Books, Books, Books and A WIP

It's world book day so I thought I'd post today since books are important to me. Where would I be without books? Good question. And it's a question that I can't answer definitively, or short and sweetly. I will say, I'd be a whole lot poorer. Over my reading life, books have allowed me to armchair travel; they have also given me joy, understanding, and I hope enhanced my compassion. They have provided me with many different ways of looking at the world and the people in it. Further, I am sure that certain books have save me a few times.

Looking up at my poetry shelf, I'd  also say that, for me, books have, thankfully, been The Road Taken.

So today, I like to say a great big thank you to all the writers and illustrators out there who have poured out their hearts and souls into their work.

~ If you feel so inclined, I'd love to hear you thoughts about books and a few of your favourite titles. 

One of my favorites: Love in The Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends." 

Charles W. Eliot

One of the books I'm currently reading with a lovely blue jacket.

Not a book but plants have the power to uplift too.

On my Desk . . .WIP

 

It's coming along. Hopefully four colourful birds will tweet their way around this watercolour painting. 

These days I'm working by daylight. Unfortunately, I had to send back my daylight lamp. It was  wonderful--you might say illuminating, but it hurt my sensitive eyes so much that I couldn't use it. So...it's back to the drawing board before the light fades.

“One must always be careful of books," said Tessa, "and what is inside them, for words have the       power to change us.”💗

Cassandra Clare, Clockwork Angel

 (haven't read it but what a great quote)

 Have a lovely weekend...

A Shadow Box and Gift Tags

Hi!

I've been meaning to post, but the fact is there hasn't been a whole lot going on. Mostly I've been drawing, and impatiently waiting for my watercolour paper to arrive. The paper that I bought in the fall and did  love to use turned out to be defective. The company is working on it, but who knows when they will have it fixed.
 In the meantime, I've been trying out other wc paper without success.  Recently, two Bockingford blocks arrived and I've transferred a crab apple drawing. For the past week, I've been avoiding trying it out.  Maybe it's that twelve times bitten, or should I say twelve times disappointed thing going on. Who knows? But tomorrow, tomorrow is the day for sure.


Colours fit for Easter...

More gift tags. They are fun to paint, but as I've mentioned before really messy to make.  I used coarse and fine salt, and splashed one with rubbing alcohol for a different look.

The reverse.

One of the two Maestros paintings that didn't quite work out. Since Michaels had a 50% sale on shadow boxes, I thought I'd try to selvedge this fellow.

You may remember the other one...

On the needles . . .

A beret using a pattern that I am making up as I go along. Now to figure out the decreases. I hope it works!

And . . .

A compilation of items I gathered while walking. I foresee a rainy day drawing.

And there have been more winter walks. . .

 Where the wild fern grows and soon well, maybe not so soon, but soon, once again, it will look like this...

I know. Call me obsessed.  If you've been reading along, you'll know that the ferns are one of my winter picture posting habits. Uplifting or what? I love these so!

On our walk, we spotted a dove, but when the poor creature saw us she shrieked and bolted in fear.

'Til next time... 

"May this lovely day, bring in loads of joy and sweetness in you life.
May your beautiful face shower smiles and shine the world with brightness." 

 Author Unknown

Changes

 Hi there,

As you can see, I've made a few changes. Call it a blog lift. It's scary. There's hardly any blue left in sight! (If you are new here, I readily admit to being crazy about blue.)  I don't even like to use a black pen, and will walk a mile to find a blue one. Although for easy reading, I usually type with black/grey ink in blog land. I occasionally draw with a black pen but it's difficult for me. In loving blue,  I am not alone. Survey says: blue is the favourite colour. Period! What a slap in the face to one's concept of uniqueness, but, then again, we are all kindred spirits at heart.  It seems my original blue scheme lost the plot next the snowscape pic, so red lettering it is until spring arrives, or until I have a change of heart.
Speaking of colour, I've been craving it. So here we go...

                             Standard January fare...tulips and daffodils. Puts a spring in my step.

