Chair with a view

Until yesterday the time I've spent at the studio lately has been focused on renovations, a continuation of what we have been doing to our house. One thing that has become clear to me is: "Be Careful What You Wish For!..I always said I wanted to be a 'painter', so guess what I have been doing...Painting walls, window frames, doors, etc., etc. of course!

With winter fast approaching, I was sure my cement chair was going to have to wait 'til spring then low and behold, sun was in the forecast for two days so I got to it. It took 12 - 60 lb bags of cement, chicken wire, some copper pipes and a broken plastic adirondack chair.

I can't wait for it to be cured so that I can check out the view from a seated position! This evening, this is what that view looked like.

Blazing Sunshine

Sunshine doesn't always come softly, often it blazes, like the sunflowers below. This is the time of year when sunflowers tower over the gardens, offering their bountiful seeds to birds of all feathers. Sadly, this year my seeds hide in there envelope with no glimmer of germination because I was too busy to plant them...but rest assured their day will come. Perhaps it will be next year, perhaps the year after.

The sunflowers shown below, and which I chose to reproduce on canvas and on recycled children's blocks, were left in their seed packets for a couple of years before they finally had their day in the sun. Here are some of the pictures I took and the paintings they inspired last winter as the cold winds blew outside my studio.

24"x30" (60 cm x 76 cm)

18"x20" (46 cm x 51 cm)

12"x24" (30 cm x 60 cm)

Below are laser copy photo transfers on some wooden recycled children's blocks that I sanded. I'm not sure I'm quite finished with them yet. They have a grainy texture that makes them seem old and they may lend themselves beautifully to some words or additonal embellishment. In the meantime, every now and again, I enjoy just mixing them up and putting them back together.

7"x7" (18cm x 18 cm)

I am not alone

As I work around the yard it becomes abundantly clear that I am but a cog in a very big wheel. The variety of cogs is not only impressive but magnificent and never in this lifetime will I get to see them all except perhaps through pictures. That is why I thought I'd share these pics of a few of the wild creatures I see on a daily basis. (If I'd just remember to always have my camera with me, I'd have a lot more to share!)

The magnicient ring-necked pheasant

The peckish laying hens

(Okay, not so wild...my neighbour believes in free-range)

My neighbour's Meat Kings

(Don't think about it!)

The Amazing Hummingbird Moth

The Grey Petaltail Dragonfly

Architecture brought to you by your friendly neighborhood spider.

Every one of us has a job to do.

Looking at me looking at it!

Leopard Frog Jump!

Sally, the salamander!

There's seeds in them there pinecones!

I just want to have a sleep...I won't eat the bark. Honest!

I love them all, those creatures big and small!

An Octopus on Rollerskates

"Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways."

H. Jackson Brown Jr., author

Not only do I sometimes feel like that octopus, I'm sure I often look like one as well. Problem is, I can't skate very well at all!

That being said, I thought I'd share some images that might shed some light on where my eight legs and arms are spread.

The flower gardens:

The fruit & vegetable gardens:

The yard:

The house exterior:

Before Reno

After Reno (A few things left to do)

A little added luxury

The house interior:

First Reno

Last Reno

Ensuite when we bought the house

Ensuite after reno

(There are a lot more renovations,an entire house full, but I think the pics above give you the jist of how big a reno this is!)

Of course, there is my top priority, family & friends; and I guess what has clearly become my last priority, the studio; and, lest I forget, the blog. Oh, and of course there's the off & on day job, the commuting to the city (45 minutes one way); the daily chores, including gathering everything from chanterelles to fiddleheads to blueberries; making jams and preserves; etc.;etc...Ever heard of an octopus with 12 or maybe 16 arms?

My husband often says "There are two reasons things don't get done: you don't want to do it or you don't know how!" After writing this post I conclude that there is a third reason: TOO MANY THINGS TO DO!