An Artist At Play

2012-01-27T00:41:00.001-08:00

2012-01-26T09:59:00.000-08:00

How I feel about art in general for the most part:
You either like it or you do not, how you feel about it is important, and While others might love it, you might see nothing appealing in it
Even if "Joe Blow" from the worlds most prestigious Gallery insists that a work is the Best (insert accolades here) of the century, that will not necessarily make it so in your mind.
The Art world is famous for Blow Hards, and stupid prices.
Sadly, almost all the work that is heralded as "collectable" at outrageous prices is for the most part abstract and without reason.

Personally, I think that the reason for the abstract popularity is because no-one can define what it is supposed be or mean. This gives the artist and the Galleries an out when someone dares to critique it in a negative way. ("You really dont think we care about what you think, because you are behind the times and your comment is just plain gauche on your part") IE, a retort of superiority and that they know something about art that you do not.

Real people buy art because of how the colours appeal to them/to work with the design of a room, or because they like Sunflowers. Real people buy art because they like the size, the medium or because this specific work reminds them of something. Some people buy it because a particular work makes them smile/feel rested/has a personal message.

Real people buy/like Art for personal reasons, not because the aforementioned Gallery owner tells you something obscure, that makes no sense to you emotionally or visually.
The Art world is filled with (for the most part) the worlds greatest salesmen that are making ridiculous amounts of money because they know people will fall for their words and pay obscene prices for them!

I paint because I love to paint. I work in many different styles and can replicate a flower in wonderful detail and or produce a work that denoted chaff from harvest blowing in the wind in a complete abstract form.

Art is selective and personal. So whatever you like or don't like, no matter. If it pleases you, that is good.
I guess what I am trying to say here is, No matter whatever others say, be true to what you like. Don't be scared to say "I hate that!" or "Not bad, but I wouldn't hang that!"

Feel free to ask "how did you do that?" even if you are not particularly drawn to a work as opposed to how it was created.
Be selective, and remember that just because Van Gogh' works sell for a gazillion dollars now, years ago he really was a starving artist.
And. I have to admit that I do not like his art.

2012-01-06T14:56:00.000-08:00

So I have been away for a while. Learning new things and methods.
I have changed my style somewhat and have to admit that my many months painting"traditional" type art has helped me understand where I am now.
Bear with me while I get back into the wonderful world of Blogging, and imparting my thoughts and feelings re my art (and art in general) here.
It is good to be home, hopefully you will welcome me back.

2012-01-06T14:32:00.000-08:00

"Rachels Muse I"

2010-04-23T07:32:00.001-07:00

Many of you that follow this blog are aware that I have a dear friend that is an accomplished photographer.
And, you then, are aware that I often use a lot of her photographs as inspiration for a painting.
Thanking someone that inspires you is a very hard thing to do.

A while back Rachel posted a photograph that she took of her son holding his Oboe.
I fell totally in love with this Photograph and decided to paint it.
(What on Earth was I thinking?)
So this painting is for Rachel, Just because.

I am known for my inability to paint the human form.
Yep, even hands.
But I got to it, and after weeks of working on this painting (Some of which I was quite ill and did nothing), I am finally at the stage where I can begin to refine Jacobs hands.
Scary to say the least.
I have to finish the area where the reed is, and will do that a wee bit later....Kind of like a gift to myself when I finish those talented wonderful hands that belong to Jacob.

Hope you like it so far.
The background is not finished yet, but will remain painted in a matte black.
Please let me know how you think I am doing here, and anything as well that needs work.
Your eyes are important, as often while working on a painting such as this one cannot see the obvious flaws.
~~Kathleen

Getting it right

2010-02-23T08:39:00.000-08:00

"The Edge"
Acrylics on Canvas
12" X 12"

Every once in a while, as an artist, I wonder how did another artist get that effect.
Not havng had any formal training in art (and the application there-off), I read a lot of art books, go and see other artists works at gallery's and shops, and try when I get back home to achieve the shading/shadows/light effects in a realistic manner.
Most often this exercise results in a lost painting underneath the blobs/and strokes that were to mean something.
So, I paint over it and away I go again.
Yesterday I painted this little Jewel.
Yep the lighting and shadows and depth happened as I painted, and it all made sense.
I finally did it without agonizing about the method.
Maybe one has to learn things, and just wait for the right time to implement them!
Enjoy this painting, I like the mysteriousness of it.
~~Kathleen

"Real Women VI"

2010-02-14T09:37:00.001-08:00

"The Sun the Moon and The Earth Join Forces"
Acrylics and mixed media
on Canvas
12" X 14"

Hello all,

Before you do anything else, please check out
http://www.leahbeesearrings.com/
This lady is talented!
New Earrings anyone? They are wonderful Leah! :)

Now on with the regular programming....
Well, we have the Olympics being hosted in British Columbia this week. All of Canada is showing their Maple Leafs on their sleeves. (Yes, and our Hearts as well)
Enjoy them and appreciate the enormous amount of work these athletes put into training for these events.
Who wins is not important to me, as just being there as a participant means you are not only the best in your country, the world thinks you are the best of the best! :)
~~Kathleen

Landscape

2010-02-08T22:27:00.000-08:00

"Frost on Larches"
Acrylics on Canvas
12" X 14"

Gosh I have not done one of these for a long time.
Hope you like it.
It is based on the photograph I posted below when the Hoar Frost claimed our world!
Hope you like it!
~~Kathleen

"Real women V" (series continued)

2010-02-07T12:19:00.000-08:00

"Assistance"
12" X 14"
Acrylics & Mixed media on canvas
She stands tall, she is proud, and she is a successful Business Woman!
She also walks with the assistance of a cane.
She faces up to her life, and makes it work.
There is nothing that she cannot overcome.
I like her stance.
Hope you do as well.
~~Kathleen

My World This Morning....

2010-02-05T08:08:00.000-08:00

Hi all, hope you are having a fabulous day.
Being 65 years old, and having the luxury to enjoy so much is a real blessing.
As most of you already know, I am an artist.
Well, I am (at best) trying to become an artist :)
I have connected so very much with the constant changes Nature offers me every day.
Crossfield, Alberta, Canada is not far from the edges of the Great Canadian Rocky Mountain range.
So we tend to have weather anomalies all the time.
In the Winter we have just splendid Hoar Frosts, and this Winter, the Frosts have been spectacular.
Here are some photos I took this morning of the sunrise.
I am looking West to the Larches that line the frontage of the property.
So the Sunrise in all its' glory rises on these trees, and the end result is breathtaking.
Enjoy all....

Just before the sunrisePeeking over the horizon turning the Western sky a lovely Pink

(More "Real Women" after this interlude!)
~~Kathleen

Real women IV "Grandmother Moon"

2010-01-31T09:14:00.000-08:00

"Grandmother Moon"
12" X 12"
Acrylics & Mixed media on canvas

This painting embodies Gold and Copper foil (Representing Life energy) falling from the moon and embracing all women.
The seemingly awkward pose of the woman signifies the females desire to "Soak" up and embrace the moons importance into her life.

I began this painting with a specific idea in mind. I have been aware for many years that the Moon and Women have been closely connected since the beginning of time.
Almost every culture has a story passed down through centuries about the connection of these two.
When I had completed this painting, and posted it @ "Wet Canvas" for comments & critique from my fellow Acrylic artists, Bell Byrne recognized what I was trying to say and sent me an oft told story from her (North American) Native culture.
Her story connected so well with my painting that I am posting it here as a description.
So much of what we do in daily life is based on folklore.
I have gifted this painting to one of the best friends a gal can have....
Sharon Glover, a remote area nurse in the Northernmost settlement in Canada...Inuvik!
She, is a Native Canadian Nurse (extraordinaire) in this remote settlement.
We have planned to get together in April this year and catch up with each other and just be near for a while.
I miss you Sharon!

I hope you like it!
~~Kathleen

Grandmother Moon
(As told by Bell Byrne)

In a time before humans walked the earth and the spirits roamed the skies there was the daughter of the Creator. She loved the spirit that held the power of to create fire and wanted to mate with him. The Creator did not want the daughter to be near fire and asked her to leave the love she had for the spirit on a star and forget him.

The daughter disobeyed the Creator and secretly wed the fire spirit. The Creator was heartbroken that she had disobeyed and knew that nothing good would come from this union. The Creator had made her the spirit of water and the beginner of life.
Fire could bring water to a boil and at the same time, water could douse the flames of fire. There would never be any balance in the union.

To help, the Creator gave his daughter two babies to birth. Two sons to balance the femaleness and one to each carry the spirit of their parent. One son was to be the father of all humans and the other son was to be the father of all animals.

The twins fought constantly in their mother's womb. The brother who was to father all animals was impatient and wanted to be born soon. The brother who was to father all humans was patient and wanted to wait for his birth so he would know what his humans had to do to come to life.

One day, close to the day they were to be born, the anxious brother could wait no longer and pushed to get out of the womb. His brother was blocking the way out so he pushed against the side of his mother. His brother sensing that his mother was in grave danger, pushed his way out through the birth canal in the hopes his brother would follow. His brother didn't notice that he now had a clear path out the birth canal - he continued to push against his mother's side.

Finally, he pushed so hard he split his mother in two. As she lay dying, her father and husband held each part of her. Her husband's last gift to his wife was to make her burn bright as a star and her father - who was grief stricken could only mold her into a cold, dead ball. When all life left her, the father and husband took each part of her and placed her in the sky. Her fire part shone brightly and cast light on the earth and the desolate ball her father had placed beside the earth. Her husband called it the Sun.

