For millenia, ravens have enjoyed a reputation among many peoples, as a powerful totem. They symbolize change, internal growth, introspection and various warnings. My favourite though is the belief that they bring light to us, the people of the world. Coincidentally, I saw a raven on Christmas Day, which inspired this raven who brings that gift in the form of an angel. May Raven’s gift of Light bless you all this Christmas Season.
Category Archives: Christmas
Reindeer Wannabe
This guy thinks it’s ridiculous that there are no job opportunities for horses such as himself on that North Pole run. Not being someone who takes injustices lying down, he’s disguised himself and is going to slip in there and see if anyone notices. ( Look at the sly look in his eye.) So check it out in a day or two…see if you can see any outsized and oddly spotted reindeer in Santa’s line-up.
Pigs Love Christmas Too
The reason that this little oinker is so on board with the Christmas thing (to the point of helping out with the decorating!) is, of course, that she knows she’s unlikely to be on the menu. Her least favourite holiday is probably Easter, which we won’t mention right now, OK. Let her enjoy her Christmas.
Cocka-jingle-DOOO
OK, here’s another on this theme of farm animals as Christmas ambassadors. My favourite part of Christmas is the few days just before…the anticipation and preparations, the baking, wrapping, decorating, organizing of bedrooms and juggling of schedules. I hope all of you have time and space in your life to enjoy these special days, remembering that every day is a treasure.
Jingle Bull
Today I had too much fun with this. I can’t imagine a better job! The dicipline of daily painting is interesting; I paint things that I never would in a larger format. They’re so much FUN though, that it’s hugely added to the enjoyment, and I think has opened up a lot of venues of expression. I find myself asking myself “what if” a lot more than I ordinarily would. Like today…what if I painted a pretty rodeo bull all decked out for Christmas. What IF!!
5 X 7″ on 200lb paper
Gaggle of Christmas Geese
Here’s another offering of Christmas cheer for everyone who drops by my blog. I’m not sure why all the Christmas imagery this year, but I’ll have no shortage of material for Christmas cards. Look out Hallmark!
When I visited Polly today and walked the prairie, I flushed a covey of Hungarian Partridge…but since there’s not a pear tree in sight I guess we’ll have to make do with these silly geese!
Christmas Bunny
Echodale Christmas
This blog has introduced you before to our gem of a Regional Park here at Medicine Hat, “Echodale”. It is a restored farm with all kinds of recreational advantages for us all. Summer time is great there with the poultry and animals in residence, the garden growing and the cooks in the kitchen baking bread in the old wood stove. But winter is fun too, with hay rides and wiener roasts. Here it is, the beautiful old log house garlanded up for Christmas.
Doing these latest paintings is gradually getting me in the mood for the Season, and today I had some really great young friends drop by with their various beautiful kids in tow. Now that REALLY made my day! Hope your Christmas joy meter is ticking up a notch or 2 every day as well, remembering that it really is all about relationships.
Starry Night Bison
These days it’s so dark, and when it’s clear enough there are so many stars, which we we cling to for comfort. For me, the season conjures totemic images surrounded by darkness and light. Today’s painting came with more struggle than usual. Nothing seemed quite right to me till this bison came to mind. A sacred animal of First Nations People, he symbolizes abundance, and yet we see how vulnerable he was to our arrival on this continent. Let us be ever mindful of our power to eradicate even such great power and abundance.
Today’s painting is #600 in my daily painting enterprise, which began on Jan 1, 2010. It feels like quite a landmark, and that’s one reason I wanted to have a more symbolic painting than usual today. I did miss a few days over the 2 years, and sometimes I posted photography, sometimes larger works I was creating, but mostly I managed to do a painting-a-day! 600 paintings and 50,000 hits on my blog really feels like an amazing feat. I truly thank all of you who have come along with me, and I hope you’ll continue to do so. Who knows where this is going?
SOLD
Mrs. Snowman
So I blogged about my sister Kath and her talent with children’s toys and literature. Well I have 2 talented sisters. Laur showed up yesterday with this fabulous pottery snowman/candle holder she made. As a relative newbie in the pottery arts, I think she’s really got somethin’ going here! Her hand built tiles and sculptures…this one for example, are so quirky and fun. I know that this item here is the latest in my collection of artsy treasures. Oh and the apple pies she brought were pretty darn awesome as well.
If you’d like to own this original watercolour, email Gena with your bid today! gena03@telusplanet.net Minimum bid $100 (plus gst and shipping). First bid, or highest bid wins the painting.