 I always hope for a cool spring so that I can stroll by the neighborhood gardens to stare at the tulips.  If it's too warm, they fizzle. Stunted and struggling, they take on that sad this is it look.

* Tip of the day. For cut tulips, drop in a few ice cubes into the vase now and then to cool down their  toes. They love it!

Back in the day, (And a very long day ago it was--say early 17th century.) you could trade the farm, furniture, implements, and your animals for a tulip bulb. (Think Jack and the Bean stock.) Wouldn't the wife and family be pleased? Fortunes were made and lost. It sounds a bit more romantic than  pork belly futures, and once the craze hit, it hit. M-A-N-I-A! "Step right up, secure your future, buy a tulip bulb!" It's a good thing that I was not alive at that time. She did what, son? Yes, mother you heard it right. She sold the farm for a tulip bulb. Rack and ruin! 
That wifee though, she doth protest:  But, but, BUT I must have beauty!!!

 The movie, Tulip Fever will be released next month. I'll be watching.

  Here in Canada, Maple Leaf Tulips will be popping up all over this spring

               in honour of Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation.  (Top row second and third from left on the link page are prime examples.) They are so pretty and were, of course, bred to resemble the flag.

Yet another reason I'm looking very forward to the Tulip Festival in Ottawa ~ Gatineau in May.                                                                                  Not until May, you say? Pity!                                                                  "Flowers always make people better, happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul." Luther Burbank                            Purple for royalty. That's how it used to be. Purple cloth was too expensive                            for mere mortals way back when the dye was cast from sea shells.  Amaryllis.  A never fail winter favourite of mine. They are easy and fun to grow. Every  year I hope to find different colours.  Besides being beautiful.  They also hold the keys. 💗                               I love old keys, and have recently started a collection.  I sometimes wonder  who carried them, which clocks were wound nightly and by whom, or which house doors they  locked and unlocked.  I'm not certain the skeleton key on the right is old though, but a keeper it is.                                          After Christmas, I try to catch the Amaryllis sales. I can't resist. Such a lovely blooms and what a colour. (Looks like I may have nailed the colour  on the breast of the little bird below. Who knew? Serendipity!) * "Flowers don't worry about how they are going to bloom. They just open up and turn toward the light. And that makes them beautiful." Jim Carrey  I started this little painting on the wrong side of a bit of scrap paper. It's difficult to tell which  side is the right side if it's not marked, but I didn't have a plan...simply the time and the will  to create something.                       "With freedom, books, flowers and the moon, who could not be happy."                                                                   Oscar Wilde                                                             Did he mention birds? A line drawing in basic black and white with a touch of red thrown in. Arches scrap paper--frayed edges and all.                                            "I must have flowers, always and always." Claude Monet Truly a man after my heart. 'Til next time...

Best Wishes

January 10, 2017

It's been almost a month since I've been here, so I'm definitely overdue to wish you all a Happy New Year!

This time of year it's not difficult to catch the sun rise; it crawls over the horizon at 7:36 a.m. And what a beauty this one was.  ( Wished the pics were better.) Flaming red rimed the horizon and a carpet of red, pink and beautiful shades of blue rolled out across the sky--a true celebration to greet the day.

I don't take a lot of winter pictures; however, it recently dawned on me that other people might like to see what a Canadian winter looks like. So over the holidays, I had a chance to go out and about. So far the winter has been a bit warmer (a mixed bag of snow storms and freezing rain) with less snow than usual, but ice is still settling on the river.

             For avid fisher people: an ice fishing chateau 👀 for rent. No, no thanks.

                                              Sitting on thin ice.  Not for the faint of heart.

Inside there have been a few doodles. I may get copies printed so I can pop cards in the envelopes to say thank you for my shoppe orders.

And finally a collage from my instagram account of the best of nine for 2016.

May you and yours long continue to promote joy, light, laughter, peace and good will in a world that, more than ever, needs a strong united front in voice, word and deed and our tender loving care.