Let's Dance in the New Year!

Get down with some inspiring music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptPWSkdpBFo

I may have to put fire spinning lessons on my resolutions list.

Found it! Happy Tib's Eve!

My mantel piece with my angel chimes, glass creche and angel candle holder.

"Lord, You create day and night, Rolling away light before darkness,
Thank You for the darkness. Without it we could not appreciate the light.
By the darkness we can measure blessing-
Health by sickness, Laughter by tears, Riches by poverty, Freedom from oppression...
In centuries of night, Men rose at midnight and lit flames,
And by those slender lights, From torn and tear-soaked prayer books,
They pleaded forYour mercy...
Thank You for unfinished tasks, In the darkness
Teach us to light candles... even as we did tonight.
In memory of ancient light after darkness.
A candle is small... but candles light other candles,
And light draws strength from light.
Each night of life let us add candles...hope...faith... brave deeds...freedom...
Thank You for the darkness
Thank You for the light."

I love this poem and when I find the rest of it, I hope to give it's writer their due credit.

TIB'S EVE - The day before Christmas Eve (today!); also, a day that will never come. From the Newfoundland word of the day site

Moon Set

Moon set at 8:40 am. I am searching for a beautiful poem about the Maccabee's that speaks of being thankful for the darkenss that we may learn to better appreciate the light. As usual, when I want to find something in this house, it is swallowed by mysteries.

To see a beautiful shot of the lunar eclipse, go here: http://www.cbc.ca/bcalmanac/photogallery/

Happy Solstice

Hurray, the winter solstice arrives tomorrow night with a full moon in attendance. Now the days will begin to lengthen. Light a candle and praise the powers that be for bringing back the light.

Giggles

Giggles 16x16 acrylic

I don't think this little painting is quite finished yet but it lifts my spirits.

Pale tutu

16x16 acrylic

Another pose from the ballet models. I love how the frothy tutus reflect the light.

Niece

My niece lives in New Orleans and belongs to a crazy little dance/marching group (the pussyfooters) that performs in rad outfits several times a year. I am so jealous. She is on the right. I so want the boots and corset!

Bulldog

bulldog acrylic 16x16

I like the weird oxidized red that the paint turns on the old junkers. And I like the "teeth" on this one.

What I don't like, is, when I have waded through weeds or snow to get out to an oldtimer to take photos and I hear the faint menacing "woof" of somebody's watch dog!!

Red Gloves

acrylic 16x20

Snow Buck

12x12 acrylic, stamps, tyvek

I like the marbelized effect of the paint on tyvek. I had originally made the mountain black and liked the veining in it but the black swallowed the deer so I had to back off and try white. I wish more of the texture would show up in the photo.

It's fun making these small paintings but If I were smart, I would probably paint them on gessoed watercolor paper and then mount the good ones on canvas a la R. Burridge.

Permission to Play

Hester 12x12 acrylic

I have been wanting to play with leftover paint from my palette (acrylic skins) ever since I have seen Robert Burridge using it in some of his paintings. I have a lovely photo of a Columbia valley pioneer taped up over my desk and had been wanting to use her image. The two came together in a quick silly painting. I think I will have to go back in and shorten her chin but it was fun. Now I have to get all the paint off my fingers before we go out for a christmas dinner tonight!

Fantastic Women Artists's blog

Check out this great blogsite with wonderful paintings by/of women:

http://irea.wordpress.com/

Prairie Dress

This is Mabel modelling one of my projects, a prairie dress and apron.

Doris

Doris was my mother's name and she never like it much. But she preferred Doris to being called "Red" because of her hair. It is a strong name and not much used recently. When was the last time you met any little girls named Doris?

Surely, we will miss him (and don't call him Shirley!)

I was sad to see that Leslie Nielsen passed away a couple of days ago. "Airplane" is one of my all time get stupid and watch movies. I also enjoyed seeing him on "Due South". This poster has my Canadian favorites: Paul Gross (still drool over him) Molly Parker (would drool over her if I was bent that way) and good old Leslie (just drool). I just learned yesterday that Leslie was the "Swamp Fox", one of my Disney favorites. Does anyone else remember that show?

Bigger

24x24 acylic

I liked this painting in the small format and thought that it would be even better, bigger. Now, I'm not so sure. I'm always frustrated when the glitter doesn't show up because it adds a lot to the painting. Oh well, it's gooing up on the dining room wall for a while and I will think about it.

Clara

8x10 collage

I looked up the 100 most popular names of 1900 to organize this abecedary. I did have to make allowances for some of the less used letters (like X).

I have old photos and images of turn of the century ephemara that I scan and tear to make the backgrounds.

What I did on Black Friday!

I quite like this straw cloche. When I looked for cloche patterns on the net, there weren't any that I liked. So I draped the straw hat with a thin pliable foam and shaped and cut a pattern.

Close, but it needed some tweaking, mainly making a narrower brim. I am using up a bag of fleece scraps that have been sitting around!

This is the style I was going for. It also covers my ears which are extremely wind sensitive. I made the head part double layer and it's really warm. I like the brim flipped down.


