Oh Snap it's Cold....

First of all Happy New Years to all of you!!!

 

I really cant believe its already January and Christmas is kind of behind us,

where did the time go?

 

But we had a good and calm Christmas here, and I hope all of you had very joyful

Christmas and holiday season.

So winter arrived early here and we have still a ton of snow {new storm on its way tomorrow sometime}, and so far we have been okay {touch wood!}

but for many this has been a very hard times.

We have family and friends in Toronto who were without power for over a week during the holidays, but thankfully they have it back now and it was not a day too soon.  It has been super cold here and a lot of stuff freeze, we have to keep our eyes on our water pipes just in case.

 

Picture above is from the other day when it kind of warmed up a bit,

the night before it had been -28c and with the wind it was -40c

I even had a hard time taking this picture as the screen door has frozen stuck, so that's why the picture is a bit of a blur.

 

So its been good days to stay in and draw and paint, but when you do venture out

and Mr B and I have, been out for nice long walks in the woods

{its all about layers of clothing and lots of it}

 

And a few times we went downtown and I tell you,

this cold sure makes some interesting things to see



 

And only here, do you see this!

This man or woman was driving on the high way with its parka hood up

Seriously!!! 

 

{didn't have my camera out on time, so drew it after}



 

Then sitting in a coffee shop looking at people standing outside waiting for buses, is nothing but very

interesting {I did once before but it was much warmer then}

Well, with temperatures like this, its like everyone are working undercover or something.

Every inch is covered and no one says much but just grunt through the crowds or try very hard to hold back a runny nose... And every once breaths are making the bus stop look all fogged in. 

 

 

 

Last picture here I took last night, its taken from the National archives parking lot {facing west}

and I just loved the colour of the sky and the city lights.

The funny looking building you see in the middle is the War museum.

 

Here's to winter and 2014, Happy New Years and I hope this new year will bring you and your dearest and nearest good health, joy and peace and ton of super creative times and moments. 

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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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Paintings in My Studio...

I want to thank everyone who wrote to me after my last post.
My daughter is still in the hospital, but she really is getting a ton of great help and things are looking brighter and I cant wait to have our little girl back again.

One of the questions I got was about a painting that hangs on the wall behind the easel that holds my new painting that's being worked on right now.  It's an acrylic painting I did of the many lovely long sand beaches that we have gone too here in Ontario, and I tried to capture the look of the wet sand as the water drew back after each wave came through.  Needless to say the title of my painting ended with "Wet Sand" 

And then it comes to another painting (on the opposite side of the work space), I call it my gallery wall and the place I can store larger canvases, my inspiration board, I like to change things around all the time and this wall is perfect for that.

Any how, on that wall I have one smaller canvas, a landscape painting from a canoe trip we did in Algonquin Provincial Park.  I really hate being in stormy weather, and thunderstorms scare the living crap out of me.

A few years ago we were in one Mother of all storms and ever since then, you could say I have turned in to a big chicken...  But I still like to capture pictures of the heavy majestic clouds, paint them and look at them.

(Just don't ask me to sit through them when they go right over)

Okay, so here is my problem with this painting, I cant for the life of me remember if I did it in oils or acrylics.

Sure, I could always check and not sure why I haven't done it yet...  Maybe, just maybe I'm a bit worried to find out and then start fiddling about with it and screw it all up.  

I'm not sure how to fix the water, any ideas?

I leave you again with more pictures I took from my morning walk two days ago.

Lovely frost had settled above everything, all was covered in a sweet sugar dusting, dew drops frozen in to beads.  I just love this time of the year where even the smallest detail is dreamy.

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Still here!!...

I know it has been a while since I posted last, over a month now. But I'm here!!!!  I'm around and about and today has been my first time to start painting again in a long while.  And to tell you the truth it hasn't been easy going, some of you might know that my daughter has severe autism and since February 2012 she developed head aches and it has been going on ever since and it has only become worse.

