giving you martyr looks as I set off into the rain to complete a 10 mile run before breakfast!*

NON! This is not what an ARTATHON is about. Instead I will paint 365 watercolour postcards between the 1st of January and 31st December 2014, each of a different town/city and maybe a few of people (although if you look at my previous attempts at portraiture you may believe this to be a mistake), and there will be no chat about injuries (er except maybe a few complaints about neck pain) and I promise not to collapse on your sofa in a puddle of sweat.

If you would like to sponsor me in this heroic undertaking please do – everyone who does through my Just Giving page will be entered into a random draw to win the watercolour postcard of their choice. So for your good deed you could end up with a watercolour by someone who is 1/10 of an artistic genius!** Or have something to burn when the apocalypse comes. Either way you are on to a winner.

You can follow my progress in this challenge on my blog: http://laratheescapeartist.wordpress.com/

and on twitter @lescapeartist,

and if you have a photograph that you would like me to paint please tweet it or email it to me (lescapeartiste@gmail.com), and I will try to do it as part of the challenge.

To find out more about the brilliant work that UNICEF do for children around the world please go to: http://www.unicef.org.uk/

*Basically I am just jealous of anyone who is capable of doing an actual marathon because I am physical incompetent. 

**There is a theory that to be a genius at something you have to practise,10,000 hours of practice being the typical amount necessary. You also need talent, but time is critical. So ignoring the talent aspect of it because I'm not entirely sure I have any, I just like painting, we are going to go for the time part, because given my current situation I have that. Not 10,000 hours, but 1,000 or so. Possibly becoming 1/10 of an artistic genius in a year sounds pretty good to me. 

 

The money bit: 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.