Christmas snow and trees...

 

I'm sure I'm not the only one saying this

but its been pretty busy around here.

This the season for it.

 

Found little time today to paint something small

Something I saw while we were out driving and at the same time both Mr B and I said

Next year we'll get a real tree.

 

 

A few days ago my son and I went down town to do a little Christmas shopping,

in between running about we stopped for a treat, good old beaver tails.

 

 

We have had a few smaller snow storms go through here,

and there is nothing better than just head out and enjoy it all.

And my son, although 21 he still likes to shake a tree and get snow all over him...

So glad the kid within him still stays strong.

 

 

Love the woods this time of the year, so does Charlie.

 

I really wish all of you will have a wonderful Christmas season,

have a safe and happy holiday.

 

Merry Christmas & God Jul

 

 

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Santa Lucia, winter foxes & Christmas time...

water colours and ink

 ~ Happy Santa Lucia ~

Today in Sweden and all the other Scandinavian countries Santa Lucia is celebrated.

People gather together in churches, schools and homes, singing and lit candles and with that they eat sweet saffron Lussebullar {Lucia Buns} and other treats.

Its time to share light and joy of the season

{if you like you can see a beautiful Lucia choir in Sweden HERE}

I done a little bit of decorating and some art work {seen above and below} 

But today I woke up early before sun came up, Charlie and I went for a walk in the woods and even if it was dark still it was very cozy and we heard foxes somewhere near by.

After our walk we came home and I lit some candles, played some Swedish Christmas music and then I baked some saffron cupcakes {gluten free} so I can take to my daughter who's still in the hospital.

Sure miss having my little girl here, but she's getting so much help right now and thankfully hospital is close to home, so I can go there often to see her.  Yesterday we read How Grinch Stole Christmas together, always a great fun to read with her.  And today we're going to celebrate Lucia.

Here are a few small sketches & drawings I have done of Foxes

{used different media, ink, water colours, china marker and pencil on different kinds of paper}

Happy Santa Lucia and Happy Winter to all of you

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Mid November Day

It's that time of the year again, all Christmas shows have started in full force and there is so many to chose from.  But my son and I picked one to check out and that was the German Christmas Market, and the location was out in the country and not far from our house but a nice drive in through the country sides.  What can get any better, good old European Christmas market, ride in the country, spending time with my son and we both were armed with cameras...  He has so taken up the passion of nature photography and I love to share that with him.

And today was a quiet day, mostly spent inside as it was raining pretty much all day.

But later Mr B and I went out to a local coffee shop, sat down with a nice cup of coffee

and while he read his book I did a little sketching {scratching} with some ideas I have for the house and the holidays...  Oh the ideas I have, now I just have to get started.

Cant believe we are already in mid November

All happening so fast, but what a beautiful time of the year it is.

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I think it's here...

ink and water colours on water colour paper

Yes, it must be!  Because snow is melting, mud all over, bits of dead grass is peaking out from under the snow and the driveway is clear...  Oh and some of the birds have come back from their vacation down south, and we have had two days of sunny days, blue skies and it has been above +4c {+7c if you stand out on the deck right next to the wall}.  And one very clear sign that spring is here, is that I have to wash Charlies paws every day after our walks.

And Easter is here, lovely Easter and how I love this season and in a way to me Easter is more of a beginning of the year that new years.  Everything is taking on a new life, animals return and wake up, plants start to grow and things feel fresh and light {people look happier, everyone venture outside, breath and enjoy the sun}.  I also like to bring in traditional Scandinavian Easter decorations to our home, and one of my favourite is the beautiful coloured feathers on branches.

New times and now I feel more motivated to do things, and its things that I have been putting off for many reasons through the winter months.  Last week was a great example, our daughter and our dog were sick and my foot was busted...  Now colds gone and foot feeling much better, and huge thank you to all of you who visited and left comments and sent emails.  So now feeling better, we have been out and about and included a visit to the library and I think I might have found a bit too much inspiration, lol, as I pretty much emptied one whole section in there. Oh I forgot to add the three novels I'm reading too right now.  Lovely and fun stack never less.

Question, is it possible to have too much inspiration?  All I'm saying is that I always have a ton of ideas for art and decorating projects, a handful on the go and lots I want to do. 
And some times I hit the wall and I need inspiration to be able to let all that stuff come out of me and down on paper or canvas.