The Creator grief was appeased when he saw how brightly the ball shone, he called it Moon.

Both the father and husband were angry with the twin that killed his mother. He was banished and made walk among neither the humans or the spirits. Because he has supposed to be the father of the animals, he tried to make one. It came out a mixture of all the ugly animals. It had a duck's beak, an otter's webbed feet, the fur of a squirrel and did not birth live children but laid eggs like a bird or lizard. It lived in neither the water nor the land but in both. We still see that animal today. The platypus.

The other son went on to father the humans and he lived a good and happy life with his wife and children. He was given a gift by the humans of an animal helper, the rabbit. In turn he gave the rabbit a special place in the universe as it would gladly sacrifice itself to keep the humans alive, it's meat was sweet, it's fur kept them warm.

The mother looks down on her sons from the sky. During the day, her moon half is always there and at night her sun half is reflected in the face of her moon half. She is there always.

This was told to me as a child by my grandmother in the winter times when stories were told. We'd only tell stories until the sap started to run in the Spruce trees and the geese came back. Then it was time to stop the stories and start hunting and building the salmon weirs.

Cheers,
Bell

"Real Women III"

2010-01-30T08:41:00.000-08:00

"Every once in a while, I toss my memories in the air. And when they fall back into my mind, I have the joy of visiting them anew"

Acrylics & mixed media on canvas
12" X 12"

Detail of the Gold/Silver & Copper foil representing her memories....

This is a painting that I have become very emotionally attached to.
It tells of an older woman, and her joy in being where she is at the moment, and how she embraces the life she now has.
This is likely the most joyous painting I have ever done.
Her memories are revisited with understanding and great happiness!
Where we have been in life makes where we are now so important.
It takes many memories to make a whole person!
~~Kathleen

"Real Women II"

2010-01-29T09:38:00.000-08:00

"Real Women II"
Acrylics & Mixed media on canvas
18" X 24"

Real Women II is a painting of a mature woman playing in her garden.
Nurturing her plants as she did her children.
Everything is a wee bit off balance, as in real life nothing is ever perfect.
She is at peace with herself, and has finally broken out of the dark place that dictated that she look and perform like the fantasy woman in commercial advertising.
She is probably overweight, has a few well earned wrinkles, but no matter, she is where she wants to be at this stage in her life.
The Gold and Silver leaf falls down over her peace of mind and
celebrates her absolute beauty.
She is happy with her lot in life.
I hope you like her....she is so like myself and many of my friends.
~~Kathleen

Real Women #1

2010-01-24T09:11:00.000-08:00

"Real Women I"
Acrylics & mixed media on canvas
12" X 14"

Above:
The final painting

Below:
the background detail
before the glazes have been added

The first in a new series.....
I am trying to convey the real woman in a realistic way.
While the concept is somewhat abstract, the message is clear.
I have used a combination of materials in these works.
Gold/Silver & Copper foil, Gel transfers and glazes.
This conveys (hopefully) the comfort a mature woman feels
in with her age.
Washing her hair with a sweetly scented soap.
Or just the pleasure of being alone in a tranquil spot.

My interpretation of this collection:
This series of paintings are very important to me.
As a maturing woman, I find that society tends to rest too much on the " False Beauty" of young women who have done nothing to deserve it (they were born with it) and they take for granted that this type of beauty is forever, and Society discards the beauty amassed by a woman of years.

Most of the mature women I know, are confident lovely people that have an unbelievable amount of beauty & intelligence within and without!

Real beauty really lies beneath the outer layers of anyone.
We, as a society, have to learn how to recognize it.
Nothing about the aged body is symmetric. Least wise mine sure is not.
I am not looking for perfection here, as perfection belongs to the young.
I am lauding the Mature woman that has accepted that she is who she is.

The Hiatus is over!

2010-01-23T19:59:00.000-08:00

What we have been seeing for the last four days.....A Hoar Frost
to end all Hoar frosts.
To view these and any photos full size in this blog,
Please click on the picture.

For those of you following this blog, I do apologize.
I have been busy with real life, and just had to change some of my habits and reorganize others.
Hopefully now, everything is in working order and I will be back to doing my normal things again!
Blogging (this one) is at the top of my daily "To Do" list.
I have been very deeply immersed in my art as of late.
I have been working on a new series of paintings.
These paintings all depict "Real Women!"
Not the women one sees on TV/In Magazines and or any type of advertising.
I am talking about the Real Women Of our normal every work day life.
Like you & Me.
Women that have larger than depicted stomachs (Horrors!) and a bump on the nose
(as opposed to a Nose Job!)
Thick ankles, maybe short women. women that do not have perfect hair, and rough skin on hands due to real work.
Women that deal daily with a disability in a world that is not built for anything but the
(supposed)perfect human to navigate.
So, understandably, I have been totally engrossed with this series of paintings as they are all dear to my heart.

I am sincerely going to maintain my blog with no less than three posts weekly.
As some of you are aware, not all my posts are about art, but as well, my everyday life.
I am surrounded by beauty and a very rugged rural area.
I am living with my daughter & son-in-law and two wonderful grandsons
(ages 7 & almost 3 years of age)
So life is never boring and always changind.
Welcome back my friends, I will try to give you a few minutes of enjoyment through my eyes & words a few times each week!

Sometimes you just know....

2009-11-18T09:27:00.001-08:00

A couple of entries below this one, I posted a finished painting based on a childhood

memory of chasing fireflies in the moonlight and running through Grannies Marigolds while doing this.
(please scroll down to see the completed painting)

It is one of the fondest childhood memories I have.
Granny thought that children should never be chastised for following their dreams, so we did not get into trouble for running on her small flowers.

The original finished work was very well received .

Many,many people saw what I did in the painting.
Yet, something held me back on signing this work.
So I set it aside.

A few days ago, I got the idea that the painting lacked movement.
But how was I to add movement to this type of painting?
The painting as it was, consisted of many layers of applied acrylics, using many different methods.
This painting was a wonder of texture and colour.
Anything added to it had to be abstract yet definable. (is that a word?)

I decided on a type of free form Sprite for my figures.
I posed them in a Joyous dance pattern.
As if abandon was the norm and peace and happiness was the main goal of these two figures.
They are painted in the Yellows and Ochers that I used for the fireflies.
They have definate shape and form, but look as if they could change shape in a second, and dance more.
Like children chasing after Fireflies in the dark.

This painting (to me) represents Hope and Joy.
This painting represents love of a grandmother that understood the significance of allowing children not having to worry about Marigolds that get trampled while chasing a dream.

I hope you like the final outcome of this painting.
It pleases me to no end.
~~Kathleen
Please note, while being almost impossible to photograph in true colours, I was finally able to get one photo that is true to the original colour of this painting!
so I present;
Marigolds and Fireflies
16" X 20"
Acrylics on canvas
Click on photo to enlarge

When you need the best....

2009-11-07T16:25:00.001-08:00

"Lawn Boys"
Gayle Vogel Kirby

20" X 20"
Acrylics on wrapped canvas

For the longest time I have wanted to paint my grandsons.
Not just paint them, but create a work of art that shows the devotion these brothers have for each other.
I have to admit, first and foremost I am not good at painting the human shape or form.
But I was willing to attempt to do this.
So I tried, and tried, painted over and tried again.
Nope this was really not my forte!
Accepting the inability to do some things is not a flaw.
doing mediocre work is.
So I stopped trying.

Instead, I decided to travel a new avenue.
Yep, I called the big guns and asked for help.
I contacted an artist friend of mine.

Gayle Vogel Kirby is an accomplished portraitist.
This lady has a wonderful talent in the way she depicts her subjects.
She brings out the colour/life and essence of everyone that she paints.
She sees in colour and paint what we could only dream of.
and she sees so well.

Please take the time to view her blog and enjoy her wonderful art.
I am honoured that she accepted the request I put to her.
I am more-so honoured that she depicted my grandsons
with such sensitivity.
Thank-you Gayle, so very much.
~~Kathleen
Gayles Blog can be seen here:
http://gaylekirbyart.blogspot.com

"Marigolds and Fireflies"

2009-11-03T09:41:00.001-08:00

I have been working on this for a long time now!
Everytime I think it is done, and put it on the rack,
Something draws me back to it.
And I "fix" it a wee bit more.

I think now that it is done.
It is representational of a childhood memory
A memory of my brothers and I chasing Fireflies in the evening.
I remember that once we ran through Grannys Marigolds and her response was that
"Everything was fine when children chased Fireflies"
To her, in her advanced age, Fireflies were Magic, and children should chase them in the evening.

This painting really says a lot to me.
It shows the magic of the night and the wonderful
lights of hope that come with the dark.
~~Kathleen

Re anonymous comments

2009-10-31T20:31:00.000-07:00

I have received (over the course of this blogs life) many anonymous comments.
For the greater part (99%) they have been very positive, only three have been hateful.
I do not publish anything that is Anonymous because I believe in putting ones money where your mouth is.
I have a few loyal followers, that as well, blog on Blogger. Some that do not.

I believe that this is a fair attitude, and I want to treat everyone as equals.
So, while I do appreciate your taking time to read this blog, then commenting, Yes, even positively, without a name or a reference blog in return, I will not make your words a part of this site.
Be well all
~~Kathleen

"In My Opinion Only!"

