receding snow


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Dreaming of growth and renewal

Here in the Northeast, we are shedding slush, sand, and salt knowing that beautiful things will emerge.

Fresh back from a family vacation in Tobago, my daughter Lena and I discussed the pros and cons of living in an area of the world where the climate stays pretty much the same vs our four seasons.

For me, despite the hassle of snow, the changing seasons inadvertently provides a time to evaluate what I'm working on, and gets me excited about next steps, next seasons, and renewal. It reminds me that life is ever changing and I better get my butt up and in motion if I'm going to capture and create something inspiring.  

I continually pay attention to and capture what's in front of me, from the mundane to the beautiful, and turn that into art print collections. I think of them as "my stories". Here are some things I've captured and the resulting prints:

from the Gerbera Daisy Collection: grasses, gerbera, final print

 

from the Butterflies Ascending Collection: grasses, carpet design watercolor, final print

 

What are the "stories" you love and are part of your life?  Can they be translated into artwork? (If you doubt that, please read about the By the Numbers project)

What grows and evolves can surprise us. Whether it be experiences or vegetation, growth occurs. What inspires you as winter recedes and green appears? Pay attention to that.

 
 


I'm on a quest to put my work out there to the world, and if you'd like to help, please forward this post onto a friend. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

reflecting on beer, love and creativity


What are you THANKFUL for?

When you are a Canadian living in the US with a husband and children, you get to celebrate Thanksgiving twice. I love having two turkey dinners, and I love recognizing the things we're thankful for and saying them out loud.

In this season of Thanksgiving, what do you feel blessed to have in your life?  

Some of the things that made it onto our big page of gratitude - hung on the wall and written on through the day, not in any order - included: healthy parents, a husband who helps out with everything, beer, the goodness in people, laughter, chocolate, time, love.

I also wrote "creativity" on that paper.  I cherish it like I cherish my children and relationships.  For many years as I focused on raising a family, I barely did any artwork.  I'm so grateful to be using these inherent skills again and to have my life back in balance.

The article above is something that I came across from my past (should I write 1987 out loud?), working as an artist in southern Ontario.  I was thankful for the media coverage at the time, and while I don't paint on fabric now and the designs have evolved, seeing this made me realize how far I have come and how far I have yet to go.

Thanks for coming along.

What you are grateful for is what matters most.

with gratitude,