not only

was the sun shining
but there were other visitors
as well

love never fails

do I actually ever

complete any of the works in progress? I frequently ask myself. And you may wonder also.

I have high hopes for these turquoise pieces. Actually one is for an exchange so I must complete it. Very soon. But not today or tomorrow. I have a little gathering I plan to attend tomorrow. There will be other artists, perhaps only a few. There will be a chance to visit, a chance to share experiences and creations. There might be an opportunity for showing some of the art to customers and EVEN selling some of it. Unfortunately our weather has been, ummmm, to put it nicely, disgusting. Road and travel conditions have not been good. And so the turnout at the first annual Prairie Earth Crafters Artisan Marlet may not be spectacular. Does not matter to me. I am looking forward to the opportunity to get out. I am pleased to have a chance to visit with like minded people. That does not happen very often in my real life.

These pieces go back to the turquoise theme which I have been toying with the last couple of posts. They are some very tiny canvases which I thought I might complete for tomorrow. Not sure if I still have time to finish them.

The next is an older piece in the same colour theme together with a cd I am altering.

This is the piece I must complete soon for the exchange.

In my last post I mentioned needing practice with painting faces. Drawing and using pencils and charcoal pencil is more familiar to me. I'm thinking these faces are not so bad for some of my early attempts. Of course they are not complete yet either. This one is not quite turquoise but another older one that was very handy. That nasty habit I have, of almost always putting out too much paint, prompted me to work on it as well.


I will be adding many new items to my shop next week. Hoping you will take an opportunity to check back then.
Angels be with you dear friends.

as the dance continues to gravitate

towards turquoise

with the above piece in its background
and about 30 smaller pieces
I worked with at the same time

"seek peace"
was a challenge to playing more with paint
even a very inexpensive children's paint set
playing more with body poses
as opposed to just faces
and a remembrance of how much I love to use stamps
and inks

"seek peace" my friend

turquoise dancing with

other shades of blue

 
and pinks
and even red

something about
this time of year


spring has just
arrived
but in my part of the world
I see snow
and wind
and bigger wind
and more grey
skies
and thoughts
and more grey
and white
too bright
of snow
more grey
within my mind
would be so easy
yes so easy
to withdraw
within


instead
I choose turquoise
and creativity
and bright shades of pink
 
and copper wire
all
to warm
to remind
that spring
is just around the bend
at least
in my heart
and I rejoice
in the friendship
of art
of creativity
my own strength
my own courage
my own
hope

shades of green

I do not often take time to think on the colour green. Yet green, well, green almost seems to reside in me, to be a part of me. I love, love, love nature and especially its multitude of greens. The recycling green seems also to be a part of me. Recycling comes naturally as an everyday part of life. I almost think more about it if I choose for some strange reason to not recycle.

For today, I have chosen to share just a few of my most favourite brighter greens which reside in our home, some of them quite newly acquired. Certainly my constant companion, Missy Hope, did not want to miss any of the excitement. Even though her eyes are most certainly blue, they do seem to have taken on a turquoise hue for the special occasion.

striding through March

I have been trying
to stride through March
with all of its changes
all of its roaring
few of its calm "bleating" 
moments

in some moments
I
have been trying to organize
my creations
and sharing
of them

in other moments
I
have been looking for colour
and joy


hoping your own striding
through March
brings much colour 
and joy
and certainly
many angels

time for

a happy dance

 as the numbers align

and each new tiny step is taken

as I feel more free

to experiment and play

and the freedom to share

as the new day dawns
I feel gratitude within
as the gift of creativity
burbles up
through my spirit
the gift of art
leads me on a path
of further
discovery





Over the past few weeks I have been busy preparing for a local "Women's Day" show and sale. Because the focus was on fashion, personal care, fitness and health, much of my art was not really appropriate. So I was focusing on making jewellery. I had hoped to do some painting of canvas bags also but ran out of time. I only started doing a wash on the inside of a bag on the very day before the show.

There were things I was made aware of through the preparation time as well as things of which I was strongly reminded. 
1. I am very good at planning and starting projects. Finishing them is an almost impossibility for me. Thank goodness my dear husband is so dear to have helped me with every single one of the closures. My hands are not very good with jump rings and tiny pieces. Snaps would be very tricky for me also. YAY! Greg.
2. Doing the same thing over and over is extremely boring for me. Cutting and gluing papers to insulin vials - hmmmm - any volunteers to assist with these chores would be greatly appreciated.
3. Comical talk show hosts can be extremely helpful in uplifting my mood in a winter that has been very harsh. The ongoing snow, wind chills and extreme cold have been brutal. There been a few sudden heat waves which every time have resulted in freezing rain or blowing snow across road ways. When one lives in a very rural province and many activities require travelling, icy and snow blown roads put cancellations high at the list of very frustrating. Yes, it has been a very harsh winter all in all. And so I have been grateful to Ellen and STEVEN and CHRIS for bringing to me joy and laughter over the past few days, weeks, when I tired of listening to HGTV momentarily.
4. When I am uptight and very tense, it truly helps to try to sing. Sometimes I sing familiar tunes. Sometimes I make up my own words. 
5. I must never forget how much I love to create and how much art saves me. Seemingly, I had not painted for weeks. On Saturday morning, day before the show, when I chose to splash a teal wash onto the inside of a bag, well, I felt enthused and energetic once again. On Monday, the day after the show, I did up the three art journal pages above. The backgrounds were completed and I had only to use a black pen and then fill in some extra colours with watercolour pencils. Immediately soothing. 

as the new day dawns
I feel gratitude within

out and about

being out and about in my own community



I was fortunate this past Sunday to have the opportunity to venture into my own community, locally, and display some of my art and share tiny pieces of what I do with people who had absolutely no idea. And they are my neighbours. Many folks recognized me, as I recognized them, from decades ago when I used to be a Public Health Nurse, aerobics teacher, and Nursing Coordinator with Home Care. Some of them were students in my prenatal classes. Sunday was fun. I actually sold just a few pieces of jewellery and I found a new young fan who was so pleased to win a signed copy of my "Autumn Richness" book in a dutch raffle. And the local photographer/reporter was there. She picked up my card. I have a feeling she will be getting to know me much more in the near future as I attempt to become better known in my own neighbourhood.







The pictures are from my display at Diva Kinnection. I also have numerous further possibilities for sales of these items. Some of this jewellery, and numerous of my other creations, will be slowly introduced to my etsy shop as well. So grateful am I to be able to share my art with you.

Angels be with you dear friends.