2009-10-22T14:18:00.000-07:00

I know of a few artists that trace.
That is, they find a photograph they like, use their enlarger projector, and trace each and every detail onto the canvas to paint.
Now while I feel that this is a perfectly acceptable method for Faces & bodies/birds/botanicals, I do feel that for the most part originality is severely lacking when this method is used in landscapes and paintings of the sort.
What one ends up with is a perfectly executed copy of a photograph that has no passion of the artist in it.
Every blade of grass, every leaf, every stone and every tree is perfectly copied.
They might, just might add a stone, but for the most part that is it.
anything more for these artists (sic) would be all too much of a deviation from transcription.
For all intensive purposes, they copy. (Again, my opinion only)

If you cannot be original when you paint landscapes, and have to copy why bother?
Why not use this tree, that field, another sky and that dog, put it all together as a totally original work of art?
And, No, I am not speaking of using a grid. Using a grid still means that the artist has to use originality, and for the most part the end result will always show changes from the original reference work.

If you are scared to try and let what you actually see (and feel) show up in your art, why bother?
Everything that I (and many artist friends) paint is a compilation of many ideas/images that I (we) have in my (our) mind(s) and from photographs that I (we) have taken.
Just look back in this blog, and you will see some terrible paintings that (at the time) I was proud of! :)

At the moment I have two full computer discs of clouds/skies/sunrises/sunsets that I have taken over the years. I often use them for reference. But I never trace them. I figure out how I want the blues to look and work from there. Same goes for trees/grass and buildings/mountains and the like.
I have many many landscape photos that I have taken on disc, then there are the birds/animals and people that I have on disc as well. All are photos that I have taken each is different and grabbed me at the moment for one reason or another.

The florals that I do are supplied by Rachel (whose virtues as a photographer are extolled much earlier on in this blog)
For my self, re imaging, the one exception has been Florals. All the singular florals that I have done are very much in the image of the original photograph. I do not trace them and never sketch them on to the canvas before I begin, as I am terrible with a pencil. My rough sketches usually begin with a brush and I work from that! Refining the flower as I go! Actually a lot of times I have changed the colour of a botanical as I worked on it.

Which leads me back to my original thought......

Why bother?
I suppose for some, originality is not an important issue, but for me lack of original thought shows a total lack of passion in the completed work.
There is a gentleman artist friend, Mike Baxter.
His art can be seen here....
http://baxterpopart.blogspot.com/
whose blog I follow, that paints incredible works of Pop art and women.
Some of these works can be semi erotic, but they are tasteful and fabulously painted.
I know that Mike uses a projector, but for his style of art this method not only works, it is essential.

Passion in art is essential, the buyer sees the lack of this, the viewer sees the lack of passion and the end result of the lack of passion is a well rendered technical use of paint.

I have been experimenting with new art styles of late.
I have finally got my studio comfortable to work in and now I can sit (or) stand and paint with comfort and ease.
I have a habit of painting backgrounds on Canvas' long before I have any use for them.
I do this mainly because I dislike beginning any painting on a white canvas.
So, often what I end up with has no relation to the original background, and as well the background is totally different in the end .
But for me it is a starting point.

I have never painted any fabric before. At least not any that has been recognizable as such.
The painting below is in the very early stages for me, and hopefully it will end up as an admirable work. It is a compilation of different images that I have collected, and while the end work cannot be attributed to any one factor, each and every element is a new thought.
Mind you, after years of a childhood growing up beside a lake, the image represented here could have been a part of any day of my life as a child.
I can only strive to do as best that I can with these ideas.

I like to try new things, and am never sorry for anything that I have attempted. There are quite a few works that I have done that do not exist now, as I really thought (before I painted them over) that the end result was not acceptable, was not really of a standard that I wish recorded for posterity.
Yet, I have never hidden my Faux Pas' from people, I just tire of them, paint them over eventually, and go on with the learning process.
It is from them that I learn.

Originality and Passion are essential to good art.
Individualism is essential to good art.
New ideas and methods are essential to good art.
Transcribing a picture is not.

~~Kathleen

ADDENDUM:
Just to clarify, I often use Ratios to ensure that the translation of a floral photographic image
relates in direct proportion to the size of my canvas.
While I do this, it is only with registration marks at the top middle and bottom as well as both sides.
The rest I do by instinct.
~~K

I have begun again!!!!

2009-08-13T11:05:00.000-07:00

I have had a hard time painting since I have moved. It is a compilation of many things, but again, I have to adjust as well. Placing blame anywhere is not productive, so, I am instead, looking for solutions.
Up 'till now I painted when the whim hit me. Now I am regulating times for this. If I paint longer so be it, but I am not going to paint any less than the time I have prescribed myself.
I got a wonderful book from the library the other day.
It is by Chinese Artist Lian Quan Zhen.
The book covers the art of Chinese water colour techniques for painting flowers!
(ISBN #978-1-60061-088-2(hardcover paper)
Using some of the advise from this book, combined with lessons from a class taught by a friend Kathy, I have begun this:
A Dragonfly on foliage.
It is acrylic on Canvas
16" X 20"
I will post updates as I complete each stage from here on in.
Have a good one all!
~~Kathleen

Digging/Building/Tearing down & Putting up!

2009-07-10T10:12:00.000-07:00

Well, here is where we are now at!

The builders are here to replace the roof/build a wrap around deck, and all the good stuff that comes with this type of work.
Needless to say, both the kids and myself are rather excited about this. They have planned on it for a long time, and the final result will be very pleasing.

New Art!
I have been working on perfecting florals in different colours now. This week it is Reds, and getting the shading so as to be pleasing is not all that easy. But I am getting there though!
Here is a pic of the "Martha Washington Geraniums" that I am working on.
A long way to go, but it is really falling into place stroke by stroke.

Hopefully the pics here will be okay, as I am still not on my own computer, and working with a program that I am not familiar with is trying to say the least.
Be well all I promise to be more diligent from now on in with my postings here!
~~Kathleen

The good things in Life are worth waiting for.....

2009-07-06T09:14:00.001-07:00

FIRSTLY;
I am not on my own computer, so I apologize for the photos here.
All can be viewed much better by clicking on them! K.S.

At last, I have painted a new work!
In the last month I have moved, flown to Winnipeg (for almost a week) to attend Bonnie & Aarons wedding (that just about didn't happen, but more on this later,) Visited with my family there, and returned to Alberta, and the calming peace of where I now live.
The new painting....
Field Poppies
Acrylics on Canvas

12" X 14"

I apologize for not cropping this picture, but I am not on my computer, and cannot figure out how to do it on the kids computer.
But one might think that a bit is better than nothing.
I am proud of this one, as the delicacy of the Poppies really shows in this work. I used four colours here.
Burnt umber/fire Red/light green and sap green
the effects were quite pleasing.

THE WEDDING;
Now Bonnie and Aarons wedding ......
If ever planning paid off for a momentous event, this time it did.
everything was in order, the colour scheme, the gowns/tuxedos, the flowers and the venue.
The colours that they choose were chocolate brown and the softest mint green.
and they were stunningly coordinated, even down to Bonnies bouquet which had green and cream roses in it.

The morning of the wedding which was to take place at Elmhurst Golf course (at 4:00pm)
began Sunny, and turned to clouds and then to showers and then to a downpour and then to torrential rain.
By the time for the bride to arrive at the venue, all the power was knocked out and the whole area was without light/electricity and a sea of water.
the food for dinner was waiting to be cooked, the cocktail hour was cancelled as there was no way to serve them and the guests waited patiently in the beautifully decorated dining room.

Luckily for the kids the power company was on the situation, and the guests were patient.
At 5:30 pm the Justice of the Peace said....
"We came for a wedding, and a wedding we will have" and proceded to comandeer the bar of Elmhurst that had wrap around windows, moved a squillion candles into that area and moved everyone into that room for the ceremony!
And what a beautiful ceremony it was.
Through all the adverse conditions Bonnie and Aaron were married finally.
One wonders of the Powers that Be, and what is the meaning of signs, as in the middle of the ceremony the lights finally flickered on went out only to come on for good finally!
Yes, we not only had lights but we had complete power.
Cocktails were served as the Chef and his many wonderful helpers got to work on dinner, and eventually dinner was served, and again, it was excellent.

Bonnie was lovely in a wonderfully beaded strapless gown of white Peau de sois.
It had a princess train and was so befitting her and her personality!
Of course Aaron looked wonderful in his chocolate brown Tux. (He complimented Bonnie so well)The wedding cake was fondant covered Red Velvet cake and in itself was a work of art.
With dinner done and after the speeches while cocktails were being served familys all bonded to enjoy thenselves so very much and join two into one.
Well done Aaron & Bonnie, everyone will never forget the wedding that was determined to happen and the wonderful union of two people that we all love dearly!
Bonnie dancing the first dance with her dad,my wonderful brother-in-law Glen....

Later when I am back on my own computer, I will upload family pictures, and photos of the wonderful 65th birthday party my brothers & sisters threw for me when I was in Winnipeg.

It was good to reconnect with my brothers & Sisters and their families.
Time is all too short, and as an addendum, I got to meet Great Nephews and Nieces that I had not had the pleasure of seeing before.
What precious little people you all are.
What wonderful parents you have and how well they are doing with raising wonderful little human beings.

For the time being, I do want to thank Cheryl and Bernie for the wonderful stay that I had with them during my visit.
You both made a week of my life more meaningful!
Love to you both.
~~Kathleen

I am Offlcial as of tomorrow.

