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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Colour inspirations

Beautiful brisk November day here today, and I'm itching to paint

But needed a bit of inspiration for colours, so I headed out in to the woods.

One thing that caught my eye was how Birch bark looked in the sunlight.

{Bark, Bark, Beautiful Bark}

On this Birch tree below had no pinks in it, but all lovely grays and greens

{And I love the shadows from the pine tree} 

Found some inspiration and now on to painting

I want to attempt to paint a winter scene which I haven't done much of before, so this will be 

interesting to see where it will end. 

What kind of colours do you find in the trees around you?

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301st post and Happy November sketching...

Went for a late fall walk down by the Ottawa Dominion Arboretum, absolutely lovely place to go for a stroll and discover different species of trees and shrubs {further up from the arboretum is the Experimental Farm that has also a great selection of flowers and other plants}.  

Such a relaxing place right in the middle of the city.

I bought my self a new sketch book and it has kind of brown paper look to it, and while walking and looking at all the leaves that have fallen down to the ground I started to sketch them as every single one of them have such a unique patterns and shapes to them, and even within the same species.

 Of course took a few pictures along the way

Rose Hip and Sunflower Seed Pods

Then last Sunday Mr B went to visit our daughter and I got a little time to my self

so I finished the painting for the auction I'm donating it too.  And after I got that done I started to work on two small once {below}.

I love flowers, but I hate to tell you seed pods and the stage plants and flowers get in too late fall is by far my favourite, I really enjoy the graphic look they take on as they dry up and change colours.

All that beautiful earthy tones, grays and browns.

They give me so many ideas for different fabric prints I {still} would like to get in too

and trying, I want to get in to putting my designs on fabric and then create something with that.

Time will come!

Any hoooo!!!  Cant believe how fast time has gone by, this is my 301 post and I have now been blogging for 4 years.  Where did the time go?  Sure have meet a ton of fantastic people that I would never otherwise have met, connected with absolute brilliant artists, crafters and others alike.

Found inspiration, support and ideas, shared fun thoughts and learned a lot.

A Huge thank you to all of you who have come by to see my crazy side of the planet, left comments and sent emails and letters, and please know I read everyone of them...  I'm just not good at writing back all the time.

But, Thank you, its been fun 4 years of blog land.

Happy November everyone!

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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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Little bit of inspiration...

 

 Here is the painting I have been working on since my last post, I thought I was done.  But now after a long look at it I have come to the conclusion that its not, far from it, so then I put it aside and then this happen {below}. Winter came back in full force, we got pounded with a lot of snow, ice, rain and more snow and we ended up with so much that if more comes on top of this, we have no idea where we would stick it...  And ever since that snow storm it has been nothing but grey and over cast days, it got cold again and the poor sun has not found away to shine through. 

Everyone needs some sunshine each day, right!?

Even though, I still think it looks pretty when its snowing and everything is covered in fresh snow.  But no light and no sun shine for days in end, I really needed some inspiration. 

And I found it right here on the table, my new cutting board/sheet and some water mixed with watercolours, a surface all soaked in soft and light colours.

{I like working, drawing on top of this surface} .

 

Had some fun with different inks, acrylic inks and watercolours.

 

'When Fireflies Plays'

 

Here's to inspiration, sunny days and light!

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Bark, Bark, bark!!!!!

Gorgeous day today and it feels like spring is just around the corner...  But then I heard the news and a snow storm is heading this direction, I love winter, really I do, but even I have had enough.

However, back to this day and what a fantastic walk I had with Charlie, we walked two different trails and I was taking pictures of trees {need inspiration for different textures and colours} and while I was busy shooting away like a mad fashion photographer Charlie was happy barking and running around after squirrels {lucky for them he cant see well, yes our baby is going blind but his sense of smell and hearing is all top notch}.

I love how different kinds of bark look and feel, brilliant textures and I think {if I'm not wrong} I spotted four different kinds of birch trees.  One of my favourite birch is the silver birch and paper birch, picture above however is not only of birch but there is maple and pine and one that I cant put my finger on, but its pretty.

After our walk, feeling all refreshed from the beautiful weather and all that fresh air, I sat down and drew a little bit and started this.  I'm not sure I like where its going so I have to see if I will keep working on it.  On the side of the paper is a dead branch of an apple tree, although in my mind its not dead in a least bit as it has all kinds of moss and fungi growing on it.  Love the teal coloured tree moss, wish I knew the name of it.

And below here is a picture of a birch tree and look at that great bark and how its naturally all curly.

And I saw this dried up leaf and the colour of it is so beautiful and it looked fantastic when the sun was shinning on it, it was not really the typical autumn orange but rather a yummy terracotta colour.

Okay, back to painting and then its art meeting tonight, will be interesting listening to the guest speaker who will be talking about framing do's & dont's and how to do a good frame work on a smaller budget... 

Happy Tuesday everyone!

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