Best Friends for Life

Blog 31

This week, I thought about the blessing of good friends when I pondered creating an artwork reflecting the theme of best friends for the Summer of Creativity Project.

I don’t have a best friend, and the good friends in my life have changed over the years. I lost contact with some good friends over the years. The bonds were not strong enough to keep the friendship going. Sometimes, we connected again more than twenty years later through Facebook and met each other during my visits to Germany.

I still have a couple of friends from my school days, and to some, I feel even closer now than in our youth because we have similar adult experiences and interests. My friends from the language school fall into this category. We have always met whenever I was in Germany. However, our bond has grown even stronger since the start of the pandemic, when we started meeting every Thursday for about two hours.

When I came to Canada, I missed my family and friends. I felt a strong pull towards the German speakers of any organization, but I realized quickly that a common language is not enough for a friendship. Without mutual interests and values, you cannot grow relationships.

Today, I have a core of Canadian friends from many backgrounds, and most share my love for art. Some of them, like my group of Painting Buddies, I met through art organizations, and others became friends after they attended one of my courses.

Being an artist can be very lonely when you immerse yourself in creating art in your studio. Art is a great bonding link when you spend time together on painting outings or within art organizations, sharing your art and skills with others.

However, art can also be a frustrating business when you struggle with your creative process, spend days preparing for shows and come home without a sale. You put your energy into your art, and often the feedback is not what you had hoped to receive. In these hours, your friends are your support system to strengthen your confidence again. I am thankful for the many people who helped me through my doubts when I was ready to stop creating art. Truthfully, even if I had wanted, I probably could not have stopped for long, but the support felt good. Art gives me so much joy and balance when I capture the beauty around me that it has supported me through happy and rough times. It is still one of the best ways to spend my time. Maybe, art is my best friend for live.

What role do friends play in your life? If you would like the support of a creative community, I invite you to the Creative Connection for Artists and Crafters.

P. S.

When I thought about a way to create an artwork on the topic, I thought of a clock showing the different stages of life from childhood to old age and two friends being there for each other through thick and thin. As I began sketching the two girls playing in the sandbox, I soon realized that the page in the "642 Things to Draw" book was too small for this big project.

 

I feel tempted to pick up the theme again on a large canvas. I have to think more about the different stages, one for every number on the clock. It would be a great winter project when nature is too harsh to spend much time outside.

Summer of Creativity Project

 

Blog 30



A couple of months ago, I posted weekly creativity tips on Facebook. During the summer months, after I rediscovered the book "642 Things to Draw", I wanted to challenge myself to draw and paint different subjects than those that usually attract me.


We tend to levitate towards subjects and techniques we already master well. Whenever I prepare my children's courses, the requests from the kids force me to get out of my comfort zone. Often I have not even heard of the characters they want to draw. Creating some of these feels uncomfortable, but I enjoy the challenge and always learn something new.


Some topics may appear challenging or uninteresting for an artwork. Consider ways to make your piece more engaging. Maybe, it is a perfect time to try a new technique, like a venture into cubism or surrealism.


You don't need certain materials. Last week, I used children's crayons to demonstrate that you can use any supplies available. Not having special equipment should never stop you from making art. If you create art for sale, the quality of your materials and following the rules of working with different mediums are crucial to guarantee that your art will be lasting. When you are experimenting, you can mix and match. Some materials will not work together, but you might also discover exciting effects.


Whether you add a lot of detail or create a quick line drawing depends not only on your style but also on the purpose of the work. Maybe, you want to mark the content of a box. In this case, drawing a detailed image would be too time-consuming and unnecessary. Otherwise, if you wanted to draw a design pattern for a new fork series, you wanted to be as detailed as possible.


Here is a collage of the my June images:

It would be fun if you would join me in the adventure. I will post one subject each Tuesday to get the creativity flowing. Sometimes, it will be an object, other times an interpretation of a mood, sound or situation. You can use any medium and style. Get your kids, grandchildren or friends involved. Art is even more fun when you create together.


Who is ready to join? Check out my Facebook page for my Tuesday posts.


I invite you to join my group, Creative Connection for Artists and Crafters, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/creativeconnectionforartistsandcrafters. You can also post your images directly in the comments to my Tuesday posts. Have fun with it!

Creativity on Vacation

 Wild White Roses, watercolour and watercolour pencil, 5.8” x 8.3”

Blog  29


I spent the last week at the cottage. First, our children visited with friends, including a puppy. Then, my husband’s siblings with their families came. While I love the lively company around the table, I need alone time. When the others left to spend the day on the beach or hiking, I set up my supplies on the patio, pressed start on my audiobook and started painting.


During the slower summer months, I always attempt to finish some artworks from previous outings or painting sessions. Therefore, I brought a pile of unfinished watercolour paintings from my Zoom sessions with my Painting Buddies and one from my visit to Ripley’s Aquarium in Toronto, which my daughter and I had wanted to visit for years. 

