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

when the whispers call... listen.

hi everyone.

I've missed you all. 

Despite difficult days - the sun still rises. 

And what a beauty it is... wouldn't you agree?

No adjustments made to the photo...

it was actually this yellow.

First of all, thank you.

From the deepest of my heart - thank you all,

for showing me

that you are there.

That you understand.

Mom comes out of the hospital today.

:-)

We never know for how long,

but none of us really know

whether we'll be here tomorrow or not, do we?

The more reason to take everything in while we can,

to taste everything

to touch everything

to see everything

to be grateful for what we have,

for who we have

for who we are...

and for sunrises and sunsets. 

When i went to the mail today,

i found this in my box

and it made me smile...

A wonderful gift of speciality papers...(chinese papers?)

from the lovely Angelia 

all in a beautiful hand painted envelope.

How precious is that?

I can't wait to use them in my journal
THANK YOU Angelia... xox

During the past few weeks,
I spent very little time in my studio.

My heart just wasn't in it.

And then a few days ago,
I began to feel that stirring inside...

the one that calls for me to make art,
to write,
to create something.

The one that gets more persistent
as every day passes...

The one that reminds me,
that despite what happens around me,
there is still something inside me
that that needs to be given
a voice
a color
a form...

and within 30 minutes - a new beginning...

only after i had it all on canvas did i notice
the hearts...

At least i see two hearts.

It's only the beginning and i'll keep you posted
as it progresses.

It was good to have the brushes in my hand again. :-)

Kurt is watching on the sidelines. ;-)

I'll leave you with a video from someone that i love,

Loreena McKennitt - one of my favorite Canadians. :-)

The words in this song hold a particular meaning.

Back in 1998, she tragically lost her fiancé, his brother,

and their best friend in a boating accident.

She said she would never perform or record again after this.

But I'm guessing she felt the same stirring inside,

calling her to make music,

to give her feelings a voice,

to create something...

I'm so grateful that she listened to the whispers...

Wishing you all a happy, healthy weekend.

xox

pastels and Relay for Life

hello friends!

Not much art to show this week...

I'm in the crest of the wave

rather than on the wave itself lately.

But that's ok.

I'm still on the ocean.

:-)

I've had these dry pastels for about 20 years. 

Truth.

I've used them once or twice,

and didn't like the feel so much

so i just left them there.

But time changes things, doesn't it?

Like dreams we had years ago

that are no longer the same dreams,

or partners we chose

that no longer meet our needs

or the car we loved

that we no longer care for... ;-)

All of a sudden, when i found the box the other night,

they called to me again. ;-)

So this is what i attempted, on paper.

The face looks far too male -

or maybe it's the lack of hair...

but she's a cancer survivor,

so i wanted little hair.

i loved the pastels this time.

Love the feeling of rubbing my fingers in the chalk dust

and the rough look of dry pastels.

...yes, that's a halo. :-)

Anyone going through chemotherapy,

I've decided -

deserves a halo.

Don't you love the roughness?

It's funny how much we change

in terms of what we want to paint or draw as artists.

Years ago, i loved precision.

i loved making art that looked as much

like a photograph as possible.

Now - not so much.

There's nothing wrong with painting realistically.

It's just not where my heart is at this time.

Then i had this little piece of scrap watercolor paper

and did this little bunch of funky leaves.

The paper is only about 3" x 7"

but you don't need huge amounts of paper

to make a little bit of art, right?

i love making the little spirals...

meditative.

On another note, this past Friday night

my family and i went to the Relay for Life, in our home town.

The Relay is a yearly fundraising event

that focuses on cancer survivors

and those who have lost the battle.

I was never comfortable with calling it a "battle"...

it sounds like a fight within oneself,

and i'm not sure that's really what it is.

Anything we see as a battle

is already lost from the beginning.

The beauty and transformation comes,

i believe - in acceptance.

In surrender.

These are my lovely parents... from behind. :-)

Cancer survivors (in the yellow and white tshirts)

walk around the track and teams of people

who participated in the fundraising

walk for 24 hours...

from 7pm till 7am

in support of finding a cure for cancer.

Each little white bag you see on each side of the track

has a little tealight candle in it

and the name of a person chosen by those

who donated to the cause.

They are usually names

of lost loved ones.

At dusk, they light all the candles around the track

and they stay lit for the duration 

of the 24 hour walk...

it's beautiful.

One word describes what the Relay for Life is all about:

love.

wishing you all a wonderful week ahead

filled with good moments.

xoxo