life on other planets, the crazies and art.

hello friends.

It's been a strange couple of weeks

although if you ask me why

i can't give you an answer.

Maybe because it's that time of year,

maybe because of the way of the world,

maybe because I've not painted much lately.

Maybe because I'm writing more,

and because I'm watching

great documentaries

and reading great books

that remind me that

life is not the same for everyone

and we don't all see

through the same eyes.

Getting up in the morning

is easy for me.

It's hell for someone else.

I wake up to the sound of silence.

Others wake up to the sound of bombs,

or in incredible pain,

or hungry, 

or unloved.

I eat when I want.

Others don't.

This is a huge privilege

and it shouldn't be.

Governments are spending

billions on wars they create,

on defence budgets,

on space programs,

and there are still people on this planet

who don't eat.

That is a fucking BASIC need.

Food.

Clothing.

Shelter.

We send people in space

but we've yet to figure out a way

to feed the world.

I love science

but why are we concerning ourselves

with finding life on other planets

when we are not taking care

of the lives we have here,

on this planet?

Makes me crazy.
(hence, the crazy doodle) ;)
This makes as much sense to me
as those who sacrifice this life
for an eternal life after death.
And they usually kill others
in the process. 
I believe in life before death.
Not life after.
I guess i'm still trying to make sense
of something that will forever be
senseless.

And then, there's this...
We got our first snowfall last week. 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

Time to take out the music.

I just bought this one, and I love it.

But this one is still

my favorite of all time. :)

It's not Christmas until the Charlie Brown music comes on.

And then this happened. ;)
I may have shared this already
but it's cute, so I get to share it again.

Dad made Fluffy this little bed.

She totally loves being a princess.

She can do no wrong.

A few doodles from my 'draw your life' book.
A left handed drawing.

A few weeks ago,

I ordered this watercolor print from Prashant Miranda,

one of the great Sketchbook Skool teachers.

(They're all SO good)

Prash makes his home

between Canada and India.

Isn't it beautiful!?

I love it.

Love the bold colours.
He was so much fun as a teacher.
If you want your own print,
you can get it here.

And last, but not least...

If you purchase a copy of Color for Clarity by Jan 1st 2016,

you’ll receive a free e-book as our gift to you in thanks

for your support. Inside, you’ll find bonus colouring pages

and some great resources (several of which are free!)

to continue exploring your own creativity.

To claim your free e-book, forward your receipt

(or send a photo of Color for Clarity or other proof of purchase)

to me at:

paulinel@nb.sympatico.ca

and I'll send you your free e-book within a day or two.

And YES! Anyone who purchased the book when it was first released gets a FREE e-book as well!

If you haven’t grabbed your copy yet (and you know you want to) ;)

you can get it at:  http://colorforclarity.com/

And if you can, please leave us a review on Amazon!

We'd love to know how you like it.

Thanks for hanging out
and listening to my rants. ;)
xx

post Christmas or post snowstorm blues?

hi everyone!

Happy New Year!

Christmas may be over with,

but our tree is still up.

I've come to the conclusion

that i may be lazy. ;-)

So we've had 2 snowstorms since Christmas.

You know it's gonna be a long day when it's the beginning of the storm

and this is what you see when you open the door. 

Welcome to eastern Canada... :-)

My son and his girlfriend, making a snowman.

Living in the Maritimes means you either learn to find things to do in the snow
(for at least 4 months a year)
or you go insane.

Many choose to go insane. ;-)

Putting the finishing touches on Mr. Snowman.

The day after, when things had calmed down...

I've been a little scattered lately,
having a harder time focusing my attention on one thing.

I normally love the period between Christmas and New Year...

a wonderfully quiet and creative week for me.

But this year felt a little more lonely somehow - 

and less creative.

To be expected, i guess...

I'm not big on drama, so whenever i feel like things are

a little too heavy,

i go for a nice long walk in the cold

or i put on some great music,

or have a glass of wine,

and if i feel like i can carry the weight,

i just sit with the heaviness for a while

until it feels like it has something to say

and then i write about it.

I never let myself get too down for too long.

Life is just too damn precious for that.

Oh, and for the record - i no longer pray.

This holiday season was so different in so many ways for me...

i wanted to send you ALL individual greetings (before Dec 25!)

to let you know how much i've appreciated having each and every one of you here during the past year.

I didn't manage to do this, so i'm telling you all now.

THANK YOU. MERCI.

For being here,

for reading my rants,

for taking the time to comment, 

for sharing your stories,

for making me feel like MY stories matter.

I wish you all a year of sparkles and rainbows

and maybe even the occasional unicorn! ;-)

xox

why the holidays always make me go 'hhhhmmmm'

when i have a terrible need of - shall i say the word - religion, then i go out and paint the stars. 

- Vincent Van Gogh

i love the Van Gogh quote...

hello friends!

Christmas has come and gone for another year.

It was certainly different without mom,

but we made the best of it.

We had our traditional feast of Acadian poutines

and meat pies and seafood casserole and of course,

family and friends.