Journal page I did one night after one very frustrating day

So it has been a huge struggle for us and mostly for her as she can only say few words, but cant articulate where or how it hurts.  We know her and we all know that she's in pain and not doing well, but how do you explain that to Dr's and others who don't know her.  So during this whole time we have been fighting with the medical system, hospitals and specialists and all we got was not much at all, and due to this nothing was done and she only got worse.  Because of her autism and not being able to communicate verbally, her behaviours got worse and worse...   Everything around here has been put on hold, I haven't been able to work or paint, life just took a place on top of the highest shelf possible and everything has been to care for her and trying to find help for her.  Then finally two weeks ago, we finally found that one person who would hear us out and agree something has to be done.  Finally my little girl is getting the help she needs.  Now she's under medical care, some tests have been done and now we're waiting to hear.  We're no longer beating our heads against walls, our pleads for help have been heard and now the path looks like its going in the direction for the light.

So between visiting our girl in the hospital, meetings with Dr's and others, medical tests, never ending phone calls and emails, we have finally been able to catch up to much needed sleep, recovered energy and even been able to get a few things done around here.  One of the things was my workroom and studio space, the insulation work got done so Mr B bought me furniture and few things for my space {thank you baby} and although it has taken me over a month to get everything back in, I at last moved in again and even started to paint again.  So here it is, my new space {mind you, its still messy and will take time to get all that stuff I pushed under things to get sorted through} so I snapped a few pictures...

Canvas on the easel is getting ready for a painting I'm doing for an auction I'm donating it too 

{More details coming soon}

So today I added more to my canvas {details} and I cant tell you how fantastic it felt to 

be right in here, paint, feel the brush and just for a while my mind was only about the moment.

I feel hope and I really think we're now doing what should get done.

I cant believe it has been over a month since I posted here, and fall came and its almost over

or at least the beautiful colours have almost all fallen and faded away.

I have been able to get out for a few walks and of course my camera had to come along too.  

Board walk down by the bog

fall harvest

Sweet Cotton Grass

Here's to hope, to my little girl

And to everyone with no voices to be able to be heard!

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Two days...

Two different days in pictures

First 6 pictures are from Prince Edward County wine tour Mr B and I did with dear friends

All beautiful water, skies and fields {my dream place}

And wineries & brewing companies

Tasting, savoring and enjoying

There's nothing like sitting outside enjoying great weather, company of good friends

Good wine and food and feasting your eyes on the beautiful and relaxing surroundings 

 Of course we cant forget all the brilliant old barns, farm lands and chickens

So wish I had my sketch book along on this trip

But I got to see art, amazing glass art and more at the

Huff Estate Winery

Below is from a lovely evening I spent with my son

He loves photography as much as me and we went out for a walk down by the river

to watch the sun set

"Happiness is not a

Destination

It is a way of Life"

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Studio changes on the way...

  

So I'm in the works of clearing out my studio space, and as exciting things are to come.  

This part however is something I would rather be without.  

Oh how I hate packing things up and moving everything!!

  

I remember as it was yesterday when I finally got my last box out from my space, and it really was not that long ago, we have after all only been in this house for just a bit over a year.

But here they are again, the blasted boxes

{needed a few to protect some of my things}

And I have been measuring everything more than twice, or make it hundred's of times

Trying to work out how I want the space to be and look after all the work gets done.

In a week the insulation company will come in and rip out the floor, re-insulate under it and winterize it and then they will do the same with the ceiling, then put everything back together again.

After that I have to do insulation work around all baseboards, windows and walls, then paint and then all the fun stuff will start, get it all put back in again. 

I just cant wait to get back in there to paint again {on canvas and paper}.

Today I took a break from the boxes and moving stuff, went for a nice walk in the woods.

Its very lovely out, still summer but there is small signs of that autumn is not far away now.

Tomorrow the same story again, lots of moving stuff and furniture.

Between it all I have to cut matting for a picture I'm entering in to a juried art show.

Now, time to relax and watch a bit of tv with my dearest, maybe do some sketching.

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Second half of our vacation...

Back from our vacation part 2, and this part was lot further away than what we usually do for our camping trips.  But it was worth every mile and navigating blunders, some crazy u-turns and several pit stops for cramped legs and necks.  We both loved this trip and already planning our next visit.

