Sketching, lazy beach moment and wild yarn stuff...

I said in my last post I would show you my sketches from when I went to the farms, so here they are...

Its not too many as it was very hot in sun that day I was out and I did also photography 

and checked out all the different stands for goodies to bring home.

A few days later, I saw a young woman with a pretty summer dress

and it looked so cute with her flat shoes.

Yesterday I went for a drive after dropping my daughter off at respite care.

I hate the thought of having to put her in care so I can do things or get a good nights rest,

I wish I could enjoy these things with her more than what we can these days.  

But I have to count my self blessed to be able to get a break once in a while, so I can draw and

being able to catch up to very much needed sleep.

Any how, I ended up on two beach areas along the Ottawa River.

Enjoyed the lovely day, the view, the breeze, water and of course a nice cup of tea

My trusted Charlie of course by my side also enjoying the breeze.

Below a few pictures I took while down there.

Love the sight of sail boats, and even if they were way out there I could hear the young sailor students sometimes {they were from a summer camp program} laughing and having a great old time.

Great sounds of summer!

Also saw some wild life, of course the famous Canada Geese, dragon flies and even a pig in the tree...

If you know the grand mess the geese make, well all I can say is that its good pigs cant fly!

{just climb trees...} 

And I leave you with one more picture,

I have taken up a new sport, not cricket but rather the wild game of crochet...

I'm not sure why, but I wanted to try out something new again

Bought some yarn and a crochet needle, hook or what ever its are called.

Looked at a few pictures and got going on it, very addictive I have to tell you,

and I have no idea what to do and I'm sure I have broken every crochet rule there is.

But this is what I did so far, the other piece I did look {and I thought I was making a square}

ended up looking like a misshaped bacteria or germ, so I didn't take a picture of it.

Happy Weekend everyone!!

Enjoy the beautiful weather, create and try out something new

read more

Time to shake the feather duster...

 

Not only do I have computer problems and my laptop needs cleaning,



But I also have to get my studio cleaned up so I can get back to work, have only been drawing a little bit and its been painful getting back to the drawing desk. 

However, I want to take part of the annual "Where Bloggers Create"

this event is held by Karen Valentine at My Desert Cottage.

 

So I need to get my butt in gear and start cleaning!

I thought if I could get away with looking good in burlap and cleaning apron, this is how I would like tackle this huge task ahead of me...

 

Fingers crossed I can get my computer cleaned up and fixed

{I'm trying to see if this picture I downloaded will stick, have had issues with that again and especially with pictures I have worked on Photoshop. Anyone else have this problem?}

and I can get all my stuff done in time to share my space for the event. 

 

Fingers crossed!!!!

 



read more

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!!

 

read more

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!!!!

read more

Paraply

{Umbrella in English}... I know I said in my last post, that I haven't done much at all when it comes to drawing or painting. But this is what I manage to do in between all the whirl wind and crazy times. Most has been done just before I turn the lights of and go to sleep or in waiting rooms, a few minutes here and there.   I'm back with the umbrellas again {don't know if you remember my other once in watercolour, the girl in red boots, yellow rain coat and umbrella?)} but this time I wanted to try in ink and just with a hint of colour {the yellow you see below is much darker and brighter than in real life}...


Fireflies (not alone at night)



All, way back over there



The moon bridge will take us there

I have been thinking about some things from my early years of being 6.  I used to always pack up my little red suitcase {it was made of heavy paper,cardboard like material} and it had small white piping all around the edges of it.  I used to pack it with all kinds of stuff that I thought was very important to have for a 6 year old...  drawing book, crayons, pretty candy wrappers I had saved and who knows what else.  And I took of on these adventures in search of lands far away, but my mum called them always mad run aways and she always contacted the local police to find me.  Well, the police in our village knew me well after a while and I got to ride in their fancy car a few times. 

