". Arranged Words: 2019

7 Dec 2019

Silhouettes


Hi there,

'Tis the season! I hope you are all having fun with your Christmas preparations, or other holiday planning.

Not my usual Tuesday post, but the good Elves won the debate and decided to post early.


Sunset

I love the beautiful shapes and silhouettes of the bare trees.  As a bonus, once the leaves have flown away, you can sometimes see the intricate nests that birds have left behind.  Often overlooked, I, for one, love the beauty of a world laid bare.





 Speaking of Christmas, what would Christmas be without the redemptive tales? A Christmas Carol  and The Grinch come to mind. Tales that prove that kindness changes everything.

In my recent travels I saw the Grinch in a yard pulling the Christmas tree lights off the roof of the house.
Although I don't have a picture of that scene, I am including the Grinch that I enjoyed painting a couple of years ago for my brother-in-law who really does enjoy the tale.



“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store. What if Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!”

Dr. Seuss


 Have a very Merry Christmas!
And if you do not celebrate Christmas, enjoy your holidays!

I hope to see everyone in the New Year.

Best Wishes...

Cultivate Your Dreams



  I'll be linking up to parties. Please see my Link Parties page.  If you have time, please drop by these wonderful blogs for a visit.
                                                                         
Thank you ladies for
hosting!


21 Nov 2019

Golden Light


Hi there,

The golden light and beauty of fall can be difficult to leave behind, and since we are in the blogging ethereal realm, and I am the captain, I've decided to extend fall, at least, pictorially.



Pretty Crab Apples

 


Tanker with its russet bow—Kingston bound.


A Pumpkin with an attitude.

* * *

Pastel


 Sometimes I enjoy the spontaneity of sitting down without a plan,  reaching for a pastel and beginning. These two paintings I fashioned from bits of memory. The second reminds me of the boreal forest of Canada. When I lived in the north, I was surrounded by black spruce with a spongy carpet of reindeer moss covering their roots.

A fact of interest: Canada's boreal forest extends from the Yukon to Newfoundland and Labrador, covering 55% of the country and, at this time, is the largest intact forest in the world!
 It covers approximately three million square km.  

I own a limited pastel palette, but I am searching, most especially, for beautiful blue pastels for the sky and for lakes and the ocean.


On the needles...

Winter companion knitting.
A lovely pattern designed by Gundrun Johnston depicting the trees of Shetland.

'Til Next time...



Cultivate Your Dreams




Many thanks ladies for hosting.

12 Nov 2019

To the Sea ~ Continued






I decided to add a few more pictures from Nova Scotia for my web log.  Of course, in the end, it will only be a fraction of what I took while I was there.

When I was visiting, we took time for a whistle stop in Chester, N.S.  A lovely little town that promotes the arts. They have an active Playhouse as well as a busy Art Gallery. There are many wonderful artists and beautiful vacation homes in this wealthy area. 


A quaint main street.



I spied this American Flag so I sauntered up the street to investigate.


O, I see. 



Moving along to Black Rocks. I believe this boat must be there for artists. Perfect for a painting.


Low tide.



Interesting back yard booty.


Pelham house. The oldest house Lunenburg, N.S. Circa 1760.


Circa 1775.  Love the door.


Fishing Shack. Blue Rocks, N.S.


Antique glass buoys.


Next door. 
This shack is not a working fishing shack, so the inside rumbles with innovative, artistic decor. Everywhere you look something remarkable peeps out at you.
I was in it several years ago, but it's been sold so I couldn't take a peek this time.

Notice the church window to the left.


The tree out there is decked for Christmas.
Apparently, a tourist was concerned about the duck to the left because it wasn't moving. She thought someone better rescue it.  
It is a decoy.



 

Another lovely door.

* * *


I will  be listing this framed Iris oil painting in my Etsy shop next week.


'Til next time...

Cultivate Your Dreams.

4 Nov 2019

Autumn Colours


The wind has been twirling the leaves from the trees for about two weeks now, but here and there banks of colour still dazzle. With the cool temps and glorious colours popping up everywhere you look, autumn definitely rejuvenates the senses.


Lovely with the green trees as highlights.


All is Golden


Here and there an occasional flower hangs on. This one has survived several frosts.


Sometimes the play of light just stops me in my tracks.

* * *

I enrolled in a Landscape Pastel day course in September.  They provided Illustration board prepared with rough pastel ground and the ground was toned with brown paint. Not exactly, in my opinion, great for clouds because they look a bit dull.
Other boards were prepared with a gorgeous apricot colour. So beautiful, but alas, since I contemplated too long, I didn't have a chance to use one of the colourful boards because the brown board was the first on offer. First things first. Apparently there are rules even for rebels like me. :)

 I did enjoy the day with a great group of people!

Linking to  Mosaic Monday and  Our World Tuesday and on Wednesday with My Corner of the World and Friday Bliss

'Til Next Time

Cultivate Your Dreams

29 Oct 2019

To the Sea

 Hi there,

It has been awhile. I hope you are all doing well!
I was off to visit with family. And those lucky people live in Nova Scotia. Have I mentioned that I    love and miss the sea? Probably only about a million times, I suppose.

  A dory bobbing about the harbour in my home town.


A perfect day for sailing.





As you know,  I love old houses too. Notice the antique lantern above the door.
And look at the door! I better not get started on doors. 👀



It always pleases me to see an old house left unscathed by modern fancies. 

Another beauty.

This one is for sale. I'm counting my pennies.

A hitching post perhaps?  When I went to school, I walked by it every  day.

An outside basement cellar door. Not many left now. Notice it is not locked. The house wasn't usually accessible through these cellars.



Ancient trees that have been there for probably much more than a century uprooted by hurricane Dorian. The clean up was still in progress. Thankfully, no one was hurt.



This beauty is in Lunenburg, N.S.

Nova Scotia's Ambassador The Bluenose II in Lunenburg harbour. The original Bluenose was built in 1921.  
The name Bluenoser is nickname for Nova Scotians. When I was a child I was told that, long ago, (18th century) fishermen wore blue knitted mitts and they would sometimes, while fishing from their dories, swipe their misty noses with their blue mitts. Of course the dye ended up on their noses. Hence Bluenoser. 

Black Rocks, N.S.


Rock weed, or sea weed. What a gorgeous colour!

My lovely niece, Marci.


I thought I might stay and sell seashells by the seashore, but, alas, it was not to be.


Linking with Wandering Camera

'Til Next time...
 
Cultivate Your Dreams!