So this year Mr B and I packed our car and headed first North West to Restoule Provincial Park, a small yet very beautiful camping area located in the Canadian shield.  Huge rocky cliffs, lakes and thick forests.

There we did a lot of hiking, swimming and relaxing.  Weather was not always perfect but its all what you do with it, both of us packed a healthy stack of books and things to do {well, I was the one with the "things", art supplies, crochet stuff, mags and more}.  And this time it was my first time to bring acrylics with me, but I only touched them once, got a few quick sketches on to flat board canvas's.  

But I did do more sketching in my sketch book and a small water colour book.

These sketches are from our second half of this trip, the once from Restoule got caught in the rain and need some ironing out {or how would you fix pages that got water damaged?}

{small selection of my "trip" supplies & read}

{Some pictures of our trip}

Above and below is from Restoule.

Top left corner is from the beautiful lookout {100 meter above Storm Lake} 

Restoule P.P

And here is some pictures from the second half of the trip.

Bruce County & Peninsula, our base camp was at the MacGregor P.P and we drove around the county

Up to Tobermory, Dyers Bay, Lion's Head  and down to Inverhuron & Port Elgin.

And this part of the trip is all part of a whole different geographical setting from Restoule, here its all part of the Lake Huron, Niagara Escarpment and the Georgian Bay areas.  Beautiful crystal clear waters, sandy beaches to wonderful rocky shore lines, Rolling hills and farm land as long as the eye can see.

Tobermory

Lion's Head

MacGregor P.P & Port Elgin

Cant believe how fast the time went and although we saw so much, there are so much more to see and do in the Bruce County.  Next time we would like to hike in the Bruce Peninsula National Park, check out the Flowerpot & Cove Islands {Fathom Five National Marine Park}...  But we also want to visit Manitoulin Island and head more south down to Huron and Middlesex Counties.  Hmmmm, that's a long stretch of roads, but if we were able to do the trip this time {only took us 9.5 hours to get home} then why not just a bit longer.  All in all, so much more to discover and I cant wait to start a trip again.

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New art project & vacation shots

Let me introduce you to Edna Rose!

I have been on vacation and haven't done much of art and so last night

there was a moment and I just had to do something with this idea I had.

Now I'm not sure if you remember from my past posts {I think it was in the winter time I posted that},

but I love the show Downton Abbey and while I was watching it I sketched some of the

brilliant costumes and styles of the women from that show.

And I always wanted to do something further with the sketches, but didn't know what and then it hit me yesterday while looking at books and mags at the book store. 

I wanted to sew and of course paint too!

So went home and got started

Had a ton of fun making her and soon she'll have some lady friends joining her...

After I get back from my second half of our vacation that is.

For the first half of our vacation this year I dropped out of our annual canoe trip and instead stayed here at home while my dear friend Sandra came to visit, and although we technically stayed here, 

we were every where but here, we were all over the map within the Ottawa Valley and Quebec areas.

We drove around to all different small villages and towns, and we walked and checked out little shops,

did antiquing, eating in little local cafes and restaurants and of course did a ton of photography.

This is the best of having a dear friend like Sandra, she loves and goes same crazy as me about things like old barns, textures and colours {same with antiques, washi tape, fabrics, art supplies... wine, good cheese, oh and lets not forget chocolate and did I mention wine?}...  

Well anything that speaks to us and we can spend hours doing this.

LOVE IT!!!!

Here is a just a few pictures from the bunch {there is a lot}

Just love all the colours!!

We found a lot of neat little places to visit, true gems, 

and the two of my favourites were the tiny village Old Chelsea in Quebec

and the town of Almonte that located in the Mississippi Mills area of the Valley, Ontario. Both so different from each other yet both taken same huge pride in the villages, their culture, nature and they are both very artsy. You find lots of inspiration when you go there.

So I'm leaving this post again with one more picture, and this one is with 

Edna Rose posing in front of Big Ben...  Its a cute vintage tea towel I found in Almonte

and I'm going to make that in to a large cushion cover for my studio.

Happy August everyone {where did July go?}

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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

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