2009-05-28T09:53:00.000-07:00

Yep, I am officially a Senior citizen tomorrow!
My life is good, and not for a nano second would I change a moment of it.
I contemplated what and how I would approach this day here.
What could I say that had meaning?
I decided to re-post a blog entry from a while back about a
"Self-Portrait" I was challenged to do of myself.
Everything (in my mind at least) remains the same as the words below!
I hope my next 65 years are as good.
~~Kathleen

"Self-Portrait"
(Acrylics on canvas 8' X 10")

My comments re the unusual design:
"I had a very hard time with this, I do not look at myself"

"I see my hands, the Moon, my Grandsons, but I do not see me.

I see the art that I paint, what I sew and design, I see my family and am proud of them, and that is me.

At this time in my life I see myself as at peace with the world, free, happy, and contented.

Learning to be a good Buddhist is important to me.

I hope that others see me this way as well.

'A person that loves, is loved, likes her lumpy body, and is happy in her own skin, and cares not what others think, when she dances naked underneath the moon.
~~Kathleen"

A new painting a new direction....

2009-05-16T23:14:00.000-07:00

Ruffled Parrot Tulip
12" X 24"
Acrylics on canvas
I am so sorry for being so lax in posting lately, but I have been in a state of great change.
My children & I have decided that I will move out to the acreage and live there with them.
This will be a positive move for me, as it will bring me into daily contact with my favorite two little men daily,and, allow me to enjoy the blissful peace that living under a canopy of stars nightly brings.

One can sit outside and hear nothing but the birds, frogs and bees going about their daily lives in peace and serenity. While I like where I am now, I know that this will be so very much better for the artistic side of me as well.

So as of the 15th of June I will be there.
This means packing and changing addresses etc. A bother but a small one.

Today I finished a White tulip for Barb, my Son-in-laws wonderful mother.
She has a dear friend that is a gardener extraordinaire.
Carol did all the flowers for the kids wedding when they married, and from what I hear her flowers are second to none.
It was a fun paint, and offered very little challenge, as it seemed to paint itself.

I hope you like it.
Be well all.
~~Kathleen

Red Oriental

2009-04-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

I painted this flower at least ten times before I got it right.
And still, I don't know for sure if it is done.
But, for what it is worth, here it is.
Hope you like it.
~~Kathleen

I am Featured in the Arts section of the local Newspaper.

2009-04-15T19:37:00.000-07:00

The paper came out today and the interview that I did with reporter James Emery turned out better than I ever imagined it would.
(Airdrie Echo)
http://www.airdrieecho.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1525259
I was so excited when he interviewed me, that I could not remember what we even spoke about!
So the content was a total surprise to me.
Needless to say, I am very pleased with it.
While it is a Local newspaper, it covers parts of Calgary and all of the surrounding area of
Rocky View, which is a huge coverage.
He included my photograph as well as featuring a picture of my frog painting
"The Wedding is Off!"
I can see where this will be a positive thing for me as well as exposing my art to more people.
Hope you agree.
~~Kathleen

A lily in the making

2009-04-11T17:19:00.000-07:00

They say, that a Rose is a Rose.....
But a Calla Lily is an expression of grace and beauty!
I do believe that A Calla Lily is a difficult flower to paint.
This beauty is a cream white with very soft green undertones and struck me as such a delicate flower.
The way the flower twists and turns around itself, kind of makes one wonder what it is trying to hide.
In all I have always loved the shape of these flowers. They are graceful and just plain lovely.
Hopefully I have done this beautiful flower justice.

~~Kathleen
"Lily"
Acrylics on Canvas
12" X 24"

Rachels Mum

2009-04-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

So, I decided to go one step further with painting flowers.
This time I used a Yellow Mum, and tried to "loosen up a bit!"
I think I have a better understanding of how to paint a flower now....Hopefully.
Some seem to do this with some effortlessness.
I struggle.
I am always questioning myself, and oftentimes, I cannot seem to relax
when attempting anything new.
In this painting, I have used the act of light shining almost through the Flower
all the while, casting a shadow on the background!
Well here it is....
Hope you like it.
Rachels Mum
Acrylics on Canvas
8" X 8"

An Exercise in shadows (?)

2009-04-05T19:42:00.000-07:00

This is a work that I have wanted to attempt for a very long time.
It is shadowing the petals of a flower that I am trying to teach myself.
Again, I began on the wrong step, and had to re-work the whole painting.
I changed the colours of the flower completely
and am still not sure that it is finished.
But here is where I am tonight.
Hope you like it!
~~Kathleen
Acrylics on Canvas
8" x 10"
Rachels Daisy

Detail of Pollen on leaves;

Chocolate and Energy!

2009-03-30T10:25:00.001-07:00

Every once in a while, I indulge in Chocolate!
Not just a couple, but a whole lot.
I will eat a whole bunch of it and then am good for a few months with no desire for sweets in the interim.
The other day amidst yet another huge snowfall I got into a bag of Hersheys Kisses.
I ate them royally and without count!
While I was doing this I was downloading some new photos for references for painting.
I had to change the batteries in my camera and one fell onto the pile of wrappers from the Kisses.
I looked at it and thought "Heck I don't need batteries, Chocolate does it all!
So here is my picture....Two of the greatest inventions of all time:
Hersheys Kisses (already consumed), and the Battery.
I am now all charged up!
~~Kathleen

The Wedding is Off!

2009-03-20T20:37:00.000-07:00

Froggy got stuck in a sunshower the other day.

So Miss Toad has to wait for the rain to stop, and Mr Froggy to dry out to have a happy wedding day.

This is painted from a reference photo by Kristina Kotarski
You can enjoy her photography here
http://www.hellfirediva.com

Detail of frog;

Hope you like him. I do!
~~Kathleen

"Every once in a while Miracles Happen"

2009-03-17T18:50:00.001-07:00

I have the wonderfully good fortune of being in (almost) daily contact with one of the finest Macro photographers out there.
Her name is Kristina (Tina) Kotarski also known as Hellfirediva.
She is an award winning photographer, and I must admit, I spend a lot of time as an artist looking at her site and drooling.
Luckily for me, (a miracle) Tina has given me permission to attempt to try and translate her work into my Medium of Acrylics.
This is my first attempt at doing this and I hope that some day I can do her work justice.
Please look at her work here....
http://www.hellfirediva.com/gallery/gallery.htm
This is my rendition of Tinas photograph of a tiny frog/toad sitting under a Toadstool and being dwarfed by the Morning Dew.

"Morning Dew"
30cm X 45cm
Acrylics on canvas

~~Kathleen

"I Have Arrived!"

2009-03-12T20:14:00.000-07:00

This year in Southern Alberta, we have had a dismally cold and very long Winter.
By now, some branches usually have a couple of buds on them, but not this year.
Painting this canvas has given me great hope of the things to come.
I hope it is as pleasing to you as it is to me.
~~Kathleen

"After the Frost"

2009-02-27T14:08:00.000-08:00

"After the Frost"

12" X 16"
Acrylics on canvas

I have finished this painting.
This took me a lot longer than I could have imagined.
As I said on a previous blog entry, this painting was (for me)
a totally new direction in style and execution.
I an quite pleased with the end result!
Hope you enjoy it.
~~Kathleen

"This is really Exciting" (UPDATED)

2009-02-25T13:42:00.000-08:00

....Well, for me at least. I am trying a new style of painting. I am taking a class that is offered by one of my fellow posters @ Wet Canvas, and being that the class is about Abstract art, I am in a totally new Realm.
What I have learned to date, is that doing anything in art that is outside your comfort zone is very hard, but it can be done, and done well.
I took this photo last Fall when we had experienced a monumental Frost. The plants in the garden were all frozen except for this one. All that the frost had done was turn some of the leaves Pink.

The composition of the jumble of leaves was so very pleasing to me, and I kept the photo in my "For Painting File"
I looked at it so often wishing that I had the expertise to paint it as it looked.

What I learned (in the class) was that you can step out of your comfort zone and do anything as long as you knew colour and composition.
So I began to paint it yesterday.
This is how far I have gotten, and I must say, that I am pleased with my progress.
I tend to be a bit heavy handed with paint.

But this time the paint I am using is very watered down and, I am "Washing" it on as opposed using to solid colour.

"After the Frost"
12" X 16"
Acrylics on canvas
(Work in Progress)

The painting is slow, as I often have to leave it, go away and then go back to assess where I am.
Hope you like this so far.
~~Kathleen

Todays work....
After I painted in the last leaves in the upper left corner, I have begun to work on my colour Values.
This painting is all too much one hue.
I will have to add shadows and deepen the colour of some of the leaves.

But it is getting there.
Thanks for looking.
~~Kathleen

A new attempt & And "Hidden Lake" completed.

