…thanks to Jez for hosting I’m a Fan of….https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2023/04/10/breakfast-in-princes-street-gardens-fan-of-201/
I love the waves on Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay where our cottage is. I won’t be going to the cottage for at least another month but the lake by our house never fails to provide some magnificent waves.
…both Kevin and I have been making art but Kevin has actually finished pieces
The first is a sketch of a rabbit I did back in February but I thought in honour of Easter I would bring it back to show you. The next two are ones that Kevin did on Procreate. The first is his ‘scruffy little fox’ and the second his his Easter Bunny. He wasn’t going to make an Easter drawing but he just couldn’t help himself. I did do some more on my larger piece but I’m not ready to show the progression quite yet.
…this Easter weekend has involved painting, drawing, getting together with family and eating…lots of eating
Every family celebrates this time of year differently but it almost always includes food. In our house it also includes drawing and painting and getting outside to walk and take photos.
Food with Family
Walking and Taking Photos
Making Art….to be continued
…thanks to the Ragtag community for hosting RDP https://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/04/07/rdp-friday-wise/
Today’s word is ‘wise’ and I feel I made a wise decision. I’ve been thinking about doing this for awhile. As some of you may know I am preparing for my second art show and I’ve been busy making new work. I feel, however, that I might have to use some work that I’ve already shown in the past year but I’m feeling pretty confident that most of the pieces will be new.
Having said that I painted a floral abstract that I’ve put in three shows already and it’s never sold. It was part of a series of paintings and all of the other paintings sold. Today I decided it was time to make a change because I have to admit that over the past several weeks I’ve been dreaming about how I might change it. This afternoon I had the courage to do just that. I’m glad I did because I’m liking it much better.
I think I made a wise choice.
Here are the ‘before’ and then the ‘after’ shots.
…thanks to Xingfu Mama for hosting Pull Up a Seat https://xingfumama.blog/2023/04/07/pull-up-a-seat-photo-challenge-2023-week-14/
It was a beautiful sunny day when we decided to check out the Arboretum. I can’t wait to go back when the leaves come out the flowers come up.
…thanks to Sue W and GC for hosting Weekly Prompts https://weeklyprompts.com/2023/04/05/weekly-prompts-wednesday-challenge-character/
Who is that lonely character that I see before me?
Off in the distance, standing guard on the grass
Hidden but not, an unusual white mass
His days are numbered for him to see
The weather is his enemy.
As I prepare for my solo art show I get so obsessed with the number of pieces that I don’t always think about the impact of the finished piece. This happened last night or should I say over several days where I’ve been stewing over one piece that just didn’t sit right with me.
Just because I signed it doesn’t mean that I can’t make changes. I was unhappy with the bottom third of this painting and with the hair around the face. Last night I dove in and completely changed the bottom and almost completely eliminated the hair. I like it so much better.
The large painting on the bottom of the above grouping is just the beginning. It is the largest piece that I have ever attempted (15″ x 30″) and it will go through several transformations before I’m done with it. Stay tuned.
…thanks to the Ragtag community for hosting RDPhttps://ragtagcommunity.wordpress.com/2023/03/31/friday-wonderment/
“The pursuit of truth and beauty is a sphere of activity in which we are permitted to remain children all our lives.”
― Albert Einstein
“Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
As I take my daily walks with my camera in hand, I’m alway in the state of wonderment with the beauty that surrounds me every day. I’m saddened by the fact that so many people never see what is right in front of their eyes. Many evenings I have run out of the house with my camera in hand to catch a beautiful sunset or quietly stood by my back door to catch the birds and squirrels come to the feeder.
…a book that all bookclubs should read
I loved the book Beartown so much that I went on to read the following two books in the series. Beartown is a book that can stand on it’s own but if you love the characters you’ll want to read more. The interesting thing about this book is that it is about a junior hockey team in northern Sweden and not something that I would gravitate to. I’m not a huge hockey fan but I do enjoy watching Olympic hockey.
The story involves flawed characters and a community who get caught up in their devotion to a hockey team. Unlike Backman’s more lovable characters in A Man Called Ove and Anxious People the people of Beartown reflect a more realistic community and how making a bad decision has negative consequences that can ruin people’s lives. Backman has the ability to write thoughtfully and make us feel empathy for his characters. The novel is full of suspense, conflict and passion for a game.
If you belong to a bookclub I can see some great discussions come from this novel. The pressure we put on our children to be the best, drinking underage, rape, the roles of women vs men, parenting, the importance of sport in our communities, social and cultural prejudices, and homophobia are just a few areas for discussion.
I loved all the books so much that I decided to draw a map of the two fictional towns, Hed and Beartown and the forest that separates them in northern Sweden. This is how I imagined the map. to look like.
…Thanks to Jez for hosting I’m a fan of….https://jezbraithwaite.blog/2023/03/27/coffee-by-the-canal-fan-of-199/
Now that spring has arrived the Centennial Park Conservatory staff have created a wonderful new display of the most glorious spring flowers. The first thing that hits you before you even enter the room is the perfume smell from those beautiful flowers. The feature room changes at least five times a year if not more often. It’s well worth the visit if you live in Toronto or close by.
Mama Cormier 