Tag Archives: original watercolour

A New Day

A new yearA New Day is quite a big deal, really.  We stand back to have a look at what we’ve managed to pull off over the past year, and what we need to clean up or improve on.  Coming out of the festive season of over indulgences, we are doubly motivated to have a fresh start!

But our year still needs to be lived one day at a time,  with a eye to living in the here and now.  This involves leaving the past behind and avoiding living in terror over what might or might not happen next week…or tomorrow even. It means doing the next best thing and being in that moment, giving it everything we’ve got.     So!      a toast to this very first day of 2013.  Lets just deal with that for now.

 

Winter’s Palette

Winter has settled in here, though it’s warmed up considerably today, after a week of frigid Winter's Palette-20’s.  I visited Polly today and this is our beautiful S. Saskatchewan River valley blanketed in snow.  The river cliffs here have bands of brilliant vermillion (thus the name of the town of Redcliff) and when that contrasts with the cool blue shadows we get in late afternoon, the effect can be stunning.

Cocka-jingle-DOOO

Cocka-jingle-DOOOOOK, 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.

 

Spirit Ponies Descending

Today you get a new large painting I’ve been working on.  Although it’s a continuation on the Spirit Pony theme, it differs Spirit Ponies Descendingin that  it’s entirely out of my head…no photo references at all. I loosely sketched the horses in pencil, and once I had them roughed in, drew them more completely in charcoal.  The painting part was fun, with multiple layers of colour and scribbling back into it with charcoal and gold metallic pen.

27 X 12″ on 300lb Fabriano Paper

Star of the West

Today’s painting was another one born by struggle.  None of the usual subject mStar of the Westatter seemed to hit the spot today, and it’s an odd little dance I do while trying to birth an idea that seems in sync with the season and how I’m feeling about it.  Somehow painting petunias just doesn’t cut it these days!
Eventually, this one came about….2 wise guys and a star.

Echodale Christmas

Echodale ChristmasThis 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.