2009-02-16T21:57:00.001-08:00

"Sunbeams, A Forrest and The Trees in Front"
Acrylics/Mixed Media on canvas
6" X 6"

What I have here is just a little Jewel.
With the help of Kathy @ Wet Canvas, I am learning a new technique and delving into a somewhat more abstract type of art here.
I have never understood a lot of abstract works. Yep I like Picasso and his contemporaries,
I like Cubism because I can see something in the paintings.
But blobs/lines and splotches were/are beyond my comprehension.
The above painting has used different techniques for the background that lent themselves to the final work.
The foreground was totally inspired by the background.
While doing the background, I had the brilliant idea of adding some Gold & Copper foil
bits that I had saved from an earlier work.
Unfortunately foil is almost impossible to photograph in a realistic manner, and it really throws the camera lens off with glare)
So the photo of this painting really does not do it justice.
Once the background had dried, and I scrubbed off the excess foil, I had a perfect pallet for trees, being visited by the rays of the sun (foil)
And that is how this work came to be.
I hope you like it......
On to
"Hidden Lake"

Acrylic on canvas
12" X 14"
Again, I had a lot of help with this one from my friends at Wet Canvas.
I was having a hard time depicting the drop from the viewers point of view to the lake below.
(Almost one kilometer)
Posing my problem there brought just a wealth of suggestions and offers of help.
It is a wonderful community, and I am proud to be a part of it.
I was being too technical (way too much detail for anything that far away) with the trees below, and originally I did not have the ledge in the front (bottom of the canvas) therefore no depth perception.
It is completed now, and I am very pleased with how it turned out.
You can compare this final work with where I decided I had problems in the previous blog entry.
Hope you like both these lovelies.
I am quite pleased with them myself.
~~Kathleen

Finally a new beginning....Update

2009-02-12T21:41:00.001-08:00

Well, it is coming along, I will change the foreground a bit to enable the perspective to
appear a bit more clearly.
I have not got the depth that I want yet.
No shading, no true colour, but a lot of work between the first picture and this one.
More later.
~~Kathleen

"Hidden Lake on Mt. Sarrail"
Unfinished work
Acrylics on canvas
12" X 12"

Finally, after a month of being very sore, and unable to even hold a brush properly, I have begun to paint again.
I am working on a painting of "Hidden Lake"
You can get to this lake, but only after a 19 kilometer hike up the side of Mt. Sarrail.
But what a view.
It is hidden way up high within a Valley
on Mt. Sarrail in the Kananaskis area of The Canadian Rockies.

The Mountain behind the lake is Mt. Indefatigable.
And yes, it is that big.
This view (that I am painting)
is from above the lake before the decent to the area.
The mysteries of nature are wonderful and abound in this area of Alberta.
Hopefully I can do this scene justice, and that the paint falls from my brush in a pleasing manner.
~~Kathleen

How many artists does it take?

2009-02-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

"Trust"
The town of Cochrane Mural

I have become friends with a lovely lady in Scotland through blogger and our mutual love of art!
We are not close, but we communicate!
The interesting thing is that she has a son now living in the City of Calgary.

Yep, she & I meet on the net, and her son is now living less than 30 minutes away from me.
Isn't the internet a fabulous place?
We note eachother from time to time, and enjoy each others blogs.
Katie sent me a note (pasted below, as for some reason Blogger will not let me publish it under my comments.)
Check out Katies blog here:

http://katiedeespics.blogspot.com

The neat thing about this whole thing, is that I have been following the making of these murals, and while I have actually seen some, was not aware that the Cochrane Mural was completed.
Well, now I know, because a wonderful Lady in Scotland took the time to let me know what was happening in my own back yard!
(BIG GRIN HERE!)
Please copy/paste the URL she provided in her note to me and check out this wonderful site.
The Murals that have been done are wonderful and truly Works of Art
Again small world Huh?
~~Kathleen

Katies note.....
"My son in Calgary sent this to me today and I thought you might be interested as it is in your part of the world, Regards,
Katie

This is truly amazing!!
LOOK CLOSELY BY CLICKING ON ANY PART OF THE MURAL. It is called the Cochrane Mural....
For those not living in the West, Cochrane is NW of Calgary and East of Banff, in the foothills of the Rockies. This mural was unveiled last week at the Cochrane Ranch House. Each tile is one foot square and has its own individual picture. Each tile is by a different artist. All of them placed together form this huge mural.
You can click on each tile to see them in detail.
Check out the horses eye.
http://www.muralmosaic.com/Cochrane.html

"You Just Gotta Believe!"

2008-12-27T12:15:00.000-08:00

"Santa "Bob" of the Crossfield Fire dept. "

Please note, I have changed the Heading photograph so as to
highlight "Santa Bob" of the local fire dept.
He loves being Santa and is rarely out of his suit all December.

On Christmas Eve Maura, Bob and the boys picked me up in Crossfield and we headed out on Limit Ave to the overpass to get to their place.

Well, wouldn't you just know it, we saw Santa beside a Fire truck a street up from my place.
Of course we made a detour so we could see him.
We got to the Fire truck and Santa came over to Bobs Truck Shaughn got out and Santa spoke to him!
Needless to say this was the moment of truth to Shaughn.
But the story doesn't end there!
We all got back in our truck (Marshall slept through the whole thing)
back to Limit avenue and the way home, until we passed the next street!
And there he was in a matter of seconds there was Santa again and the fire truck making sure that all the little boys and girls would go to bed before he started his official rounds.
"How could he do it so fast?" asked Shaughn. " He was on that other street just a moment ago!"
"It is Santa, and he is Magic" answered Shaughns Mother.
The next street we passed and there was Santa AGAIN!
By this time Shaughn was beside himself and by this time a complete believer in Santas magical powers!

The town of Crossfield has a Fire Department with three trucks, and this group of dedicated men (all volunteers), take the trucks and drive up and down every street in town saying goodnight to all the children, letting them know that the secret to a good visit is being in bed and asleep at the right time.

How wonderful these men are, and how wonderful for all the children in our town!
For the Volunteer Fire-fighters of the town of Crossfield, Alberta I have this to say....
May you all be blessed with safety and good health this coming year.

Please know that your kindness to our children meant so very much to this six year old boy.
In this day and age, Magical powers that are actually seen are the greatest gift of all.
Shaughn will never forget The Christmas Eve that he actually saw Santas' Magical powers, that he could be in three places at the same time.
You just Gotta believe!
I hope that Santa was good to everyone this year.
I hope that the most meaningful thing about your Christmas was seeing
A child in awe of the power of the season of love.
~~Kathleen

"We are what we make our world!"

2008-12-21T06:48:00.000-08:00

"Winter Dance"
Acrylics on sealed Mdf Board

I wish for you Peace, Happiness and Warmth
In the coming year.
Be well and enjoy life.
Smile at a stranger, Smell the air.
Laugh and Dance.
Hug a child, and tell someone just how complete your life is with them in it.
Grow a flower, bake cookies.
Look up Compassion in the dictionary.
Learn to live it!
But most of all
Be Thankful.
We can have a good life if we allow ourselves to .
The world around us cares.
One person at a time.
Slowly we can add our input to a positive world.
Collectively it works so much better.
~~Kathleen

The Best Little Restaurant in the county!

2008-12-17T11:55:00.000-08:00

"Side Street"
Crossfield, Alberta
Canada
Acrylics on Canvas
12" X 24"

Often we are pleasantly surprised when we go into a restaurant!
It might be the decor, or the setting, and often can be the food!
Yep, even in this day and age, we do have places such as this one that serve wonderfully home-cooked meals.
Shepherds Pie, Chicken Stew, Roast Chicken with all the trimmings.
Topped off with a spectacular home made dessert such as Apple, Raisin, Cherry Pie.
Maybe a Home-made cream Puff slathered in real whipped cream,
and or a home-made Danish, cookies and date squares!

Everything in this little Jewel is Home Made!
They don't even have a deep fryer!
So, no French fries, and or fried foods.
Just old-fashioned made from scratch meals.

The decor is homey and pleasant.
The staff is wonderful and the coffee is always fresh!
The place is always packed with the regular coffee drinkers in the morning to
the working men in from the fields and or Job site outside.
Huge servings of hot nutritious food.
Every one eats everything up and the plates are left bare.

Patsy, (the owner) will be getting this painting for Christmas from her staff.
I painted it just for them.
And for her, a woman that has a right to be proud when she says.
"I own my Own Restaurant"
~~Kathleen

It is just a matter of how you see it!

2008-12-14T09:46:00.000-08:00

"Parked for the Winter"
It has been bitterly cold here for the last while.
While we rarely have to put up with this type of weather for long periods
(Chinooks come in and warm us up frequently)
We are not big on leaving the comfort of our homes when it is -30C.
I took this photo of Marshalls favorite truck yesterday!
It looked so cold and lonely.
Soon it will be pushed and dragged around the yard again.
But for now it sits waiting for the
warmer weather and my Littlest grandson play with it!

Shaughns Gingerbread house
Shaughn and I decorated his annual gingerbread house last night.
It was a surprise for his parents to see when they got home.
He loves doing things like this, and takes the decorating very seriously.
Note the candies on the snowman closest to the Left side of the house.
Maybe more is better?
I love this time of the year, and creating with my older Grandson.
What better cheer can one wish for?
Hope you all are enjoying the days before Santa comes.
~~Kathleen

22,000 Acts of Love in 45 minutes!

2008-12-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

Last night the "Calgary Hitmen" (Minor hockey league) had their annual
"Teddy Bear Toss!"
The game plan is .... all is good at the hockey Game untill the first goal is scored!
Then the Teddy Bears fly!
And fly and fly!

