squeezing the last bits of summer...

Hello lovelies!

Well, this is my first bit of art in weeks,
and although it says FREEDOM,
it looks more like anger to me. ;)

There will be more art
in the coming days/weeks
(I'm hoping art that's worthy of sharing!)
but for now,
I'd love to share a bit of my summer with you!

This beach is about 20 minutes from my home,
called L'ABOITEAU.
This man (in the sky!) was sitting on a motorized chair,
and he flew himself back & forth across the beach
for long stretches of time.

Just a little buzzing sound in the sky...
like a giant mosquito.

Swimmers on the left of the wharf,
fishermen on the right.
(the fisherWOMEN are drinking wine on that tour boat). ;)

summertime at the wharf = fun for everyone

 ...and french fries, cheese & gravy,
aka "Quebec poutine".

One of the boardwalks going to the beach...

My brother Rick, pointing at what he thinks might be JAWS... ;)

And this lovely place is called The DUNES,

on Prince Edward Island.

I have fond memories of PEI.

We used to go camping on PEI every summer,

for at least a week,

when the crossings were done by boat.

Now, we have this:

 

The Confederation Bridge

linking New Brunswick to PEI,

so it takes much less time to cross.

But it's also much less fun.

So the Dunes is an oasis of flowers & plants
and exotic wooden sculptures from Bali
and other places in the world
and paintings and jewelry and a garden
an art gallery and delicious food.

My son Alex and I took a ride there yesterday.
It takes less than 2 hours to get there,
so a nice way to spend the afternoon.
I love this place.

 a lovely spiral staircase...

 and incredible wood carvings.

There are several levels to the gallery
and a few lookout points,
so more beautiful staircases.

 part of the beautiful garden

 ...some of the stone sculptures,
all very serene, wouldn't you say?

These beautiful blues & pinks
just made me "oooo" and "aaaaah".

 some of the handmade wooden benches & chairs...

 The gallery/café/pottery studio/lookout point

This cozy spot was just begging for me
to sit here.
So i hung out here for a while
right after I took this picture. :)

 all you need is love

 a lamp made with small seashells...

 happy dancing Buddhas

These beautiful spirals are made with magazine pages,
all folded & rolled & glued together!
Someone has far more patience than I do. :)
What beautiful things we can make
with time and gentle hands...

gorgeous wooden sculptures,
all for sale at different price points.

And I took this one as we were leaving,
but now that I see it here,
it looks like he's pooping a block of cement! LOL!
It's really just another stone sculpture behind him.
I guess I should have taken the photo from a different angle.
Funny how I never saw it when i took the photo,
and now, it's ALL I see. :)

So the days are already getting shorter here,
and I'm finally done my office job,
and the company's all gone,
and although I loved seeing everyone,
I am always so relieved 
when fall is just around the corner.
It's my favorite season
and one that is always filled
with renewed energy.
I cannot WAIT to catch up with on-line friends
and start making art more consistently again
and spending more time in my little blue room
and doing yoga and reading
and BREATHING again.

Yes.
Because life should never just be
about working & paying the bills.

My new motto.
You can borrow it if you want.
You're welcome. 
xx

little houses, pépére, and stuff

I've had a few people send me emails lately,

telling me they've had problems leaving comments on my blog.

I've checked my settings & everything looks ok

but who knows...

For those of you who are able to leave comments,

i read them with a smile on my face & tuck them 

safely in my heart. :-)

So here are my little houses...

watercolour & white pen on paper.

I've felt a little stuck in the mud lately.

Maybe i need a trip to Bali, or Australia, or France? 

;-)

I find myself reading my little quotes

more often than usual these days...

needing the extra boost.

This is one of my favorites...

A quote by Steve Jobs and a print by an artist i love

from the Boston area, Mae Chevrette.

Check her out here.

I think it's important to feel inspired in our work spaces.

I try to surround myself with a few things 

that inspire me - this being one of them.

My grandfather made this years ago,

carved in one piece of wood,

and he was so proud of the fact

that he didn't cut or glue anything together.

Like many others of his generation

he had very little education.

He couldn't read or write,

but he worked hard his entire life

and provided for his family - 13 children.

I have memories of my grandmother

sitting at the kitchen table with him

trying to teach him to read.

He spent any spare time he had in his basement,

carving wood. 

He had carved an entire little village down there,

with horse drawn carriages and houses and churches

and fences and roads...

When he died years ago,

I inherited this.

More precious to me than gold

because it reminds me of who he was, at heart.

An artist.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Do at least one thing that you love.

Celebrate the fact that you are an artist.

The world needs more of us.

:-)