Wednesday, December 17, 2008

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


Sunday, December 14, 2008

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





Monday, December 1, 2008

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

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

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




Wednesday, November 12, 2008

"Fourteen Trees on a River Walk"


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

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

"Lake Louise Has Frozen Over!"



"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

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Gotta love Moonlight and snow!

"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

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Wheels that turn are amazing things!


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