Oh, and there was wine... ;-)

i'm finally slowly making my way

back to the paints and crayons and colours.

I've missed it.

(coloured crayons on paper)

I did this one quickly last night,
just wanting to get back to doing at least something.

They're hanging on for dear life till the holidays are over. ;-)

i love the quote...

how many of us really dare to be ourselves, i wonder?
how many of us go through life wearing a mask,
pretending to be one thing or another?

how many of us are afraid to show our true colours,
for fear of not being accepted, or loved?

Children are usually wonderful at showing their true colours,
until the adults get in the way
and teach them what to think
rather than how to think.

I hope i am teaching my son how to think for himself...
how to decide whether or not he likes something,
based on how it makes him feel.

A paper clip painting... acrylic on paper.
Proof that you don't need an amazing subject
to paint something. :-)

And a few days ago, 

I saw this movie with a friend.

Loved it. Would see it again.

I hope you all had the kind of holiday you love -

whether that means non stop partying for you,

or a peaceful time at home with a good book or a few friends.

There's something about getting back into an artful routine

that feels wonderfully comforting to me...

Thanks for sharing this space with me.

I'll be back soon. Hope you join me again.

xox

Here's to 2012...

Hello everyone! Happy new year... 

When i said i was taking a break from blogging, i was serious. :-)
 i must admit it's good to be back, although i still feel like i'm stuck in slow speed and don't quite know where to start - or when.  

The holidays were great, but like most people, i overdid everything and too much of a good thing is never good, so i'm happy to get back to the routine of moderation. Last night, for the first time in weeks, i went into my blue room (photo above) and took out some paper & coloured pencils & just played for a bit.

Just as we often realize the extent of our love for something (or someone) only after it's gone, i often only realize how much i missed drawing or painting after i sit myself down in my chair... and put on some music, and calm myself enough to hear my own breathing. It felt good to be back.

I don't do resolutions. But with each new year, i take the time to reflect on the year passed,

and to look forward to the year ahead.

Even when that year may include the fucking Kardashians. :-)

We make the best of it, right? The good with the bad. Yin & Yang. 

I took this photo on December 27th, when i was visiting my parents. 

A double winter rainbow... ranks right up there with seeing a unicorn. 

My wish for you all in the new year:

that you ALL take baby steps towards your dreams & live the life that allows you to SHINE!

It's time. I said so.  :-)

xoxo

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Winter Solstice, Happy Holidays, etc...

This will be my last post for a little while. 

Until the holidays are over & family & friends have gone, and the last bits of chocolate & shortbread cookies have been eaten - and i have time & energy for creativity again. :-)  

I wanted to thank you all for the kind comments and for being such positive & creative forces for me. I am grateful for having found you all and look forward to another year of sharing ideas, and making this world a better place thru art. :-)

Merry Christmas everyone... xoxo

walmart lady

This poor Walmart woman seemed anything but happy to serve me... 

There were actually posters just behind her that read "WE CARE". Good ol' Walmart... :-)

Just goes to show you can surround a person with all the smiley faces you want,

but if her heart is unhappy, or if she's been standing on her feet for 8 straight hours, it won't matter.

Still, this whole scene made me smile.

xoxo

fire hair

I'm stuck in red these days. Very unusual for me. I'm usually a blues & greens kinda gal.

Maybe Santa is rubbing off on me? :-)

i did find a way to include the blues... 

not quite done yet, but i wanted to share anyway.

I'm having a lovely time in my neck of the woods, preparing for Christmas. The only thing missing now is snow. I'm one of those people who looks forward to a good snowstorm. It's unusual for us not to have snow at this time of the year, so my fingers are crossed, at least for a bit. :-)

Wishing you all a wonderful Tuesday! 

xoxo

kite

Life isn't always logical... 

(a quick morning sketch - Sharpie marker on photo paper)

I always love Starbucks' Christmas coffee cups... great, simple, clean design.

...and for those of you who dare, try the Pumpkin Spice Latte.

I think it's something like a million calories, but who's counting?

mmmmmmm.... :-) 

mr & mrs frog (yes, mr. frog has braces...)

i confess. This wasn't painted today, but it was at least finished today.

I started this painting last year and it's been sitting (unfinished) on my bookshelf since then.

It took AEDM to get me to finish it - although it may just go right back on the bookshelf. :-)

Funny how different our interests can become in the course of a year. These little critters were created a few years ago, with the intention of eventually making them greeting cards. They did become cards, and were sold locally, along with paintings. Very exciting for me at the time. But then, too much of a good thing is never good. I got tired of them. Quickly. The time i spent painting them was becoming less and less enjoyable for me.

So i stopped.

I think it's important to recognize that most everything has an expiration date. Including little green frogs. When we (as artists) get to the point where we no longer enjoy painting one thing or another, we owe it to ourselves (and the world!) to paint something else. To find whatever else makes our soul sing.

Getting to a point where we need a change doesn't mean that everything prior is worthless. I believe that everything prior is necessary - to become who we are today. It's important to know how to let go when certain things no longer inspire us. So we can be open to new inspiration & feel passionate again! :-)

xoxo