Making Hand Made Brushes

Posted on November 19, 2021 by Mama Cormier

….from materials from the garden and the water’s edge

After completing my three art pieces for this weekend’s Small Gems Show I started to delve into some video art classes that I recently purchased. The first class is called Loosen Up and Tara Lever has produced some very inspiring lessons. One of the first ones is making your own brushes from natural materials.

I thoroughly enjoyed going on a foraging trip through my garden and the park at the end of my street. I came back with a bag full of interesting plant material.

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After sorting through the stems of dried materials I started to bunch them together and wrapped them with yarn, thread and wool. I loved doing this and when I finished I placed them in a vase that I made a couple of years ago.

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Now I’m ready to get out my ink and paints and experiment with mark making using my new brushes. Some of them may not hold up well but that’s okay. I’ll post some of my experiments later this week.

Cheers!

Silent Sunday – November 14, 2021

Posted on November 14, 2021 by Mama Cormier

….photo taken yesterday while walking from Mount Sinai Hospital to WAAC on Prince Arthur Street

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A Photo a Week – Gateways From the Past in Venice and Rome

Posted on November 10, 2021 by Mama Cormier

…thanks to Nancy Merrill for hosting A Photo A Week https://nadiamerrillphotography.wordpress.com/2021/11/09/a-photo-a-week-gateways/

I had a great time going through all my old photos from our visit to Italy in 2016.

Warming Up

Posted on November 9, 2021 by Mama Cormier

….back to making ‘inchie’ art

Thanks to Amy from Mindful Art Studio for hosting the slow drawing parties. She literally takes us through some very slow drawing activities to get our creative juices flowing. After doing the line drawings I added watercolours and more marks. This is very relaxing and I literally get lost in the process.

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A Painting Update

Posted on November 5, 2021 by Mama Cormier

…it’s been awhile since I last posted some of my artwork

Back in September I was finally able to display two of my paintings for a show that was suppose to take place last January. I had originally made three paintings for the show but one sold earlier in the year. I’m pleased to say that the two that were hung in the gallery at WAAC also sold.

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These were all 16″ x 16″ x 1 1/2″.

I’ve just finished three more pieces for another show later this month. The show is called Small Gems and no piece can me more than 48″ all around. These three are all 12″ x 12″ x 1 1/2″.

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Happy Hallowe’en Everyone

Posted on October 31, 2021 by Mama Cormier

….a very satisfying Hallowe’en night

Last year our doors were closed because of COVID. This year I noticed in our block that more homes were shelling out than I’ve ever seen in the 43 years I’ve lived here. It was a perfect night. I had made up 50 bags of treats and had another 20 chocolate bars left over. It all went and I had to close shop early.

In total we had 64 kids come to our door. I felt badly when I ran out because I know that there would have been more. One of the things that I loved about Hallowe’en this year was the sense of community with those that participated. We walked up and down the street and talked to our neighbours and chatted with the parents when they brought their children up to the door. My husband and I both shelled out the treats and we were able to sit outside because the weather was so mild.

Did you participate in Hallowe’en this year?

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The Neighbourhood is Ready for Hallowe’en

Posted on October 30, 2021 by Mama Cormier

….looks like we’ll have more doors open this year for Hallowe’en

Last year Hallowe’en was a bit of a bust because of COVID. Some people left candy outside on the honour system and many families had small costume parties with people who were in their bubble only. This year it looks like the rain will stop just in time for Trick or Treating and many people have decorated their houses with spooky decorations. I’m looking forward to opening the door again to all those lovely little kids (and some big ones too) all decked out as ghosts, witches, princesses and their favourite super heroes.

As an added precaution I’m prepackaging their treats in individual bags so there will be less handling of the food. Tonight I will clean out the pumpkin and let my husband do his magic on our Jack o lantern in the morning. Are you ready for Hallowe’en this year or are you going to give it a miss for another year?

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….and the winner for my favourite Hallowe’en display is this one

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Look What I Saw on my Walk

Posted on October 29, 2021 by Mama Cormier

….I was so glad to have my telephoto lens on my Lumix camera

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New Flower (October 27, 2021) – Sumac

Posted on October 27, 2021 by Mama Cormier

….I love the sumac this time of year

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Lashing Rain and Visitors to My Yard Today

Posted on October 26, 2021 by Mama Cormier

… made a To Do List today and listed 12 jobs

The rain came down so heavily today that I figured it was a good day to do things around the house. One of the first things I did was go through my closet and dresser and pull out most of my summer clothes. After I removed some sweaters and long sleeved shirts from my storage bins I replaced them with the summer things.

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I managed to complete 10 of the 12 jobs that I posted. Looking out my back door earlier today I noticed that there was a lot of activity on my deck and around the bird feeder. I guess squirrels and birds have to eat even in the rain.

A while back, I had stopped using my Panasonic Lumix camera because of a problem. I really thought it was toast but after discussing the issues with Cee she went to the Panasonic website and she suggested that I put all the settings back to the factory settings it came with. Success!!! That small change did the trick. The following photos were taken with the telephoto lens on the Panasonic through a glass door.