I finished five paintings and created the image of a soft-boiled egg for the topic of my least favourite food for the Creative Summer Project. 

For the Creative Summer Project, I post one subject on my Facebook page every Tuesday to inspire you to express your creativity. Sometimes, it will be an object, other times an interpretation of a mood, sound or situation. You can use any medium and style to participate.


When I was younger, I could spend hours lying on the beach. Nowadays, I enjoy some time in the meditative mood of the softly moving water when I am not swimming. Sometimes, I bring a book, but usually, I feel the urge to capture an object that interests me or the mood of the day. I never get enough of the clouds and light reflections on the water, even though we spent our one-week summer vacation of the last fifteen years at the same spot. The results from this trip are a lifesaver on a pole and Wednesday's sunny sky. As a bonus, I drew my youngest niece during her nap.

I also created a quick sketch of my husband fishing, with our daughter and our dog Shadow keeping him company. Capturing Shadow was especially tricky because he raced happily between my husband’s spot and mine on a rock on the other side of the little bay. Watching him and his joy for life always makes me happy.

Do you finish all your projects immediately, or do you have a pile of unfinished projects waiting for your attention?

I invite you to my Creative Connection for Artists and Crafters at https://www.facebook.com/groups/creativeconnectionforartistsandcrafters if you long for a supportive and inspirational community.

Spring Travel Journal Part 6 - Germany

  Clematis, watercolor and watercolour pencil, 8.5" x 5.5"

Blog 28

We left a Schenna early on Father’s Day, which falls on Ascension Day in Germany and is a public holiday. We wanted to have lunch with one of Ingo’s cousins in the Augustinerkeller, a famous traditional Bavarian tavern with a beer garden in the centre of Munich.


However, we ran into several obstacles along the way. First, Ingo saw on the Deutsch Bahn app that our train would leave almost an hour earlier than scheduled. I have never heard of a train leaving ahead of time, but it is another sign of the chaotic state of the German train system. 

Mittenwald, Germany

Next, we had to take a scenic detour because the highway to Munich was closed due to an accident.

I was not keen on going to the beer tavern on Father’s Day because many men use the day for a bike ride with their buddies to celebrate without responsibilities but with lots of beer. When we finally arrived, the place was uncomfortably full, and the noise level was immense. I was glad that Ingo and I did not have time to join the others but walked to the central railway station (Hauptbahnhof).


While it was grey in grey in Munich, the weather improved when we drove further north. We enjoyed a comfortable drive and a great view. I was excited for the days ahead with my parents and sister.


We were almost in Aschaffenburg, about an hour from our destination, when our son, Dominic, informed us that my mother had collapsed and was on her way to the hospital. I was beside myself with worry.

Our mood was sombre when my father and Dominic retrieved us from the train station. We had all these plans for trips with my parents and had pushed them to the end of the stay because we wanted to wait for Dominic to join us.

Instead, my mother spent the rest of our vacation in the hospital. I was very stressed and worried about how my dad would manage by himself. He often jokes that his doctor told him he could still do anything except work in the kitchen.

 

 

Mainz Cathedral with the Dom-Café

We tried to distract him by visiting the beautiful Mainz, where we enjoyed delicious pastries in the Dom-Café next to the Mainz Cathedral (Mainzer Dom) on one of the mild days. 

 

 

 

works by Niki De Saint Phalle, not from the exhibition

I also needed a distraction and went to the reunion with my friends from the language school. We visited the Niki De Saint Phalle exhibition at the Schirn Kunsthalle in Frankfurt. I am not a fan of her work and stared at her provocative sculptures, installations, and paintings uncomprehendingly. Only after I read part of her biography could I appreciate her work and motivation.


I loved her sculptures of voluptuous, colourful female figures called Nanas. These sculptures challenged traditional representations of women and aimed to celebrate femininity and empowerment. Something that is still as relevant now as it was in her time.


Here is more information about the exhibition:

https://www.schirn.de/en/exhibitions/2023/niki_de_saint_phalle/

https://youtu.be/abmlyMx1zOk

 




 

Visits to the Frankfurt Cathedral (Frankfurter Dom) and St. Paul's Church (Paulskirche) were a big contrast to the provocative art of Niki St. Phalle. An assembly of representatives from various German states used the previously Protestant St. Paul’s Church to address political reforms. Today, St. Paul's Church is a powerful symbol of democracy, tolerance, and human rights.

At the end of the trip, despite all the happy moments with family and relatives, my mood was heavy as I dreaded the farewell from my parents.

 

 

 

This trip reminded me again of the difficulty of living far away from my loved ones, particularly as they age. It was also a reminder not to postpone things and to take time to nurture precious relationships. I am excited about some family time this summer and a trip to PEI with a friend from Germany this fall.