Just some paint on my water colour pallet and below is a design idea I have been wanting to do, been stuck in my mind for months and now finally out on paper.  Still work in progress.

And I finished a small painting for an upcoming art show, will post that later.

'Break Free'
ink on Strathmore water colour paper, cold press

And I have done some spring cleaning in my art portfolio blog, and I don't know how I have been able to miss this, but so many people have left comments in there and I feel terrible that I never noticed them before now.  Read them all and really thank you so much for all your comments in there, thank you it totally made my day and I will check in there for now on : ) 

You can click here to take you to my other blog.

Happy Spring & Happy Easter

everyone, I hope you find lots of new inspiration, colours, light and warm weather... 

Kiss winter bye bye and say Hello spring!!

 

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Spring yet??... Not so fast!..

 

I guess the pictures speak for them self, spring is nowhere in sight

{in the news they said we might get another 2 cm of snow...  Ugh}. 

No spring outside, so we brought it inside!

 

Last year it was in the +20c, green grass and buds starting to open in the trees

I made lots of ice tea for cooling us of.

This year my ice tea is cooled of in the snow banks,

so at least this snow is coming in handy with something : )

 

I guess with weather like this its okay while we have had to spend a lot of time inside...  My daughter has again not been feeling well and our dog Charlie has a cold and on top of it I did number on my foot while getting ready for a half marathon I wanted to do this coming May.
One sleeping, one sneezing and one hopping about, we're a sorry sight I tell you.  But we do the best with what we have {or dont have}, while my daughter is resting I paint and play on the computer {also doing laundry and cleaning around the house, the two less entertaining things to do when I get a break}...

                                     Played around a bit with colours and my tree paintings.

And I'm not sure if I posted one of these ladies before {the one on the left hand side}

Been making other once in the same style.

 

 

I know this picture is not as good

but here is one of a little girl and her telephone

 

And that's about it from this end, blue skies for a little while and I thought maybe, just maybe they were wrong at the weather channel and it wont snow.

But just looked out and clouds are rolling in fast...  Grrrrr!!!!

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Christmas is here...

Cant believe its almost Christmas eve {my daughter has so kindly been reminding me about every five minutes...  I think its safe to say someone is very excited}.  Here its full storm with getting all the last bits done, baking, cooking and gifts ready to be wrapped and we are waiting on family to arrive for the holidays.  And then as every year, the kids and I make gifts for all the birds and the little critters that live around us here {we have rabbits and squirrels that love to visit when Charlie is inside}  So we hung up berries, apples and lots of bird seeds for them to feast.
The pot below is for the squirrels, fun to watch them stuffing their cheeks full.

We finally got winter and lots of snow and its still snowing of and on, the kids {and me} are super happy that we're getting a white Christmas after all.

 

We all here wish and hope that everyone of you will have a wonderful and very happy Christmas.  May the new year bring you all, joy, peace and good health

 

Önskar er alla en riktigt God Jul och det nya året ger dig alla glädje, frid och bra hälsa.

 

Mari & clan

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Decorations, Traditions and crafts

 I love this season, snow, frost, fresh greenery and berries brought in, decorations, spending time with family and friends and traditions.  Above on top right is my Advent star my parents bough for my first Christmas.  Below is a vintage Tomten (Santa in Swedish) and a Sami doll from Finland, these dolls we put out each Christmas when I grew up and now I have them here.  And in the middle is a print of one of my favourite Swedish painters Carl Larsson.

Next picture below, is from the Ikea Santa Lucia show and it was as always heavenly to hear all the lovely Swedish Lucia and Christmas songs, so glad I was able to enjoy this with my son and daughter.

Of course there is nothing like home bakes goods and treats during the holidays, so cant wait to get started again... {As my first stash of saffron cupcakes were eaten up before I could blink}.

 Done a little bit of Christmas crafts and drawing.

As most of you know, I love printing and gone bit crazy about it,

but I also have found washi tape being a lot of fun.

Who knew sticky tape could be this much fun : )

Its snowing outside and we are waiting on ice rain to arrive and pass through the night.  So stuck in the house no matter of what, what is one to do?  Well listen to Christmas music, sitting near the fire place, sipping tea and wrap some presents.

 

Happy 3rd Advent everyone!!

