Isn't Love Sweet

Two cats, heads laid gently against each other
Sleep without a care
To awaken later --
refreshed

Home

Home's not merely
four square walls,
Though with pictures
hung and gilded;
Home is where affection calls --
Filled with shrines the
Hearth had builded!

~Charles Swain

Snow Storm

What a night! The wind howls, hisses, and but stops

To howl more loud, while the snow volley keeps

Incessant batter at the window-pane,

Making our comforts feel as sweet again;

And in the morning, when the tempest drops,

At every cottage door mountainous heaps

Of snow lie drifted, then all entrance stops

Until the broom and the shovel gain,

The path, and leave a wall on either side

~ John Clare

Come To Tea

"Come to tea my lady," whispered the crow into her ear, "and we'll sing and we'll dance all afternoon."

New Pieces

Here are a couple of pieces I have completed.

Snow Storm Tonight!

Lots of snow tonight, 15 to 25 cm. Yikes! It's been relatively warm this winter with rain, rain, rain. The little bit of snow we had before Christmas was washed away on Christmas Eve. I want it to get cold enough so we can make a rink in our backyard. I loved to skate as a girl. Staying out until it got dark, tips of noses and toes freezing but feeling so alive. Oh, the good old days...sigh.

Happy New Year!

A little late, I know, but just as heartfelt. It scares me a bit that 2006 zoomed by at such high speed. I heard that the older you get the faster time goes by, but this is ridiculous. Christmas was great, although this was the first Christmas we took so few photos. Above is the only photo of me with my son taken over the holidays and it looks like I'm sucking on a lemon.:(
I'm really looking forward to 2007. I'm excited about the direction my art is taking and I'm hoping to spend a lot of time in the studio this year.

Winter on Bannerman Road

It's been ages

I've been neglecting my blog in the most horrendous way. I tend to go for long periods of time where I will write nothing at all and then I'll write pages and pages. The last of the leaves have fallen from the trees and there is a coating of frost on the ground in the mornings. Summer faded into Fall in the blink of an eye and Winter is just around the corner.

Latest Painting

Here's my latest watercolor painting.

Illustration Friday -- Smitten

I am smitten with the technique I used to create this painting of an abandoned house. I stained the paper with tea and I used pen and ink with a watercolor wash to complete it.

Latest Piece

Here's my latest mixedmedia piece. Now it's time to switch gears and get started on a watercolor.

Perfect Day For Pinecone Collecting

Leaves are falling from the trees in basketfuls this morning. It's a perfect day for a walk in the park to feed the ducks, collect pinecones and take photographs. For now, I'll have to forget that idea and paint all day.

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

I love spending time with my family and that's exactly what I did yesterday. We had a delicious meal with all the trimmings and talked about what we are thankful for which are so many things. Today I'm feeling like a slug because of all the food I ate yesterday and I'm trying to persuade myself to get up from my computer and do something useful. It's cold and gray outside and I would just like to curl up on the couch with a blanket and watch movies all day.

Illustration Friday -- Trouble

Leaving the ladder standing against the building like that is just asking for "trouble"

A Room With A View

Here are a couple of photos of the view outside my studio window. One is a closeup of the gorgeous Maple leaves changing color. I've been spending a lot of time in my studio creating mixedmedia/collages for my Etsy store. I also have a group exhibition coming up and I have to get started on some new watercolors asap. It's a joy to finally be in this space and I'm making the most of it. :)

Her Life Is Her Own

This is my latest mixedmedia/collage piece.

Lovely Autumn Day

Yesterday was the perfect Autumn day. The air was cool and the sound of ducks, geese and swans could be heard as they were fed handful after handful of seed.

Illustration Friday -- Quiet

My Studio Is Finished

Except for a couple of small things left to be done, my studio is finished. I've been working in there since last week and I love it.