Almost March.....

 Almost March..... thank goodness! I've been deep in the depths of "elder care"and then once the storm settled.....I got sick!  Really sick. Sick enough that it scared me. I think I was so worried, stressed and tired with all of it and at the same time trying to run a business that relies solely on my creativity and ability to pull rabbits out of hats.... I just crashed. My immune system was depleted and I had nothing left  BUT Spring is on it's way and I am building up my reserves again and the word for the year is "Self" care. I don't want that to ever happen again. It is important to stay strong and vital and grounded. So lots of personal interventions going on in my little world. Meditation is one of them....letting things go.Slowing down. Being present...and all the other stuff :) good eats, rest, exercise etc... we know what to do....it is just a matter of doing it!  Getting out of our own way.

 Today it is snowing and cold. Perfect day to get a blog post done and all the administrative housekeeping that goes with self employment. I have a list as long as Hadrian's Wall of things that need doing and investigating and pursuing  (always...). I'm also about to start reading "The 1 Page Marketing Plan" by Allan Dib. Part of my goal to read a lot of books about business marketing, creativity, spirituality and philosophy this year. It is so easy to spend time reading bits and pieces on the internet and never really getting to sink one's teeth into real concepts and philosophies. I used to read "books" all the time and have fallen out of it.Time to reclaim MY time and not give so much to the interweb. Although it's hard when one's business relies heavily on social media and online connection.

I have started painting again...here are a couple. Dreaming Fox (sold)

 

Odette ( sold)

 

Bits and Pieces

Now that I have your attention!
Ha so good and soo bad... this was taken at the Chickenburger in Bedford. An institution that's been going strong  since 1940! I love onion rings but try my best to stay away:)

Next up is this!  A Show of COSTUME in Honor of His Royal Highness Prince Arthur, The Military Ball of 1869. Tickets available HERE It is my daughter's graduating class event! She chose to create a gown for Fanny Westphal McNab, who married Sydenham Howe (Joe Howe's son). They had to research the person, write a paper and create an historically accurate outfit from undergarments outer garments using historically accurate materials. She had to make the patterns too! They each model the gowns they created and......with their partners they will dance a Viennese Waltz for us! Exciting!

These two paintings of mine are available at Made in the Maritimes Artisan Boutique  in Bedford. I will be switching them out soon so if you are interested, pop out and see the shop, it is full of gorgeous things! (in Sunnyside Mall)

I've been reading a lot about happiness and focus lately. Alan Watts argued that the root of our human frustration and daily anxiety is our tendency to live for the future, which is an abstraction.To be truly happy,we have to live here and now because that is all that exists. We all know this, don't we. He writes:

The “primary consciousness,” the basic mind which knows reality rather than ideas about it, does not know the future. It lives completely in the present, and perceives nothing more than what is at this moment. The ingenious brain, however, looks at that part of present experience called memory, and by studying it is able to make predictions. These predictions are, relatively, so accurate and reliable (e.g., “everyone will die”) that the future assumes a high degree of reality — so high that the present loses its value.

But the future is still not here, and cannot become a part of experienced reality until it is present. Since what we know of the future is made up of purely abstract and logical elements — inferences, guesses, deductions — it cannot be eaten, felt, smelled, seen, heard, or otherwise enjoyed. To pursue it is to pursue a constantly retreating phantom, and the faster you chase it, the faster it runs ahead. This is why all the affairs of civilization are rushed, why hardly anyone enjoys what he has, and is forever seeking more and more. Happiness, then, will consist, not of solid and substantial realities, but of such abstract and superficial things as promises, hopes, and assurances.

The real reason why human life can be so utterly exasperating and frustrating is not because there are facts called death, pain, fear, or hunger. The madness of the thing is that when such facts are present, we circle, buzz, writhe, and whirl, trying to get the “I” (ourselves) out of the experience. We pretend that we are amoebas, and try to protect ourselves from life by splitting in two. Sanity, wholeness, and integration lie in the realization that we are not divided, that man and his present experience are one, and that no separate “I” or mind can be found.
To understand music, you must listen to it. But so long as you are thinking, “I am listening to this music,” you are not listening.

The photos are all taken by me unless otherwise credited....

Always a challenge...

One difficulty with being a self representing artist is that it is hard to get your work seen. I have had this 36 x36 abstract in my studio for quite a while now and although it is for sale, I am becoming quite attached to it and will now have trouble letting it go.:) 

The art business as with many others is all about numbers. The more people that see something or become aware of it, the greater the potential for an exchange. Win win. Painting is a very solitary occupation and I spend countless hours alone and yet it is getting that work in front of many people that will increase the odds of it bring pleasure to someone. From one to the many:) Tucked away in my studio, these masterpieces (ha) don`t get much exposure. I am working on a website that I hope will help achieve this.

If you have any advice I`m always open to listening....

 

Modern, Folkart, Impressionistic, Surrealist, Fauvist, Illustrative....

I'm always at a loss when someone says what kind of art do you do? What style of painting is it? I really have no idea what to say. I have a few different styles I like to paint in and sometimes they get combined without any real intention to do so. I paint what pleases me and I hope it pleases others. So much depends on my mood. My style is my own:)

Because of the colour and simple themes, people often think folk art. I applied to the Lunenburg Folk Art Festival once and was told, "No, sorry your work is not folk art, we cannot accept it" Ha.So there you have it. Who knows.....

I love colour and strong graphic composition. Most of what I do is off the cuff with no pre-planning. I've only used a reference photo once and that was of the small harbour at Peggy's Cove. Something maybe I should try more of... I do love painting large dramatic skies and landscapes,with the sky dominating. Paintings that take your imagination and thoughts elsewhere:)

So.... what am I painting today? A small girl reading a book with cat cozy by her side and a window with a view.....

Have a creative day xo

Did you miss me?

I missed you! I've had a busy summer and it has been hot and humid and I have really not been keeping up with all that I used to. Blogging is one of those things. I think this is the longest I have gone without writing since I began!

Last week I was at a terrific get together at this little green house by the sea. We ate delicious food, drank wine and danced outside in the fog until the wee hours! It was wonderful.

Later in the week I also met up with a friend for lunch at the Foggy Goggle.

 This is a great pub/restaurant on Argyle Street. Good food and always some Vegan selections:) I had a quinoa burger with peanut sauce. mmmm.

Check out the menu. Haha, love the description of the Goggle Burger

Like I said, it has been really hot and humid here. I cannot remember ever having a summer as warm and sunny as this one. Not complaining....winter is out there waiting. Sitting out on the patio with cool drinks was heaven. Ahhhh.

I also have been working on my season girls. This is WINTER

 and here is SPRING. They are 16 x 20 with 1" sides and available for purchase. Drop me an email if interested:) I am currently working on Autumn!