Last night 22,000 Teddys landed on the ice for children in Albertas Hospitals
and, because of this, no child is left without a new Teddy for Christmas!
It is Magical and wonderful to see all those Teddys flying through the air!
Enjoy the pictures that my daughter took st this event!
One photo is my grandson Shaughn (On the left) and his friend Jake (Right) smiling with glee at the whole event.
Have you ever seen 22,000 Teddy Bears in one place?
(Looks like a whole lot of people won at this Hockey Game)
~~Kathleen

Sky Ice Water series continued

2008-11-26T17:55:00.000-08:00

Sky Ice Water #2

Sky Ice Water #3

"Sky Ice Water #4"

The above paintings are Acrylic on Water colour paper
11" X 7"

These three little lovelies took me over a month to complete.
As I have said before, there is a certain beauty in the starkness of the ocean in the Arctic.
The sky and water seem to be one with only the ice separating them.
The ice takes on the blue hues of the water, and under the dimness of the midnight sun
the colours are breathtaking.
I hope you do enjoy these.
I was in rapture while I painted them.
~~Kathleen

"Fourteen Trees on a River Walk"

2008-11-12T12:29:00.001-08:00

Acrylics on Canvas
12" X 12"

Finished Finally!
Another experiment that turned out so well.
I am pleased with myself.
The challenge to myself this time was to paint a winter scene with no shadows.
In the winter here we have Gray days, no sun, just cloud cover, so there are never shadows.
With three colours I did it!
I used:
Phthalo Blue (Green Shade)/Titanium White & Paynes Gray
(All Golden Heavy body Artist Acrylics)
Paynes Gray was used only for the trees.
With proper shading/mixing of the Blue & White I was able to achieve many variences in the snow colour.

tehehehe, Sometimes I surprise even myself!
I think I am getting better at painting Winter in my style.
Coffee time now!
Be well all
~~Kathleen

"Lake Louise Has Frozen Over!"

2008-10-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

"Lake Louise Has Frozen Over"
10" X 10"
Acrylics on canvas

I painted this today.
I have been studying the Group of seven (plus a few more) and am totally enthralled with the style that these fabulous artists painted in.
Everything they do/did was perfection, and so cleanly painted.
I have tried in this painting to achieve a detailed work without using any details.
If that makes sense.
I tried to let the colours and hues of the paint work for itself.
Hope you like it!
~~Kathleen

Gotta love Moonlight and snow!

2008-10-21T10:58:00.001-07:00

"Manitoba Moonlight"
10" X 10"
Acrylics on Canvas

Seems like my Winter series are very popular.
People just love them and they offer a glimpse of the Magic of winter
without having to be cold!
This little beauty (again) is based on
my Manitoba winter nights and walking my faithful dog Ben in the late evening.
Hope you like it!
~~Kathleen

Wheels that turn are amazing things!

2008-10-19T18:29:00.001-07:00

My Grandson when he discovered that the wheels on his McDonalds Hot wheel car
still spun around after zooming it on the table.
He had never seen anything like it before and was totally
mesmerized by them spinning.
What joy little Men bring to our lives!
Especially him.
~~Kathleen

"Sky Ice Water #1"

2008-10-15T15:57:00.000-07:00

"Sky Ice Water #1"

Acrylics on canvas
8" X 16"
Kuujjauk, NWT

Still on my Winter series.
The sky and water seem to be one, while separated by ice flows
in the Arctic.
~~Kathleen

Finished and signed.

2008-10-09T10:45:00.000-07:00

Detail of the Ballerina;

"Moonlight Becomes Her"
Acrylics on canvas
11" X 14"

Finally I have finished "Moonlight Becomes Her"
My experiment with metal leaf paper has proven to be a great success.
What was/is not a success is the abilityto photograph this work in a manner that truly shows the real beauty of it.
The Silver/Copper Leaf just shines whilst taking any photograph even without a flash!
In actuality the silver lines in the water are hair thin, but look so cumberson in the photograph!
"Well, (She says) I suppose this is one work that will be appreciated fully by those that can and will look upon it in person."
You will notice that the horizon is not flat. I opted to do this as it seems like this can be an "Other Worldly" painting, and one wonders if we are looking at the moon from Earth, and or looking at the Earth from somewhere else.
The way the Moon glimmers is more indicative of how the highlights show.
I hope you like it!
~~Kathleen

"Moonlight Becomes Her!"

2008-10-02T13:10:00.000-07:00

"Moonlight Becomes Her!"
Acrylics on canvas
10" X 14"
(unfinished)
I am working on a new painting.
Something very different for me.
The works of Howard Cowdrick
(His blog is listed on the right)
have inspired me re this, and eventually, this will become a
multi/media work.
I am excited, as I am venturing into a completely different area with painting this time.
Watch for up-dates on this one!
~~Kathleen

"Winter Moonlight"

2008-09-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

Winter,

I think I have captured that wonderful electric blue/white that surrounds me, when I go for a walk in the moonlight on a very cold (Clear) winter night.
I have found in my life (so far) that nothing, absolutely nothing about nature reaches my soul more than these Winter night-time walks.
It is as if you are one with the universe.
Everything is quiet, and I am in awe at the spiritual beauty surrounding me.
And, if the Northern Lights are flashing, even better, but those lights could never be emulated with any semblance of recognition.
You might say that I have painted a "Feeling" as opposed to a scene.
~~Kathleen

I can do it! (if you help me)

2008-09-24T09:50:00.000-07:00

Yep, I love chocolate, and I love cake!

(Dad seems to think differently though!)

The play structure "Safetied" so Marshall cannot get to the top.

I want to go higher

.

That mouse will be mine !

Who needs chairs?

I have it open, what now?

I can do it!

My Teddy and me!
(his birth gift from his big brother, and he will not sleep without it!)

My Littlest Grandson!
I have the joy of being a grandparent to two wonderful little boys.
One is six and in grade one, the other is 15 months.
The little guy is determined to do what he likes when he likes.
Now this is not a bad thing, but he likes things that most kids his age cannot be bothered with.
He likes computers, calculators, phones, and most things that have buttons that give you a display!
Not too long ago we got him a toddlers computer with a mouse so he would leave the "Real" computer alone.
Nope! Not good enough. He is aware that Daddys computer, and his big brothers DS are "Real" Computers that have real displays and real sounds, not the baby stuff. At a year and a half he knows the difference, and will not be side-tracked.
Looks like he will need his own Lap-top soon.
He knows which keys get a response when pushed, and how to bring up a picture!
When he plays outside, he can't be bothered with rocks, and stones, nope he wants to explore the world, and walk.
He wants to climb and climb he does.
Right up to the top of the Play structure and on the platform on top!
With a big grin he totters up high with the "I am the King of the World" look!
And our hearts are stopping just thinking about the consequences of him getting up there all by himself.
Well, we blocked off the ladder, and he was fit-to-be-tied!
Major temper tantrum then.
He figured out how to remove the boards blocking the ladder, so Lattice work went up at the entrance atop.
And he knew that climbing was useless, 'cause he could not get in.
His tenacity is wonderful, but he requires constant watching because he will not give up.
He is (already), a problem solver, and can and does figure a way around roadblocks that his parents implement to keep him out of trouble and danger.
I love his determination and when we walk around the driveway
(A long way for a very little boy)
his hand in mine gives me such joy!
His mother was like this as a little girl, and I am so very much enjoying my littlest grandson.
I am in total denial when I see him and he can do no wrong.
~~Kathleen
("Muggle" to her two bestest little men!)

"The Rangers Cabin"

2008-09-23T18:07:00.000-07:00

Another test in shading and depth perception.
This time with snow, this painting is not finished as of yet,
but I wanted to post it to show
that I have actually gotten better with my depth!
Note:
I have finished this painting and the image is of the final work now!
Snow is a hard thing to paint, as it is never white, and always has shadows.
The mountains in the background were painted in, and then covered with a wash of white to make them recede.
I think I have achieved
(for the most part)
What I set out to do!
~~Kathleen

"Shading is the answer"

2008-09-15T23:46:00.000-07:00

"Inlet"
Acrylic on Canvas
8" x 10"
I have often looked at paintings and wondered "How on Earth did He/She do that?"
Lately I have been following Landscapes and have been amazed at the way the ground is painted, how the trees/bushes are separated and individual while they could seem to be all one.
At least for me they were turning out that way.
Well, today, I finally figured it out!
Shading!
Plain and simple shading.
In the ground in this painting I have Yellows/reds/greens and gray!
(And a whole lot of shading.)
The tree in the back is separated from the bush and that bush is separated from the one in the foreground by the stream and shading as well.
And again, a whole lot of colour!
Maybe I am learning.
There are some things I look at and love, but have no desire to paint!
There are others that I strive to learn.
I like painting, and I hope it shows.
'Cause, you really can teach "Old Dogs" New tricks!
~~Kathleen

And we are six and in grade one!

2008-09-07T12:41:00.000-07:00

Already for school
Shaughn speaking with his other grandmother
First day in grade one!

This year my grandson began classes in the "Real School"
Grade one in the main building. He has already been given the honour of having one of the shovels hanging on his BIGGER than everyone elses' coat hook.
I gather the shovels (three I think) are in grade one so the snow on the sidewalk can be removed (with the caretakers assistance of course) by volunteer grade oners!
He is an astute Little Man, and believes that if you follow the rules, you will do well.
(A trait instilled in him by his Mother & Father.)
He wants to be able to read better, is not crazy about Math, and still hates colouring!
He will try his best, as, again he knows hard work has its' rewards.
(Doing his "Chores" every night nets him a Quarter per chore which is paid every Saturday!)
His chore money is saved until he has enough to purchase something that he wants very much. He MUST earn all his money, and this weeks shopping trip netted him a Lego Star-Wars fighter with a unique four armed creature.
$23.00 in all, and he worked & saved every penny.
I think he is on the right track.
Mind you, he "Is" my grandson, and I see no faults in him, that is a job for his parents, not me.
~~Muggle

"And Sloane makes three"

2008-08-30T18:41:00.000-07:00

"And Sloane makes three"
Acrylics on canvas
8" X 12"
Sometimes the very best things in life are not evident!
The things we cannot see in a painting are what makes it whole.
This is my niece on her honeymoon walking to the beach in Italy.
Her new husband is following her, (taking her picture)
I saw the original photograph and thought
"How like Ainslie this is"
She is a determined woman, a smart woman, and a beautiful woman!"
And I love her.
I wish her and Julian a lifetime of sunshine and sandy beaches.
And they will have them
because
They work hard for what they want.
~~Kathleen

"Getting it right!"