But you could wear it more 1920's style with the brim flipped up. I am going to try again in a nicer looking fabric. This orange fleece will make a dog walking hat for now and no one will mistake me for a deer.

The Danger

12x12 acrylic collage

This painting features collaged newsprint and sewing machine stitiching high-lighted with pastels.

Silver Deer

12x12 acrylic collage

An experiment with aluminum duct tape and textured molding paste.

B is for brrrrrr!

8x10 collage

Well, I hope sitting all day in a drafty community centre flogging my wares will be worth at least the cost of gas. I am off with cards and prints to attend a craft fair at Invermere. The roads are less than desirable but that is just the status for this time of year. The temperature is dropping down tomight to -20C which translates to roughly -5F for those south of the border.

Irritating friends emailing and blogging from southern climes are just irritating!

Victorian Women Abecedary

8x10 collage

Abecedary: an alphabet, written out in a teaching book or carved on a wall. (Thank you, Sioux Browning) Sorry the photo is not better but I took it inside. The sun is not up yet.

Like Sheep? Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2FX9rviEhw
Wait through the commerical, it's worth it!

Winter Arrives

acrylic 12x12

There is a fierce snowstorm outside with snow blowing horizontally! Jinx is quite perturbed and complains about the conditions. As good a time as any to stay inside and paint.

I am loving the effect of paint on tyvek, a lovely soft mottling (as per the deer hide).

Dream Deer

acrylic 12x12

I am hoping to do a series exploring the deer image and experimental backgrounds. This one incorporates handmade rubber stamps stamped in moulding paste, tyvek, sprinkles of alcohol on still wet paint and glitter!

Testing perimeters

acrylic 16x16

This is an experiment in using acrylic to look like beeswax encaustic. Unfortunately the photo doesn't show the depth of texture. I am inspired today by words from the ever stimulating blog "The Painters Key¨.

Keep gathering.
Go to your room.
Produce a lot of work.
Fall in love with the process.
Keep an eye open for something different. and then go, if only for a while, in that direction. Do not be afraid of change or surprise.

I apologize for the technical problems regarding the text. Thanks to readers for letting me know there was a problem. I hope you can see it more clearly now.

Can you dig it?

For all you beatniks out there, check out the beat news: http://beatnews.jackmagazine.com/

Skulls Galore!

Mr. Thrifty looking nifty.

I found this cool skull blog: http://skulladay.blogspot.com/ with everything skulls!! Including fonts. Cool.

Remembrance Day

My Uncle Cloyd is on the left.

A letter to his mother.

He did not come home.

Always going somewhere!

This is an old image. I should be downstairs snugged up by the wood furnace painting but I have to trek into town to get a tooth filled. Pooh! That is what comes of living out in the middle of nowhere, you are always driving somewhere.

Oh well, at least when I am out walking, the crazies aren't following me like hungry zombies. What's up with that? The animals know to leave me alone.

Redhead

16x16 acrylic

This is nearly done, there may be a bit of tweaking to do, but I love the collagey bits. This is the direction of a series I will be working on this winter, along with the other dozen ideas that are buzzing around in my brain!

Y'all come!!

Sally modelling some of my "art" necklaces

I am going to be at the University Women's Club Christmas Bazaar on Nov. 6 Saturday from 10- 4 at the Cranbrook Golf Course. Come by and check out my table and stop by for a chat.

Winter Deer

12x12 acrylic

I am hoping to make a deer painting series. This one is dedicated to my friend Daniela, because she loves the cool colors so.

I am requesting a favor! If people could go view my new blog: http://whispersfromwayneco.blogspot.com/ I would appreciate it. I am trying to establish its presence on the internet

Thinking About Christmas --- Virtual Book Signing

12x12 acrylic "solstice headdress"

If you are starting to think about Christmas, you might want to check out the Virtual Book Signing for "The Farm Chicks Christmas" book. Go to: http://thefarmchicks.typepad.com/ The Farm Chicks always have great decorative ideas.

In the meantime, I will be looking up my Mom's date pinwheel cookie recipe. Unfortunately, it is one of those batters that tastes so good raw, it will probably never make it to the oven!

Halloween Fun

As usual, I dressed up....

to hand out treats

with my faithful minion

We had made 60 goodie bags and had to scrounge to give something for 80 trick or treaters! The kids here are so good, they make awesome costumes despite the cold weather and their parkas and are always polite. We drove to see the fireworks (2 minutes there, 2 minutes back...that's why I love living in small towns). Go forth and make your Day of the Dead altar.

Happy Halloween----Lenore

Lenore 16x20
(click on the image to read the text)

I wanted to paint a goth little painting for Halloween and this is what I came up with. Does anyone still read Poe?

I am going to hand out stuff to trick or treaters and then watch the full season of "Sister Wives". What could be scarier than that?

Columbia Valley Christmas

Finally, I have made myself sit down and paint!! This is for a christmas card competition at one of the galleries I show work at. I LOVE this old1938 power wagon. It belongs to a valley resident. It is beat-up and tough as nails and I would love to own it.