Bright Side

Hi everyone,

Starting out on the bright side today with a pic of flowers. Love the colours--so uplifting.

Just now we have a few feet of snow with more storms on the way, so I haven't been out and about to my usual haunts to take photos for a while.  We are, however, really enjoying  longer days. 

 

                                Green tea in the mug. The wood cut is by Elizabeth Harbour.

                                  Love is in the air too.  Happy Valentine's Day to everyone!

                                                                          * * *

                                      

                                                   Soft pastel on Clairfontaine Pastel Mat paper

Above a large sheet of Pastel mat paper that I've been putting off cutting to specific sizes.

Since I have precision challenges, I called on Chat GBT and ask the best and most efficient way to cut the sheet into 5 x 7 inch pieces. What a wonder. Spit out the info in a few seconds. Too bad the program couldn't cut paper as well. :) 

Great to have sized paper on hand. Now I can easily grab a piece of paper and paint a small painting.                                              

                                                     

                           

 

Tried out Canson XL cold press, sketchbook paper. I think it is wood pulp paper. Not as good as cotton rag but not bad.  Still working on the pears. Will see what happens when I erase the outline and then paint some shadows under the pears. 

Plan to paint the pears using soft pastels as well.

At the end of the month, I will be closing my Etsy shop.  It's difficult to get seen there, and the fees have gone up again. 

 

 

Another drawing. 

 

Linking to Nicole's Friday Face Off link party among others.

                                          

'Til next time... 

                                                 Happy Valentine's Day!

                             Linking to other Link Parties via my link party page.

                                                   Thanks to all for hosting!

      

                                                    Cultivate Your Dreams                                                                                                        

And the Days Go By

                                                                      First Light
 Hi everyone,

This makes three sunrises I've seen this summer. The show starts a bit early for me. Just now the sun peeks its head over the horizon at 5:36 a.m. 

                                                                           Sunset

 We've had extreme heat waves this summer. Unbelievable really.  

 Now when the temperature drops to 24 C or 75.2 F it seems cool. On the hot days, I usually stay in, but yearn to get out there to enjoy the summer breeze. The good news: temps often drop after sundown, so it’s a perfect time for a walk. 

Unfortunately, forest fires are raging again this year. Among others, there was an evacuation order for a town I used to live in. 7000 people were evacuated from Labrador City to Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Nfld. The route took them over the worst unpaved “highway” I've ever encountered. And I have covered a lot of unpaved territory, including the shale cover of the Dempster Highway. But my drive to Goose Bay was a long time ago, so perhaps things have improved. I certainly hope so.

Because of the wonderful firefighters and the gift of rain, the evacuation order was lifted on Monday. 

People are returning to there homes which have, thankfully, been saved. Wonderful!

                                                                   

                                                            Can't resist the peonies.

                                    

Green tea

                                              Linking, among others, to T stands for Tuesday

 

* * * 

Easel and the drawing board items...

                         

                                              Trying out acrylic paint on a linen panel. (In progress)

Debating whether to add a small Goldfinch to the left side. I also want to make the foreground darker to incorporate a range of values. Maybe mix the light green paint with black which I do not have to make a deep green? I am used to mixing watercolour and acrylic is very different. Of course, I may just buy some green paint and call it a day. Sounds like a plan. 

  

 Speaking of Goldfinches, they are a joy to watch. Here in late August, they feast on thistle seeds. They are experts at fishing the golden seeds out of the fluffy interior of the thistles.

The fluff floats on the breeze and when I turn a corner and happen upon a finch or two, they will sometimes ignore me and carry on. 

 

                  Another drawing from Sargent's Portrait Drawing book.  Didn't quite get the tilt of the head correct etc. Fun to try these master copies though.

Tip: the distance between the eyes, should be the same as the width of an eye.

                                                             Pastels on Pastelmat paper. 

                                                     

                              I'll be travelling here and there soon, and will be back in the fall.

                              So have fun and be well.

                                             'Till next time...

                                                                  Cultivate Your Dreams 

                                 Linking to Link Parties via my link party page. 

                                                  Thanks to all for hosting!

Yellow Mitts, a Sketch, and a New Project

July 19, 2016

You may remember these mitts from a previous post. I had put these mitts away with only a thumb left to finish. Being mostly a blue colour fancier, they are the only yellow item of clothing I own.  I think they will look nice this fall with my brown coat. But I am not rushing the seasons. Originally these  Rosetta Mitts were knit, by me, in red. Since I love beautiful old stitch patterns, I felt compelled to bring these ones back to life.  If you haven't picked up a copy of my pattern yet, you can find the free pattern here.

From the Sketchbook...

 Unfortunately, my new sketchbook doesn't take water colour very well. I am still searching for an 
8 x 8 inch sketchbook since I prefer that size and one that can take a bit of water colour and ink. In the meantime, and although it goes against my grain, I've sent for a larger one that may work.

Who is she? Since I never met my paternal grandmother, Chrissie, and there only seems to be one extant picture of her in poor condition, I've sketched this in young Chrissie's honour.  
Although I was small when the road that we lived on was widened, I remember feeling my father's sorrow because his mother's flower garden had to go. I know that she loved flowers. 

On the needles...

A small lace scarf I started sometime ago. I know...it's not blue either.  It's difficult for me to knit with other colours because I really do want to knit everything in blue!  
It's another old stitch pattern and so easy to remember. It's called the Lava Lace Scarf.  Evelyn Clark is the designer. It's also a free pattern which you can find here.

Arrival...

The Making Magazine arrived today. I first saw it on Instagram, so I ordered a copy. As you can see, I am about to sit down with my tea and read it. I skimmed the pages and it looks wonderful! I am in no way affiliated with it, but thought I'd share because it's new and you may not have heard about it.  Here's the link.

'Til next time...Have a wonderful week...

Sea Change

Before I added the sea wash and the finishing touches.

I thought I'd paint something based a wishful childhood memory.  And since I grew up by the sea, it's no surprise that it's sea related.  As a child, I spent many idyllic summer days skimming across the harbour in boats while listening to the seagulls scream; I watched otters, birds, schools of fish, and sometimes we stopped on one of the islands for a picnic. There I  searched the shore for treasures: bits of sea glass, drift wood, shells and occasionally in the tide pools I'd find a live treasure to chase and watch for awhile.

Secretly, I always hoped I'd find a seahorse, but, unfortunately, I was on the North Atlantic--a little too far from the tropics.  However,  I've heard that Ripley's new aquarium in Toronto houses such wonders. Obviously it's time for a sea change!

Thanks for reading.

Enjoy...

Worth the Wait

After searching and not finding a recipe I liked, I almost forgot about making these delectable treats. Recently, I searched again and found a recipe that I thought would work.  So I dug out the new pan that I've been hanging onto since August and flung some flour about (I'm not kidding I painted the floor with it) and voila!  Luckily, and somewhat expansively, (let out the pants) these sweet cakes turned out even better than I hoped.

The added bonus: you can whip up the batter and refrigerate it for up to three days. Because Madelines are always best fresh, I baked the the batter I made over a two days.

Madelines ~ O, so tasty!

Hey, they are small. ☺                                                                        A bloom to brighten the day! Enjoy....