2008-08-26T05:19:00.000-07:00

Full Painting

Close-up
This is a partial close-up of my latest work. It belongs to a series that I call Botanicals.
The challenge of letting the idea flow to a canvas is great.
Composition/size/colour/ style all have to be taken into consideration.
While the process (after completion) seems easy, the intensity of
"Getting it right"
is always there.
(Full painting is just above)
An artist is never satisfied with her work, even after it is supposedly finished.
Something always looks like it could be clearer/deeper/more defined and added to.

Saying "It is done" is a form of getting it right, and when you not only say It is done, and then leave it alone for good,
you have accomplished a work of art.

Stopping at the right time is crucial.
Hopefully I have learned this.
I have a lot of beginnings in my life every day.
Very few ends, as life tends to go on.
Here's to digging in your heels and saying
"ENOUGH"
Once in a while it is not a bad thing to do!
~~Kathleen

"Euphorbia Waringiae"

2008-08-22T08:32:00.000-07:00

"Euphorbia Waringiae"
16" X 20"
Acrylics on canvas
I am working on this right now.
It will be a companion work to go with
"Papaya" & "Split Leaf Philodendron"
(Both featured elsewhere in this blog)
I have always wanted to do a series of like minded paintings.
Actually, I am thrilled at how wonderfully these works are turning out.
Maybe I have found a niche?
No matter I am enjoying, and that is what counts.
The only interruption has been the making of a wee tiny Light saber
(Darth Vaders none-the-less) for my grandson to replace one that mysteriously got lost.
Darth must have a Red Light saber! So now he does, and my abilities have now increased ten-fold in one little mans eyes!
One might say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder in all seriousness.
At this point in his life, my art means absolutely nothing to him.
But
I CAN MAKE LIGHT SABERS!
Now that is an accomplishment.
Be happy everyone
It is not what we think about what we do that is important.
It is how we make those that we love feel that really counts.
At least it is to me.
~~Kathleen

A monthly Challenge

2008-08-19T20:16:00.000-07:00

Yep, this little painting is part of a regular monthly challenge @ Wet Canvas.
Every month we are given a different photograph and if we choose to,
we paint it..
It is so interesting to see the different styles/ways and techniques we all use to achieve our goal.
The real challenge for me, is that I promised myself that I would paint every different strokes photograph with my Art knives until I complete a painting that looks somewhat like the original reference.
This month I didn't do all that badly, and am rather pleased with what I accomplished.
It is not a work of art! but, it is a beginning
and I will do better next month (I hope)
~~Kathleen
(Who thinks that no matter where you are in life, new roads are exciting places to explore)

I think it is done....

2008-08-16T23:30:00.000-07:00

"Papaya"
Acrylics on canvas
16" X 20"

....But then again, no painting is ever really finished in an artists eyes!
Seems everything needs tweaking, a glob of paint here, a new line there.
But it is important to know with anything that we do that there is a time to call it done!

Without ever saying,
"I am done this now!"
we would never get the chance to enjoy our work.
We would never be able to share our accomplishments with everyone.
We would never be able to move on to new challenges and endeavors!
So I am done this painting now.
I do hope it pleases you!
~~Kathleen
(Who is already thinking about her next challenge)

What is the "Pot of GOLD" really?

2008-08-12T11:37:00.000-07:00

I watched a spectacular rainbow the other evening.

It began behind my daughters home and ended up landing right atop
the neighbours barn (3/4 mile away).
Now was the pot of gold the Farmers barn?
In this day and age when Farmers struggle to keep their farms, one wonders
if most people realize their plight?
Do any of us think about farmers when we eat much of the abundance on our
tables?
Do we realize that being that they are on the bottom of marketing chain,
that they receive the least of anyone for the food they produce?

Do most people realize what one Harvester/seeder/combine costs now?
How about pest control, Government standards set up to protect you the consumer?
How much more today do these regulations cost the farmer?
Their income has not risen per unit in many years, because as they may get paid more as opposed to ten years ago, the operating costs have risen 100-fold.
So Maybe the neighbour farmer has a Pot of Gold in his barn!
If so, he sure worked hard for it!

If you ate today....Hug a Farmer!
~~Kathleen

Brothers and families

2008-08-09T08:27:00.000-07:00

I have three brothers.
I love them all so much.
They are Kind, intelligent and thoughtful.
And they all have daughters two of them have sons!

My older brother just attended his daughters wedding In Connecticut.
One wonders about the thoughts of a father when his precious little girl gets married.
One wonders about the pride of looking at a little girl as a woman and hoping that all will be good in her new world!
One wonders.
Especially when thousands of miles separate them.

Another brother has two girls & one son, and is now a grandfather to five little ones (four girls and one little boy)
He is as well a father/grandfather of exceptional qualities.
Loving,kind and gentle.
He loves his children and his family as a whole unit.
Nothing separates his love for his children

The third brother has one daughter, and he has just become a first time grandfather. Big, burly and gentle as a lamb when he holds his newest little girl.

I love my brothers, all three of them are educated,kind,compassionate men.
All of them are full of love laughter and kindness.
All of them have worked very hard all their life.

I am the luckiest of sisters.
I have three brothers and each and every one of them is a wonderful man!
I love you guys, you all have always inspired me.
~~Kathleen

Excitement with a new project.

2008-08-05T08:58:00.000-07:00

"Papaya"
Acrylic on canvas
16" X 20"

I have begun a new painting.
Yep, the excitement is there. When I begin something new, everything from the size of the canvas to the colours is all encompassing in my mind constantly. Quite often the beginning process will take me about a week.
I think of an idea, brush it off and say "No way!" to myself.
Next thing I know it is back in my mind, and I am mulling over the potential/possibilities in my mind. Again, I brush it off. I pass my painting area, and check out the sizes of canvas I have on my shelf, and think "Weeeeel Maybe" and again brush it off. I browse Google for ideas, start a rough sketch in Paint, and think
"Heck this may just work."
I leave it alone, all the while it is in the back of my mind. Then I get serious, and start to accept/reject ideas, colours and shape and form.

I plan what I really want and just know that I will never be able to accomplish this!
I walk past my Easel and pop a canvas on it. Look at it, and wonder "Will it really work?"
And again I leave it for a while. I go back and if it is a subject that needs a background, I paint what I think will work with my minds eye and the finished painting.

Transferring the sketch is the next thing done. And again I leave it for a while.
Then, I begin to motor....I am relentless until I am finished. Time has no relevance, and Sleep patterns change, eating times vary and the painting becomes an obsession with me.
I take small breaks sporadically (usually play a computer game or something of the sort.)
I go back to the painting and am amazed as it unfolds! Some how, without fail everything lands where I want it to, and it is as if from my brain to my paintbrush there is a direct connection that allows no interuption in the flow. It kind of paints itself.

Now the amazing thing is that often, the end result has nothing to do with what my initial idea was.
But, I am always happy with the final work, and am at odds with myself in wonderment in trying to figure out just how I actually was able to accomplish this work of art!
Heres to new beginnings in our lives, and may the end results always be pleasing to you!
~~Kathleen

Another day another painting & more Gesso!

2008-07-31T10:02:00.000-07:00

Well, I have begun another painting.

Yep, and I am not sure even already if I have begun it right.
So back to the Easel, and Gesso!
Now there are some tools in any trade that are considered mundane!
For a mechanic it may be.... a screwdriver....for a house painter....a brush and for a
secretary....a computer.
We all use these things and we tend to take them for granted.
For myself, an artist, my thing is Gesso!
I use it a lot. It is the great divider between right and wrong. It covers up mistakes, cleans canvas' and does a fine job of allowing one to begin anew if the original approach is all wrong.
Oftentimes we start a project and once we are into it, we realize that we are heading in the wrong direction.
Hopefully every person has a "GESSO" solution to these problems.

It is often not the finished product that has any meaning, but the path traveled to the end.
We all need some sort of Gesso in our lives, and if we are lucky our problems can be solved by using this product in one form or another.
When we hit a snag that will not allow us to correct our mistakes and gesso is not the answer, it is then time to re-think our approach and start anew.
Yep....toss out the old ideas, and start fresh!
Here is to fresh starts in your life.
May they all prove fruitful!
~~Kathleen

The plan begins to come together....

2008-07-27T12:43:00.000-07:00

Well, my daughter has designed the invitations for the "Little Mans" birthday!
Back stage passes on which a lanyard will be attached so the guests can hang them around their necks.
Of course they are Laminated!
She has so often commented that she is not artistically inclined.
I think these took a fair bit of imagination.
What say you?
~~Kathleen

Some things are just so Pretty!

2008-07-25T11:05:00.001-07:00

"Split Leaf Philodandum"
16X20"
Acrylics on canvas

I just finished this painting.
I have always wanted to do one like this, but never knew how the effect was achieved.
I do now....Glazing, lots and lotsa of glazing!
I am so pleased with myself.
See?
You can teach old dogs new tricks! :)

~~Kathleen

A work of art by an Inspired woman!

2008-07-24T11:05:00.000-07:00

I have "known" Rachel for about two years now.
I have never met her,but, we have become very good internet friends.
Rachel is a photographer, she says she is not professional, I say maybe not!
But, what I see when I look at her photography is beauty, be it a bug a child a bird or the smoke of a candle the moment after it has been snuffed out.