My dad used always tell me that he knew I would one day move very far away, I was always on my way to some other place than what and where we lived {I'm a lot like how dad was, he always wanted to see whats behind next hill or where would the next road go}.  He and I are much a like that way, we always some how tried to escape and find that new life...  And after 20 years of searching, I found it here in Canada and since then, I haven't had the need to pack any more red suit cases or ride in more police cars.  But that doesn't mean you cant still escape in your mind and dream away to different places, and how things have been around here this past few months, Lindsay and I read a lot together and she loves to still pretend she is a princess in some fairy land.  So we escape together to great imaginary and fun places in stories.  Just love it, how sweet and young at heart she still is.


 A few weeks ago I went on line and treated my self to a few good books I have been wanting to read and use.  A book by, Joanna Trollop, two Moleskine sketch books and one book about 1950's textile designs from W&A.  So the pictures above, I drew them in one of the Moleskine sketch books, I like the books but I wish they would make them with slightly less yellowish tint to the pages.

So now my question is to you, do you think I should keep them in black and white, add a bit of colour or fill them in with colour {paint}?  I cant make up my mind.

All the best to you all and thank you again for your lovely comments, always a treat to read what you say : )

Mari

read more

Spring Yet!!??

Okay, I'm so ready for SprinG!!!
I love winter and all that comes with it, the cold, snow (love lots of snow), the crisp air and the wonderful winter blue skies against frosted covered trees and berries. But now I want spring, I want to be able to crack open my bedroom window and stick my head out and breath in the air. Let the stuffy winter house air out and fresh new air in. Been a bit sick again (nasty sinus cold) and lack energy so its been hard to do anything. But I did a little bit of drawing and painting.

A few days ago, I found these so very cute bowls... Love them!!! And I just could not help my self, just had to get two (might just have to go back and get four more). They will look so good in our kitchen after I get it all done (we are going to paint and replace the counters and do some fixing it up a bit, make it brighter and fresh)...

read more

Battle of Britain

Last weekend, we got to do something nice together and we went to the Aviation museum and the Battle of Britain 70 th anniversary ceremony. My son who is in the Air Cadets, took part in the parade (so proud of him). After the ceremony, we went in to the museum and looked at all the planes, met with veterans of WWII. And in between, I found some time to sketch a bit.
(Page 1) This one I started to sketch at the museum, but finished most of it here at home. The text, is a poem that was written by a young pilot of WWII, and I find it so beautiful and inspirational and I understand now why my son loves to fly and wants to become a fighter pilot. And I'm so proud of him, for the amazing person that he is and that he has this dream and he is doing everything he can to full fill that dream. (Below is page 2, the poem you can read in the bottom of this post)

Sketch I did before the ceremony started (also finished most of it at home)

Sketched a bit while watching the parade.

Photos from the parade.

And I just love how this picture turned out, its in the end of our visit at the museum and both kids were really tired. They took a moment to just sit down and take a breather.

High Flight

Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth

And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;

Sunward I've climbed,

And joined the tumbling mirth

Of sun-split clouds - and done a hundred things

You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung

High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there

I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung

My eager craft through footless halls of air.

Up, up the long delirious, burning blue,

I've topped the winswept heights with easy grace

Where never lark, or even eagle flew-

And while with silent lifting mind I've trod

The high untrespassed sanctity of space,

Put my hand and touched the face of God.

By: Pilot Officer John Gillespie Magee

No. 412 Squadron, RCAF

Died December 11, 1941

read more

Im back...

Hello my friends, I have been away a lot from my blog and from drawing... And this fall has been very full with a mixture of things, things that I took a lot of my time away from art and many other things... But I'm back now and I have started to draw and paint again, and after weeks of stress and ton of stuff, I finally had some of "me time" again. And thank heavens for that, I started to lose my spark to draw and it was driving me batty. And I have to say, visiting my favourite blogs and see what all of you have been up too has helped me to get back on to my art. I so needed that inspiration.

