Seeing The World Through My Art

Daily Sketches, watercolour pencils

Blog 9



I started my daily art strongly with a visit to the Ottawa Little Theatre on September 1 to see The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. You can find a good summary of the book on Wikipedia.

A grey wall was the backdrop for the play and didn’t offer anything interesting to draw. However, the simple setup came alive when images were projected onto the wall to suggest the different locations. It was fascinating but not inspiring to draw. Most scenes were also too dark to spread enough light to my sketchbook.

Drawing in the dark at the Ottawa Little Theatre

 

Three days later, I received an unexpected and unwilling opportunity to draw when our dog got probably bitten by a coyote and needed stitches. We waited eight hours until 5 AM  to take him home with us again. My pencil and sketchbook were the only tools I had left to entertain me after my phone battery died in the late evening hours. Shadow needed our attention as he was shaking and curled up against me so that I captured only his foot while he was distracted by another dog. A Golden who came after midnight was too nervous and moved around so much that I drew an image putting several poses together. While Shadow was under anesthesia, I turned to drawing a plant which didn’t move and was an easy subject.

Sketches from a night at the Animal Hospital

 

The following day, my friend Janis Fulton and I set up our display for the Arteast Studio Tour. While the weather didn’t cooperate for plein air painting on our property, we painted a still life of zinnias. I also went back to my daily drawings for the next few days.

In addition, I went painting en plein air with friends at the Humanics Institute Sculpture Park in Cumberland and twice at Park du Moulin in Rockland. The first time, I captured a sunset after a picnic with my husband and dog. The following day, I met a friend to enjoy the beautiful scenery on a warm and sunny day. After many years of cold and stormy weather on our meeting dates, we finally got lucky.

For the past ten days, we had visitors from Germany. We spent a week at the cottage, and I managed to create the two sketches below.

 

I wish you a creative autumn and look forward to more plein air outings. I will post my upcoming blog on October 25, 2024. Check out my needle-felting workshop schedule for ways to bring more creativity to your life.

Staying Creative During Summer

Flowers and produce from the garden, watercolour pencils

 

Blog 8


August was the eighth month since I started my daily artworks. I have used watercolour pencils most of the time to capture something I have seen each day. This month, I fell hopelessly behind. I needed to prioritize several needle-felting projects to upload my fall schedule to my website. One of them was the Holy Family for my three-part November workshop. The other was a chickadee with wire legs and feet. To create these cute chickadees during my September 14 and 15 workshop, don’t miss the Sunday, August 31 registration deadline. I need at least three registrations by then to run the workshop. Additional participants can still register until September 11.

Concentrating on my needle-felted projects resulted in many missed days of drawing. I admire a friend who has managed to paint every day for many years, regardless of life’s events. Often, he is happy with the outcome; other times, he is just pleased he stuck to his routine. Because my inner perfectionist still pushes me to create finished drawings instead of sketches, I struggle with the time needed to complete each drawing.



However, while I could regret the missed opportunities, I will highlight what I still created. Often, we are our worst critics. Therefore, let’s celebrate the triumphs instead of concentrating on the perceived shortcomings. As mentioned earlier, art is not a race but a delightful pursuit that allows you to escape the world and find your happy place.



Here are my August artworks:

Sketches from the Ottawa Little Theatre production Hilda's Yard

Nature art, watercolour pencils (top), watercolours (bottom)

Macbeth, outdoor play of A Company of Fools

pencil, watercolour pencil (bottom right)

In September, I will face another challenge to continue my daily drawings due to the Arteast Studio Tour and a two-week visit from German friends. However, the changing fall colours will offer lots of inspiration to keep making art. Have fun! The more you create, the more your creativity will bloom.



In the meantime, I am excited about an autumn filled with numerous opportunities to connect with you and strengthen my creative community.

My friend, Janis Fulton, and I will participate in the second Arteast Studio Tour on September 7 and 8 from 10 AM to 4 PM. We will be at my house to share our beautiful art in Studio P at 1270 Kinsella Drive, Cumberland, Ontario, K4C 1A9. Janis and I often paint together, and it will be fun to see our unique interpretation of the spots we visited. Twenty-seven members will participate and invite you to visit their studios to see where and how they work and why they create their art. There will be five additional artists in Studio O in Cumberland.

