We had a snow day here today so my daily routine went out the window. I did however enjoy a really great coffee with Tammy Hext and started a killer snow fort with my kids. I decided to post this winter painting I did a few years ago in honour of the beautiful snow we're having today!
Okay - this is a weird little thing. I did this painting and when it was complete, I just didn't like it. I took a cloth dunked in solvent and began to wipe. Well, this image remained after the first few rubs. I stared at it and thought it was kind of interesting. I don't know whether to call it a WIP (work in progress) or RIP : )
Kind of looks like spring rolls going bobsledding. These were delicious!! Succulent shrimp, crispy vegetables, soft avocado...yum : ) 
...and not with joy! Argh! I had this painting blocked in and about 1/3 done when the vase tipped over, sending the flowers spilling out all over the table. Getting them back into position was not going to happen >: ( I thought perhaps I could wing it from there and carried on, but I should have just wiped it down and started over. I guess this is when it would be beneficial to have a few extra paintings done so I could have subbed one in. What do my fellow bloggers do in a case like this? Post or skip a day? On a more positive note, watching Virtue and Moir skate to gold was amazing!
We were eating some of these on the weekend and then I wanted to do a sushi series. They're all like little abstract gems! Fun to paint. 
Two of my favourite people are hiking down the Grand Canyon this week. What an adventure! To celebrate their journey, I am posting a painting I did last year when I had the good fortune of visiting Arizona. I had the BEST time. Our trip included a day in breathtaking Sedona. Truly, I wanted to just hole up there and paint for a solid week. I only had a couple of hours. I found out I am in love with painting the red rocks the town is so famous for.
I've been awarded the Sunshine Blogger award from French artist, Sylviane. Thank you! I encourage others to check out her blog (my favourite painting is Camille : ). I had the pleasure of receiving this award just recently, where I posted the blogs of some of the artists I quite admire. I'll take this opportunity to just say how much I've been enjoying everyone's work and how inspiring it is to check the blogs every morning and see such a feast for the eyes.
Hadn't painted grapes in a long time. Liked all that dark with the lush reds. 
Two finding a quiet corner of the room... loving their stolen moment, preferring each other's company to the rest of the party's. This goes out to - ah...he knows who he is : )
Wish I was painting them from a place of their origin rather than my studio on a snowy afternoon ; ) We bought this coconut on New Years Eve but didn't split it open till last night. I'm going to try grating it and using it for baking - never done that before. Wonder if I'll taste a difference? 
I was playing around with stacking different dishes in my studio, and settled on this arrangement. Some different shapes, calm and harmonious colours. I broke the rule and cut the composition in half - I just thought it looked better that way today!
I love romance and all that is good and lovely in the world, but I commiserate with those who find Valentine's Day depressing and manufactured. Sometimes you want a little tart to the sweet, you know? 
It's a Royal Gala apple. Just trying to get catchy with my titles ; ) I enjoyed painting this one. The apple gave me a bit of a struggle - I've always found the apples that are a mix of green and red streaks tricky to paint but this time I got closer to the look without the apple looking too fragmented. 
More flowers today. I set up a complimentary colour scheme for this one - liked the snap.
Another scene from the hiking trail. This section of rock is just to the left from yesterdays piece. The snow is on it's way tonight!
I have received the Sunshine Blogger award from Mary Anne Cary. Thank you Mary Anne! A nice surprise : ) Mary Anne's work is fresh and beautiful. 
This is a scene from a hiking trail near my place. The sun had cast a beautiful glow on the rocks, and there - perched high above - sat one lovely tree.
Since February is Black History month I thought I'd post this piece I created last year called Safe House. I had heard a story that quilts were hung to direct slaves to freedom and decided to read up on it. I found a book called Hidden in Plain View: A Secret Story of Quilts and the Underground Railroad by J.L. Tobin and R.G. Dobard. I found it fascinating. Among the various stories was one that compelled me to create this work. Apparently traditional "log cabin" designs had interior squares of red to symbolize the hearth fire. The people that were part of the Underground Railroad made log cabin quilts with black centers and hung them over fences and on laundry lines. When slaves (who were escaping) saw this pattern, they knew it was a safe house. Thus, the messages were "hidden in plain view". After reading up on this a bit more, I found out that historians are divided on the veracity of these quilts. It's one of those things that makes a lot of sense to me though and I choose to believe it.
Just finished this ( I think I've finished it) so I haven't come up with a title yet. I began this piece in fall and put it aside, not sure which direction to go with it. The "bones" were there, but I still had more to do. It was painted in an old cedar grove that feels quite magical. The ground is like sponge, the scent woodsy and green and once inside you're cushioned from ambient noise. Serenity. These four twisted, beautiful trunks rose from the ground and made me think of a group of old friends or siblings.
Okay - I won't say what type coffee is filling this cup! LOL
If it was a proper salute the coffee would be in the brown paper cup : ) Which reminds me...does anyone prefer coffee from the golden arches over Timmy's? Believe me - I am no great fan of that chain - but I have to call it as I taste it. I think their coffee is far superior! I know - it's almost sacrilegious to say so, but hey - that's my experience. If you don't understand the controversy, well...it's a Canadian thing ; )
A bunch of daisies in my silver pot. I like the strong contrast of the white petals against the dark back drop.
Another stab at the espresso cup. It will need a few more tries till I'm happy with it, I think. A little frustrated today. I am beginning to miss plein air painting. It used to be about all I did but I have wimped out this winter. Actually, throughout this blog I have mostly been doing studio painting (and have learned a lot) but I am looking forward to slightly warmer weather, when I will go out and paint the landscape. 
Ahhh, a little cup of espresso to start off February. I got this cup last week because I just fell in love with the colour - a real old-fashioned milky blue. Funny, I don't even drink espresso. I'm more of a cappuccino girl : )