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new cards, tags and twigs...

2012 Christmas printed cards

 Its official, as its far too cold to work in my studio, I have again take over dinning room table, kitchen counters and our guest bedroom for my art.  Sure miss my studio space, but its not comfortable to sit there working on all these smaller things...  However, I can still go in there and blast my heaters and paint on bigger canvases...  But for the small stuff, well the rest of the house will have to do, lol.

Thankfully kids are old enough to leave my things alone, dog cant reach the stuff and dear husband just gives me a grin and walks in to his study (the one and last place here that has not been taken over by me or any paint).

Jul gris (Swedish Christmas pig) print

 So I have been busy with my stamps, prints and cards.  Saturday I was finally able to get away a bit, I drove down to the west end of town and visited Annika (owner of Truly Swedish Design store) and she was again so kind to me and now she has my Christmas cards as well in her store. 

The cards are of the little red Robin, but I have also added three new prints.  They are of the traditional Swedish Christmas straw goat, Christmas pig and the little red wooden candle holders. 
My next project has something to do with something else that I totally love about winter, lets just say it has to do with kicks and sleds...  More to come soon!!!!

Yesterday, it was fantastic winter weather, cold and frosty with hint of fresh snow on the ground.  And today, well it is nothing like before, today its grey, wet and in the plus temperatures.  I hate it, I want snow and winter, but if I cant have it and its just too blahh to be outside (even the dog refuses to go out in it).  The next best thing to do, is to decorate a bit and do some art and that's what I have done all day here.  Had some more fun with my stamps I made, did some gift tags and then played around with a bit more and made this little painting below.

Two birds in winter blues

 For the decorating and creating Christmas mood in here, one of my favourite ways to do this is by fresh plants, twigs and berries.  And yesterday while I was in the west end, I of course had to go in to my very favourite flower shop Tivoli.  I just cant get enough of that place and its super fantastic in there right now, they have all their Christmas decorations and plants out.  And of course I had to get some sweet rose hip, red dogwood twigs and a little cute bird.  Just love how it all looked in the brown paper.

Happy December and First Advent everyone!!

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Vernissage & Dream Kitchen

Upstairs gallery space at Wall Space Gallery

Even rain and thunderstorms didn't keep people from coming to the 6th annual Orleans Art Studio Tour vernissage, and it turned out to be a great evening.   It was held at the Wall Space Gallery in Orleans, its a beautiful space (two floors) and Edward Barr the co-owner of the gallery and his staff did a fantastic job with hanging up all the work.  Our work (all the artists that is taking part in this years art tour) will be there on display through the weekend of the tour.

Down stairs gallery space (one of my paintings in the middle)

 Lots of people to talk with and taking pictures, here I am beside one of my paintings "Birth of Spring" in the down stairs part of the gallery...  {I'm not a big fan of having my own picture taken, ugh}...

So today is the rush to get everything ready to go for the tour as it will start tomorrow, I have been painting like mad, my work area was so messy that even I couldn't any longer work in it, so with a quick clean up this morning and now after I'm done here, I have to keep going until its all done {not sure how I'll be able to pull this of}.  Then I have to go over to my friends house/studio, there is three of us that will be at that location for the tour, and we have to clean and set up the space for tomorrow.  Then tonight is the grand opening at the Truly Swedish Design store down in the far west end of town, I just hope I get a chance to eat something in between and maybe even breath a bit...

Any how, now I'm of to paint {yes, paint, there is nothing like leaving things to last minute}, sort and putting all the things together and get ready to take out first thing tomorrow morning.  But before I go here, I just wanted to show you one little painting I made, its of a thought I have had now for a while since we bought our new house.  This is the colours I would like for the new kitchen, and I would really love to find an old antique Swedish wood bench to put by the old table...  Just the thought of sitting there with a nice cup of tea or coffee, reading and relaxing.  Green that's peaceful and with hints of orange that's energy, love it!!!

More to come after this art tour is over, keep your fingers crossed the weather will work in our favour : ) 

Mari

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Small sketch & spring cleaning...

Testing out one of my favourite markers {ALPHA}

 Finally the house is done and the sign has been planted in the ground, so now comes the {hopefully not too long} stretch of keeping it clean and clear of fingerprints and jam stains so people can come and view it.  So no more painting walls or renovating things, now I can get back to my own painting and sketching.  And on top of it, spring has arrived here, the trees have new little leaves {I really love the new fresh green of spring leaves}, daffodils are blooming, birds singing and I can yet again crack the windows open when the sun is out.  New life has started again.