She inspires me, and quite a few works of art that I have produced ("Rachels Hosta" for example) have been inspired by her photography. Rachel sees the world for me so very often!
Her lens points to and picks up a second in time that can leave a person breathless.

My friend Rachel has a serious disease, and it has not once stopped her from being the consummate Mother/Wife/Teacher/Photographer!
Rachel is a determined woman, a woman that sees beauty in the strangest places, records it, and shares it with the rest of us that are in awe of her work!

Next time a work of art catches your eye, stop!
Stop, and think about what went into the making of it.
Think about who it was that made you look and smile!
Think about a world without people that inspire us!

Thank-you Rachel, I just adore you!
Rachels photography can be viewed here:
http://dreamy5.deviantart.com/gallery/#_featured--3
~~Kathleen

It is very important when your six.....

2008-07-20T09:42:00.000-07:00

.....To have the bestest birthday party ever,
Now, when I was a child many years ago, you would get (maybe) one present and a birthday cake after dinner. (We lived on a farm) Birthdays were almost a disappointment in our house.

Today extravaganzas are the rule!
And I agree.
Children are the most precious part of our lives, be it our children/grandchildren/nieces or nephews and the little friends of our loved ones.

One gift given at a birthday now would equal the total accumulation of a childhood of gifts for me.
And again I agree with the attitudes of today.
Childhood is to be celebrated.
And celebrate they do.
My grandson will be turning six in a couple of weeks, and his party has been in planning for at least two weeks already.

He, (Following his father) is an aficionado of the rock group KISS!
Yep, you heard me right.
He bops around with various guitars, (and with one shaped like Gene Simmons Axe that he and I made out of cardboard one day) singing strumming and pretending he is Gene Simmons!
He knows all the words, and is rather an expert on the bands doings from the inception.
Pop Quizzes about KISS are the rule in his home, and he always gets us!
I must admit that I actually have learned a lot more about KISS than I ever thought that I wanted to know.
But, on the other hand, I never had someone that I love as much as him question me about the band before either.

So he is having an "Alive "6"" tour themed birthday party.
(To this point KISS has only five Live albums, so Shaughns will be #6)
There will be guitars for everyone and an "Air Band", (Guitars are all blow up style)
Tee shirts with significant Kiss words embossed on them and the "Tour" appearance on the back.
Of course there will be the pool and cake drinks and, with a multitude of over-active six year old boys, one can only imagine the cacophony at his home that day!

Even the invitations will be done up in the style of "Backstage Passes" with an attached lanyard for hanging around their necks. (Laminated of course)

So you ask too much?
I don't think so. He is a little boy that adores his little brother and is so protective of him, that he sides with the little guy when their parents discipline him! (Hugging his tears away when the parents forcefully say "NO!")
He is helpful around the house (as much as a five going on six year old will be), he reads, never breaks his toys, and passed Kindergarten with flying colours!
(Almost never complained about homework, just colouring, which he really dislikes.)
He has learned how to swim this summer, and plays outside in his playhouse sharing his time on the slide and swings with his little brother.

I did not have a childhood.
My daughter and son-in-law are giving my grandson memories that are positive because he has earned the right to this every day. He does not get things just for asking, and he is often told no when he want something....responsible parenting with a whole lot of love kicked in!
I believe it is very important to be surprised beyond your wildest dreams on the occasion of your sixth birthday.....If for no other reason than, you were a wonderful five year old!
The front of his tee shirts will have the first picture above on the front of them.
~~Kathleen
Who loves when her grandsons have a birthday!

A New Work a New Style?

2008-07-16T09:31:00.000-07:00

I have just finished a new painting.
"Mijima Pine"
30" X 30"
Acrylics on finished 1/4" MDF board
I used Golden Light Molding Paste for the rocks and texture.
What fun!
Hope you like it.
(as always for a larger view, click on the picture)

Look at this beauty!

2008-06-27T06:42:00.000-07:00

(Click to enlarge)
A new idea!
Can be found here...
http://wordle.net/
Take any block of written words, insert, and a "Wordle"
is created.
The creator of this amazing little program has his own blog
here and is listed in my Blog list @ the bottom of this page.
The first is a Newsletter sent twice weekly by renowned artist
Robert Genn This one was based on the "Zen of Art"

And the second in which the words of a very accomplished artist and
mentor of many gave suggestions to someone re where they
are (and or want) to go with their art. (Thanks Howard)
Hope you enjoy using this great tool.
~~Kathleen

"Self Portrait "with commentary

2008-06-23T15:31:00.000-07:00

Painted for a "Self-Portrait" challenge @ Wet Canvas Acrylics forum.
(Acrylics on canvas 8'X 10")

My comments re the unusual design:
"I had a very hard time with this, I do not look at myself"

"I see my hands, the Moon, my Grandsons, but I do not see me.

I see the art that I paint, what I sew and design, I see my family and am proud of them, and that is me.

At this time in my life I see myself as at peace with the world, free, happy, and contented.

Learning to be a good Buddhist is important to me.
So,

A non-traditional Self Portrait.

I hope that others see me this way as well.

'A person that loves, is loved, likes her lumpy body, and is happy in her own skin, and cares not what others think, when she dances naked underneath the moon.
~~Kathleen"

"The Sun,The Moon and the Stars on a Windy Day!"

2008-06-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

A very rare attempt in doing an abstract.
Acrylics on canvasboard.
8"X 10"

The Woods in Front of the Lake"

2008-06-23T15:20:00.001-07:00

The peacefulness of the Poplar trees fronting Lake Manitoba
Acrylics on Canvas
10" X 12"

"The Verger"

2008-06-23T15:14:00.001-07:00

My first attempt at painting a face. Well, my first attempt at painting a detailed figure as well.
An old Verger speaking with a young lad in the side area of an old English Churchyard with theCemetery in the background.
Acrylics on Canvas
8" X 10"

"Blue River"

2008-06-23T15:03:00.001-07:00

Painted when I was challenged to "Paint a landscape" using only two colours!
I used Blue & Brown. (while is not considered a colour)
24" X 24" on MDF board.

"Brisbane Harbour"

2008-06-23T14:55:00.000-07:00

My first attempt at "Loose" painting.
Painted for "Different Strokes" competition @ Wet Canvas Acrylics forum
8" X 10" Canvas hardboard

"Moonlight Over Water"

2008-06-23T14:53:00.001-07:00

moon,light,The cold beauty of Moonlight reflecting over water.
Acrylics on canvas
16"X 20"
Private collection

"Hardwood Tree Trunks, Japan"

2008-06-23T14:46:00.001-07:00

My first attempt at colour without specific detail.
Acrylics on canvas board.
18" X 24"

"Little Boy, Big Lake"

2008-06-23T14:38:00.001-07:00

My grandson on the shore of Lake Manitoba.
18" X 24"
Acrylics on canvas
(private collection)

"Boy on Dock"

2008-06-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

Young boy contemplating his life on a floating dock.
Based on a photograph taken by his Father.
16" X 20"
Acrylics on Canvas

"The Woodpile"

2008-06-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

The Woodpile at the lake.
Acrylics on Canvas
16" X 20"

2008-06-23T14:18:00.000-07:00

Deleted

"Dreamys River"

2008-06-23T14:13:00.000-07:00

Painted from a photograph taken by my wonderfully supportive friend Rachel.
Acrylics on canvas
16" X 20"
(Private collection)

"Falling Water"

2008-06-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

Inspired by a Sulfur Spring in Hiroshima Japan.
Acrylics on canvas
16" X 20"
(Private collection)

"Morning Deer"

2008-06-23T14:00:00.000-07:00

From a Photograph taken by Maura on Easter Sunday Morning.
This little guy was part of a herd of Deer in her yard.
He was looking in the back patio doors.
Acrylics on canvas
10" X 10"
(Private collection)

"A Still Life in Red"

2008-06-23T13:56:00.001-07:00

My first attempt to do a monotone Still Life.
Not the best, but still an accomplishment that I like.
Acrylics on Canvas
8" X 10"

"Secret Garden"

2008-06-23T13:51:00.001-07:00

Oh the joy of a child when they present their mother with a bouquet of Dandelions on Mothers Day!
Acrylics on Canvas
8" X 10"

This post has been deleted,

2008-06-23T13:43:00.001-07:00

"Dogwood Blossoms"

2008-06-23T13:36:00.000-07:00

I think that I did capture the delicacy of these beautiful flowers.
They are so fleeting, and so welcome in the Canadian Spring.
Acrylic on Canvas
8" X 8"

"Lady Carols Pelicans"

2008-06-23T13:30:00.000-07:00

My first venture into something that was not a Still life/Landscape
From a Photograph provided by my friend Carol @ Wet Canvas Acrylics forum.
Taken @ the Sydney, Australia Zoo.
(Thanks Carol)

Acrylic on Canvas 10" X 10"
(Private collection)

"Looking In"

2008-06-23T13:24:00.001-07:00

A painting Of a window encircled by Grape vines and Geraniums
A delightful painting that thrilled me when completed.
Acrylic on canvas 16" X 20"

The beginning.....

2008-06-23T13:17:00.000-07:00

This will always be my favorite Painting.
As, it is the first one that I completed that had a professional look to it.
....A stand of Lodgepole Pines on the highway to Banff, Alberta, Canada.
All paintings here can be viewed in a larger size by clicking on the picture.
Acrylics on Canvas board
16" X 20"