The Hiatus is over!

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....

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....

"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"

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

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!"

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!!!!

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!

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.....

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.

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....

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

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.

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

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

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 (?)

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!

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!

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"

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!"

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"

"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)

....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.

"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

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?

"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!"

"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!"

"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!

"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!

"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!

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

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