No more clutter and stuff all over the place

Its nice and it has helped with having this house issue over with and that its warm out again, its less stress with everything else that goes on around here.  Lindsay finally had one whole week of school, she was happy and ever started back to drawing and enjoying things.  We really thought things started too look good for her.  But then sadly, all her head aches came all back again, and this time with full force.  We ended up having to take her to hospital by ambulance, and the tests continues.  Poor girl, its rough on her and worst part is that she cant really tell us how she really feels.  But she's such a brave and funny girl, even with pounding head aches and feeling awful, she still found the ride in the ambulance entertaining {she loves her own reflection and the back windows were perfect to check out her good looks}.  One day at a time and just hope that soon we'll know whats causing her head aches and so we can help her. 

Happy spring to you all, enjoy lives little things and moments.

Mari

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Spring & Easter

 Happy Easter

Glad Påsk 

 I hope you have had so far a very peaceful long weekend with family and friends.

Over here we have been busy with painting and getting the house ready, but between all the mayhem, we had a nice morning with the kids and they got their treats.

 Although we have stage the house soon, we did put up a little bit of Easter decorations.  In the first picture you see on top, is of two really cute felt egg cup hats that I got from my dear friend Sandra in UK.  And she also sent me some very nice vintage cutlery {picture below}. 

Thank you so much Sandra, I love them so much and they are treasured.

In the kitchen we have a little chicken nesting with some eggs under the glass dome, the chicken was hand made by my mum.

 I know, I'm jumping back and forth between pictures here, but I had to share this one.  Its a bird that was sitting on the lines outside and singing away while we were painting closet doors.

And below is those beautiful cutlery that Sandra sent me, they will be used tonight with our Easter dinner.  I just love the colours of the handles...

 And talk about colour, I notices all the pictures in this post have something to do with my two most favourite colours  Yellows & Oranges

And I leave you with a shot of a painting that I was working on earlier, its been standing in my studio now for over two months and I hope I can soon get going with it again...  Miss painting other things that walls and more walls.

Happy Easter  Glad Påsk

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Just a bit longer...

I'm around and I'm painting {and drawing and sketching away...}
I just don't have anything that is post worthy at this time. However, I found this one laying around my storage area, its an oil painting "Wet Sand" I made a few years back... With summer coming soon to an end, but me refusing to give in to fall decorations and putting summer all behind me {yes, seen some already doing that, really, why?? Whats the rush??}.

I put the painting up and redecorated the little table with some beach and antique shop finds.
Summer is to stay a bit longer in this house!!!

I also wanted to mention, that I wish to thank all of you for your past comments and I do read blogs that I follow and find along as I go. However, I have been having difficulties with leaving comments in some blogs and this also goes for leaving comments in my blog (crazy, it wont allow me to comment on my own blog Grrrrrrrr!!!)...
So thank you all of you, thank you for leaving comments and for emails. I have seen some amazing posts, and I so wish I could comment on all of them.
Just know, I do read them!!! Does anyone else have this problem?

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New prints & some decorations

New addition to my prints, Mr Owl and Miss Birdie. This is the first print, so they are not all done yet, still have to add things to the flags (they are for banners and or garlands, not sure what to call them). So more to come very soon!!!

And with little time for anything else around here {between working at the store, in my studio or in the gallery, plus being my kids personal secretary, cook, driver, problem solver & detective for missing laundry}... I did find a small moment of just doing something for the house, little decorating and as you can see, I'm still in the fall mood.

{I love text and letters (numbers too), and I found these ceramic marbles with letters on them}

My very small vintage glass bottle collection... okay two on the left are really vintage {or old}, the one on right... not so much... but the colour of the glass and the size worked for me.

Charlie {on the left} and his friend Trevor who stayed with us for two days. They get along so well, yet both have such a different personalities. Trevor the big social buff and he loves to carry things in his mouth {be it a ball or a huge log}, while my Charlie is shy, scared of his own shadow {needles to say Halloween is not a good time to take him out for a walk} and he loves to hug. Any how, that's my week so far... Happy Halloween everyone!!!

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