So Much Fun!

When my Alphabet Journal was complete I was sad because it was so much fun creating a small sketch a day. Alas what to do?

Not too many days passed by when another journal idea popped into my head, and I am sure you have already guessed what that is! 

You got it! A 'Garden Journal'.

The little seedlings developed quickly and soon inspired and provided great sketching material.

To view the sketches please click on the first picture and it will take you into a proper viewing mode.

Note to self; "When thinning out the tiny little plants be merciless and throw them away. Do not, I repeat, do not start another pot!"
Oh my goodness I suddenly became frantic trying to find extra pots and a place to put them before they were released to the great outdoors.

While browsing in Home Depot one day I discovered this adorable little seed sack pot with Sage seeds to plant. Hello, do I need more plants? The packaging was so adorable I didn't have the heart to open it. With self confirmation and diagnosis it is sadly true, I'm a nut case!

Paul's Grapevine Cafe is a new addition to our backyard. Painting murals on our fence, and creating little spaces is like watching my imagination evolve. Two of my granddaughters loved having breakfast and reading in this cosy little spot.

Don't get excited, this homemade mosquito repellent recipe didn't work!

OUCH!!

Has anyone ever suffered with tennis elbow? Doctor's orders, "stay away from the computer and let your elbow heal."

After blogging thousands of blogs in my head I decided that it was time to share a few of them. 

April was a good time to start planting seedlings, but where could I setup my grow light? 

Hmmm, my dining room won't do because I turned it into a studio. The large dining room table was removed and replaced with my beautiful art table. No room for plants there. Shelves were filled with art displays and crystals to provide sparkle. No room there.  The walls were covered with paintings and special lighting was installed to provide just the right light for my paintings. Plants could not be standing in front of my paintings, that certainly would not look good in a studio!  

Why this quick studio makeover you ask? Well, I couldn't pass up a great opportunity to be a part of a studio tour the Art Society of Strathcona County was offering in June now could I?

 The Studio Tour was a huge success!

Now what to do about my seedlings? My mind scanned all of the rooms in the house and quickly came up with what I thought was a mighty fine solution, the den!  

It worked perfectly. Stay tuned for what evolved from here, oh my!

Alphabet Journal X, Y and Z

Looking for an idea to sketch for the letter X was a wee bit of a challenge. On line I discovered interesting names and their meanings and found one I really loved; Xindel, protector of humankind. The next thing I had to do was find a face to match a name with such importance. This kind face with little bit of tweaking was a perfect match. 

Wouldn't it be grand to meet Xindel?

My husband is from Yarmouth. There are hundreds of interesting historical pictures I could have chosen to sketch, but this one was calling; "paint me, paint me!" 

Many people were expecting a Zebra for the letter Z and I did consider several pictures of them, but then, while eating an orange one day zest just popped into my head! 

It was quite fun deciding on a composition for this simple little sketch. There were so many things to consider; how to pose my orange? How to peel it so it hangs just right. What surface should it sit on? What colours would enhance the orange. How should I place the orange? What shadows look most interesting? Creating a composition took more time than sketching and painting the orange. 

The Alphabet Journal was inspired by my very talented sister Mary and the Sketchbookers Society I belong to on Facebook. 

Every day looking for something interesting to sketch was an exciting journey.  While finishing my final little painting I was rather sad; "what will I do tomorrow?" I thought. 

"I know! I'll just start another journal! Gardening season is here, wouldn't a journal on gardening be awesome?  First I will begin with the seeds I bought, when I planted the seeds, when they began to sprout, how well the grow light works, and ...."

Alphabet Journal U to W

Suzie and Phillipe on their wedding day!
Rain or shine, my niece alway exudes joy. 

When I discovered Claude Monet's Atelier and Gardens in a Village in Giverny, Normandy I was compelled to continue reading his autobiography and sketching in my journal.

Following one of the masters has been quite the journey for me.  In 1980 Claude Monet was prosperous enough to buy some land and buildings. Monet is well known for his incredible paintings, but I didn't realize that he had extensive gardens created so he could use the scenes for his paintings.  

Brilliant! What a visionary! 

I can picture Monet walking down this little road on a beautiful sunny day scheming and dreaming about his next painting. 

Three pages were left in my alphabet journal to paint a few more 'V' scenes!

Birds are majestic! This darling Downy Woodpecker brought smiles of wonderment as he graced us with his presence in our backyard one day.