A downloadable list of the Fine Arts Studio Tour artists and their addresses is available here.

Keep Memories Alive in a Visual Journal

 

Blog 7

 

My July was very productive even though I didn’t create anything in the three days between my return to Canada and my trip to our family vacation. I was too busy catching up with medical appointments, household chores, unpacking and packing again.

During my time at the cottage, I usually finish a couple of paintings. However, this time, I had forgotten my watercolour paints. Luckily, I had my watercolour pencils, brushes and pads with me to create a painting of a summer flower bouquet and my daily sketches to keep my memories fresh long after the time has passed.


I also captured a daily sketch and used watercolour pencils for most images because I love colour. I created two drawings because I took a breathtaking canoe trip with my husband and dog on the last day. In the evening light, I sat on the rocks at the edge of the Ottawa River, capturing the rocks, moss and bushes in front of me. 

The canoe ride was the most magical I have ever experienced because the water was smooth like a mirror, and the evening light turned the whole landscape into a magical place. I am always mesmerized by the deep reflection of the trees in the water. Maybe I will take one of my big canvases to attempt to capture this sight in a painting this winter. It would certainly be a challenge. 

 

 

My latest needle-felted painting is of a Bird of Paradise plant, which is progressing nicely.

Bird of Paradise, wool, unfinished

Enjoy the collages of my July art!


Stay connected by joining my mailing list. I send out two newsletters monthly - one with teaching news and the other with information about my latest artworks. By subscribing to my newsletter on my website, you will receive my free e-book titled I Am Ready to Paint, but Where Do I Start? I will publish my next blog on August 30.

A Joyful Heart Brimming with Memories

Pink Hibiscus, watercolour, 5.8" x 8.3"

Blog 6


My heart and mind are brimming with joyful impressions from my trip to Germany. Not only did I spend unforgettable hours with family and friends, but I also saw many beautiful sights which will continue to provide new inspirations for my art. Many times, I wished that I could spend time with my painting buddies to capture the scene.


One of the highlights was my dad's 90th birthday with family and my parents' circle of friends. I am thankful for the chance to celebrate my dad's fulfilled life. 

For the rest of the time, my daughter and I combined meeting with my friends with visits to cultural sites. We went to the Palm Gardens in Frankfurt at the time of the rose festival and strolled through the gardens of the Schwetzingen Palace. 

We also spent two days in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a romantic Bavarian town with many half-timbered houses and cobblestone streets. We walked on the Medieval town wall, from which we had breathtaking bird's-eye views of the old town.

For the first time, we saw Chagall's windows in the Saint Stephan’s Church in Mainz. We were lucky to receive an introduction to the history of the breathtaking windows. Chagall, a Jew, was initially reluctant to create any art for a German church but changed his mind after he developed a friendship with the pastor. You can find more information here.


During an outing to Mainz-Laubenheim, we walked in the vineyards with a breathtaking panorama view of the surrounding cities, the Rhine River and the Taunus. We could even see the skyscrapers of Frankfurt.

I love getting inspired by the creativity all around me. It brought me great joy to admire the craftsmanship and innovative ideas at an arts and crafts market in Ober-Ramstadt and during visits to friends' studios. Luckily, I had my suitcase in mind because I could have bought some exquisite pieces.


I created less art than I expected. However, I focus on nurturing human connections during visits to Germany. While I still have regular contact with friends and family through emails and weekly video calls, they are no substitute for in-person meetings with actual hugs.


On many days, I created drawings with pencils and watercolour pencils in my daily journal. I drew most sketches of people during our train rides and the rest from photos. I also had to use reference photos for most other artworks because there often was no opportunity to draw while chatting with friends. Most of my painting buddies approve of seeing me draw at all times, but many other people probably find it peculiar. I know some people who don't comprehend my need to capture the world around me. However, I could not live any other way. I feel compelled to draw what I see to preserve it for my memories.

I also finished a watercolour painting (see top) and two felted pieces. The needle-felted painting of a rose is on a felt bag I purchased in a store. It is my first piece of functional art. I will write about the process after I have finished the bag. 

 

I will be back with my regular blog on July 26. In the meantime, I invite you to join me for the Art Café on July 21, at 1 PM in Cumberland, Ontario. We will create graffiti on paper. Please RSVP here.