I found these really cute owl mugs, don't like to buy more things, but these once just reminded me of things I grew up with and I just love owls. I drew it in my Moleskin book, used ink, watercolours and little wood stamps.

read more

Just a few more vacation pictures & illustrations

I found this drift wood and its small but it has ton of beautiful details on it. So today while taking a break from cleaning and doing laundry (its amazing how dirty things get when you are in the bush), I sketched it with ink.
Then I used four colours (watercolour).

I didn't think I would post this one, its a sketch I did while on our trip... Its about our clothing and the state we are in after a few days out. All covered in mud, swamp juice and dirt. Mr B always has a dark shadow in the end of the trip (the man in the right top corner is my brother-in-law, who got stuck in swamp mud, it was lite black tar and mega stinky).

Its amazing what you can get away with when it comes to camping fashion... like wool socks and sandals, clothing that would never see day light in the city and hats that look like road kill. The picture (of me) down is not me sleeping on the portage, but rather me being stuck between boulders after have tried to stay clear of mud. So hard to get up with a 65 Lbs backpack on, but I bet you it looked pretty funny when I went down.

Annnnd!!... these are just some pictures of things I found, all fantastic natural things. Love the textures, the colours and feel of them. I don't know what these are called, but they grow on trees (pine) and this time I was able to take some home as it was on a tree that had fallen down.

Drift wood pieces, that I think I'm going to make gift tags out of them (all between 4-8 inches long)... I think they are from an old cottage or barn that used to be in the area a long, long time ago. I love the grey worn look to them.

And this I just love the colour of this moss.

read more

Summer Colours

A few years back I had a small greeting card collection I made "Summer Diva", inspiration came from a friend of mine... Thought I would pick up where I left and see if I could come up with a few new pictures of my Diva.

" Dare to be different"

I always have my camera with me when I go out with Charlie on our walks, and yesterday I we walked past this big metal storage chest by a ball park... I just loved the colours of it, the blues, greens and the rust. And after I took a picture, I noticed the shadow on top of the box.

read more

Just for fun

I love birds, but just not in the mood to draw them like any other day, so I just had to put a little twist in to it, just for fun!!!

"Something is different about you, hmmmmm..."

Happy Owl {I always wondered what they do at day time}

This picture didn't come out as good, but its a set of three owls... so here they are below.

And the fish, I just had to draw some fish {idea came from a Swedish cook book I have}... sorry for the poor picture quality.

"Show of"

All made with ink and watercolour {new book}

read more

wow, Im back...

And what a week (well two weeks) it has been, Hot, Hot, Hot and sticky!!! and my interweb service has been down for a few days (maybe it was the heat??) I have been trying to work on the project I have to do for a client, but with the weather being so hot, I have had to put it of a few days (a whole week) as I have to work on it in the garage due to its size.
Thought I would get a break today, but its already +34.5c and its only 09:30 in the morning.

I did get a few small paintings and sketches done, this one from my laundry day (it was two other water colour paintings before, but I hated them, painted over and this is the end result), and I really like it.

This is a small sketch and water colour illustration, its from a 1950's book I found and it has neat B/W pictures in it. Love the shoes.

I tried to paint some flowers that we have in our garden, but the heat got to me in the end and I just didn't have the energy to finish it. And the one below here, is a sketch I did while waiting for my appt at my Dr's office. Finally got my results back from my tests and good news is that its not Rheumatoid Arthritis (I was so worried about that, I need my hands to work), but its still Arthritis, so I have to get some more tests done. I hate joint pains... But any hoo, here is the sketch I did while waiting, its of an article I read about an female neanderthal. And in the article they wrote about the weather and temperature they had during the time she lived, and they said that she and her mates would shed their clothing (furs) when it was hot, so they could cool of and they most likely even hunted naked... Hmmm, maybe that's a trend we all should look in too (not the hunting part).

And a picture from our garden, a little tiny bird house (its about 3 cm in height) between flowers. Maybe a little tiny lady bug lives in it.

read more