Alphabet Journal Q to T

My sister Mary is an amazing quilter,
Here are a few quilts she has created.

Homemade Dark Rye bread
My bread cookbook is getting full of my recipes.

This box of Allspice is part of my old spice
collection. Dating back to 1920.

 'Till Summer's End'
You can find some of my sister Mary's wonderful quilts and other creations in this quaint little shop.
  Port George, Nova Scotia

Had to add one more 'T' after being out with
a friend at Tim Hortons for coffee and a doughnut!

Alphabet Journey N to P

So looking forward to seeing my
nasturtiums bloom this summer

I saw this oil lamp in a photo along with several other oil lamps in a wooded area. It made me ponder. Was this something that was done many years ago before flashlights? Were people  camping, logging, or tapping maple trees? 

Perhaps Gypsies were using the oil lamps in the deep woods! 

Any thoughts on the matter?

Alphabet Journey Continues 'H to M'

These houses are from a quaint little place called Granville Ferry.  My sisters and I see these houses almost every summer on route to a farmers market in Annapolis County, Nova Scotia.

This is a place I would certainly love to visit,
Cefalu Village, Italy.

My mother lovingly made us
homemade kisses with bread
dough.What fond Memories
I have of Kisses and Jam!

Who can resist a kitten?

Ah, cooking and baking with lemons, so many options!

Painting sure can be messy, but oh what fun!

A to Z Journal Continues

Alphabet Journal  paintings: E, F, and G. 

Nothing more precious than mother and child hand in hand. Well in this case trunk to tail.

You have likely seen this phrase before, "A mother holds her child's hand for a little while, but their heart forever."

We might not all have children but we all have a mother!

Walking through a forest such as this would be so peaceful and meditative.

One day I was performing a very monotonous task, repainting my back yard fence gray. Brushing up and down, down and up with ugly gray paint, it was mind numbing. Then I thought; "Why not paint a purple door?"

One exciting idea led to another, I had an old white door knob just laying about, some slate to place in front of the door, an old window and thirty minutes later after an enthusiastic quick run to good ole Home Depot a window box was mounted. Now this cozy little spot is a hub of activity, plants are showing off their splendour, bees are buzzing, birds are chirping and splashing in the bird bath.

One day two of my grandchildren came to visit. They spotted the purple door and asked if they could open the purple door. I replied; "Sure, but you better knock first!" And so they did.

Later while having lemonade on the deck, the purple door was the topic of conversation, they giggled with laughter to think the door was real. I asked Desiree and Allysa; "If people lived in that little cottage, who do you suppose it would be?" Their eyes danced and sparkled, one idea after another came flying out effortlessly. People were created giving them names and descriptions, there was discussion on where they came from, why and how they got there. It was a thrill for me to be a part of that magical day.

Several months later a fourteen chapter storybook evolved. Perhaps one day I will share the story; 'Backyard Friends'. 

From A to Z

While on facebook the other day I discovered a new group, the “Sketchbookers Society.”  The artwork shared by so many talented artists was exciting; many produced a sketch a day! This inspired me to try to do the same.
If I was going to create a painting a day I needed a starting point, that’s when it popped into my head, “Alphabet Journal”!
My sketch a day had to be quick and simple, so choosing Pen and Ink and Watercolour was a great choice for me. The prop I chose to use is a Strathmore 140 pound cold press, 5.5” x 8” ring bound journal. The fine quality allows me to paint on both sides of the paper.
As an artist I think it is important to sketch a little something every day, even if it is just a 10 minute sketch of a simple object.
As you know I am already in the middle of a project with my bread paintings and recipes. “I can do both,” I told myself, in fact I will be sharing another mixed media painting any day now.
My but I do love a challenge!

There is more than just almonds in this bread recipe, all of the ingredients in the painting make this bread nutritious and delicious! 

This little scene on the right can be viewed from my kitchen window. I don't have the heart to cut the branch off, but I know I must.

Cob Salad for lunch was so pretty I thought it would make a great painting.

 

When I looked in the fridge and spotted this cheerful and colourful milk container it was just asking to be painted.

You might have noticed I haven’t used a ruler, so pardon the wonky lines! My journal is meant to be a daily exercise; I am not striving for perfection.
Stay tuned, more Alphabet to come.
Hope you enjoy my little journaling journey! 

x