Mini-Escape....

Some days are more beautiful than others.....

I decided that Sunday would be my summer vacation!  Ive been working really hard for months and really needed a break. I'm lucky to have a friend who lives in a beautiful place.

 The sun and sky co-operated to create a perfect setting...I need more of this in my life.

We went out in a paddle boat and saw seals,sailboats and spectacular cloudscapes

It was a perfect little escape....

Sometimes a day in an idyllic setting can seem like a week.

 Now it is back to work!

Thank-you Prospect, Nova Scotia

Lawrencetown Studio Day!

Yesterday, February 29, I took advantage of the warmth of the day and scooted out to my pal Daina's house in Lawrencetown for some painting and chin wagging.
She has a lovely bright studio next to her house (my dream) and we spent a great morning immersed in colour and chat! And yes, we actually got some work done:)

Daina works in oils primarily and I work with acrylics. They dry fast and clean up easily with water. Easy peasy.
While waiting for the paint to dry on my larger piece, I would work on a smaller one and switch between them.
We took a break for lunch. PB and banana sandwiches and cappuccino ! Tried to sit outside but it wasn't quite warm enough. Ha after all it WAS Feb 29 but what an amazing day!

She lives 2 minutes from the beach.

We took advantage of the mild weather and headed out for a post lunch walk on Conrad Beach.
It was windy and salty and wild and wonderful!

 Signs of life:)
Love the colours in mussel shells!!
It is about a half hour drive from Halifax, just before Lawrencetown beach. A tiny sign that says Conrad Road is all the warning you get:) You walk along a boardwalk to get to it. (note: It is under re-construction at the moment)

 “Hark, now hear the sailors cry,
smell the sea, and feel the sky
let your soul & spirit fly, into the mystic...”

 -Van Morrison

 Back to the car we headed, tired and energized. Physically weary but emotionally high!

 I had a wonderful creative and soul filling day, thanks Daina! xo

Fairy Tale called The Shed

Once upon a time and still upon a time, in a place by the sea called Nova Scotia, there lives a beautiful young woman named Kate.

Her house is bright yellow .

Full of dreams...

One day, a special dream came true......and the Shed was born. (with a bit of hard work and some splinters)

A creative place full of light, laughter and magic. Perched on the edge of a sparkling creek. People from far and wide come to learn from Kate.

and learn from each other                                                                                               (KateInglisphoto)

Conversations flow easily, sometimes fortunes get told

 Soon cameras are everywhere

 Exploring the possibilities....

Food and wine appear, just when needed...

Nearby towns become part of the learning..

Portraits are captured

Again

and again

Then with cameras full, some intrepid students pose for one more..

Meanwhile, back at the Shed something wonderful awaits...

Another sumptuous feast and then music.....under the stars, with a dancing inch worm, crackling fire, quilts, tired happy new friends and old ones enjoy the magic that is The Shed.

All this because a woman named Kate weaves magic.                                               (AidanMorgan:photo)

The shed is still there, sitting quietly in the woods waiting for the next adventure

Prospect, Nova Scotia

Last month I had a great day in Prospect, a small village about a 30 minute drive from Halifax. I was invited to a barbecue at a friend's house. As so often happens in Nova Scotia, when we arrived it was a bit foggy.

But just a fog bank that would soon disappear.

What a gorgeous place. Prospect is still an active fishing village.

Quiet and lovely. We had a little bonfire that crackled into the evening, and happily we cooked marshmallows and made s'mores.

This is the view from her living room. Say what?

The house belong to her grandmother and is over one hundred years old. View from the bathroom upstairs!!

There was food, lots of food! BBq ribs, Asian coleslaw, Mexican salad, hummus, chips, macaroni salad, so... much... food!

Good company! 

This is a silly picture. I was fooling around and told everyone to look stern or uninterested. Haha one person did not get the message:)

Baby's Sawyer's first party:)

Hanging out on the Government wharf. Almost every small seaside village has one of these.

The sky was lovely

The air so fresh..............

And then it got even more beautiful. There were fireworks and laughs.It was a great evening.